Chapter 2

Rhys was fidgeting in the driver’s seat. “I dunno man. Are you sure my sister is going to be pleased to see you? I feel like she used to go out of her way to avoid you”

“Absolutely” said Theon with the knowing grin, one he had had on his face all morning. He had turned up at Rhys’s house last night saying he knew Rhys was going to see Naomi today and he needed to come with him but when he asked why he was infuriatingly mysterious about it.

“Because I gave her three years to be herself and I did my training, but she has to come back now.” Theron was saying this dismissively like he was just the Alpha bringing back a stray pack member but there was an undertone to it coupled with an excitement radiating off him that made Rhys feel like he was missing something obvious here but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Both men unbuckled their seatbelts and climbed out of the car stretching out the stiffness of the long car ride. Theon’s head suddenly whipped up and he looked alert, his eyes bright and darting back and forth looking all around him.

“She’s here” he said in quite voice Rhys almost didn’t hear. Rhys realised he was talking to his wolf and not him. That was also when Rhys realised why Theon was here. How had he not realised sooner? His little sister was the bad boy Alphas mate.

It had always been strange to Rhys that Theon had stopped dating a few years ago. He kept pointing out he was never going to meet his mate without testing the waters but Theon always said there was no need and that she’d come to him when it was time.

Theon said that pack matters and Alpha training was more important than dating and a Luna could come after but now realising he would have known that Naomi was his mate for three years it all made so much more sense.

Even though they hadn’t established the bond as she hadn’t been near him since she turned 18 Naomi would still feel a dull ache of hurt if Theon was with another woman. But also he really wouldn’t have been interested, the bond would have gnawed at his conscience every second he was with another.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Rhys asked his friend in amazement. “I would have made her come home years ago.”

“Yeah and we both know your little sister is stubborn as hell and smarter than everyone we know combined. Mate bond or not can you imagine her happily just accepting it all and settling down to be the good wife?” Theon asked raising one eyebrow and giving Rhys a knowing look.

Rhys let out a sigh. “God no. She’d have been compliant on the outside and plotting rebellion inside!” he said laughing.

Although Naomi never rocked the boat in the pack or made waves she was stubborn in school and when she didn’t agree with orders, Especially anything sexist so being told that she had to quit college to get married would have been an epic failure.

“Plus I feel like she has avoided me like the plague since I was 18 and I don’t know why so she has no idea about this.” Theon shrugged. Rhys laughed and clapped his friend on the back.

“Oh man, I forgot about that. I know why!” Rhys was still laughing. “She had a crush on you so she avoided you in case you could tell. Fuck, I just realised that was probably the bond starting to form. Silly girl” Theon looked at his friend with genuine surprise.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me this?!” he asked looking pissed off at this new information

“Well I found out by accidentally reading her diary so I wasn’t going to tell anyone because it seemed like a creeper thing to do!”

Theon shook his head. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter she still needed to go”

At that moment he knew she was only feet away.