Chapter 27 – Unwritten Mates

I looked around, half anticipating seeing another person speaking; however, only Luca was in sight. He kept his gaze fixed on me, never faltering.

A laugh bubbled out of me, more sharp and incredulous than amused. "No way. That wasn't you. You can't talk in my head. "I threw my arms up in disbelief. "That's just—no."

His voice echoed again, deep and steady, inside my mind: It was me, Quinn.

My heart stuttered, breath catching in my throat. I blinked, shaking my head, as if that would clear the impossibility of what was happening. No way. No freaking way.

"This has to be a dream," I muttered aloud, trying to convince myself.

"It's not," he insisted, his voice calm but firm.

My pulse raced. "How?" I demanded. My voice cracked under the weight of the question. "How are you doing this?"

He stepped closer, his eyes never wavering from mine. "Since we kissed," he said softly. "Everything changed. I could feel you, hear you—the bond between us became stronger the moment our lips touched."

A cold wave of shock washed over me. My mouth opened, but no words formed.

"Bond?" I finally managed to choke out. "What bond?"

He exhaled slowly, as though bracing himself. "We bonded, Quinn. The night we met. You're my unwritten mate—forever."

His words hit me hard enough to almost want to collapse, and my vision blurred for a moment. Unwritten Mate? Forever? This wasn't happening. Couldn't be happening. I was human. He was—well, a wolf. None of this made sense.

But then fragments of memories snapped into place—his hostility, the hot-cold energy between us, the way he watched me when he thought I wasn't looking. It all lined up, horrifyingly perfect.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded through the strange mental connection. My thoughts tangled, but the words tumbled out anyway. "Why did you hide this? Why did you treat me like trash?"

His gaze faltered, guilt flickering in his eyes. "I didn't want to." His voice broke. "But I needed you to hate me."

I recoiled. "Hate you?" The sheer absurdity of it made my voice shake. "Why?"

He ran a hand through his messy hair, his expression raw. "I'm an Alpha wolf, Quinn. My clan will never accept this. My father—he was the former Alpha. He'll never accept us. Wolves mate with wolves. Us? We're an unwritten bond, so I thought if I made you hate me, it'd be easier for both of us." His voice dropped. "But I was wrong. So damn wrong."

My chest tightened. "Luca..." I whispered, barely able to form words.

He stood there, vulnerable in a way I had never seen before. The weight he carried was etched in every tense line of his body. His walls were gone, and all I could see was the broken boy underneath.

Without thinking, I took a shaky step toward him. "You don't have to protect me from this," I said, my voice steadier now. "I can handle it. I'm not scared. "I stopped right in front of him, close enough to feel his heat. Not one of you. Not of any of it."

His eyes darkened with emotion, flickering between resolve and something deeper. And then, suddenly, he closed the distance. His arms wrapped around me, fierce and possessive, as if letting go would mean losing everything.

"I'm not going anywhere," I promised into his chest. "I'm not leaving."

His breath hitched. "You're mine now," he said, his voice rough, raw. "And you always will be."

As he kissed the top of my head, the declaration ignited something inside me. There was no denying the bond—it was ancient, powerful, and irreversible.

Suddenly, a low growl sliced through the air.

"What the hell is going on?"

I froze. Spinning around, I found Ethan standing just a few feet away. His chest rose and fell with barely contained fury, and his eyes blazed with accusation.

His gaze darted between Luca and me, and I saw the instant realization dawn on him.

Ethan wasn't stupid. He could see it—the bond, the electricity crackling between us. His face twisted in disbelief and hurt.

I opened my mouth to speak, to somehow explain, but nothing came out. How could I explain what I barely understood myself?

Ethan's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white. "Quinn," he said sharply, his voice vibrating with rage. "What is this?" His words were like a whip. "What the hell is going on between you and him?"

Panic surged through me. I tried to respond, but all I could do was stand there, my heart pounding like a war drum.

Ethan took a menacing step forward. His eyes flickered gold, a warning I couldn't ignore. "Tell me now," he demanded.

I swallowed hard, glancing between the two brothers. The tension in the air was suffocating, thick with anger and something darker.

Luca moved in front of me, his presence a wall of protection. I could feel his power thrumming just beneath the surface, ready to explode.

Ethan's voice was low and dangerous. "He's my brother," he growled. "So why the hell was he holding you? Why do I feel this... this tension?"

My stomach churned. The bond was pulling me toward Luca, even as my mind screamed at me to stop. Ethan was hurt—devastated—and I had no way to fix it.

Ethan's body trembled, his rage barely contained. His eyes flickered gold again, brighter this time. His voice dropped to a guttural growl. "Quinn," he barked. "Explain. Now."