AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I have no proof of my own, and you can come to your own conclusion, but I'll ask you this—does Sam seem above that kind of behavior? Does Sam strike you as an honest leader?"
This seemed to erase any words that may have been on her tongue, and Jane swallowed hard. She shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "It doesn't matter now anyway. He discarded me."
"Remember that the next time you feel like defending him," I reminded her, growing impatient as the conversation didn't seem to be getting us anywhere. "Things are very different around here, and not in the ways you think. But you're going to have to get used to it. We’re going to appeal to the Goddess soon, and the less you resist, the easier it will be for both of us."
Jane's head swiveled at that, meeting my gaze with a flash of alarm moving through her. "You can't be serious."
"I am. Sam thinks he has won but may have just done me a favor. I need to know if there really is something here."
She shook her head with conflicted emotions moving through her eyes, refusing to believe it. "But I don't want this. You don't want this! You only accepted the offer to trick Sam and for your pride. This won't be a genuine match."
Anger bubbled up beneath my skin at her doubt. Whether I was afraid she was right about us not being a match or, worse, that she didn't find me desirable, that refusal stung. Given how I felt that strange pull to her, I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. I had the feeling we really were compatible despite her shock and resistance. We had to find out.
Annoyed with the situation, I knew I was toeing a line that would be hard to come back from. I held my tongue and moved toward the door, not wanting to say anything I didn't mean.
Reaching for the handle, I paused and said, "It doesn't matter what either of us wants. We’re going to find out, so get comfortable."
Before she could say anything else, I stormed out of the room and exited the house.
Just as I passed the well-manicured lawn and flowerbeds out front, I reached the street and felt like I was about to explode.
"Levi?"
Nati, wearing her usual billowy white dress and more necklaces than I could count, caught my attention several steps away. Concern filtered through her crystal-blue eyes. "What's going on?"
Sighing, I tried to push the anger away. I didn't want the few followers I had to shoulder my emotions on my behalf. "Jane isn't cooperating, but I need you to prepare her for the ceremony in the next few days. Can you do that for me?"
Despite her slight confusion, Nati nodded obediently. The sun warmed her skin's deep, cool tones, accentuated by the white hair braided into her natural locks. "I will take care of her."
"Thank you," I said, offering a nod of acknowledgment before I continued, in need of a moment to think away from the house.
I couldn't put my finger on what made me want to understand that strange keening in my chest whenever I was near her, but the loudest thought in my mind was how I had to try. To find out if we were a true pairing or not.
At the very least, the Goddess’ decision about our connection would come first before the actual mating ceremony, which offered us an out if we weren’t compatible. We wouldn’t be forced into anything if we weren’t right for each other, and it wouldn’t hurt to at least see.
Even if I felt unsure about the outcome, that deeply rooted sense of duty, like I had to protect her, had to come from somewhere. Not to mention, she seemed to stand out to me in a way that no other woman ever had, and given how I couldn’t get my mind off her, that had to mean something.
Chapter 6 - Jane
Fury roiled within my gut the moment Levi left the house. Despite the overwhelming feeling, it wasn't enough to block out my despair about how everything was playing out.
Not only did Sam hand me over to Levi like I meant nothing to him or the pack, but he fully intended on following through with the ceremony. The suggestion for us to become mates had seemed more like a joke—a slight against Levi, yet he ran with it anyway.
I couldn't wrap my head around why. We were strangers to each other. I didn't know the first thing about Levi, and yet he wanted us to stand before the goddess and determine whether we were compatible on a divine level.
While I did find him appealing, and I felt that being his mate wouldn’t be the worst thing, it seemed strange to me.
The ability to choose was being ripped from me all over again, leaving me powerless. I didn't like it, but it was hard to find a way out. I wasn't so sure I had any choice in it at all.
Despite how the grief made it impossible for me to eat, the need became too strong by the end of the day, and I reluctantly ate the next meal I had been given. My stomach had been so empty that I ate greedily, and to my surprise, it was delicious. Even if my nerves were completely frayed, a solid meal helped soothe my body’s protesting.
Knowing Levi intended to mate so long as the goddess approved sat heavily in my mind and kept me awake at night. I woke up every morning feeling broken and helpless, more exhausted than the day before.
I had felt my fair share of sadness and emptiness from my time in Sam’s pack, yet I had never been in a situation like that one before. I had no guidance or insight into navigating potentially becoming an alpha’s mate against my will, and it left me feeling more lost than ever.
Plus, it was complicated to miss a pack I never truly belonged in. One that surely didn’t miss me.
Just when I started to believe Levi intended to let me rot in that bedroom, the door eventually opened, and a small-framed woman poked her head inside.
