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Even if I would’ve otherwise been amused by it, at the very least, it took too much control to keep those volatile feelings locked within me. I wasn’t being myself, and while it was unfortunate, I knew it had to pass eventually.
Glancing through the raging bonfire as the music played around us, catching Jane’s eye, stoked my internalized need for her. The desire grew only stronger as the night went on, leaving me to wonder when I’d inevitably crack.
Watching Beau approach her, striking up a conversation certainly did annoy that volatile side of me, I urged myself to keep it together. It was harmless.
But something about it still bothered my inner wolf anyway.
Chapter 8 - Jane
Finally, putting names to faces helped make Levi’s friends seem less intimidating and settle my nerves.
Beau introduced himself and welcomed me into the fold. He seemed genuinely friendly, which surprised me given their appearance. He pointed the guys out as they stood around Levi and told me who was who. Apparently, he had met Levi at an old bar, along with Sebastian, Jacob, Ezra, and Ethan. Since then, they have become close friends, and some of them were business associates, too.
“It’s a lot to adjust to, but thanks for filling me in. I appreciate it,” I said, more relaxed than I had been at the beginning of the gathering.
Beau flashed a smile for me. “It’s no problem at all. You’ll likely see more than enough of us, so I figured I would get it out of the way.”
He seemed nice, and like he genuinely cared about Levi, which helped him seem more tolerable than Sam once claimed.
Before I could say anything else, I felt a newly-familiar presence behind me, tense and agitated.
“It’s time to go.”
Levi had cleared the space between us faster than I anticipated, and I took a small step back to regain the slightest bit of distance.
As if on cue, Beau offered me a small wave as he went back to his other friends.
My heart lodged in my throat from the proximity, and despite the slight discomfort that cloaked me, I forced myself to meet his gaze.
“What?”
His eyes reflected a confusing jumble of emotions and thoughts at me, and from the faint connection between us, I could sense that he was restraining himself to some capacity. He took a steadying breath. “We’ve been here long enough. We’re going home.”
As much as I still felt like an outsider at the gathering, it was nice to have the opportunity to talk to Nati about something other than the whole mating ceremony ordeal and to meet one of Levi’s friends. Everything had been a major whirlwind, especially since discovering we really were fated mates.
Even if something had clicked within me once we promised ourselves to each other, it wasn’t an instant, complete connection, and I knew we had a lot more to learn about each other.
But given that he was the alpha and the bonfire was set up for the two of us, I had imagined he would’ve wanted to stay longer.
Feeling that he wasn’t prepared to take no for an answer, given how tightly his brows were knit together, I blinked back at him. “O-okay.”
Gently enough, Levi put a hand against my arm and guided me toward his house. The contact sent a startling sensation through my arm, catching me off-guard. It filled me with a strange haze, making me dwell on it far longer than I should have.
When he realized just how quickly he was going, Levi slowed down to accommodate me, and his jaw set tightly.
Despite the stir of nerves in my stomach, my mind remained at the party, where, for the first time in a while, I didn’t want to crawl out of my skin. I wasn’t laughed or sneered at; everyone who approached me did so with pleasant smiles and kind words.
There hadn’t been any fighting or singling anyone out. It had been surprisingly nice and a lot less turbulent than any event ever thrown during Sam’s rein.
It was a nice change, regardless of how much adjusting I had left to do.
Without the chance to say goodbye to Nati or anyone else I had spoken to that night, I was whisked away from the backyard and taken toward Levi's place.
At first, I assumed Levi was just done with the gathering, but as my mind wandered to what little information I knew about mates and bonding, a heavy realization settled in my gut.
It was my first mate bond and the only experience I had so far, but I knew enough from other couples to know what would come next.
Even if I thought Levi was ridiculously attractive and that tether between us was encouraging it, I was afraid to consummate the bond.
