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“Augustus, you said it yourself. Cordelya is your mate.”

When I don’t respond, he grabs my shoulder.

“You’ve been rubbing the same spot on your chest all day. Right over your heart. It’s your mate bond!”

I shake my head. “There’s no way. I barely had a drop of her blood, and she hasn’t accepted it. Fuck, she doesn’t even know about it.”

“No. Think about it. You look like shit because you haven’t been able to drink your smoothies, and before you ask, your mom called. Do not be mad at her; she’s worried. That’s beside the point. You say you only had a drop, but could have sprinted to the Twisted Broomsticks before that droplet?”

I rub my chest again, thinking over his words.

“What if you try focusing on the feeling? I don’t know how mate bonds work, but if it ties you together, couldn’t you use it like a homing beacon?”

I turn the words over in my mind as Eric pulls out of the parking lot, our next destination already loaded into the navigation system. Could it be possible? I was feeling her emotions this morning. She was also in close proximity.

I touch my chest and give the ache my full attention. Nothing happens at first.

Then what feels like a pulse whispers through.

I gasp, turning to Eric wide-eyed.

“Holy fuck. I think you’re right.”

Eric gives a small fist pump, then says, “Okay, the next chapel is about two miles to the left. Maybe focus on it and see if the feeling gets stronger.”

I recenter myself and draw on the feeling, waiting for a sign we’re going the right way. When Eric turns, the feeling fades.

“Turn around.” I say, grabbing his arm, “The feeling just got weaker.”

Eric pulls a U-turn, punching the next location on the screen. We get close, the feeling in my chest steady, until it starts to fade again. The same thing happens twice more.

Frustration starts to creep beneath my skin. This is working, but it’s taking too fucking long.

“Anything?” Eric asks beside me.

“Still steady.”

I’m ready to tell him to move on to the next location when the ache turns from present to severe as emotions not my own begin to flood my system.

“We're close,” I gasp out. “I can feel her emotions. She’s fucking terrified, Eric.”

Eric punches the gas. In minutes we’re skidding into the chapel parking lot with squealing tires. The truck hasn’t even stopped moving before I launch myself out, feet hitting the pavement to sprint to the door, nearly tearing it open as I enter.

Cordelya stands at the altar with the son of a bitch who dared take her away from me.

My fangs drop as I stalk up the aisle.

“I object!”

Chapter 21

The Thing About Mate Bonds

CORDELYA

“What the fuck is my life right now?” I whisper to myself so Chad can’t hear me from where he stands guard outside the bathroom door. Maybe when he hit me over the head, it put me into a coma, and this is some horrific coma dream caused by swelling to the brain.

“Do you need help, Cordy?” he asks in a sickly sweet voice that has my skin crawling.