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“Then you choose him. Your human side and your wolf both. That’s why there’s two sides to every mating bond. The human claiming and the wolf’s mark. You both have to accept it.”
Maya chewed on her fingernail, knowing that she wasn’t being completely honest about the real reason she had come here. There was more that scared her about the mating. She had already accepted Zander was her mate. She had claimed him yesterday in the woods in her human form. It was her wolf side that she was hesitant to let seal the bond and it didn’t have a thing to do with not wanting Zander as her mate.
“There’s more.” Darius had been watching her closely as she and Leo spoke and now he narrowed his eyes. “Isn’t there?”
“How do you do that?” She groaned.
“It’s a gift.” Darius smiled but his eyes remained steady, “So, tell us why you’re really here because I don’t think it’s just that you’re worried about Zander transitioning.”
“I am worried about that but…” She gave up worrying at her nails and sat up straighter in her chair. “I’m more worried about what the mate bond will do to my wolf.”
“What do you mean?” Leo frowned. “The bond won’t hurt your wolf. You know that.”
“No, it won’t hurt her, but it might change her.” She glanced at Darius and saw understanding in his eyes. “What if, instead of changing Zander, he changes me?”
“You mean, what if his wolf isn’t a Crescent wolf.” There was no question in Darius’ tone this time but she nodded anyway.
Leo shook his head, “That’s ridiculous. You’re a Crescent wolf. It’s your bite that will create his wolf. Of course he’ll be a Crescent wolf.”
“Not necessarily.” Darius hedged.
“The odds of his wolf not being tied to Maya’s pack are…”
“But I have two packs.” Maya cut her brother off, wincing when a hurt look crossed his face. “I’m sorry but you know it’s true. I was born a Crescent wolf but it’s been years since I embraced the pack. It was too hard for me to be here after everything that happened. I lived with you guys for a while but I also found a place for myself amid the Moirae Pack with Luna and Michael. I’ve been straddling the line for so long that I’m not sure my wolf even knows where she belongs anymore. What if, biting Zander, tips the scales?”
Darius leaned forward in his chair, “And you think the scales will tip in Moirae Pack’s favor because Zander has a blood tie to Zoey.”
She nodded again, “They may be estranged but they’re blood relatives. What if her blood is strong enough to tie him to the Moirae wolves? What if it’s strong enough that my wolf breaks her tie to the Crescent Pack to be with him?”
Leo looked thoughtful and though Maya exchanged a look with Darius, they both remained silent. This time she knew they weren’t having any secret conversation. Her brother was the Pack Alpha of the Crescent wolves. Her family had ruled the pack for generations. Her tie to Leo’s pack should never have been in question but it was and she could see that it hurt Leo to think of her wolf choosing another pack over his, that was why she was surprised when he finally spoke.
“If you mate and end up as Crescent wolves, you know we will welcome you with open arms.” Leo met her gaze, “But if you mate and become a Moirae wolf, you’ll still be family. You’ll still be tied to Luna since she’s their Queen now. You mentioned Zander’s blood connection but you have one yourself. I hadn’t thought about it but you’re right, it’s possible your wolf will be forced to choose and whatever that choice is, we’ll support you.”
Maya’s throat felt tight, “You could accept that? Me not being a Crescent wolf anymore?”
“It’s not my choice. It never was.” Leo reached out and covered her hand with his. “You will always have a place in my pack. You’re my sister. All I want is for you to be happy. Whether that’s as one of my wolves or not doesn’t make much difference to me.”
“Thank you.” Maya choked out. “That means a lot to me.”
“We love you.” Darius covered Leo’s hand on top of hers, stacking them high, “All we’ve ever wanted was for you to be safe and happy and loved. With your fated mate finally here, it looks like that’s all finally within reach. We’re happy for you.”
“Thank you.” Maya managed again, her heart warm and flowing with a lightness she hadn’t expected.
She’d known that this was the part of the mate bond that had been holding her back. She had been scared of what the bond would do to her wolf and their pack connections. But with her brother’s blessing and acceptance, she knew what she had to do now. She had to seal the bond once and for all and bind herself to Zander before the full moon. It was the best way to keep him safe and that was her top priority now.
He was hers to love and to cherish and to protect. Her human half had claimed him already. Now she could give in and let her other side do the same without worrying that she’d be letting her brother and her family down if things didn’t go exactly as planned. And if she was honest with herself, she knew that they wouldn’t. Nothing ever went as planned in her life. Why would it decide to start now?
Chapter Seventeen
Zander wasn’t typically a runner. In fact, he’d never been big on the whole working out thing in general. Since every job he’d ever worked required intense labor, he’d never seen the need to hit the gym. Laying concrete, doing construction, landscaping and being a field hand on a farm had given him every muscle he had and the rest of his body he pretty much owed to good genes. But if he had learned anything over the last few days with Maya it was that she took training seriously and if he had any chance in hell of keeping up with her, he needed to start now.
He knew that once she gave him the bite and he had his own wolf, that some of it would come naturally. Shifters were automatically stronger and faster than their human counterparts. All of their senses were heightened and he knew endurance was probably part of that but still, he wanted to be the best mate that he could be for Maya and that meant getting off his ass and working out.
Besides, ever since they’d been together in the woods he’d felt an energy humming inside of him. Maya had explained that sex was part of the mating ritual. She’d called it the claiming and apparently it meant that their human sides had begun the process of sealing the bond. She’d also told him that her wolf side would also have to bite him, thereby giving him his own wolf and ensuring that both halves were bonded, completing the circle. He’d wanted to ask her, again, to go ahead and give him the bite but in the aftermath of their lovemaking and her admission that she wasn’t ready, he’d known that he simply needed to wait.
The full moon was only a few more days away and she wouldn’t be able to resist the pull then. She had accepted him into her life. She had taken him into her body. The bond was there, strong and buzzing like a live wire deep inside of him. But he knew without having to ask that he felt so edgy and nervous because it wasn’t complete yet.
A run would help, he had decided.
