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He obviously isn’t from here, otherwise, he would know exactly who I am. And judging by the polo, he’s not used to the dark side of the shifter world. Unlike my other mates whose hands are as bloody as mine, their dark pasts are able to rival even my own. This man, Zeke’s twin, may be an alpha, but he’s a normal shifter, perhaps he grew up in the normal world with a small pack that melded among them, running in the woods in their spare time, careful to stay clear of humans. Zeke’s twin does not belong in this world, it would corrupt him—being with me would corrupt him, and I stupidly just had some of the best sex of my life with this man, a man that I should let go of.
I stride past him to hurry to the washroom before I meet Seline at the back door. My phone vibrates in my pocket but I don’t bother looking at it as I focus on the door, keeping my mind focused or I might just give in to the overwhelming need to keep him close.
“Wait a minute, you’re really just going to leave? But we’re mates.” His voice is soft with a note of incredulity, and I internally wince at it. This is the last thing I want to be doing, but I have no other choice. I have to tell Zeke first, tell him he has a twin brother that is also my mate. I know he’ll understand, he already said he would accept all of my mates as all males did with their female alpha mates. On top of that, could I really bring someone innocent into our lifestyle? Has he ever fought as a human or a wolf? Has he ever been faced with the dark side of our world?
“Yes I’m leaving, because it’s for your own good, trust me,” I tell him and stride for the door. His hand grasps my shoulder lightly as I pass, and I let him stop me, my stupid heart warring with my brain right now. Hating fate for what is happening, I turn back to him, taking in his slumped shoulders and eyes creased in a pained look. I exhale slowly, some of the resolve slipping at the look in his light grey eyes and the bond pulsing between us urging me to stay. Sickened, I check in with my wolf, but she’s as conflicted as I am—she wants to claim him as her mate, but that wars with her protective side, wanting to keep him safe above all else. “I suggest you forget about this place, go back to whatever cushy suburb you stepped out of, and don’t look back.”
His hand goes slack on my arm momentarily, and I use the opportunity to turn and stride from the room, knowing I have a few minutes at least as he pulls on his clothes. Hopefully he’ll heed my warning, and if Zeke wants to, I’ll help him find him again. But I’m almost sure he’d want to keep his brother far from the dangers of our packs.
I push down that other half of me hoping he won’t listen—hoping he’ll choose to stay and fight for me—as I stride down the hall and duck into the bathroom to wipe away the evidence of our time together and put him in the past.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Skylar
“Sorry,thisvoicemessagebox is full. Please try again later,” the mechanical voice says on the other side of the phone, the calm, chipper tone grating on my nerves. I huff out a breath of exasperation and end the call, scowling at the phone as if it’s the robotic voice’s fault.
“Of course it’s fucking full … of messages from me,” I mutter at the snarky bitch before dialing Everett’s number. My heart sits in my throat as I wait for him to answer, but of course the same message plays for him too.Dammit, I wish I had gotten Arsenio’s number, then at least it could be a trifecta of my mates ignoring me.I don’t let my thoughts wander to the fourth, nameless mate from last night. I’m still remembering the taste of the honeysuckle on his lips and the feel of his length sliding into me and filling me so completely. Nope, I definitely don’t let my mind go there …
The evening sun shines brightly still, despite being so low in the sky, seeming too cheery for the fear sending shivers down my spine.
What’s the use of having multiple mates if no one will answer the damn phone when you need them? I don’t even want to look at how many calls I made to them. Bile climbs up my throat as my mind strays to the worst. But I would have heard something—someone would have contacted our pack if all three of them had been …No, don’t go there Sky.
Leaning back against the leather seat, I keep my phone cradled in my lap, checking the screen every few minutes to see if any calls or texts have come in. My foot taps anxiously against the car floor, bouncing to work off some of my nervous energy.
“Just breathe,” Seline says from beside me, her slender hand clasping my shoulder in a comforting touch.
“Do you want me to get in touch with one of their betas? I have Elise’s number,” Silas asks from the row in front of us, glancing back over the seat to us in the third row. His brow furrows as he scans over me, and I snap out of it. It’s one thing for Seline to see me like this, maybe even Silas, but there are two betas in the front seat, just past the closed partition.
“Yeah, that might be for the best, just to check up on their progress,” I say, willing my voice to stay calm and collected. Silas nods and pulls out his phone, and I turn back to Seline. Her mouth pulls down in a grimace as she looks over me, clearly seeing through my facade.
The armored SUV continues down the city street as we make our way to the venue that my darling step-monster picked out. Why she thought having a party across town in the middle of a conflict was a good idea, I’ll never know. Monte took a separate car there with the security teams, needing to set them up and brief them on securing the new location. That was a relief at least since things have been tense between him and me since yesterday. I don’t even want to think about the smug look he’d get if he knew I was trying to get a hold of them, my Alphas, so desperately.
I glance down at my lap again, checking my phone, and huff out a breath of annoyance when no new notifications pop up. But my lips lift slightly as I take in the fabric of my dress. Not the frilly white monstrosity that Vivian had prodded me into wearing, refusing to leave the store unless I chose that one. No, the seamstress had sent over a floor-length one-shoulder dress with a long slit up one side that hugs my curves perfectly. The fabric is a light, airy black with white silk beneath it, adorned with glitter to mimic the sparkle of starlight, the perfect picture of light shining through the darkness. I was drawn to the dress immediately when I saw it in the shop, seeing it as the perfect representation of what I’ve become over the past few days. I can now see light within me, and a glimmer of the future shining in the distance, beckoning me forward.
Along with the dress, she left a note, sharing why she made the change.Pearl, of all people, spoke to the seamstress after she saw me eyeing the dress. Guilt churns in my stomach over our distance and not being able to invite her tonight, but she hadn’t seemed concerned, as though she knew the truth. She’s probably one of the only people I’d want there if tonight was an actual celebration. But it was best that no children were invited due to the threat the Langleys still pose. And to my dismay, Monte still didn’t have the footage for the backup servers yet. I’d be able to breathe a bit easier knowing we have the traitor that put everyone’s lives in danger and had gotten one of our own as well as one of the Whitlock pack killed.
My lips turn down at the thought of our lost pack members, wishing we could have had their memorial before all of this. Silas and Elise had worked together, and it was scheduled for tomorrow. Not for the first time today do I curse Vivian for her thoughtless actions. And I have no doubt that she’ll be singing her own praises tonight, ignorant of how insensitive she’s being.
“There was no answer there either,” Silas grimaces, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Impatient for some reassurance, I search along the connection to my mates. It’s not as clear since they aren’t here with me, but I still feel the warm comforting presence connecting their souls to mine. The bonds are still tethered between us at least. I sigh a breath of relief, finally letting myself focus now that I know that they’re okay.
“Well keep trying them, but for now we need to focus on tonight and keeping the pack safe during this ridiculous scene,” I say, frowning as I remember that we’re not the only ones in the car. Silas hadn’t said anything to me after Seline told him about my mate bonds with the Whitlock pack, but she did mention that he didn’t seem surprised.Am I truly that transparent?
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?” Seline asks, her voicepitched low. I shake my head in response, which is of course a lie, but my brain is completely fried right now. I honestly wouldn’t even trust myself to make a logical decision right now. There’s just so much going on currently, and I need to tackle one thing at a time. If only that“thing”would answer his phone.
“We’re pulling up now,” the driver says over the speaker. The tension grows palpable, and I inhale sharply, glancing out at the lush gardens where the party is to take place. Of course, it couldn’t have been earlier in the day—no, Vivian wanted a full cocktail hour followed by a four-course meal under the light satin tents. The driver circles around the cobblestone roundabout, a towering fountain spurting dancing streams of water decorates the middle.
I suppress a groan, almost wanting to come clean about everything just for the sake that she wouldn’t have anything to hold over me. But I’m sure she’d just find something else to get her way.
“Perhaps I should give her a role in the pack so she has less time for making my life miserable,” I muse out loud, and Silas chokes on a laugh as he quickly tries to stifle it.
“Just please not with me,” Silas mutters, to my surprise, and I can’t help the giggle that slips past my lips.
“I second that,” Seline says, as the car comes to a stop. Before I know what’s happening, everyone else opens their doors at once, their guns drawn as they clear the area.
I hold back a groan of annoyance, knowing they’re only doing their job, and step out of the car to follow them.
