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Yeah, I guess I did. The moment I saw Pierce ordering Whitney to kill Kellan, I knew that he wasn't the alpha I thought he was. Certainly not one I wanted to follow behind any longer. I felt blind for not seeing this side of Pierce sooner, or maybe I did and chose not to acknowledge it. I knew he was an asshole, but it really never occurred to me that he would kill a pack member for failing to keep someone prisoner. And Sonya shouldn't have been a prisoner to begin with. What Pierce had been doing was unforgivable. He didn't deserve to lead a pack.
"Regardless, I do appreciate you helping me," I said to Sabina. "I already told Rosie I'd do everything I could to help her stop Pierce, and I meant it. Whatever I can do to contribute, I'll do it. I want this to end."
“That's the spirit," said the white-haired guy, who I learned was named Caleb. He was one of Del's fated mates. Funny how she was trained to kill wolf shifters, yet she found herself fated to five of them. Three out of her five mates were here, while the other two were watching over their pack.
Sabina leaned forward, resting her head on her hand and eyeing me skeptically. "You'll do everything you can, huh?”
I was suspicious about what was going through her mind, but I held my resolve. "Yes."
"Well, there is something you can do for Rosie?"
"Which is?"
Sabina paused to look at Joaquin before turning back to me. "You can mate with her."
"What?" Joaquin and I both said at the same time. Mate with Rosie? What was Sabina trying to do?
"You heard me," she said. "Rosie's missing a fourth mate to share a fragment of the Wolf Moon's gift with, and time is of the essence. So, if you really want to help, you'll mate with her."
"Sabina, you can't be serious right now," Joaquin objected, whereas I sat there dumbfounded. I didn't know Rosie needed a fourth mate. Wait a second, was that what Sabina was implying back when she left? Was she expecting me to take on the role?
"Sabina, you can't just tell Byron to mate with Rosie out of obligation. That's not right," Joaquin said.
Sabina gave him a questioning look. "Do you not think Byron is a good candidate? Do you think he wouldn't be able to protect Rosie?"
"That's not what I'm saying at all. Byron's a good guy, but if he and Rosie are going to mate, it should be because they want to be together."
"I agree with Joaquin," Javier chimed in. "Mating to only fill a requirement is immoral, and my sister would never accept that. Not when mating is for life."
It was hard to tell is Sabina was listening or not. While the two men were talking, she only had her eyes on me, assessing what my response was. To be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I thought Rosie was a beautiful and strong young woman, and despite the hardships she was currently facing, she still held her head high like the queen she was. But did I like her enough to mate with her? The last couple of times we talked, I could feel something between us. But was I ready to make that kind of commitment again? What would Carly think?
"Byron?" I heard Sabina call my name. "What do you think?"
I gulped. "I don't know. I meant what I said about helping Rosie, but like Javier said, to mate is for life. That's not something to be taken lightly. Besides, she seems awfully cozy with that other guy."
"You mean Rowan?" Kao asked, then chortled. "Oh, she's got it bad for him. But he's a good guy with a hot bod."
Javier's face scrunched up like he tasted something sour. "I don't know how I feel about this. He's too old for her."
"What are you, her parent?" Del asked. "Rosie's grown, let her like who she likes. Plus, there's nothing wrong with liking an older man. I mean, the experience he must have."
"Seriously?" Caleb scowled. "You're going to talk about another man's experience around us?"
"What? It's not like I want him."
"I would hope not." Javier wrapped his arms around Del's waist, pulling her onto his lap, then whispered something in her ear that made her eyes widen. When he pulled back with a smirk, Del slowly faced him with look that issued a challenge. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Papito."
"Mmmm, Cariño, you should know by now that I always deliver what I promise."
"I think I'm going to puke," Raph muttered, leaning back against the arm rest of his seat, his arms crossed over his chest and his ponytail resting over his shoulder.
It was entertaining seeing them interacting together. When they were like this, you wouldn't have been able to tell that they started out as mortal enemies. What happened to the Blue Moon Pack was made publicly known to other wolf packs in the U.S. It wasn't every day we hear about a human joining a wolf pack, much less one that was regarded as an elite assassin. The fact that Del gave up her whole life to be with her mates declared how powerful their bond was.
It reminded of when I saw Rosie and Joaquin, hand in hand shortly after she refused to mate with Pierce. Or a couple days ago when she was sandwiched between the twins. There was no denying what was being shown. Love. Something that I used to have, but don't anymore.
Needing to get away from the lovesick harem, I excused myself and headed out the front door. Crossing my arms and resting them over the wooden patio rail, I looked off into the array of rose bushes, thinking back to when I thought I'd have it all. A mate to love forever, a child I'd have the privilege to watch grow up, a happy life. But those dreams ran down the drain, never to be thought of again.
"I thought I'd find you out here." I didn't have to look to see Joaquin joining me. We stayed in contented silence for long minutes, watching as the sky shifted from blue to a dull orange as the sun began to set. Our pack meeting would soon start. I hoped Rosie, Kai, and Rowan came back quickly.
