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Always the alpha, I think, giving him a small smile as I move forward again and finally sink into the seat opposite of him.
Canari…
The tragedy turned Bishop hard, but I was too young to be affected by it. Oh, no. That came much later. But when I was still too naive to what losing my omega mother so young meant, I entertained myself by singing little songs I made up that—even then—I hoped would make my stone-faced older brother smile.
Back then, Bishop was still a pup himself, walking around with the weight of the world on his shoulders. A silly song from his younger sister was sometimes enough to remind him that the world wasn’t such a dark place, and he developed the habit of calling me ‘canari’.
Little songbird.
As fitting now as it was then, I still love to sing—and I live to keep my packmates content.
Even before I knew exactly what an omega wolf was, my instincts always led me to make someone feel better. Sometimes it was at the expense of myself, but it didn’t matter. I was born to make my packmates happy. To calm them, to soothe them, to keep them on the right side of going feral…
I was the Omega by the time I was sixteen. Following Bishop’s lead, I’ve devoted myself to the Sylvan Pack for more than a decade. It’s what’s expected of me, and I’m happy to do it.
Just like, if Bishop has a task for me, I’ll do that, too.
When he doesn’t say anything, just watches me with a scrutinizing look in his dark gold eyes, I decide to ask, “Where’s Sofia?”
Sofia is Bishop’s mate, and the closest thing I’ve ever had to a sister. She’s a sweet delta she-wolf from the River Run Pack, across the country from where we are.
He clears his throat. “She’ll be here if you need anyone to talk to. If you don’t want to tell me, I mean.”
I make a face. “What are you talking about?”
“I had a visitor this morning. He came all this way from Darkwoods to meet with Helene Dupuis.”
Wait… that’s me. “Darkwoods?” I’ve heard of it before. It’s the name of a wolf shifter pack territory. “The Gravetail Pack from Texas?”
I don’t know a lot about all of the shifter packs in the United States. I have no intentions of leaving the Sylvan Pack, so it’s never interested me. I only know about Gravetail because they’re our biggest threat. Only about a three-hour run away from Hickory in our fur, if they decide to challenge the nearest shifter pack for their territory, it would be us.
“That’s right. Three wolves asked for permission to see you. I sent them away until you agree, but one of them… he won’t be deterred. He’s coming back tomorrow unless you refuse to see him.”
“But… why?” They have to have their own Omega, and since that’s my only worth as a wolf—and Bishop kept me so protected, no one should know about me from off pack land otherwise—I don’t understand. “Why would a Gravetail wolf want to meet with me?”
“You tell me, canari.”
I open my mouth. Before I can say I have no idea what he’s talking about, a whisper of a soft, feminine voice flitters through my mind. It’s as quick as the wind, almost as intangible, but I latch onto it before it vanishes as suddenly as it appeared.
I echo the sound out loud: “Rafael Cruces.”
Bishop exhales roughly.
I suddenly feel like I’m going to bend over and throw up on the hardwood floor of the Alpha’s den.
When it comes to finding our Luna-given fated mates, our revered goddess doesn’t usually whisper the name to any wolves except for an alpha. It’s traditionally been her gift when a new Alpha takes over their pack. It happened to Bishop when the Luna whispered Sofia’s name to her, and I heard stories about the same thing happening to our former Alpha, Xavier.
Other packmates—whether we’re deltas, omegas, betas, or even the elder gammas—recognizes their fated mates in a more subtle way. Eyes meet and, suddenly, the beginning of a mate bond is born between them.
Not me. The Luna just whispered Rafael’s name in my ear, and I instinctively know that I’m meant for him.
Wait—
Cruces? “The Alpha of the Gravetail Pack is Luis Cruces, not Rafael. Right?”
Bishop nods. “Luis is the Alpha. His son is the Alpha-heir. He’ll take over for his father one day, and when he does, he’s asking that you accept him as your fated mate.”
Because he knows my name.
