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I took off after Dason, staying on his flank as he traversed the forest. I loved running in the early hours like this before the sun rose. The sights weren’t quite as vivid as they were during the day, but the forest was alive just the same. Nocturnal animals were still awake, though they went into hiding as we crashed through the woods at speeds that were freeing for Dason’s and my animalistic sides.
My heart was pumping as fast as galloping horses by the time we drew to a stop near a stream.
Padding forward, I dipped my head and lapped at the fresh water careening over the smooth rocks, the cold liquid washing down my throat refreshing.
Dason stared at his reflection rippling in the moonlight.
I never expected I’d have a true mate, Chayton,he admitted, the conversation made easier without him looking me in the eye. I stared into the forest beyond, allowing him the space to get things off his chest.
I know.
Choosing Mara was easy. Hell, maybe it was too easy. That should have been a sign, Dason disclosed sheepishly.
Do you still have feelings for her? I asked him point-blank, needing to hear his response.
No. There was no hesitation behind his response.No, he repeated, as though he was surprised by his own answer.There’s nothing between us but friendship. I think… fuck… I think I wanted it to be more at one point, tried to force it, but it all disappeared the moment Lorn showed up in our territory.
Trying to mate Mara was the safe option, Dason. She’s wanted you since you were children. Mara knows how lucky she’d have been to have a pack, to be a mate even though it would never be a true mating. Mara posed no threat. She was likeable enough, but it wasn’t love. Not by a long shot.I needed him to realize that Lorn’s arrival saved us from living a partial, unfulfilling life.
Love fucking terrifies me. Dason’s voice was a rasp in my mind, emotion tinging every note.Lorn fucking terrifies me.
I chuckled, which Dason didn’t appreciate.Of course she does. Lorn’s the real deal. She has the ability to break each and every one of us.
You know my past. You know why letting myself fall is so goddamn hard for me. How can you be okay with the power she’ll hold over us—already does over you?he growled, the sound his wolf made the embodiment of our tortured conversation.
Because the same is true in reverse, except so much deeper for Lorn. You think that girl isn’t scared, Dase?I stepped toward his wolf, crossing the line from respectful to all up in his personal space.I’m mated to her. I can read her thoughts just as well as you can as her alpha. You want to know why she’s so strong? Because even though she’s scared sometimes, and completely out of her depth in this new world, she keeps pushing forward. She’s fire and steel and something so fucking sweet it defies explanation.I took a breath, my tone lowering.Lorn gave me her heart freely, knowing full well I could crush it. I believe she’s done the same with Axel, and she’s not far from offering it to Jolon and Syler either. She has six men, six mates, who could hurt her, and yet she doesn’t hold back. There’s one chance for us to get hurt, andsixfor her.
I didn’t think of it like that, Dason yielded, giving me the honor of breaking eye contact first, a rarity for an alpha. As his beta, however, I’d seen the phenomenon once or twice in our friendship, always when he realized he was wrong and I was right.
At least he was man enough to admit when he screwed up, a trait I admired in him. The same could not be said of all alphas.
I huffed a laugh.Yeah, I know.
Dason’s wolf rumbled a thoughtful sound and began pacing along the creek’s edge.I can’t live through the past again, Chayton. She’s so young, and my primal spirit grows more impatient by the day. The need to settle down, mate, and breed has only gotten worse since she arrived. I can’t pressure her. I thought staying away was the best for everyone, but now that we understand how important mating is for anchoring Lorn to the mortal realm, I have no choice but to get closer.
Your rejection has been slowly eating her up inside.
Dason whipped around, his wolf’s eyes flashing.I didn’t reject her.
You didn’t accept her either, man.I gave it to him straight.Like it or not, you fucked up, and we didn’t intervene because—
Because I’m your alpha.
Because,I stressed,you’re our friend, and we realized how difficult it was for you to let someone in. To let a woman get that close to your heart after everything you went through with your mother,I corrected.But Lorn’s my mate, and now it’s my job to protect her above all else.
I told Lorn I was interested, but I don’t think she believed me.Dason shook out his coat.
Actions speak louder than words, I stated resolutely.Start small and work your way up to a grand gesture. Just know Lorn isn’t materialistic, she doesn’t need things. She needs sincerity. She needs to understand why you hesitated when it came to claiming her as your mate. She’s hurt right now, and your relationship won’t mend overnight.
Dason sighed, but I saw the resignation in his wolfish gaze.This is going to be a long climb back into her good graces.
And it’ll be worth every step, brother,I told him, meaning every word.Every. Damn. Step.
Five
Lorn
The morning light was blinding, even behind my closed lids, making my vision red before I ever opened my eyes. I squeaked as I stretched, the little hums escaping from how good it felt to move again after sleeping for what felt like ages.
