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“You know how she is, always deep in thought about something,” Iver teases, nudging my foot with his underneath the table.
“Is it Javi?” my friend Avery asks.
I whip my head around in alarm, wide-eyed. “What?” I blurt, blinking at her.
How does she know?!
Avery furrows her brow, clearly puzzled by my visceral reaction to her question. “You’ve been trying to dig up info on him and his pack, haven’t you?”
Right.
“Oh, yeah,” I mumble, quickly schooling my expression and composing myself.
Way to play it cool, Lo.
While mentally berating myself for being so damn obvious, I immediately redirect the conversation to another fated bond that snapped in last night; one that we actuallycantalk about. “No, I was just thinking about Sloane and Madd, how much they had to go through to find their way back to each other,” I say, cautiously sweeping my gaze around the table to see if my friends are buying my lie.
Avery does- hook, line, and sinker.
“It’s so romantic, isn’t it?” she gushes, leaning in closer to me. “I mean, I always knew those two were fated. And you have no idea how hard it was to sit on the sidelines while they figured their shit out.”
Avery Kessler has been firmly on team Madd and Sloane since the two of them first got together back in our teens- despite their relationship getting a bit messy, to say the least. Now that her brother and her bestie have been officially confirmed as fated mates, she’s over the damn moon.
“Is it weird that she’s gonna be your pack’s luna now?” Ares asks, never shy to stir the pot. “I mean, technically, she’ll outrank you in your own pack…”
Avery waves a dismissive hand. “I mean technically, yeah, but I’m not bothered. I love Sloane. And really, it’s only until I find my own mate and leave the pack.”
Yeah, because shifters ascribe to the archaic rule that if a pair is mated, the female leaves her pack to join the male’s. I try not to roll my eyes at that, and then realization slams into me, my stomach sinking like a stone when I consider my own situation. If Javi and I seal the bond, I’ll have to leave my pack. I’ll have to joinhis…
“What makes you so sure he’ll be from another pack?” Ares challenges.
“Because my brother’s the alpha of ours,” Avery replies flippantly.
“And?” he presses.
She rests her forearms against the tabletop, leaning forward and leveling him with a hard stare. “You really think anyone but an alpha can handle me?” she asks, arching a brow.
Ares’ lips spread into a big, goofy grin and he leans in, meeting her halfway. “I’ve got alpha blood, babe.”
Avery jerks back with an amused snort. “Keep it in your pants, Raines.”
Everyone laughs at his expense, and while I join in to keep up appearances, my own sounds hollow and forced.
A lot of alpha-blooded shifters wind up together, so I suppose it makes sense that fate paired me up with Javi. He’s an alpha and I’m the daughter of one. On paper, our DNA matches up. Still, I feel like the two of us couldn’t have less in common, and the thought of joining a nomadic pack like his makes me queasy. If the six-pack council decides against letting them settle here, I’d have to leave behind my family, my friends…
“Hey, where are you going?” Avery asks as I jolt up from my seat at the table, the abrupt movement making me a little dizzy.
“Got work to do,” I mumble.
When I pick up my plate, I realize that I’ve barely eaten a thing on it. I guess drowning in emotional turmoil doesn’t lend to much of an appetite. My stomach churns in protest as I say a quick goodbye to my friends, then drop my plate in the wash bin, making my way out of the dining hall and exiting the complex.
Dusk is just starting to settle as I head for the parking lot, the sky painted with red and orange hues. I slip behind the wheel of my Jetta while my heart beats wildly in my chest, and for a second, I hesitate with my fingers on the keys.
I don’t have to do this. I could just go back inside, head to my dorm, and go on with my life as if none of this ever happened. I could forget about Javier Cruz and the cursed mate bond between us.
But even as I consider it, I know that’s not an option for me. My wolf is keening to be near our mate, and I’ve never been one to walk away from something without seeing it through. I have to see him; have to figure out who he really is and why fate put the two of us together. If anything, it’ll give me some leads when it comes to carrying out my task of vetting him for the council.
That last thought is what pushes me to turn the key in the ignition and pull out of the parking lot. Because this isn’t just about me; it’s about my job and my reputation and the safety of everyone in the six-pack territory when it comes to the potential danger of letting strangers in. It’s about my duty. My purpose.
