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I whip my head sideways to stare at my brother, nodding absently as his words register in my brain.
It’s not like me to be so distracted on the night of the full moon run. I’m always so busy with my duties to the squad that I don’t let my wolf out nearly often enough, but the night of the full moon is the one time each month that I can well and truly let go and leave my worries and responsibilities behind. I need it tonight more than ever.
That awkward run-in with Javi today left me feeling even more thrown off my game than I already was, and I’ve been stuck in my head ever since, questioning my own self-worth like never before.
Here’s the thing: people look at me and my friends as the sons and daughters of the six-pack alphas, but we’re more than that. Each of us has a distinct purpose. The eldest boys are alphas or future alphas, leaders of their packs. Any second sons are equally as important, groomed for the same role in case something happens to the alpha and they need to step up. My girlfriends have all found where they fit in- Avery heads up the leadership of the security squad with her twin brother Madd, his girlfriend Sloane is gifted and can see the damn future. My best friend Andie is an expert with firearms, and she’s everyone’s moral support, always close by to pick up anyone who’s down and find the bright side when things seem bleak.
My role has always been the problem solver; the fixer. The others depend on me to find solutions to whatever problems we’re faced with, and I pride myself on always producing results. It’s what I’m good at.
Or at least I thought I was. Investigating Javi and his pack may just be my biggest task yet, and I’m failing. It’s given rise to a major crisis of confidence, because if I can’t produce results in IT, then where do I fit in with the rest of the six-pack? What’s my value, my purpose?
“Let’s go!” Iver calls out, and the energy in the room ramps up to a hundred. Everyone starts spilling out the back doors of the packhouse onto the lawn, teeming with excitement to get the full moon run underway.
I fall in with the crowd, seemingly impervious to their contagious enthusiasm as my own toxic thoughts continue to swirl. The self-doubt is crippling, and yet I can’t seem to come up with a way to dig out of the hole I’ve put myself in. Maybe afterthe run, I’ll be able to think clearly again. Maybe all I really need is to unburden myself for a little while.
Iver marches toward the treeline at the back of our property, stripping out of his clothes along the way. As our pack’s alpha, he’ll be the first to shift tonight- and once he does, his howl will signify the official start of the run. The whole pack has come out to observe this ritual, save for the children whose wolves haven’t come in yet. The older ones watch the younger ones because nobody with a wolf wants to miss out on the full moon run.
The air around Iver shimmers as he calls his wolf forward, and within seconds, he’s changing forms and shaking out his fur, throwing his head back with a low howl. My inner wolf pushes forward in response, my skin prickling with the urge to shift. I waste no time in shedding my clothes, transforming into my wolf, and bounding toward the treeline to join my brother in the forest.
My paws drum against the earth in a steady rhythm, my senses heightened as I fully give myself over to my inner animal. The dense scent of pine and damp earth fills my nose, the howls of my packmates echoing in my ears. My vision is razor sharp, even beneath the dense canopy of the trees blanketing the forest in darkness.
As I run, my errant thoughts become blissfully quiet. It’s just me and the forest teeming with life all around, slivers of pale moonlight peeking through the branches up above. I love running at night. This is the only occasion each month I get the chance to since a curfew has been imposed for the last decade to protect us from the shifter hunters. They’ve been known to strike under the cover of darkness, so we don’t shift after dark.
It’s torture. There’s just something about the way the forest comes alive at night, something about feeling the glow of the moonlight on my back that’s addictive.
I’m so lost in the sense of contentment that I almost miss the moment of realization when something suddenlyfeelsdifferent,smellsdifferent. There’s a strange tugging sensation from deep within that peels me away from the rest of my pack, pulling me east while they head west.
Another precaution our packs take against the hunters is setting boundary lines for our full moon runs. I know them well, and still, when I approach the marker, I can’t help but cross it. There’s something delicious in the air, my wolf coming more and more alive as I draw closer to whatever it is. A euphoric haze settles in, making me feel half drunk as I blow past the boundary I know I shouldn’t cross, venturing closer to the outer border of my pack’s territory.
I know better than to do something this foolish. I’m the alpha’s sister; I should be setting an example by following the rules. Still, I can’t ignore the call that I feel resonating deep within my soul, the relentless tug of a tether being pulled taut. I follow it blindly, my heart racing, the fur on the back of my neck standing on end. Adrenaline sears through my veins as I feel myself getting closer, that delectable scent in the air now overwhelming.
Then I see him.
Through the darkness, I make out the silhouette of a large black wolf; quite possibly the largest I’ve ever seen. He prowls into view, and I’m struck by how gorgeous the animal is. His fur is sleek and shiny, his build bulky and muscled. His magnetic eyeslock with mine, my heart beating a riot in my chest, and then suddenly, without warning, my own wolf just… pulls back.
The way she retreats catches me completely off guard. My wolf is always pressing to get out, not reining herself back in. My eyes widen in shock as the air around me shimmers, forcing me to shift back to my human form as my wolf tucks herself away into the recesses of my consciousness, practically purring with satisfaction. I realize why when I see that the black wolf has shifted, too. A man rises in his place and an invisible tether between us pulls taut like a guitar string.
I feel it from the top of my head to the tips of my toes when it snaps into place- thebond. And what’s even more alarming is the identity of the man that the full moon just confirmed as my fated mate, because he’s the last person I’d ever expect to be bonded to.
“Javi?” I breathe, my shaky pant coming out as a question even though I know exactly who he is.
He stands across from me in all his roguish beauty, every inch of his toned, tanned body on full display. A full sleeve of tattoos climbs up his left arm, the ink clinging to the contours of muscle. His chest is absolutely shredded, telling of years of training spent to hone his body into a finely chiseled weapon. It’s his impossibly handsome face that takes my breath away, though, his lips spreading into a disarming grin.
Javi seems decidedly less rattled by this turn of events, stepping closer confidently as the air between us practically crackles with frenetic energy. “Stalker girl,” he drawls, cocking his head to the side. “Or should I saymate?”
I shake my head in disbelief, showing him my palms as I take a wary step backwards, my mind spinning out of control. “This can’t be happening…”
He matches my step back with one of his own forward, his long stride bringing us closer, the bond between us seemingly burning brighter. “The moon doesn’t lie.”
Shit.
Out of all times to stumble upon my fated mate, out of all people for it to be…
“Why are you here?” I croak.
He wasn’t supposed to cross into the six-pack territory tonight. In fact, he was strictly forbidden from doing so. Yet here he is, and now I’m practically drowning under the weight of what this means.
“I scented you, felt the pull,” he replies easily. “I didn’t expect…” his voice trails off, a flicker of incredulity in his eyes. “I don’t even know your name.”
