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“By whom?” I asked, my voice dripping with disdain. “One of the desperate new shifters who’ve shown up recently, thankful to have a safe place to stay? Is it possible you’re hoping that someone from your own family will step up and prove themselves worthy?”
“Ridge won’t be able to hold on to his position forever.” Martin smirked, puffing out his chest. “And when the timecomes, we’ll be ready to take our rightful place as leaders of the Blackwood Pack.”
There was no preventing it; I chuckled at his audacity. Did this guy really think he was even a smidge of the leader Ridge was? I snorted. “Keep dreaming. If either of you had half the backbone and integrity Audrey has, you might have been able to challenge Ridge and win. How many times have you challenged Ridge and failed? I’ve lost count of what everyone has told me. People still laugh about it, so I can only imagine what a show it must have been. It’s a shame I missed out.”
Impossibly, Martin’s face was turning even more purple.
“We’re done here,” Christie hissed. Her face contorted with rage, gradually taking on the same shade of plum as her husband.
Leave it to the Greenthornes to quit when things got dicey. How in the world Audrey came from those genes, I’d never know. Thank God she hadn’t followed in their footsteps.
“Perfect,” I said coolly. “Now get out and let Audrey rest. It seems you’ve failed to notice your daughter is in the hospital and doesn’t need any extra stress right now.”
With one last glare in my direction, Martin and Christie stormed out, sputtering and at a loss for words. It pleased me that I seemed to elicit that reaction from them with every one of our encounters. Audrey grinned at me as soon as the door closed behind them.
“See?” she said, laughter bubbling out of her. “That’s exactly why I want to be friends with you, Summers. You’re like a parent repellant.”
“Happy to help,” I chuckled. At least she was seeing the funny side of things. Then, sobering, I asked, “How are you feeling, really? I see your bruises are gone.”
“I’m sore, but I’ll live,” she said with a casual shrug.
“What about your parents? I’m not sure how much I missed, but it doesn’t take a genius to fill in the blanks. What I heard sounded pretty harsh.”
A flash of hurt appeared in Audrey’s eyes, but vanished in a snap. “Oh, that? That’s pretty tame for them. Nothing to worry about there.” She waved her hand while trying to get comfortable, straightening the blanket on her lap. “Next time, though, someone else can take care of babysitting duty for Handsome Hunter.”
Laughing, I decided to let the comment about her parents go. I was sure there was a lot she didn’t want to get into. Her parents were a mess, and their relationship with Audrey was even worse. It seemed wrong to even call that a “visit.” From what I’d heard, it had been more of an interrogation. And it had obviously drained Audrey—she looked exhausted.
I considered asking her what was going on between her and Kyle, but her guarded demeanor suggested she wasn’t exactly in the frame of mind to be teased. When she was in a lighter mood, there’d be time to get the gossip about her and my brother. I’d drop it for now and let things be.
Since talking about Audrey was off the table, I chewed the inside of my cheek as I tried to find the right way to broach the subject of fated mates. After all, she was the perfect counterbalance to Margo. And though this wasn’t exactly an ideal time, I needed to talk about it. It was always on my mind, no matter what was happening.
Audrey noticed my apprehension and raised an eyebrow, her blue eyes searching mine. “Spill it, Tori,” she urged, a hint of concern in her voice. “What’s going on?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing.” I gave her a fake smile, and she scoffed at me.
“Puh-lease. Something is rooting around in that head of yours. I can hear your poor brain from here. Spill.”
I sat in the chair by her bed and took a deep breath. “What’s your opinion on fated mates? Have you ever found your fated mate?” I watched as her expression shifted from confusion to understanding.
Audrey sighed and leaned back in her bed, her hospital gown rustling. “First of all,” she began, a small smile playing on her lips, “do I look that lucky to you?”
Narrowing my brows at her, I looked her over.
Shaking her head, she laughed. “Not everyone has one. Fated mates are rare, and those who find that connection are incredibly lucky. It’s the kind of thing most shifters dream about. It’s a shifter’s wish on every shooting star and every time they blow out the candles on a birthday cake.” She paused, her gaze wistful. “We’re raised to believe it’s an indescribable bond beyond any other type of relationship. More connected than a mother to her child.” Audrey cast her eyes downward, and her brow furrowed for a moment. “A fated mate bond is so powerful, it’s not just a bond of the heart. It’s as if you’ve found the missing piece of your soul. No matter where you are in the world, you’re still connected and will never be alone again. Your fated mate will always be able to find you. They’ll always be in tune with your emotions to ease and soothe you in every way. It’s a bond to envy, and we celebrate whoever has it because it’s that beautiful.” She paused again. “But if one dies, it’s an unspeakable, unbearable pain. Usually, the living shifter follows shortly after because life is unbearable without the other half. The soul is constantly seeking the other.”
The longing and sadness in Audrey’s voice surprised me, and her description of the bond awed me. Who wouldn’t want a connection like that? But was the bond worth enduring the agony of the loss she’d described? Audrey was the last person I’d ever thought would support the idea of fated mates, in light of her tough exterior and independent attitude.
Silence descended on us. The only sound in the room was the steady beeping of the machines hooked to Audrey. I tried to wrap my head around what she’d described. Audrey blushed, looking a little embarrassed.
Still, something inside me was resistant. Didn’t any of these shifters realize how scary this bond was? They all mooned over the idea. I’d even caught myself liking the meaning when Audrey had explained it, but it still sounded like your autonomy was taken from you. No relationship was worth losing yourself as an individual.
Scoffing, I broke the silence and tried to brush off the topic. “Sounds like a bunch of romantic hogwash to me,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. “What about choice? Doesn’t believing in fated mates take that away?”
Audrey tilted her head to the side. “I see where you’re coming from, but with the streak of abysmal dating luck I’ve had in the past, it’s nice to believe in the romantic hogwash.” She laughed lightly. “Besides, so what if fate does play a hand in it? That does not negate the power of those feelings we experience. It could be argued fate plays a hand in every aspect of our lives. Does that mean we should stop living? There’s still a choice in how we accept everything. Even a fated mate relationship.”
A chord struck within me as I replayed her words, and I couldn’t help but consider her viewpoint. If fate played a role in every decision we made, would it reduce the significance of our choices? If a fated mate existed for some of us, would that connection be worth pursuing?
“I suppose you could be right,” I murmured, though my mind was still in turmoil. “I guess I just don’t want to trust that there’s only one person out there meant for each of us.”
