I don’t think I’ve ever driven so fast in my life. My wolf fought inside of me, clawing her way to get out and get closer to her …
“Dammit,” I shout, slamming my hands on the steering wheel. “Don’t say the word. Don’t say the word.”
Mate. The word flashes through my head like a bold neon sign at a gas station. Slamming down the gas pedal, I try to get as far away from Micah as I can. I wanted to stay with him, to get lost in those crystal blue eyes of his like I used to before. Seeing him again felt as if we’d never been parted, like it was just yesterday when we were in the woods, and I took the courage to kiss him.
What do I do now? Why do I have two mates? The terrifying thing about this is the unknown of what will happen between Soren and Micah. They’re both alphas; they’ll fight for me. And in doing that, I’ll lose one of them.
I want to cry and scream, but none of that will do any good. Sooner or later, the truth will come out, and I dread it with all my heart.
Tires squealing, I come to a halt in the driveway, making my car jerk with how fast I slammed it into park. Dany’s at the kitchen table when I get inside, typing away on her laptop.
“That was fast,” she says, keeping focus on her screen.
A strangled cry escapes my lips, and she jerks around, her eyes as wide as saucers.
“Great Luna, what’s wrong?” She jumps to her feet and grabs my hands.
The adrenaline that had coursed through my veins earlier is long gone. Now I feel sick and lost in a sea of despair. Shaking my head, I slide out of her grasp and clutch my stomach as I rush to my room.
“Rae, talk to me,” Dany demands, chasing after me.
I make it to my room, and she follows in behind me. If I don’t control my thoughts and emotions, Soren will pick up on it. How? I don’t know. It’s how things have been since the mating signs appeared. But, for some reason, it’s one-sided. It’s like he’s there in my mind; I can feel him. Closing my eyes, I take in a deep breath and another until my heart beats at a normal pace. Slowly, I sit down on my bed and swallow hard.
Dany kneels in front of me, her voice etched with concern when she asks, “What happened?”
The muscles in my chest tighten, so I rub a hand over my sternum. My phone rings, and my pulse speeds up again when I see Soren’s name on the screen. “Shit. I have to calm down.”
Dany grabs my face, making my phone fall out of my hands onto the floor. “You’re freaking me out right now. Did something happen between you and Micah?”
Sucking in a ragged breath, I meet her gaze. “You could say that.”
Dany’s mouth drops. “Mind telling me what?”
Even though shifters don’t feel the cold, I can’t stop my body from shivering. “Soren’s going to pick up on what I’m feeling. I have to control whatever’s going on in my body.”
Dany slides her hands down to my shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly. “You can do this. Just concentrate. Mates can block each other out. Do you feel him in your head?”
“Sometimes,” I reply with a shrug. “It’s weird because we haven’t shared blood. I don’t feel the connection in Soren’s mind like he does with mine.”
Dany purses her lips and looks away in concentration. “That’s so strange. Maybe that’s how it goes with some mated couples. From what I hear about the Royal pack, many things are changing in our world. What we learned as children is constantly changing and evolving.”
My phone rings again, and Dany and I both peer down at it on the floor. Soren. “How am I going to handle this?”
Dany throws her hands up in the air. “I don’t even know what this is. Tell me what happened.” She reaches for my phone and silences the ringer before tossing it on the bed. When she gets to her feet, she glares at me and crosses her arms over her chest.
Looking up at her, I release a shaky breath. “When I went to see Micah, I felt ….”
Dany waves me on. “Felt what?”
The room falls silent, and then shock appears on her face. I can see it in her eyes that she knows what I will say.
“Are you serious right now?”
“I am,” I confess. “I felt my mate. Nothing else existed but him.”
Stepping back, Dany grabs her chest. “Holy shit. How is that possible?”
My phone vibrates beside me, and the rock in my stomach comes back. “I don’t know, but it’s not going to end well.”
Sitting on the bed beside me, Dany gently bumps me with her shoulder. “That’s for damn sure. Males are protective over their mates, and now you have two. They’re not going to sit idly by.”
Unfortunately, I already know that. I glance over at Dany, and a tear falls down my cheek. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”