When I pull up to the bar, Stark and Dany are in the parking lot waiting for me. There are cars everywhere, and I can sense about twenty shifters inside of the building. Unfortunately, Raelynn isn’t one of them.
I get out of my car, and Stark walks over. “What is it with you and your brothers and these fancy sports cars? I’m surprised you got here with all the snow.”
“Eh, it’s the driver that matters,” I joke, trying to get my head in a better place. Soren is inside of the bar, and I can’t be around him feeling as hostile as I have all day.
The rumble of a truck pulls in, and Dany smiles at whoever is in it. I follow her line of sight to Archer, who gets out of his red pickup and smiles back at her.
“Hey,” he says to all of us.
Stark shakes his hand, and I do the same.
“You going in?” Archer asks Dany.
The way Dany grins at him is the way I wish Raelynn would look at me. She nods toward the bar entrance. “Sure. Want to come with me?”
Archer wastes no time taking her away from us. “Are you sure nothing is going on between the two of them?” I question.
Stark shrugs. “Not that I know of. I’m sure Dany would tell me if she felt they were mates. He’s a nice guy, though. I have no doubt he’d be good to her.”
Yeah, especially once he attains her power after the bond. Any man would want that. It’s what the other protectors and I have been fighting for all our lives; to keep the royal females safe.
“Once Raelynn’s mated, Dany will be the last unmated royal. Well, for a very long time until the new generation comes of age,” I explain.
Stark nods. “That’s right. You have two young nieces. One day, they’ll be the ones needing the protection.”
The thought haunts me. I’d like to think our world will get better, but there will always be someone wanting more power, more ways to get ahead. “It’ll never end,” I say sadly.
Stark claps me on the shoulder. “Sometimes it’s a burden to be what we are.”
I don’t regret or think of it as a burden devoting my life to Faith and keeping her safe. It’s what the royal males do; it’s our duty. Now that Raelynn’s my mate, she will be the one I pledge my life to.
“Ready to go in?” Stark asks.
I wave a hand toward the door. “Not really, but I’ll manage.”
We walk into the bar, and it draws not only the attention of the shifters but also some of the humans. The pheromones from the women, both human and shifter, are potent in the air, but it does nothing to arouse me. All I can think about is Raelynn.
Soren strolls through the crowd toward us and laughs. “You sure do have the women riled up in here tonight. You’re not going to have any issues filling your beds.” One bed he won’t be filling is Raelynn’s. Soren pats Stark’s arm and extends a hand to me. “Come on, let’s get you a drink.”
The second I touch his hand, I get another vision of a black wolf, snarling with emerald-green eyes. It’s not Soren, but someone else. A pang of pure evil resonates through my body, and I let go of Soren’s hand. Stark gives me a warning glare as we leave him to head to the bar. This is the third vision I’ve had involving black wolves. I want to understand it, but there’s something in my brain keeping me from the truth.
We get up to the bar, and Soren orders two beers. I’m handed one, and he takes the other, tapping it against mine. “Cheers.”
My jaw tenses, but I try my best to relax. “Cheers.”
A man comes up behind Soren and pats him on the back. He’s a shifter and a young one at that, probably mid-twenties. I remember meeting him, but I can’t recall his name. “Where’s your mate tonight?” he asks Soren.
Keeping my anger in check is proving to be a lot harder than I thought.
Soren takes a swig of his beer and turns to face the other wolf. “Raelynn’s not feeling well. She hates she couldn’t make it.” Soren smiles over at me and nods at the other shifter. “This is Isaac. I don’t know if you two met last night.”
Isaac shakes my hand. “Yeah, we met, but it was quick.”
“It’s good to see you again,” I affirm.
Isaac focuses back on Soren. “I hate that Raelynn’s not here. Ena was hoping to get advice on some home décor or whatever household shit women like to buy.” He glances over at me and chuckles. “Women. Can’t live without them.”
Once he’s gone, Soren and I are left alone. “Must be nice finding your mate,” I say.
Soren narrows his gaze, almost as if he’s trying to read me. “It is. I’m hoping she’ll be ready to complete the bond on the next full moon.”
That’s not going to happen as long as I’m alive. My fists clench for a split second, but then I relax and grab my beer, taking a long swig.
“I take it you don’t have a mate?”
“Not yet,” I reply.
Soren chuckles. “Don’t worry. It’ll happen one day. I’m lucky to have found Raelynn.”
She was mine first. The fire builds in my gut, and it becomes harder and harder to be around Soren with each passing second. All my wolf wants is to fight for his mate, to claim her as mine. Usually, I’m always in control of my emotions, but this raw intensity sparking its flame inside of me is all I can feel.
“Hey, sorry to interrupt,” Stark calls out, stepping in between us. He holds up his phone and waves it in the air at me. “Apparently, your phone is having issues in here. Colin just called and said he needs to talk to you. He wants you to call him back as soon as possible.” He nods toward the door. “Might want to go outside so you have a good signal.”
There’s a mischievous gleam in his eyes but also a hint of warning for me to calm down. I’ve always been the easygoing type, but I’m on edge tonight. Leaving my beer on the bar, I step away. “I’ll be back.”
Stark takes my beer. “Go. I’ll enjoy this.”
This is my chance to sneak away, and I have to take it. The entire pack is in the bar, which leaves Raelynn alone at the house. I hurry out and get into my car. What am I going to say to Raelynn when I see her? I have no fucking clue, but hopefully, it’s good enough for her to choose me.