I was there when he recounted that moment, and the determination in his voice was just as concrete as Ronan and Noah’s when they spoke about Sera.
“I’m not their mate. Not the kind they want, anyway. To be a mate means to have pups, and I’m never having children,” Sera said with a deep resolve in her voice.
“Okay,” I said, conceding her point about her mates. I knew I wouldn’t be able to convince Sera to give her mates a chance. Nor was it my job to do so. Those three men had their work cut out for them. That much I did know.
“But tonight is the supermoon, and everyone’s so excited.”
She nodded, and my stomach sank.
“I want to give you something,” she said, holding up a finger. Sera disappeared from the door before I could ask what she had to give me.
I glanced inside her home, having not been inside before. Her home was one of the smallest in the commune, but it was cozy. During our many hours driving to Texas, she’d told me that she’d inherited the home from her aunt. Sera’s parents, who she got a sour expression when she spoke about them, lived in one of the other Nightwolf communes in Arizona.
“You can keep this,” she said, opening her palm to expose a silver-tipped arrow point. She held it between her thumb and pointer finger.
I cocked my head to the side, amazed at the weapon in her hands. “You’re holding it.”
Bracka made an astonished sound, cocking his head sideways.
“I know.” She stared at the usually deadly weapon in her hand.
“You’re not allergic to silver.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what the hell I am,” she said. “I don’t belong here, among shifters, when I’m obviously not one.”
“But—”
Sera shook her head. “Don’t, please. I just… I wanted to give this to you. My aunt, who taught me how to shoot, passed it down to me, and well, since you and I are friends,” she smiled, “I want you to have it.”
I took the pointy object from her, turning it over in my hands.
“You’ll probably want to keep it out of the hands of the others. Considering…” She shrugged one of her shoulders.
“You just held silver. And your hands are fine,” I said, stunned as I looked over the sharp metal in my hands.
Sera’s eyes refused to meet mine. “Some werewolf I am, huh?”
I didn’t get a good feeling. “Listen, I don’t know where you’re planning to go, but I don’t think it—” She held up her hand.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I’m ready, and even if you tell Alpha and the others, I’m still leaving. I have to.”
I pushed out a sigh. “At least you can be here for the supermoon. It’s my first Supermoon Ceremony, and everyone’s so excited.”
She gave me a tight smile, and suddenly I felt like an ass. Of course, she wouldn’t want to attend one of these. They probably reminded her too much of her inability to shift.
“I’ll go,” she said, probably because of the withdrawn look on my face.
But I couldn’t help the smile that overcame me. I wanted everyone there for the ceremony, even though I didn’t know what it entailed. Maybe if Sera saw everyone together and enjoying this moment, it would spark something in her to remain with the pack, at least.
“I’ll meet you all there.”
I hesitated, even when I heard more pack members filing out of their homes and children laughing in the background. Everyone headed toward the open field where the ceremony would take place.
“You’re not just trying to get rid of me, are you?”
“Bracka!”
I glanced over my shoulder to find the adolescent’s mother calling her son. She held out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt for him. Bracka whined but soon shifted right before us and changed into the clothing his mother gave him.
