“What would have happened if I did take a mate before finding her? How’s that fair to either of them? Nature would compel me to thenîkâkîstis, but my feelings would be with the other.” My stomach tugs at the idea of both emotionally harming a chosen mate and forcing myself away from the fated one.
“I don’t know. I suppose the force wouldn’t have allowed you to pick another before finding her.”
Then why not tell me?His reasonings go in irritating circles.
“Why our family?”
“I wish I knew. I’ve often wondered if it’s tied into the origins of our species, except …”
“We don’t know,” I finish. Nowhere in our history, of any pack in North America or those around the world have any recorded history of how shifters came to be. One day, we simply populated Earth. Maybe Freya can cough up a history lesson.
“If you’ve claimed to have met yournîkâkîstis, but for the last twenty-four hours, your only new interaction has been the coven—one witch in specific…” He jerks.“Her?”
My mouth attempts to hide the grimace.
“My, how…unique. Very intriguing.”
Intriguing?Having my life decided by fate-linking me to our enemy is what he callsintriguing?
“How’d you figure it out?”
I pin him with a stare because his lack of concern, or even surprise, is astonishing. He isn’t feeling a modicum of panic—like what I’m filled with—that his son, his heir, the Alpha, is compelled to mate withanother species?
I recount our run-in yesterday, and the effect she had on me during the meeting. The sick joke I still didn’t understand that fate did so well pushing Carina into my life that itmade her another’s target. And that ever since returning home, there hasn’t been a way to get her gone that my wolf deems appropriate enough.
“When Marissa explained, she said that we don’t have to complete the bond.”
“That’s true,” Dad replies slowly—thoughtfully, digesting everything I’ve told him—rubbing a weathered hand along his chin. “I’d never heard of anyone who didn’t accept theirnîkâkîstis. Why wouldn’t you want to complete the bond? This is a good thing, Ryder.”
Black magick has officially sucked out his brain.
“She’s a witch, for one, and wanted by others in exchange foryourlife.Are you so sick you don’t understand what you’re saying?” Energy bursts out of me, pushing me to my feet. Both my wolf and I need a fucking run after this. “Again, she’s awitch. For what possible fuckin’ purposes did nature or whatever bring us together? What in Carina says, ‘ideal mate’?”
He frowns, his eyes tracking me back and forth across the room. “Nature has Her reasons, son. You have to figure out what those are.”
Or I don’t and Carina gets out of my life.
“I’m tired,” he announces suddenly. Presumably, it’s a lie because he knows I won’t let the topic drop until he takes my side. “Carina’s magick is strong, but not infallible, and I need more rest.”
He’s trying to get me out of his hair, but for once, I don’t care. I need to go. Need to get her back to Banff, then figure out every possible path forward.
“I’ll send Marissa back in,” I say tonelessly and head for the door.
“If you deny your very nature, do it kindly to both yourself and her.”
“Of course.” I force my mouth into a smile, but it’s probably more of a scowl, and then leave his cabin.
Marissa’s hovering nearby, chatting with others, but she breaks away when spotting me. “Get your answers?”
“Something like that.” Talking more about this isn’t really good for my sanity, which feels so frayed, so I glance towards the fire pit where I left Carina earlier, praying she hasn’t tried anything stupid in my absence.
For the first time since entering Dad’s cabin, I breathe.
She and Leah are sitting much closer than I left them, talking. Whatever Carina says has Leah straightening and her mouth slipping open. But that’s not what draws my attention. Their ease around one another does. Besides her daughter, Leah’s only really comfortable around Xander. Even around me, she can be a bit stiff. She isn’t looking at Carina with even a fraction of the hostility everyone else is.
“Would you look at that,” Marissa murmurs.
It’d be impossible to not.
