Lucas
Thesoundofmyown ragged breathing filled the car, reverberating like a drum in my chest. How could this be happening? It wasn’t supposed to be possible to have two mates, yet there they were—each stirring something deep and undeniable within me.
I shook my head, trying to dispel the swirling chaos of my thoughts. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I struggled to calm my racing heart. My inner rabbit was in an uproar, squeaking furiously in my mind. He was desperate, pulling me back toward the enigmatic man we'd just encountered—the one who wasn't human, the one whose unique scent still clung to my senses, unlike anything I had ever known.
It felt like the foundations of my world were shifting. Everything I had learned about mates, about the destined bond, seemed to crumble in the wake of this revelation. Could fate really be so twisted? To bind me not only to Talon, the lion shifter whose presence was an electric charge in the air, but also to this other, a creature of mystery whose very essence seemed to promise both danger and allure.
The silence of the car became suffocating, the quiet a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me. I needed to think, to understand what this meant for my future. Were the laws of nature not as fixed as I had believed? Was I an exception, or was this a mistake?
“Get a grip, Lucas,” I muttered to myself, my voice barely a whisper against the noise of my doubts. I had to figure this out. I had to understand what my heart and my rabbit were trying to tell me.
“Go home, pour a drink, and think this crap out,” I said aloud. I nodded in agreement to my words. I had a plan; I couldn’t freak out in town.
I cranked the ignition and the radio blared to life, shattering the silence with its upbeat music. Hard to believe that just this morning, I was happily shopping, oblivious to the bombshell that would soon explode in my face. No, I couldn’t think about him now—I needed to get home.
As I reached to turn off the radio, a sharp beep cut through the music. “We interrupt this broadcast for a special weather report. Hurricane Ada has intensified to a major hurricane status, with winds now clocking at one hundred thirty miles per hour. Its forward speed has increased, making landfall likely tonight. If you haven’t made your preparations, now is the time to do so.”
“Fuck!” I cursed aloud. The whole reason I went to the hardware store was to stock up on supplies. Returning there was out of the question; I couldn’t risk another run-in with him.
I exhaled deeply and shifted the car into drive. “Looks like we’re heading to the big box store out of town,” I decided, as urgency pricked at my nerves. Preparing for a hurricane was now as crucial as untangling the mess my life had suddenly become.
An hour and a half later, I was turning onto my street. The store had been a chaotic frenzy, everyone scrambling to secure last-minute supplies as the storm loomed ominously close. The storm had popped out of nowhere and was already bearing down on us.
I glanced in my rearview mirror at the stack of plywood in the back of my car. Despite the chaos, I had managed to get what I needed; now, all that was left was to board up and brace myself.
As I approached my house, I slowed to a halt, not immediately pulling into the drive. My eyes widened in disbelief. How? Why now? There on my stoop sat Talon, rising to meet my gaze as I stopped the car. His expression held the familiar confidence I had struggled to decipher in the past. I exhaled sharply, releasing a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, and steered into the driveway.
“You can do this, Lucas,” I whispered to myself, turning off the ignition. Steeling myself for what was to come, I opened the door and slid out of the car.
Talon approached as I moved towards the trunk, but I didn't look his way, unsure of what to say after weeks of silence. Why now? What changed? Questions swirled in my head. Did he want me after all? Fuck, my rabbit surged with excitement, especially after telling him we’d never see Talon again.
“Lucas,” Talon began. I pretended not to hear him and yanked the trunk open, grabbing a sheet of plywood.
“Here,” I said brusquely, thrusting the plywood at him. “I’ve got a storm to prepare for.”
“We can go…”
“I’m not going anywhere. Brian and my family have already called me—telling me to go to the lion’s den. If that’s why you’re here, you can leave. Otherwise, grab the wood.”
“I'm not leaving. Brian and everyone already tried to get me to go to the lion’s den. If that's all you're here for, you might as well leave now. Otherwise, help with the wood,” I interrupted, my voice hard as I pulled out another sheet.
He hesitantly took the plywood from my hands. "Lucas, I didn't just come for that—I came to talk," he said softly.
"I thought you would call. I've been waiting to talk for weeks," I started, my voice rising with the pent-up frustration. I abruptly stopped, the words catching in my throat as anger pulsed through my veins. How dare he just show up like this? I shook my head to dispel the rage. "Look, I don’t have time to talk. I need to get this done."
I turned back to the trunk, wanting nothing more than to avoid this conversation. As I reached for another piece of plywood, I could feel Talon's gaze fixed on me, heavy with unspoken words. I continued my task, focusing solely on the wood, trying to shut out the pressure of his presence.
After securing the second sheet, I heard Talon exhale a heavy sigh and step away. Relief washed over me momentarily. Good, I needed space to process everything, especially today. My thoughts inadvertently drifted to the other mate I had unexpectedly encountered. Dominic—all I knew about him was his first name. The shock still resonated, leaving a mix of excitement and confusion. How could my life have become so complicated so suddenly?
As I bent to pick up another piece of plywood, the sound of an approaching car caused me to pause. The familiar purr of an engine grew louder. I straightened up, plywood in hand, and turned just as a black SUV pulled into the driveway.
Dominic.
My breath hitched, the wood slipping from my grasp and thudding onto the ground with a resounding echo that matched the sudden pounding in my chest. I stared, frozen, as Dominic stepped out of the car, his presence sending a jolt of both dread and undeniable attraction through me. The last thing I expected was for both my mates to converge on my doorstep on the same day.
Turning to Talon, I caught his gaze shifting toward Dominic, a storm of emotions visible in his eyes.
"Fuck my life," I muttered under my breath, bracing for whatever was to come next.
