“I have a fated mate. Dad expects us to get together before the Winter Solstice, but I don’t know”—she tugged a lock of hair behind her ear—“he’s two years younger andrealimmature. I’m havin’ trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I’m going to be spending the rest of my life with him.” She smiled. “But it could be worse. My sister, the one who died, her fated mate was almost Daddy’s age. It was real weird for everyone atfirst.”
I peered at her through mylashes.
She shrugged. “But then people got used toit.”
“So she consolidated thelink?”
“No. She chose not to. She had a crush on an Aspen. She was trying to get Daddy to allow her to marry him. That’s why she was in their territory when”—she bit her lip—“when the Creekscame.”
“But . . . We can’t changepacks.”
“Technically, we can’t, ’cause we can never be looped into another pack’s mind-link without the same blood. Unless there’s a duel, but I guess you know that considerin’ what happened to thePines.”
Inodded.
“But we can marry into another pack. Usually though, it causes a rift at some point, that point being when we pop out kids. Mixed pups have to pledge themselves to an Alpha. They can’t pledge themselves to two. And once they pick one, they can never pick theother.”
We’d arrived in front of the meeting house that was vibrating with animated conversations and the clink of utensils. She pushed open the door, revealing a dining hall dripping in candlelight andmoonlight.
Penny’s smile increased. “Want to meet my mate?” She tipped her head toward a boy with a mop of black hair and lashes so long I could see them clear across the room. “Hey,Isaac!”
The boy looked up from the long table topped with plates heaped with fruit—cut and whole—and bottles of every drink imaginable. A giant smile overtook his fuzzyjaw.
Penny leaned in toward me and whispered, “I told him that if he managed to catch me a squirrel, we’d be doin’ the dirty tonight.” With a grin, she added, “He caughtfive.”
I smiled, but then I frowned. “You’re consolidating the linktonight?”
“Are you crazy? I’m not ready forthat.”
“But I thought—if you have sex, doesn’tit—”
She grinned. “Um, hello. Ever heard of condoms? Got to test the goods before you buythem.”
“Oh.”
Before she could lead me toward Isaac, Liam spoke in my mind,I didn’t bring you along for a sex edclass.
Hackles raised, I scanned the room, spotting him standing with Zack by the picture window. I bet that if my mate had been Liam instead of August, my Alpha wouldn’t have had such a problem with myconversation.
Please come. We’re about to discussMorgan.
For a moment, I didn’t move, didn’twantto move. At least not toward him. When I took a step back, he repeated my name through the mind-link, and it halted my retreat. He was using his alphanessto manipulate mybody.
How I wishedIcould speak into his mind. I’d tell him exactly what I wasthinking.
Unless you don’t care to find out what the Rivers know about theCreeks.
“Ness, you all right?” Pennyasked.
“I need to”—punch Liam—“talk with theAlphas.”
Liam had his back to me, so I glared at his shoulder blades as I wound my way around the boisterousshifters.
“Nice of you to join us,” Liam said outloud.
I squeezed my fingers into fists that knocked against mythighs.
“So, let me recap what I’ve just learned,” Liam said. “Morgan’s never lost a fight nor a duel before, and the Aspen werewolves who tried to run after their Alpha lost were picked off one byone.”
