Emmasat up and grabbed her head. “Something’s wrong.”
Diyalooked panicked. “The baby? Are you feeling pain?”
“No.”Emma shook her head. “My mate bond. Devon is alarmed.”
Itore out of the room and into the backyard. When I first became a wolf, Kai wasin my head hearing my every thought. It was awful and embarrassing. Over time,he had taught me to subdue it, to block him out. But he said when we werefinally joined, finally mated, we could pick up on instant feelings.
‘Aurora,get to the house.’He sounded mad. Okay. …
Iran super-fast to our backyard. I considered shifting but it was close enough.
Iturned the corner and what I saw knocked the wind out of me. What wasshedoinghere? Tara, from Diya’s wedding. Oh God! I never should have told her that Maxwas her mate. I grabbed my face. Shit!
Maxlost his wife and child during his mate’s labor. Since werewolves mated forlife and only had one mate, he thought he was destined to be alone. His onegreat love had died. But, At Diya’s wedding when I touched Tara, I saw that shewas Max’s mate. I don’t know how it worked, but she was the one for him. Kaiconvinced me not to tell Max, but I told Tara.Stupid.
“Hi,what are you doing here?” I asked her. She looked a little worse for wear.Maybe she had gotten into a fight with her pack.
“I’mrogue. I need a new pack. I’m asking permission to join Kai’s.” Her voice wasraw, she pleaded with her eyes. This was bad. If we let her in the pack thenthe first time she shifted, Max would see her markings and know they weremates. It would confuse him. He would yell at her, I had seen it in my mate vision.Max and Devon looked confused.
“Well,I’m sure Kai will let you join. An unmated female is an honor to care for,” Maxtold her, smiling.
Ohmy God, he was oblivious.
“I’msorry, Tara, I cannot allow it,” Kai told her sternly. Max looked at him in shock.
“Goback to my father’s pack. He must be worried,” Kai told her forcefully.
Tara’slip quivered. “No. I’m not going back to India. Ever. I’ll find another pack.”She turned to leave.
“Hangon.” Kai grabbed her arm. He sighed. Kai knew why she was here. He must havefigured out that I told her. Damn my big mouth.
“Didthey hurt you?” Max asked her.
Lookat him, already concerned about her. He didn’t even realize.
Taralooked at Max with soft eyes. Her short cropped hair fell in messy pieces aroundher face. She had a heart-shaped face and petite frame. She was delicate, butstrong. She was beautiful.
“No,they didn’t hurt me. But I am hurting,” she told him vaguely.
Irealized then how horrible this must be for her. She has waited her whole lifeto meet her mate. Then, I, the Matefinder, tell her Max is the one, but shecan’t have him because his mated wife and child died and he can’t get past it.She must be going mad inside.
“Max–”I was going to tell him, but Kai jumped in.
“Max,leave now!” His Alpha command oozed with power. Max was no ordinary wolf. Hewas Kai’s second before I came along, third now but very dominant.
“Excuseme?” he asked. “What’s going on here?” His eyes were yellow.
“She’s…” I started.
“Stopit!” Kai screamed at me.
‘Aurora,you weren’t there. I was. I watched Max hold his mate’s hand while she bledout, I watched him cry as he cradled his stillborn child. You weren’t there!’He roared inside my head.‘He wasn’t human for so long afterthat. He is better now. This will undo him.’
Kaiwas right. Tara would have to suffer so Max could live in peace.
“Max,please leave, this is a personal matter between Tara and I,” I told him.
Maxlooked skeptically at me. “Okay, but she should be offered a safe pack.”
