Declan flew into a rage and hit us all.
With every strike, he admonished us to be wiser, stronger, tougher.
“You are the oldest and the strongest,” he’d said, looking down his nose at me. His expression was stern, his voice filled with disappointment. “And therefore, whether you want it or not, you are the alpha of your sibling pack. It is your responsibility, Courage, to make sure nothing like this happens to your family again. You let a traitor worm her way into your heart and steal your common sense. Just look at what that cost your brothers.” He waved at Justice, Noble, and Honor, all three of them holding their red cheeks. “If you can’t lead a group of four, how will you ever lead a pack of hundreds or thousands? It is time for you to grow up, young man. Lead with your head, not your bleeding heart.”
For years, I thought Declan was right.
I toughened myself, closed myself off to anyone or anything that could make me weak. I accepted Declan’s abusive words as truth. Even when I went with my brothers to fetch Nai from Montana.
The moment I laid eyes on her in those ripped jeans shorts and tank-top, standing barefoot on her land in Montana, my wolf had seized up inside of my body. When her scent had hit me, the drive to touch her, taste her, possess her nearly overwhelmed me. I knew then she’d be my ruin if I let her.
So I decided to never let her in.
And then, on the car ride to the portal, she clamped her hand over my mouth. Without even thinking, I’d tasted her skin. A small lick of her finger was all it took, and suddenly, I needed more. But every time I felt desire for Nai, I reminded myself of how weak it would make me. How thinking with my heart had gotten my brothers and me hurt.
Then came the masquerade party…
Hidden behind a mask, I thought a blind hook-up would be enough to satiate my growing desire for Nai, help me walk away from her.
But of all of the masked ladies at the party, I’d been pulled to her—like a magnet. Her kiss was sunshine lighting up the darkest abyss inside of me. It was water in the desert, sustenance to my starving soul. As soon as I kissed her, tasted her, I knew Miss Blue was Nai … and then the butterflies descended on us. I knew then Nai was my fated mate.
I fought it. Fate had to be wrong. Crescent Clan was to blame for my father’s death, so how could I love her? If I gave in to my desire for a traitor, it would surely make me weak, too weak to lead. Hadn’t Declan threatened exile and disinheritance before? If I accepted Nai as my mate, it’d put my uncle over the edge. I tried to convince myself “Crescent trash” wasn’t worth losing everything for…
Ironically, it was my brothers who’d refused to let her go.
Guilt gnawed through my gut for how I’d treated her that whole first semester. Hiding my mate marks, my identity, rejecting her like that. It nearlykilledme; it definitely drove me to the brink of insanity.
And all the while, I watched in awe at the beauty of her soul. Her kindness, her enthusiasm, her persistence, and her loyalty all proved time and again how she was more than worthy of being my mate. She was my queen.
I dropped my head into my hands and sighed.
‘Nai…’I called out through our bond, begging fate to grant me a boon. Instead, sinking dark horror filled me when there was no response. If—no,when—we completed our bonding, would I be able to hear her no matter which realm she was in?
Exhaustion burned my eyes and weighed down my limbs, but I wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet. I couldn’t go to sleep without a scrap of good news. I turned away from the fireplace and returned to the desk.
‘Did you find a mage powerful enough to break the protections on that portal?’I asked Justice, slumping into the chair.
His response was immediate.‘No, but I have a lead. Get some sleep. I’m on it.’
What did I do to deserve such loyal siblings?
‘Thank you.’
I set my head on the desk, allowing myself a minute of rest while thinking of Nai’s searing blue eyes and how she could look right into my soul. Then the pull of sleep took me.
Chapter Five
“We have a problem.”
Noble’s voice pulled me from slumber, and I shot upright. A piece of paper stuck to my face. I batted it away and looked up at my brother wearily. Fatigue, both physical and emotional, clung to me, making my vision blurry. One glance at the dark windows revealed the sun had not yet started to rise.
“What time is it?” I asked, blinking to clear the last vestiges of sleep. “And what do you mean by problem?” I stood and rolled out my neck and shoulders, then took in my brother’s serious expression.Crap. “You mean there’sanotherproblem?”
“It’s five a.m.,” he said, nodding. He grimaced like his next words tasted bad. “Mallory is asking for her father to have a proper alpha burial. Said she can’t sleep until she’s guaranteed it.”
What. The. Mage?
I barked out a laugh.
