Her scent lingers, vanilla and lavender, stronger than it should be. Only mates and immediate family are meant to recognize a scent like this. Something fundamental has changed in her, just as it has in me.
*****
I retreat to my quarters and pace the length of the room like a caged wolf. Her scent still hangs in the air, vanilla and lavender, and every nerve in me tightens with need I can’t quiet.
Each time I pause, I see her in the shadows. The gentle Selena I failed to protect and the fierce woman she’s become, both images colliding until my head aches.
I drop to my knees beside the bed, heart hammering, and slam my fist into the mattress. “Enough.”
My wolf snarls back, flooding my mind with her body beneath mine, her breath hot against my throat, the way she would look at me if I claimed her. Desire claws through me, sharp and demanding.
I drag in a breath, trying to steady myself. It only makes it worse. “Stop,” I grit out, forcing myself to my feet. My palm crashes against the wall, plaster cracking beneath the impact. “I said stop.”
My chest heaves as grief tears through me, and Elise’s soft smile blindsides me. The way she used to look at me like I was her entire world.
And now there’s Selena. Alive. Defiant. Pulling at something deeper than anything I’ve known.
How am I supposed to mourn one mate while another stands here, flesh and blood, stirring something ancient in my veins?
My wolf’s voice cuts through the chaos, cold and immediate.ELIMINATE THE THREAT.
I squeeze my eyes shut, images of my father and little brother rising. My voice lowers, rough with memory. “They’re still my family. The same boy who used to sit on my shoulders and laugh.”
The weight of it settles heavy.
My wolf surges forward, merciless.THEY WERE YOUR FAMILY WHEN THEY MANIPULATED US IN OUR GRIEF… WHEN THEY GAVE YOUR POSITION TO HIM… WHEN THEY STRIPPED YOU DOWN TO AN ENFORCER… AND WHEN WE ALL DIED.
The air leaves my lungs, silence pressing in, thick and suffocating.
HOW MANY LIVES WILL YOU SACRIFICE FOR THEM?
I drag a hand down my face, breath uneven. “I won’t lose her again.”
THEN CLAIM HER.
I still. Control is the only thing holding me together. “No. Not like this. I need clarity. Control.”
My wolf growls low, possessive.SHE’S OURS.
“Not yet.” My voice drops, quieter now, but steady. “She has to let the mate bond form first. With my brother. The one that got her killed… and then break it.”
Silence stretches, unresolved.
Then warmth brushes the doorframe, familiar and alive. The scent of vanilla and lavender floods the room, sharper now, undeniable.
My head snaps up, every muscle going taut. She stands on the other side of that door. I can feel her power reaching out, tentative but unmistakable, testing the space between us.
She knows I’m here.
And she’s listening.
5
Selena's POV
Istand outside Rylan’s door, my hand hovering inches from the wood, heart thundering against my ribs.
He already knows I’m here,his scent sharpens, pine and leather tinged with something electric. Anticipation. Recognition.
