“You don’t know what you’re saying,” I snapped. “This is real. You didn’t feel what I felt. This was real. This connection means something.”
Rainier let out a long exhale and shook his head. “My man, I think the last hundred years have gotten to your head. Just because you feel something for someone doesn’t mean they are the person you were looking for. Sometimes, it’s as simple as finding someone new.”
“Can we stop, please?” I said, slicing my hand through the air.
I didn’t like the way this conversation was going. It gave me anxiety. It also made me dwell on things I didn’t want to. June was her own person, and I’d come to see that. I was falling forher, not the memory of my long-dead mate, but I’d spent years trying to find her, and anything else felt like some strange betrayal of her memory. Iwassure June was the reincarnation of Naphele, and as much as I didn’t want to think about it, the whole thing had a weird undercurrent. Idesperatelywanted Naphele back, but at the same time, I wanted to be with June.
I hadn’t told June what I believed. How would she react? Rainier was right about part of it all. She might not be happy to think I’d only pursued her because I thought her soul might hold a piece of someone else. Eventually, I’d have to tell her, but it could wait. Perhaps I could find some way to bring out the side of her that was Naphele. Now that the connection has been fully formed, it might be easier. If I did that, maybe it would make it easier for her to understand it.
“Fine,” Rainier said. “As long as you keep it at the back of your mind.”
“We need to figure out a time to let the pack know I’m taking her as my mate,” I said, doing my best to relax.
“I figured that’s where this was going,” Rainier said.
“What does that mean?” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
“I’m not trying to be a dick, and I support you in choosing her, but you’ve got to be careful.”
“About what?”
“Everyone has noticed how taken you are with her,” Rainier explained. “Everyone sees her hanging out here; they see you two going into the woods together. And don’t think nobody saw you two sucking faces the other night, either.”
I winced. “I, uh, I thought we were pretty hidden, actually,” I said lamely.
“You weren’t,” Rainier said, giving a dry chuckle. “June is great. I like her a lot, but she’s new to this pack, she can’t shift, and she’stechnicallynot even a full member yet. You know it’s gonna get some pushback.”
I knew what he was really saying. Very few people here would care that she couldn’t shift. Also, nearly the whole village was happy to have new members arrive. They wouldn’t be angry about me taking a woman as my mate who’d only been here a short time. I knewexactlywho he was speaking about.
“You mean Eugenia,” I said, a statement rather than a question.
“Bingo. She’s not happy about you chewing her ass out the other day in front of God and everybody at breakfast,” he said. “She’s been huddled up with her buddies ever since. Her main clique isn’t very big, maybe five all told, but those five have their own groups. Her influence is everywhere.
“We’ve talked about this already. She wanted to be your mate. The moment you trot some new woman out there—a woman it appears she hates, no less—things are gonna get tense. Fast.
“I’m not saying you ignore your feelings, but we need to approach this cautiously.”
“This ismypack,” I said, jamming my thumb into my chest. “June is my mate. I want to shout it from the rooftops, I want to scream into the forest. I’m not going to hold back telling everyone just to prevent one woman from getting her feelings hurt. I won’t do it. Besides, word will spread soon anyway. Juneand I aren’t going to stay away from each other. Not after last night. It’s not going to happen.
“I feel the connection to her. I know she’s Naphele reborn. I’m going to take her up to the overlook and prove it. When she sees that, the old memories will kick in.”
“My man,” Rainier pleaded, holding his hands out. “Just because you feel drawn to her doesn’t necessarily mean she’s the reincarnation. Naphele is gone. You’ve lived a lifetime since she died. Maybe fate has given you a one-in-a-billion chance of having a second fated mate. That could be June, and that’s okay. Not many people get a second chance. You can take it. You’re allowed to move on. I swear, I get the feeling that you’ve got it in your head that if you fall for June without her being Naphele reincarnated, you’re somehow spitting on Naphele’s memory.”
“That isn’t…I’m not thinking that,” I said, shaking my head in bewilderment. “I love June. I loved Naphele. I know I can find another fated mate, but I have this deep feeling that Naphele is in her somewhere. When she sees the overlook, it’ll be clear. Making that connection will probably unleash her inner wolf too. I know it. Then, I’ll bring her back and make her my mate. The whole pack will get on board.”
Rainier looked pained, but he didn’t speak up again. He nodded, a look of resignation settling on his face.
“This is good news, Rain,” I said, leaning forward to pat his leg. “Once the shock wears off, I think the whole pack will see that. Even Eugenia.”
27
JUNIPER
As I got ready for the day, I continued to think about what had happened the night before. The knowledge that I was Levi’s mate flooded my mind with feelings that were difficult to describe. Happiness, excitement, fear, confusion, and a dozen others. I could hardly think straight.
Levi and I had agreed it would be best to go on as usual until he could tell the pack I was his mate. He wanted it to be public, rather than letting it trickle out among the people. It had made sense to me when I left his cabin before the sun came up, but now I realized how difficult it would be for me to keep it to myself. I was so overjoyed, I wanted to tell everyone.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Linnea said from my door.
