“I’ll put in a good word for you,” he offers with a smile.
His gaze drifts off somewhere past me, and his smile falls away.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, propping myself up on my elbow.
“His scent is all over your bed.”
“Whose? Thane’s?” I ask, trying to figure out what he’s thinking.
Kole’s jaw ticks while the rest of his features go rigid. He abruptly stands and heads for the door, but I chase after him.
“What’s wrong?” I press my palm against the door to keep him from leaving, and I’m not even sure why. It just feels like he’s hurting, and something about that makes me feel awful.
“Nothing,” he dismisses in a low voice.
“Clearly, something is wrong. Just talk to me.” It comes out as almost a plea, and his head snaps up.
Kole glances over his shoulder at the bed and then back at me.
“It’s not important. I’ll see you later.”
Before I can reply, he bolts out of the room, this time using his vamp speed. By now, a giant pit has formed in my stomach. One second everything was fine, and the next, it was like some part of him was breaking. Even with him trying to mask his feelings, I could see the pain behind his eyes. What could Thane’s scent have triggered for him? Maybe a childhood memory? Whatever it was, he clearly didn’t want to share it with me, and that shouldn’t bother me, but it does. I’m usually the one who is closed off and runs when things get hard. I’m not used to being on the receiving end, and I’ve got to say, I don’t like it.
In an effort to distract myself, I grab my phone and text Sienna, telling her all about the events of last night. Knowing her, I’m sure she’ll enjoy the part where Thane slept next to me all night.
When she doesn’t immediately reply, I head for the bathroom to get ready. She’s probably busy with werewolf business, and a small part of me is envious. I’ve spent my whole life fighting to survive, and now there’s just nothing. No job, no school, no hunting. Not that I’m complaining, but for once, it feels like I’m just existing with no purpose at all.
A knock on my bedroom door pulls me from the thought before it has a chance to blossom into a full-blown spiral.
“Thane,” I breathe, as I come face to face with his broad chest.
“Kole mentioned there’s a book in my library you want to read.” He holds out a key. “The rest of the east wing is off limits.”
I take the key from him, and for a split second, our fingertips brush. Just like when he handed me his pen to sign the contract, my whole body is set ablaze by the smallest touch.
“Thanks,” I say in a voice so small he probably only heard it with his vampire hearing.
“I’ll be in the dungeon if you need anything.”
I watch as he turns and heads down the stairs. It’s the first time I’ve seen him since he spent last night curled up beside me, and that’s all he had to say? Even Kole had the decency to ask how I was doing. After Thane’s reaction last night, I thought he might at least say something about it, but I guess he’s moved on. He stayed with me, satisfying the bond’s need for him to protect me, and that’s that. The way he looked at me, the way he cradled me in his arms—it was all just to feed the bond. Last night didn’t change anything. There’s no new beginning.
He’s a hybrid Alpha, and I’m just the human he marked.
Kole
She’s not mine, and she never will be. Thane’s scent was a harsh reminder of that. I had hoped that Sophia’s presence would at least put a little distance between them, but it only seemed to make the bond’s possessiveness flare to life. She was burning up with jealousy every time Sophia laid a hand on him. I know, because that’s exactly how I feel when Thane touches her.
Nothing I feel will ever erase the fact that they are forever bound to one another. It doesn’t matter that my cold heart warms when she smiles or that I have this unrelenting desire to do everything I can to make her happy. The only thing I’ll ever be to her is Thane’s brother and maybe a friend if she allows it. Any hope of being anything more is just a pathetic dream that has no place living inside my head.
Chapter 33
Stepping into Thane’s library feels like stepping into an enchanted world. It’s dark and moody, just like his room, but something about it feels transcendent of time and space. Like every life he’s lived is somehow preserved within these books. I inhale a deep breath, letting the earthy scent fill my nose, and a blanket of comfort settles around me like a warm hug. Books have always been my escape. No matter where I was or what I was going through, I could lose myself in a story… if only for a little while.
Although I came for one book, now that I’m here, I’m overwhelmed by the options. The books Thane filled my library with are more modern, but his collection is full of classics that have been well-kept over the years. As I make my way through the room, I take time to stroke the beautiful spines and finger the old pages, appreciating the work of art that they are. Eventually, I make it to the book I came here for,The Wolf and the Dove.
I grab it and a few others, hoping Thane won’t mind, but just as I’m about to head out, another title in a stack on thetable catches my eye. It’s the one I saw opened on Thane’s desk the night of the garden party. I slip it out from the middle of the stack and run my fingers over the golden words,Origins of the Fated.
Once I get back to the reading nook in my own library, I discard the other books in a pile and flip open theOrigins of the Fated. Somehow, I know this particular book didn’t belong to the humans, and as I begin to read the introduction, the words ‘vampire’ and ‘werewolf’ confirm that theory. As I continue to read, I get an urge to skip to the section Thane had open. I quickly thumb through the pages until I find the header: “Love Locked vs. Soul Bound.”
