by Jayme Morse
Chapter 18
I didn’t end up calling Kane back that night. I knew it would have been a horrible idea for everyone involved in this situation.
Of course, me not calling Kane back didn’t stop him from calling me. If anything, his calls became more frequent after that. Every time the phone rang, I couldn’t help but think that he seemed so determined. It felt like every time I ignored one of his calls, he became more desperate to reach me.
The worst part about it all was that I didn’t want to ignore him. Every time I saw his name pop up on the caller ID, the butterflies would warm around instead my stomach.
No, every part of me wanted to answer him, but I couldn’t do it.
Answering him felt like a betrayal to Theo and the other Darken. But mostly, I didn’t trust answering him. Not And it wasn’t because I didn’t trust Kane.
It was because I didn’t trust myself.
The days all began to fade together. Before I knew it, midterms had already come and gone, and we were ready to leave Wolflandia for winter break.
Normally, we spent Christmas at the Darken house, but this year was different. Since I was going to be Maddie’s maid of honor on Christmas Eve and we were all invited to the wedding, we were staying with my uncle Ryan.
Even though I knew that I should have been excited to spend Christmas with my uncle and to be back in the human world, I wasn’t. I sort of dreaded the idea of being away from the Darken house—away from the home I had created with my mates.
It had been a year since my mates had proposed to me, a year since they had given me that engagement ring with the promise that I would choose to marry one of them.
And somehow, everything was so different now.
They were different, and so was I.
And now there were no longer just four of them. There were six of them now.
Even though I wouldn’t have said it out loud, the truth was that I also wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
There was something about Kane that just made my heart pump differently than the others did. It wasn’t that I liked him more or felt more attracted to him.
No, I loved all of my mates. I loved them equally.
When it came down to it, it was all about who was best for me. The problem with that was that I thought each of them was amazing for me in their own way.
I just wondered what would happen when I finally did end up choosing a mate. Would my mate and I still live with the rest of the pack? I wasn’t sure how the guys who I didn’t choose would respond to my making a decision. Would they be welcoming to me and the one who I chose?
There were the questions that kept me up at night, the questions that deterred me from choosing anyone at all.
Well, they were part of the reason.
The other part was him.
On Christmas Eve, I walked down the aisle to the song “Jingle Bell Rock” in the backyard at Branden Mitchell’s parents’ house. It was dark outside, and the aisle was lit up by gold Christmas lights.
I wore a long gold bridesmaid gown and carried a bouquet of red and white roses.
As I stood next to Vince, who was Maddie’s Man of Honor, “Christmas Canon Rock” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra began playing. The crowd turned to watch as Maddie began to make her way down the aisle with her dad at her side. She was wearing a long, flowy white wedding dress that made her look like a princess, and her silky black hair fell in long, loose curls over her shoulders. She looked beautiful.
As they approached the end of the aisle, Maddie’s dad kissed her on the cheek before handing her off to Branden.
“Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here today to unite this happy couple in holy matrimony,” the reverend began.
I glanced around the crowd then, noticing my mates sitting a few rows from the front.
Colton and Rhys were both watching Maddie and Branden as they read their vows to one another.
Aiden stared ahead, smiling to himself. He appeared to be lost in thought about something.
When my gaze shifted to Theo, I found that his eyes were already on mine.
I quickly glanced away, trying to pretend that I hadn’t caught him staring at me.
An overwhelmed feeling that I couldn’t really explain came over me then. I was pretty sure it was because we were at Maddie’s wedding, and a part of me secretly wished it was my wedding.
That thought was just another reminder that all of my mates were so perfect. How could I have chosen only one of them?
Except, one day, I would have to, I thought, glancing down at the engagement ring that I still wore every day. At this point, it was beginning to feel like a false promise—and not on their end, but on mine.
I had agreed to marry one of them, and here I was, not taking any steps towards picking anyone.
I wondered if there was something wrong with me. Any other girl would have wanted to choose just one, to have that romantic, once in a lifetime, happily ever after sort of love. Any other girl would have wanted to choose one so she could drag him down the aisle, ensuring her future with one of them.
But then there was me, perfectly connect with not just one but five soulmates. It was sick and twisted, but it was just the way it was.
I had to stop thinking about this right now and just enjoy my best friend’s wedding. I turned my attention back to the wedding ceremony.
“Do you, Madeline, take Branden to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, through sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?” the reverend asked.
“I do,” she said.
“And do you, Branden, take Madeline to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, through sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Branden replied with a nod.
“Then by the powers vested in me by the state of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the reverend said. “You may kiss the bride.”
Pushing Maddie’s veil back, Branden kissed her.
The audience cheered and applauded, but suddenly, I was no longer paying attention. Because that was when I spotted him, out of the corner of my eye, as he took a seat towards the back.
His emerald green eyes locked on mine from across the lawn, and my breath caught in my throat as my heart did things that I didn’t even know it was capable of doing.
Kane.
Chapter 19
A wave of emotions washed over me as Kane continued to hold my gaze. His lips formed a slow smile.
How the hell had he found me?
Of course, I already knew the answer to that. A male werewolf could always hear his mate’s heartbeat; it was like a compass to help him locate her. As our Alpha, he could also listen in my thoughts whenever he wanted.
But still. This was the first time he had shown his face since July. Why now? Why tonight, of all nights? Why had he randomly decided to crash my best friend’s wedding?
All of these thoughts swirled around inside my mind as my body went with the motions. I followed the rest of the wedding party down the aisle.
But, as hard as I tried to just act natural, all I could seem to focus on was that Kane was actually here, in the flesh, right in front of me. And I wasn’t even sure how to feel about that.
I glanced over at the rest of the Darken, wondering if my other members had noticed that Kane was here. But somehow, none of them seemed to have noticed our Alpha standing just feet away from them.
I knew that wouldn’t last long. The one thing that I knew about Kane, both from the stories and from the vibes he gave me, was that he wasn’t the type of guy who just entered a room quietly. He always made sure his presence was known, and I was sure that would be the case now. He was the Alpha of the pack, after all. He was bound to throw his weight and power around at some point, especially now that he was one of the Triangle.
I always thought it was sort of weird that, for being one of the three most powerful Alphas in
the entire world, he never even interacted with his pack.
“That’s because he’s too busy scheming. Once he devises a plan, he’ll be back,” Colton’s statement replayed in my mind.
Well, Kane must have figured out a plan. That was probably the reason he was back.
As everyone began to move deeper into the yard where the Mitchells had set up tents where the reception was being held, I glanced at the Darken once more to make sure that they weren’t paying attention to me. When I saw that they were too busy talking to each other, I headed over to Kane.
“We need to talk,” I told him firmly.
“Why, hello to you, too, my love.” A smooth smile crossed his lips.
It was an adorable smile that made me feel things that I shouldn’t have been feeling for him. And I absolutely hated that it made me feel that way.
“Come on.” I reached out and grabbed the sleeve to his suit jacket and then dragged him to the side of the house.
Once we were completely out of sight and out of earshot of the others, I turned to him. “What are you doing here?”
“Call me crazy, but I thought you’d be a little bit happier to see me. Maybe excited, even,” Kane said, shaking his head in amusement. “We are mates, after all. Although it seems like you want to ignore that little fact.”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I replied, playing stupid.
“How often do you talk to your other mates?” Kane questioned.
“It’s different. I live with them.”
“Living with someone isn’t a requirement for speaking to someone.”
“They’re also my professors,” I pointed out.
“How many times a day would you say you talk to them on average?”
“Several times a day, at least,” I replied quietly.
“And yet you ignore me every time I call you, Raven. It’s almost starting to seem like you want nothing to do with me.”
I might have only been imagining it, but I could have sworn that he seemed disappointed by the idea.
“You’re dodging the question, Kane,” I said with a sigh.
“Remind me, darling. What was the question again?”
“Why did you come here?” I folded my arms over my chest and just stared at him.
Kane held my eyes for a few moments before shrugging. “I just thought it was time.”
“Time for what?” I asked.
“For me to come take back what’s mine,” Kane said.
Oh. He was ready to reclaim his role as Alpha. “So, you’re finally going to actually starting being an Alpha again?”
His gray eyes met mine again. “That wasn’t what I was talking about,” he murmured.
Being under his gaze made me incredibly nervous. “Then what were you talking about?”
He stared at me for a moment longer and then pointed his chin in the direction of the reception. Maddie and Branden were already having their first wedding dance.
“Well, she just sealed her fate,” Kane said with a sad sigh.
“What do you mean?”
“The Mitchells are one of the most hated werewolf families in the world.”
“Really? No one has ever mentioned that before. Why?”
“Because they have a lot of vampires in their family. Most werewolves consider them traitors,” he explained. “Therefore, your friend is a traitor through major.”
I rolled my eyes. “She couldn’t help it. Fate decided he was her mate. It’s not a decision she made on her own.”
Kane glanced back over at me. “The same way fate decided we were mates?”
“I guess. It all works the same way, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t know. You have a lot of mates. Five, right?”
“Yup. All five Darken.”
“What a lucky girl you are. Some werewolves never find their mates at all, but then there’s you… with not just one but five.”
“I don’t know if I consider myself lucky,” I muttered under my breath.
“Let me guess. I’m your favorite mate,” Kane said.
“Nope.” I shook my head.
A look of surprise filled his eyes. I got the feeling that he wasn’t used to being told he wasn’t the favorite.
“I guess that’s what I get for riding in on this high horse,” he murmured.
I laughed. “You probably should come down to earth.”
“Like hell I will. If I’m not your favorite, then who is?” He paused for a moment. “Wait, let me guess. It’s Aiden, isn’t it?”
“Actually, this may come as a surprise to you, but I don’t have a favorite mate,” I replied quietly, even though I knew that wasn’t completely true. “Each of you is my favorite in your own way.”
And that was the truth.
Colton was my favorite protector. He was the one who always made me feel safe. No matter what life threw my way, I knew he would always do everything in his power to guard me.
Aiden was my favorite jokester. He could always put a smile on my face, even whenever times got rough.
Rhys was my favorite nice guy. He was the sweetest of the five, the one who always put me and my feelings first.
And Theo? Well, he was a little more complicated. Theo was my favorite to fall asleep with every night, and wake up to every morning. He was the full package, the one who made me feel everything. And that wasn’t to mention that he was my first: my first Darken kiss, my first mate, the one I had lost my virginity to.
And Kane? Well, he was my favorite to think about. He was my ultimate “what if.” I often wondered what my life would have been like with him, unsure if I would ever really know.
So, yeah. They were all my favorite, in their own way.
“I want you to be honest with me about something.” Kane’s green eyes locked on mine. “If you could choose to end the connection you have with me right now and get out of the mate bond we share with one another, would you?”
I stared at him for a long moment. Even though my head told me that I should say yes, that I should want out of this mate bond with him, my heart just didn’t feel the same way.
“No, I wouldn’t,” I admitted, even though speaking those words was against my better judgment.
At the end of the day, my bond with Kane only made things way more complicated. He was just another werewolf for me to think about spending an eternity with, another contender to throw into the mix. It only made it harder for me to choose in the long run.
“Really? Are you sure about that?” Kane asked.
“You’re lucky I told you that I wouldn’t break the mate bond once. Now you’re just pushing it,” I said with an eye roll. “I know you’re looking for flattery, but you’re not going to get it from me. Not after you’ve been M.I.A. since July.”
He looked mildly amused. “My apologies for my disappearance. But you’re one-hundred percent certain that you wouldn’t end what we have going right now if you could?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“You’re positive?”
“Yes, I’m positive,” I replied, beginning to grow frustrated.
“Well, okay then. Since you insist.” He shrugged. “You say you don’t want to break the bond, so we won’t break the bond.” Pulling a flask out of his suit pack, he unscrewed the lid and dumped the liquid that it contained onto the grass. His emerald green eyes met mine. “That was the antidote, by the way.”
“The antidote?” I found myself asking.
“The potion, the antidote, whatever you want to call it. It could have broken our bond and made us lose our connection to one another,” Kane explained. “But you were so positive that you wouldn’t want us to not be mates anymore that there was really no use for it.”
“Wait. You have a potion that could break the mate bond?” I asked him with raised eyebrows.
“Yeah. Well, I had a potion that could break the mate bond. It’s in the grass now.” He shrugged.
“Why the hell would you get rid of it?!” I asked him, my ch
eeks growing hot with anger.
Was this some sort of joke? And if it was, did he really think it was funny? Because I could think of a lot of funny jokes, but getting rid of an antidote that could have broken our mate bond definitely wasn’t one of them.
“You told me you wouldn’t have wanted to end our mate bond even if you had the chance to. Are you now telling me that you were lying to me?” There was an intensity in his eyes as he stared at me.
“No, I wasn’t lying,” I admitted quietly. “But I could have used that potion in the long run. I have to figure out a way to break my bond with four of my mates. So, that potion could have really come in handy.”
He just stared back at me. “Wait, what are you talking about?”
“I have five mates,” I reminded him.
“I’m aware of that.”
“It can’t be that way. I can’t have five mates,” I explained. “In the end, there can only be one.”
“You only want to be with one of us?” Kane’s dark eyebrows knotted together at the center of his forehead. “I thought we were all your favorite.”
“You are all my favorite. And that’s not what I want, but the others have made it clear that they want me to choose just one of you in the end,” I explained. “So, I’m going to honor their wishes.”
“Wow. Just one of us, huh?” Kane stared out in the direction of the reception. I watched as his eyes landed on the table where the rest of our pack was sitting.
His green eyes clouded over with a dark look. I might have been wrong, but I could have sworn that it was a look of jealousy.
Was he actually jealous of the other Darken?
Then, his eyes flicked over to meet mine. “It’s going to be me, you know.”
“How can you be so sure of that?” I asked him. When it came down to it, the truth was that even I didn’t know who I was going to end up choosing in the end. There was no way he could know for sure, unless he was able to see the future.
“Because that’s what I came here for. I told you I came here to claim what’s mine. Well, I was talking about you. You’re mine, Raven. Or you’re going to be, anyway. You just don’t know it yet.” Kane’s green eyes pierced through mine. Then, without saying another word, his arms fell to the small of my pick, and he pulled me into him.
