“There you are, Rowan,” she exclaims, her gaze glued to the position of Rowan’s hand.
“Odette.” He acknowledges her but doesn’t stop walking.
“We need to talk,” she says.
“No, we don’t. I said all I had to say last night,” Rowan replies.
My posture goes stiff. Last night? Our mating bond isn’t even broken yet and already he is sniffing around the next bitch! Typical. I try pulling away again, but Rowan only tightens his grip. A deep sigh leaves him before he stops, turning to face Odette.
“This is exactly what I was talking about last night,” Rowan says angrily. He releases the grip on my shoulder only to entwine his hand with mine. After a gentle squeeze, he continues. “I am destined to mate with Kira, and you need to make peace with that. I told you that you would never be my mate, that I was waiting for the one I was fated to be with.”
“You can’t just throw me away like trash!” Odette screeches.
“Odette, you’re causing a scene,” Rowan says with a growl. “Nothing is going to change my mind, and you need to accept that.”
Watching Odette closely, I see her start to lose control, the change already rippling along her skin.
“You would choose thisgemorsover me?” she says before launching in my direction.
Rowan wasn’t expecting the move, that much is clear, because he doesn’t respond immediately. But I do. Pushing him from me, I spin away from the clearly crazy woman. Turning back to her, I find her fully shifted.
“Kira!” Rowan shouts, trying to get to me, but Odette is directly between us, her panther already bloodthirsty.
When she springs into action, so do I, shifting mid-jump. She’s smaller than me, and with the years of training I have done with Max, Calum, and the rest of the wolves, she couldn’t best me on my worst day. It doesn’t take me long to have her pinned beneath me, my fangs wrapped around her throat, ready to rip her jugular out.
“Kira.” I hear Rowan’s voice over the pounding of the adrenaline running through my veins. “You’ve proved your point.”
Long moments stretch out as I contemplate ending her. Memories flash in my mind’s eye. All the abuse, the bullying, my entire childhood filled with memories of this fucking horrible bitch making my life a living hell. But I’m not going to stoop to her level. Instead, I release her and let out a roar to the sky before stalking home, not even bothering to shift back to my human form.
****
Rowan
“Jesus Christ, Rowan!” Silas exclaims when Kira stalks off. “You need to put a leash on that fucking female. She’s a menace.”
I turn my glare on him. “How about you get your sister to accept my fucking decision instead of trying to kill my mate?” I challenge.
“Mate?” Silas gasps.
My anger drains as Silas helps his hysterically crying sister to her feet. I’m not angry at him. Rather at Odette and this fucking situation. This is my fault. I knew Odette wanted to be my mate, and yet I still fucked her whenever I felt like it. I played with her feelings, and now I must deal with the consequences.
“Yes, Silas. Kira is my fated mate.”
Silas doesn’t acknowledge me, instead speaking in hushed tones to Odette. She nods slowly before walking away from us.
“Fuck, man,” Silas says, running his hand through his hair. “This is going to cause so many fucking problems.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I ask him as we walk toward the main house. “Kira can’t stand me or anyone else in this pack. She’s already trying to find ways to end our mating.”
“What do you mean end your mating?”
“She doesn’t want to be my mate. She doesn’t want to be here any longer than is absolutely necessary,” I reply.
“Can you blame her?” Silas asks. The question has my panther waking. Who the fuck is he to judge us, to question us?
“Don’t get all prissy. Think about this. You know I’m right.”
“Of course you’re fucking right!” But what the fuck do you want me to do about the past? It’s not like I can snap my fingers and erase her memories.”