Page 18 of Brutal Reign (Shadowed Heirs #5)

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PAST

“ Y ou sure your dad won’t notice these are missing?” Ace asks nervously as he tears a can of beer from the plastic rings of the six-pack.

“Oh no, he’ll definitely notice,” I snort, cracking the top on my own can while his eyes fly wide. “That’s a problem for tomorrow, though,” I add, lips curling into a smirk as I lift my beer to them and take a swig.

I have no idea why people choose to drink this shit. It tastes terrible, but it’s not the flavor I’m after, it’s the buzz I know I’ll get from sucking down a few of these. My parents started locking up the liquor cabinet a few months ago when they began to notice bottles were going missing. Definitely not ideal, since liquor can at least be mixed with juice or soda to mask the taste. There’s no way to improve the taste of this beer– it’s some gross IPA from Cedar Ridge Brewery– but since it was sitting on the shelf of the fridge when I opened it tonight, I snatched it up. Beggars can’t be choosers.

Fighting a grimace, I swallow it down, resting the can on the wooden arm of my Adirondack chair as I turn to Ace. “Don’t worry, I’ll leave you out of it when he confronts me,” I say with a laugh.

“Yeah right, as if he won’t know we were together,” Ace scoffs. “Next thing you’ll tell me is that you lied about getting permission to use the bonfire pit without supervision.”

My lips spread into a grin.

Ace’s face falls, worry creasing his brow. “Are you serious?”

I bark a laugh, leaning over to clap him on the shoulder. “Ah, c’mon, don’t be a pussy,” I jibe. “My old man tried to bore me to death by dragging me to that council meeting today, he’ll expect me to find some way to act out in retaliation.”

“Why do you always have to drag me into your shit?” Ace mutters, heaving a sigh as he finally cracks the top on his beer can.

I lift my own in his direction. “Because it’s no fun drinking alone.”

He rolls his eyes, reaching over and knocking his can into mine. We both bring them to our mouths and take a swig, Ace fighting his grimace at the taste just as much as me when we lower them again.

“Hey, did something happen between you and River today?” I ask, wiping my mouth off on a forearm.

Ace stiffens, averting his gaze to the small fire burning in the metal ring in front of us. “What do you mean?”

“When I walked in, you guys were acting weird.”

He lifts his beer, taking another sip as I eye him suspiciously. He stares into the fire as he swallows it down, licking his lips before replying. “Nah, man, we were just listening to music.”

“You sure?” I press, holding my breath anxiously for his response. My stare burns into the side of his face until he turns to meet it, and as soon as our eyes lock, Ace heaves a sigh, hanging his head.

“Okay, yeah, something weird happened,” he mumbles, setting his beer can down on the arm of his chair.

I sit up straighter, pulse taking off at a gallop. “Well, what was it?”

“I think…” he trails off, swiping a hand over his chin as his eyes ping back over to the fire. “I think she wanted me to kiss her.”

I jerk in disbelief, choking on my own spit so hard that I launch into a coughing fit and have to pound a fist against my chest to catch my breath.

“I didn’t do it!” Ace rushes out, his wide-eyed gaze returning to mine as I manage to stop sputtering and fucking compose myself. “I mean, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about doing it, though. I know it’s weird since she’s our friend and all, but… River’s hot, dude. Like, really fuckin’ hot.”

“You think I haven’t noticed?” I growl.

He flinches back, blinking at me. “But I thought you were into Cassy?”

“Well yeah, sure, Cass is hot, too,” I say, watching a bead of condensation slide down the side of my beer can. “But like, just as a hookup. River’s different. She’s girlfriend material.”

Ace chews on the inside of his cheek as he studies me for a moment. “You like her,” he murmurs, and though it isn’t a question, I jerk a nod anyways. “I do, too.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I pick up my beer, bringing it to my mouth and tipping it back. The carbonation scalds my throat as I chug the entire fucking thing, then crush the can between my hands and throw it onto the fire before reaching down between us for another.

“Would you have been pissed if I kissed her today?” Ace asks carefully, still watching me like a hawk.

I cut him a glare as I pop the tab on my fresh beer. “Fuck yeah I would’ve been pissed.”

He huffs out a breath, stabbing his fingers through his hair. “So, what do you expect me to do, just step aside so you can have her?” he scoffs, immediately shaking his head. “No, I’m not doing that, bro. I’ll defer to you on a whole lot of shit, but not this. Not her.”

“Well I’m not just gonna sit back and watch you take my girl,” I snarl, my inner wolf pushing forward.

“She’s not your girl, I’m the one she tried to kiss today,” Ace snaps. It’s rare that he loses his cool, but that’s exactly what’s happening right now, his wolf making himself known in his irises.

“Fuck you,” I spit, shoving up from my chair. I sling my full can of beer toward the trees and it hits a trunk with a satisfying thwack, white foam splashing over the bark. Seething with anger, I whip back around to face my best friend, pointing a finger in his direction. “If you get with her, we’re done,” I threaten. “I’ll find a new fucking Beta.”

Ace pushes up to his feet with a growl. “Yeah? Well if you get with her, then you’ll be in the market for a new one anyways, dickhead.”

We both stare each other down for a solid minute, neither one of us backing off. Ace and I never fight like this. Sure, we argue at times, but I can’t remember a time we’ve ever been at each other’s throats quite like we are right now. I’ve never wanted to hit him before.

I watch as the tension slowly eases from Ace’s shoulders, his angry scowl fading. “Damnit, what are we doing?” he groans, dropping back into his chair and scrubbing his hands over his face. “Are we really gonna stop being friends just because we like the same girl?”

I blow out a breath, shaking my head. “This is fucked.”

“Yeah it is,” he murmurs in agreement.

My shoes scuff against the ground as I move back over to my own chair, dragging my feet the whole way. As I fall backwards onto the seat, Ace reaches down for the six-pack, pulling another can off the plastic ring and handing it over to me. The corner of my mouth lifts in gratitude as I take it, a silent understanding passing between us before I pop the top and take a long sip.

Ace sips his own beer as the two of us stare into the fire, both lost in our own heads as we watch the flames dance around the logs. The minutes stretch on while we sit together in silence. I’m at a loss for where to go from here.

Maybe I should just let Ace have this one. Problem is, the moment that thought enters my head I have a visceral reaction, my fists clenching and gut twisting. This isn’t only about me anymore– my wolf wants her, too. He’s so firmly integrated at this point that my deepest desires are reflected in his own, and if I resolve to bow out, he’ll fight me every step of the way.

I couldn’t do it even if I tried. It’d fucking destroy me. Because as much as I love Ace, I love her, too.

“So, what are we gonna do?” I ask, finally daring to break the silence.

He blows out a shallow breath. “Well, we could both date her…”

“Yeah right,” I snort.

Ace looks over at me, tilting his head in contemplation. “Why not? We do everything together anyways.” He shrugs. “Kinda makes sense when you think about it.”

“But she’d have to choose at some point, and then we’d wind up hating each other even more,” I murmur.

“Right,” he sighs, shoulders slumping as understanding dawns. “We could both date her, but we couldn’t both mate her.”

I jerk a nod, finishing off the rest of my beer.

“And then our pack would suffer, because you’d have to find a new Beta,” he continues, staring off into the fire again. “And let’s face it, no matter who it was, they’d never be as good as me. Nobody else can handle your mood swings.”

“Hey,” I protest, tossing my empty beer can at him.

He bats it out of the air with a laugh. “What? You know it’s true. You’re a pain in the ass.”

“Remind me why I’m friends with you again?” I grumble.

Ace chuckles softly to himself, shaking his head. “Because we’re bros. And if we wanna keep it that way, then we’re gonna have to figure this shit out before it drives a wedge between us.”

“Yeah.” I turn my gaze back to the fire, eyes glazing over. “If we don’t want that to happen, then maybe we should make a pact. Agree that she’s off-limits to us both.”

“Won’t that be hard with the way she’s always around?” he muses. “What if she tries to kiss me again?”

“Then you say no,” I reply flatly.

Ace shakes his head, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket. “Nah, I’m not that strong, dude. We’ve gotta remove the temptation. Distance ourselves from her.”

My heart stutters a beat. “Stop being friends with her, you mean.”

“Yeah,” Ace rasps. “Can you do it?”

My chest constricts painfully as I consider my life without River in it. Don’t get me wrong, she’s an aggravating little shit, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about her. There’s nobody I’d rather bicker with; nobody who riles me up quite like she does. I thrive off the way she pushes my buttons. It wasn’t until recently that I even realized the truth– how I’ve always carried a torch for River Jacobsen.

“If I have to,” I grind out. “If it’s the only way.”

Ace heaves a sigh, sinking further back in his chair. “Yeah, I think it is.”

A silence falls over us again as we both consider what this means; how drastically our lives are about to change. It’s always been the three of us. Cutting River out feels akin to lopping off a limb; without her, part of us will always be missing.

“So that’s it, then?” I mutter, eyeing my best friend. “We have a deal?”

“Yeah,” Ace nods, yanking a hand out of his hoodie pocket. He leans forward, turning at the waist to offer it to me. “We have a deal.”

I slap my palm into his and shake it while a little piece of me dies inside.

NOW

My body jolts as I feel the mate bond snap in between me and River, a wild wave of energy zapping through me like an electric current.

Holy shit. River Jacobsen is my…

“Mate,” Ace breathes, and I whip my head sideways, gaping at him in disbelief. How does he know? Maybe it’s a Beta thing, because he’s staring at River in awe, but she’s looking between the two of us like she doesn’t know which way is up.

“No,” she whispers, shaking her head as she slowly backs away. This isn’t my first time seeing her naked, but I swear she’s never looked more beautiful than she does right now with her soft curves bathed in moonlight. She’s fucking perfect, and she’s mine .

A rush of euphoria ripples through me at the realization. This is all I’ve ever wanted– it’s as if all my broken pieces are finally sliding into their rightful place, all the messy shit with her suddenly making perfect sense. I could never truly walk away from River because she was always meant to be mine.

“I’m obviously having a nervous breakdown or something, because this can’t be real,” she mutters, still backing away when she should be running toward me instead. What gives?

She can’t turn her back on fate any more than I can. Not that I want to. This is without a doubt the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to me, and the fact that she doesn’t seem to share the same sentiment is more than a little unsettling.

“Sure feels real to me,” I drawl, finally finding my voice and advancing a step in her direction.

Apparently, that’s the wrong move. The air around River starts to shimmer as she calls her wolf forward, the distinctive pop of her bones sounding as her body rearranges itself and she drops down on her front paws, shaking out her fur. It’s white as snow– the antithesis of my own wolf’s inky black coat– and it takes on an ethereal glow beneath the light of the moon. She stares in my direction for a long moment, almost as if she’s conflicted. Then she whips around with a low whine, darting off into the trees and disappearing from sight.

My own wolf keens to go after her, but I belatedly realize that Ace is still standing beside me, staring after my girl like a lovesick pup.

“What the fuck just happened?” I growl, blinking at the spot in the treeline River just slipped through. My body tenses as I prepare to call my wolf forward and go after her, but then Ace speaks.

“She’s my mate,” he declares.

I jerk around to gape at him, sure that he’s lost his goddamn mind. “She’s my mate,” I snarl.

His brows knit together in confusion as he slowly turns to face me. “What? No, bro, I felt the bond, it…”

“Yeah, I did too,” I say, suddenly wondering if I’m the one losing it.

No , I definitely felt the bond snap into place between us. Even now, I feel it burning in my chest, our connection tugging me in the direction River just fled. She’s my fated mate; I’m certain of it.

“So… she’s… both of ours?” Ace mumbles, looking more bewildered by the second.

I flinch back, narrowing my eyes on him. “How the hell is that possible?”

“It’s not.”

“So then what the fuck?”

Ace turns his gaze back toward the treeline, his brow furrowing. “Are you sure it was the mate bond you felt?” he asks dubiously.

I make a scoffing sound in my throat. “Yeah, I’m fucking sure. There’s no mistaking what I just felt, bro.” I cock my head to the side, narrowing my eyes. “Are you sure?”

He nods adamantly. “I’m positive. I can feel it…” he trails off, pressing a palm against the center of his chest, right where I feel my own bond humming beneath my skin.

And that’s the moment I know. My bond recognizes his, some aspect of it linking the two of us together, too.

“Fate must be punishing us, making her choose,” Ace murmurs.

I swallow thickly as the reality of our situation dawns. “She’ll have to reject one of us,” I rasp, thinking out loud.

“But how, if she’s bonded to us both?” He swipes a hand over his chin, gaze still fixed on the trees. “If fate hasn’t chosen, then why does she have to?”

I stare at his profile blankly, my brain short-circuiting. None of this makes any fucking sense. “What are you saying?” I grind out, hoping Ace will somehow have all the answers. He usually does, but this situation is a whole lot more daunting than anything we’ve had to face before.

He slowly turns his head to meet my eyes. “I’m saying, this solves our problem, doesn’t it? If she’s equally bonded to both of us, then we can both finally have what we’ve always wanted, and it’s not at the expense of each other.”

I blink at him dumbfoundedly, still struggling to comprehend this insane turn of events.

“We made that pact because we knew we couldn’t both be mated to her right?” he continues. “But what if we can? What if we could both have her?”

“Like you said, it’s not possible,” I grumble, shaking my head.

“Why not?” he presses.

“That’s not how things are supposed to be.”

Ace snorts a laugh. “Well, we weren’t supposed to fall for the same fucking girl either, but here we are.” He throws out a hand, gesturing to River’s escape route. “What if fate just gave us a gift? Think about it, Seb. If our friendship wasn’t at stake, would you wanna be with her?”

I jerk a nod, not even having to consider my answer. It’s always been yes. It’s always been her .

“Me too,” he breathes, pivoting to face me fully. “So, maybe this is the answer we’ve always been looking for. Maybe…”

“You want to share a mate?” I scoff disbelievingly.

“If it were anyone else, no,” Ace replies with a frown. “But for her, I’d do damn near anything, and I know you would too.”

I nod slowly as the harsh bite of reality sinks its teeth in. He’s right. This could work.

“I mean, I wouldn’t share a mate with anyone except you,” I mutter, once again thinking aloud. “But what if it doesn’t work? What if we can’t seal both bonds? And what if she doesn’t want it?”

“Then we’ll figure it out, but that’s something the two of us can’t do without her. We need to find River and just talk to her, see where her head’s at and try to make sense of this whole thing together.”

“You’re right,” I say. He’s always fucking right. “So, let’s go get our girl.”

Ace nods, a grin splitting his face. “Let’s go get our girl.”