Page 8 of Claimed by the Wolf (Wild Fated Shifters #1)

NOX

I t’s hell. The days are long, and the nights are worse.

Sleep eludes me when all I can think about is how close but far away Brynn is to me. The fact is, she’ll never be within reach, and I have to accept that. Whatever spiel I’d given her, about being strong, I can’t take my own advice.

I’m crumbling inside without her. I can’t stay away from Brynn, as much as I know I have to. Her texts aren’t helping me, as much as I want to dismiss them.

We meet for a second time in the middle of the week by the creek, her sweet apple smell intoxicating me as I try to keep a healthy distance.

Even so, she fills me with need, and I remind myself how bad this is, seeing her like this in secret.

She thinks I don’t notice the way she inches closer to me, but every gesture she makes is amplified by every subtle look.

I’m distinctly aware of everything she does.

It’s absolute hell.

“There might be a way to break the bond, but not without help,” I finally offer, albeit reluctantly.

She stares at me with a look I understand too well. There’s hope and dismay combined.

“I’ve never heard of anyone breaking a bond before,” she says warily.

Well, who the hell would want to? There’s a reason it’s taken me so long to learn anything about how to do it.

“Is it… forbidden?”

“No…” But I don’t know if that’s true.

The little I’ve gathered through covert measures, I would have to approach an elder for help, and going through the proper hierarchy would make it authorized.

Elders are shifter advisors and revered in their roles within the packs.

But that doesn’t mean it’s safe for me to do, or even that one would know what to do.

Just because they’re old and wise from years of pack life, doesn’t make them automatically trustworthy or sage on every matter.

But they still know more than the average shifter.

I try to explain further. “I’ll have to reach out to someone for help.”

“Like who?” Her golden-green eyes shine in the darkness, and I focus my stare on the trickle of the water, fidgeting with my hands that so desperately want to touch her. “You don’t mean someone dabbling in sorcery, do you?”

“No. An elder,” I respond.

Her pupils dilate in the darkness. She fully comprehends the danger of letting anyone else in on our secret, elder or not. “Oh. Which one?”

“I don’t know exactly, and that’s part of the problem. If I ask the wrong elder, we’ll be in an even worse place than before. It’ll make me look weak, like I don’t have control.”

She curls her lithe frame toward me. “Do you have control?” she asks quietly. “Because I don’t feel like I do.”

Her confession tightens my chest, and I suck in the cool springtime air. “We have to stop meeting.”

Again, I’m saying things I don’t mean, but I don’t have a choice. Just spitting the words out hurts, but they need to be said.

“We need to find a solution before the gathering at Emeric’s. The packs can’t get a whiff of this bond between us, Nox. Emeric will think we deliberately deceived him. Who knows how he’ll react.”

I agree silently. I don’t know the Alpha well, but if I were in his position, I wouldn’t take a slight like this lightly.

I eye her warily. “I mean…” I drawl slowly. “We could test out the theory.”

She returns my look uncomprehendingly. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we haven’t been out in public together yet.”

Aghast, she gawks at me. “What are you saying?”

“We haven’t really seen anyone together. For all we know, no one can tell we are bonded.” I’m grasping at straws, but we’re running out of time.

“You’re not suggesting what I think you are…”

“We could go out in public and see if others notice,” I offer.

“That’s too risky!”

“We wouldn’t go out around here. We’ll go out of our territory, maybe into Stonecrest or Moon River. Some place where they don’t know us as well.”

She frowns lightly. “Who do you know out there?”

I shrug. “A few guys,” I admit. “But they’re not close enough to cause issues. If anyone suspects us, they won’t necessarily be able to track you back to Emeric.”

The idea falls apart on my lips. But she will be a powerful Alpha’s Luna. That could come back to haunt us. That’s not a good plan.

She shifts uncomfortably in her place. “It’s a big gamble. If they recognize us as mates, and it gets back to our pack…”

I throw up my hands in exasperation. “I don’t know what else to do,” I growl, whipping my head toward her, my eyes flashing.

Her breath catches as our lips land inches from each other. She reaches up to stroke my face.

“Don’t get mad at me,” she begs. “I don’t know what to do, either. I didn’t want to mate with Emeric in the first place.”

A stab of guilt slices through me, and I turn my head away. “Well, what’s done is done.” I jump up before I can act on the kiss. “The pact is formed.”

Wistfully, she stares at me, and I close my eyes, forcing the feeling aside. “You should go home before Brax wonders where you are.”

Silence follows my order, and I sneak a sidelong look at her. “Did you hear me?”

“We could test this on Brax,” she suggests meekly. “He won’t say anything.”

I snort. “You’re kidding, right? He’ll lose his mind if he ever finds out about this. You’re his little sister, Brynn. I’m his best friend, and the Alpha. Never mind the fact that it will blow up our pact with Willow Grove.”

“Exactly.” She remains on the ground, staring up at me, and I want so badly to do a million terrible things to her while she’s down there. Heat surges through every crevice of my body, settling in my core.

“He can be trusted for all those reasons,” she insists. “He won’t say a word. Let’s go to him together, tonight, and see if he notices anything different between us. He can be our test subject.”

“It’s not fair to put him in this position,” I protest, and she gives me a baleful look.

“You put me in a position without worrying too much about it. I think Brax can handle this,” she fires out in annoyance.

I hang my head. “I know you’re right. But it doesn’t feel right making him carry such a burden. It’s essentially putting him against the pack.”

“If not him, then who, Nox? Isn’t that what you said when you gave me to Emeric?”

Again, I start to refuse, but we’re running short of options. Brax is better than a stranger. I have no question about his loyalty.

“He’s going to know…” I grumble, more to myself than to her. “This is useless. The only way to avoid detection is to avoid each other until you’re…” I can’t even bring myself to say it. “Until you’re gone from the territory.”

“But maybe the bond isn’t so noticeable if we haven’t acted on it,” she presses. “Do we know for sure what happens when mates don’t… consummate the bond?”

I press my lips together and study her impassioned face intently. It’s all a risk, no matter what we do. However, we won’t get through this without someone’s help, and we can’t keep hiding out.

Brax is the best solution, as much as I hate to admit it.

“Fine,” I relent. “But do not breathe a word about the bond.”

She makes a pretend zipper of her luscious lips with her fingers, and I extend my hand to help her off the ground. Unexpectedly, she stumbles forward and lands in my arms. For a frozen moment, I simply peer down at her, the temptation too much.

“Stop…” she rasps, but she makes no move to untangle herself from my hold.

My grip tightens around her.

“Dammit,” I curse, pushing her away. “Let’s go.”

She whimpers softly, and we head back into town silently, energy pulsating between us. There is no way Brax won’t sense it.

We slow down in front of her house, and Brynn turns to me.

“Wait five minutes and then come in,” she suggests. “We won’t make eye contact or sit near one another. We’ll act the same as we will at Emeric’s party.”

As she walks inside, I feel the urge to follow her. Instead, I stand on the sidewalk out front and contemplate the repercussions of offering Emeric another female from the pack.

But that won’t work. I’ve already thought about this. He’ll wonder why the switch, and when it comes out that Brynn is my mate, all hell will break loose.

Brynn is the female in our pack with the highest standing, because I have no female relatives, and she is the Beta’s sister.

I offered Emeric Brynn, because it makes the most sense. And even with Brynn’s standing in our pack, he is still being overly cautious.

I can’t afford to give him any more causes for alarm. A promise is a promise, and I can’t back out of it. We’re already on shaky ground with Willow Grove. Emeric won’t trust me if I go back on my word. I can’t let my desires be the reason our packs finally go to war.

A half-moon rises overhead, cascading an eerie glow on the clouds. A small part of me hopes Brax senses it and calls it out, ending the charade so we stop sneaking around.

I’m ashamed of my thoughts. That’s the last thing I need.

Brynn is his sister, and I’m his best friend. The betrayal will not go unanswered, even if it’s beyond our control. This is not a good idea, but it’s still better than anything else I’ve come up with so far.

And it gives me more time with Brynn while I can still take it.

How am I going to manage when Brynn’s gone?

I can barely be away from her when she’s in the same territory. I won’t be able to function. I walk up the front steps to the house, knocking loudly.

Here goes everything.

“What are you doing here?” Brax asks. “Is there a problem? Is it Willow Grove?”

He’s ready for battle, his broad shoulders squaring as if he’s ready to shift into his panther body. I flash him the most disarming grin I can muster under the circumstances.

“No, no problem,” I tell him quickly.

Brax’s brow furrows in confusion. “What are you doing here then?”

“Can’t a guy drop in for a beer with his best friend?” I ask nonchalantly, leaning against the door frame and trying to sound casual.

Perplexed, he looks behind me. “You alone?”

“Are you?” I quip back.

He snorts. “Brynn just got home. I’m pretty sure she’s about to go to bed.”

Lucky bed.

I shake off the thought. “I’m alone.”

He steps back to let me in.

“I’m just surprised. You didn’t mention stopping by when I left the packhouse,” Brax explains. “You haven’t stopped by spontaneously in a long time.”

I follow him across the threshold, allowing the door to close, and my breath catches as I look for Brynn. She’s nowhere in sight.

She’s smart. She’s going to come out slowly, tentatively.

“That’s why I got the urge,” I lie. “It’s been a while since we just hung out. And with all this shit going on, I thought it might be good for us.”

“Well, I’m happy you’re here,” Brax tells me, and then heads to the fridge and grabs a couple of beers.

I make myself comfortable on their small, L-shaped couch, my head turning to look outside. A heaviness lingers over the sky like rain is coming, the smell of ozone permeating the air.

“I heard thunder earlier,” Brynn comments from behind me.

I don’t turn, even as Brax hands me a beer and plops on the couch beside me.

“Did you?” her brother replies. “It’s a bit overcast, but I don’t think it’ll rain.”

We’re talking about the weather.

Slowly, deliberately, I move my head in her direction, the fission of energy pulsating so strongly, I’m surprised it doesn’t reverberate through the glass of the coffee table.

I know I’d promised not to look at her, but I can’t help myself, my eyes searching her face as Brax takes a swig of his drink.

“I thought you were going to bed.” Brax stares at her questioningly.

She stands at the entrance of the living room, and I shift my eyes away, fixating on my beer.

I wait for Brax to call us out, to sense what we’ve been hiding.

His eyes narrow slightly as he stares expectantly at her.

“I am.” She lingers, though, waiting for him to notice this fission mounting between us. “I just heard voices, and I thought I’d come out and investigate.”

My chest is tight, and I sneak a look at Brax.

“Now that you see we’re not being robbed,” he jibes.

She looks at me, and it takes every ounce of strength not to lock eyes with her.

Brax gazes at me, and I turn my head to look out the window again.

“Are you two not talking again?” Brax asks slowly.

“When were we not talking?” I retort, bringing my drink to my lips.

Brax shrugs. “I don’t know. There’s some kind of… tension or something between you two.”

I take another swig of my beer. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know what? I am going to bed,” Brynn declares. “Good night.”

She pivots and hurries out of the room before her brother or I can make a comment.

Brax sighs. “She’ll get over it once she’s settled in Willow Grove territory.”

I eye him dubiously. He really doesn’t notice? How can he not hear the rage of my pulse when it’s overriding everything else in the room?

Could Brynn have been right? Is it true that no one can feel our connection because we haven’t been together intimately?

There might be hope to salvage this alliance, even if our mate bond is lost forever.

“She’s got a lot on her mind,” I say, more to myself than him, still waiting with bated breath for him to comment on our connection, but Brax has other things on his mind.

“You think Emeric will keep her after this weekend?” Brax asks, sounding glum.

“Why?”

He lifts his head and looks at me. “I’m just asking.” He’s defensive, his face tightening. “She’s still my kid sister, you know. I’m worried about what happens to her.”

His response does nothing to assuage my guilt.

Yes. She’s his kid sister and my mate. And promised to Emeric, too.

What a giant shitshow I created for us all. And it’s only getting worse by the day.

But if Brax can’t sense the bond between us, we might have one less thing to worry about for now, and that’s good, isn’t it?