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WREN

The house was quiet. Too quiet. But that’s what happened when a bomb of destined-mate bonds detonated.

I rubbed at my chest, the ache deepening with each moment of distance from Brix, Ender, and Puck. Ender, I’d expected. Even Brix made sense; connection wasn’t exactly his thing. But Puck? That killed.

I listened for a moment and waited, but didn’t hear anything. I knew Locke and Kingston were around somewhere. They’d tried to soften the blows of rejection, but they couldn’t force the others to accept the bond, and I wouldn’t want them to.

My hand curved around the doorknob and twisted. Stepping out into the late afternoon air, I let the scents of pine, moss, and the creek in the distance clear away the aromas that had been drowning me for the past twenty-four hours. It was a special kind of torture to scent all five of my mates and know that more than half didn’t want anything to do with me.

My wolf let out a keening noise. I didn’t know what I could do to soothe her. Tell her it would be okay? But I didn’t believe that.

I made my way through the backyard and into the trees surrounding the gorgeous mountain mansion. Slipping between them helped. Being one with nature. And it would help my wolf if I let her free.

When I reached the creek, I stripped, folded my clothes neatly, and left them on a log. Then, I tugged at the change. It was slightly more painful this time, evidence of being at odds with my very nature. Only it wasn’t me who had made that choice. I would’ve welcomed all my mates, even the one who was a complete ass most of the time. But I wouldn’t force a damn thing on anyone.

My bones cracked, and fur rippled across my skin. Before long, I was something else entirely. I shook and stretched, ready to run. We didn’t wait, my wolf and I. We pounced, paws eating up the forest floor.

I pushed harder, relishing the burn in my muscles and lungs. That hint of pain was a welcome reprieve from the agony in my chest. A distraction.

I ran until I didn’t recognize anything about my surroundings. It still wasn’t enough—not enough to distract me from the pain. But I forced myself to turn around and head back, only my scent trail guiding me.

As I reached the pack boundary, I felt the magic of the wards wash over me. I slowed a fraction to catch my breath. By the time I reached the spot where I’d stashed my clothes, I was moving at a walking pace.

I stood, staring at the clothes, wondering if I should even shift back. Maybe things would be simpler if I just stayed like this. My wolf curled her upper lip. It wouldn’t be pretty if she came across one of those who had rejected her right now .

That was enough to force me into the shift. She was too on edge to remain in charge.

My bones cracked again, and my fur receded. The sun had sunk beneath the horizon, turning the day into my favorite twilight time of night.

I pulled on my clothes and shoes, then lowered myself to the log, breathing deeply. Maybe I was chicken not to return to the house just yet, but I still stayed where I was, regardless. I stared at the water, bubbling over the rocks without a care in the world. The sound was soothing, but it still didn’t do a damn thing to ease the ache in my chest.

The wind shifted, and the scent of leather and spice teased my nose. Brix. I couldn’t help the growl that left my throat at his intrusion.

Turning, I sought him out, bracing for a fight. But instead of a human Brix, I found a wolf. He was massive and as dark as a starless night. But his eyes were the same. That swirling blue-green.

The wolf moved slowly toward me, a predator stalking its prey. I didn’t move an inch. The truth was, even if he tore out my jugular, I might consider that a mercy.

As if the wolf could read my mind, he let out a snarl. I simply bared my teeth in response. He didn’t get to reject me and then show up acting all protective and possessive.

Brix prowled closer until he was only a foot away, and then the wolf began sniffing, scenting me.

“Oh, no,” I gritted out. “You don’t get to scent me after what you pulled.”

The wolf let out a chuff as if to say, “ That wasn’t me. ”

I sighed. “It wasn’t, was it? It was your stupid human half.”

The wolf sort of barked, and I couldn’t help how the corners of my mouth tugged up. But it also got me thinking. “Can I try something?”

The wolf cocked his head to the side, wariness filling his blue-green gaze .

I knew Brix’s human half couldn’t handle physical touch, but what about his wolf? I lifted my hand as slowly as possible so the beast wouldn’t see it as a threat. The wolf didn’t move as I got closer.

My fingers grazed his fur, and a tingle lit, spreading through my hands. Fire and ice zinged through my veins, making me suck in a breath as an image hit me. It was as if I was seeing things from above. Brix’s body was curled around mine, our limbs interwoven as we slept. It was the sort of position that spoke of sleeping together countless times. And then, the image was gone.

The wolf stared at me, wonder and confusion in his eyes. But my fingers stayed in his fur. The pull to heal him was almost too much to bear. My empath side roared to life, demanding to help.

The urge was natural, especially because this wolf was my mate. Wanting to help him in any way I could was woven into the very fabric of my soul. My fingers grazed his chest and the unbelievably soft fur.

I clamped down on the empathic pull because I knew if I tried to heal his pain, it would end me. But maybe I could take just a bit. I let little pieces of the darkness into me. It was like ink poured into water, swirling through me. But the ink was like acid, bringing with it a burning pain. I took it on anyway, pulling it into me and filtering it out with each exhale.

The wolf looked at me in wonder and then shoved into my touch, wanting more, wanting everything.