Page 24 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)

AUDREY

The muscles in Cyrus’s jaw flexed and his eyes grew even darker, his wolf rising to the surface. Red Dress shot me a look of pure murder, while the older guy looked like he might cry from the effort of holding in his laughter.

“She’ll be here for a while,” Cyrus said, his voice clipped, “There’ll be time to ask her questions later.” His hard gaze slid to me. “But only if she wants to talk.”

Oh, so now I have a choice?

“She’s not a threat and may have to make Stonehaven her home,” Cyrus continued.

“So, what you’re really saying is let’s pretend we’re not assholes so we don’t scare her away?” the older guy asked with a chuckle.

“Too late for that,” the guy across from me said.

Cyrus glared at them, but the edges of his lips were quirked as if this was just the way dinners went with this group: light, fun, slightly dysfunctional like a good family, nothing at all like I’d seen with Merrick and his betas.

The thought made my chest squeeze, but I shoved the sensation back before it overwhelmed me. I had enough on my plate without being jealous of the family in front of me having dinner together

“So, the assholes around the table who we apparently trust with our lives are Finn—” Cyrus pointed to the guy sitting across from me. “He’s the watch commander in Stonehaven, and Nova, the town’s head physician.” She was the woman in green who thought my reproductive cycle might actually be her business. “Beside her is Velora, who deals with all things administrative, Thane our chief of finance, and Deacon, our huntmaster in charge of the hunt teams.” He was the older, mostly-naked guy, and he flashed me a warm, friendly smile. “Lucius, our primary advisor, is away on a diplomatic mission so you won’t be able to meet him for a while.”

After the introductions, the conversation thankfully turned away from me and who I was and where I was with my reproductive cycle and moved to lighter conversations about what was going on in town.

Two women brought out dinner as if we were in a restaurant, and I studied both of them, looking for signs of stress or fear, any indication that they were being treated badly, but it looked like they were content serving the alpha, his brother, and their betas.

I’d have to keep my eyes and ears open, but given how Bishop and Whil had treated me and how Cyrus’s betas were even comfortable enough to tease him, I suspected what I saw was the truth. The people here were happy and Cyrus forcing me to tell him about the most embarrassing and shameful moment in my life was him being a protective alpha… like a good alpha was supposed to be.

Although could I really believe what I saw? I knew I wasn’t a perfect judge of character, but I hadn’t thought I was terrible. Except I hadn’t seen being manipulated into starting the mating vows and almost sacrificed to a monster coming… although would anyone?

Regardless, I couldn’t believe what I felt because I’d fallen for the fake fated mating call and I sure as hell hadn’t thought that Royce would try to murder me.

The food was good and looked like food from home. I didn’t know if that meant this realm was more or less the same as the mortal realm or not, but I was grateful I wouldn’t have to adjust to blue goo or yellow sludge or something else unappealing.

Bishop’s hand returned to my knee over and over again as the meal went on, a reassuring anchor as if he just knew his touch, even though we barely knew each other, would keep me calm. Not that I was going to run screaming from the room — where could I possibly go? — but my mind kept stuttering.

One moment I was fine, the next I remembered I was in another realm, I was mated to a man who didn’t want me, I?—

Bishop squeezed my knee and I refocused back on what Nova was saying.

“—early morning shift.” She pushed her chair back, stood, and gave Cyrus a warm smile. There was a familiarity in it that spoke of a deep friendship and perhaps a little more. It made the hollowness in my chest swell, reminding me that I had a mate who hated me. “If you want to keep the rumors under wraps, I recommend not barging into my next meeting. Twice in as many days and people might start to think you’ve finally got your eyes on a mate.”

Bishop choked on his wine and started coughing, his face turning red, making Nova quirk an eyebrow in curiosity. Velora shot me another withering look while Thane looked concerned, Finn angry, and Deacon like he’d just heard the best joke ever and was, for whatever ridiculous reason, trying not to laugh.

“Stop stirring trouble, Nova,” Cyrus said. “It’s been a stressful couple of days.”

“So I can tease you tomorrow once you’ve recovered?” She batted her eyelashes at him in exaggerated innocence.

“Nova,” he growled and she winked at me, her smile getting bigger.

“And you,” she said to me, “should probably go to bed.”

Her words spiked my desire again, and I became hyperaware of Bishop’s hand on my thigh, the power radiating from his body, soft for now but I knew it could be hard and powerful in a second… and yeah, I was fully aware of the double meaning of that thought.

Finn groaned, and Velora huffed and left, while Thane pinched the bridge of his nose again, and Deacon roared with laughter, unable to hold it back any longer.

Embarrassment burned my face and neck, hell, my whole body, and if I’d thought Cyrus would have let me leave, I would have fled like Velora.

Cyrus released a sudden burst of power and I trembled with the need to kneel. Everyone’s attention snapped to serious as if they hadn’t expected that reaction.

“That was mean, Nova,” Cyrus said.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she replied, her expression turning thoughtful as if Cyrus’s reaction had made her reevaluate what she thought about me… or maybe him? Or had she purposely made that comment to figure out what Cyrus thought of me?

The idea was laughable. Even if I hadn’t been mate bonded with his brother, he’d never be interested in me. It had to be obvious to everyone in the room I wasn’t suppressing my power so they all knew I was weak, and Cyrus knew I couldn’t shift. I wasn’t mate material for an alpha or even the alpha’s brother.

“What I mean,” Nova said, all mischief gone from her expression, “is that you should shift out the rest of your injuries first then go to bed. And don’t think shifting is enough. It just looks like enough. Even after you’ve gotten rid of what’s left, your body is still processing the trauma you experienced. Needing two ampuls of elixir means a substantial amount of trauma. It’s best to sleep it off.” She shot Cyrus another strange look. “I’d have preferred her to have spent all day in bed like I prescribed.” Then she turned back to me, her expression softening. “If you feel tired tomorrow, don’t push through. Don’t be a stubborn idiot like everyone else here at the table. Take a break.”

“Right.” I stood, taking that as my cue to leave. And even if it wasn’t, I didn’t want to stick around and risk any more comments that would embarrass me.

Bishop stood with me, and we left the dining room as Nova said something — too quietly for me to hear with my still-human hearing — and Cyrus growled in response.

“Nova certainly is something,” I said once we were far enough away that they wouldn’t hear me.

“Yes, she is,” Bishop said with a brilliant heart-stopping grin, and I couldn’t figure out if he was just impressed with her or attracted to her.

A sliver of jealousy oozed through me. I wanted to make Bishop smile like that, and I wanted to be as brave and bold as Nova. She teased her alpha, knowing it would piss him off and didn’t care.

Of course, that also spoke to the type of man Cyrus was. He might not like Nova’s ribbing but he still let her have her fun and be herself. He let all of his betas be themselves.

“She and Cyrus would have actually made a decent mating if she hadn’t grown up with us like a sister.”

“Her and Cyrus?” I burst out laughing. Surely that was a joke to lighten my mood. “I barely know either of them but I know he’d strangle her before they even got to the mating ceremony.”

Bishop led me into the large front hall and we started up the grand staircase. “What you saw isn’t exactly what it’s like between them. He’s worried about a lot of things right now, which worries Nova. He gets… well, like the way you saw him tonight and in Whil’s cottage, and Nova digs in deeper with the teasing.”

And one of those things he was worried about was me. “I really didn’t mean to mate bond with Knox.”

“I know you didn’t.” We stopped in front of my bedroom door, and Bishop hooked his finger under my chin, urging me to look up at him. His touch shivered through me and my desire burned stronger.

I resisted him, unable to look him in the eyes, knowing he could smell my arousal. God, why couldn’t I keep it under control? But I knew why. He was kind and gorgeous, and feeling desire for him, hell even for the mate who didn’t want me, was better than the icy hollowness threatening to consume me.

Except I was never going to let myself cross that line because I didn’t know Bishop or any of these men and I was mated to his brother. If we couldn’t break the bond, we’d either have to figure out another way to deal with it or accept it, and if it came down to accepting it, it would be less awkward if Bishop and I had never been intimate.

“I’m sorry about the—” My embarrassment burned hotter.

“It’s not your fault.” The pressure under my chin increased and I gave in and looked up, falling into his stunning brown eyes and mesmerized by the brilliant flecks of green scattered through his irises.

He was so close I was fully wrapped in his bright, fresh-cut grass scent and could feel the heat from his body through the thin fabric of my dress. My mostly-hard nipples tightened all the way, and my desire heated, warming a little more of the icy hollowness… particularly the area between my thighs.

Now there was no doubt — if there’d been any before — that I wanted to have sex with Bishop.

“The mating bond wants to be sealed so it’s increased your sexual desire,” he said, his voice husky, teasing a shiver down my spine.

I knew that. Except my desire was supposed to be for my mate, not every hot guy around me.

His wolf’s darkness flickered in his eyes but he kept his animal side buried. “The fact that you’re so sensitive and the bond is only a few days old suggests it’s strong.”

“Or not normal,” I replied, my voice breathy, my body aching. “That might make it easier to break.” And that had to be the case because strong meant no hope, it meant always feeling Knox’s hate for me and this aching need to be complete, and I didn’t want to live feeling like this for the rest of my life.

Bishop glanced down, and I realized I’d placed my hand on his chest and was leaning in to him. The darkness in his eyes flickered again, and a hint of it stayed, turning the brown almost black and making the green flecks brighter. The soft power emanating from him grew stronger and his attention moved to my lips.

My pulse picked up. Please kiss me.

It wasn’t as if I was in love with Knox.

Of course, I wasn’t in love with Bishop, either.

He inhaled deeply, taking in my scent, and released a low rumble.

Yes, just lean forward. Kiss me.

Royce had stolen my first kiss but I ached to give Bishop my second… and third and fourth and?—

With a soft, barely audible groan he squeezed his eyes shut and took a step back.

The icy hollowness swelled and my throat tightened.

He didn’t want me. No one wanted me. I was weak and useless and?—

No. I’m mated to his brother.

God, why was that so hard to remember?

But that was because Knox’s rejection of our bond, even though it hadn’t been intentional, magnified the hurt from all rejections.

“You should rest,” Bishop said, his tone a little too bright. “Especially since you can’t shift out the rest of your injuries. Come down for breakfast whenever you’re ready and I’ll show you around town.”

“You really don’t have to do that,” I said, my voice still breathy even as the cold grew stronger.

If I hadn’t been mated to his brother, he would have kissed me.

If I hadn’t been mated to his brother, I wouldn’t have wanted to throw myself at a complete stranger.

“You should probably keep helping Whil find a way to break this bond,” I said, my chest tightening. My soul didn’t want to break the bond even though it was the right thing to do. I didn’t know Knox and it wasn’t as if we were fated mates or anything. He was just the first person to touch me after I managed to escape that monster.

Remember that. Just keep remembering that.

“She has an apprentice who’ll help her,” Bishop said. “Tomorrow, I’m all yours.”

Oh, how I wish you were.

He strode back to the grand staircase and I hurried into my room, my face on fire.

Mated to his brother. Mated to his brother. God damned mated to his brother.