Page 3 of Midnight Bond (Wolves of Midnight #5)

brIELLE

“It’s only for one day. I’ll be fine.”

“But it’s so close to the full moon,” Nora worriedly said, even as she handed me my makeup bag. “And this is your first visit in over a year. Are you sure you want to go alone?”

I paused in my packing to give my best friend a firm yet adoring look.

“I love you to death, Nora Bora, but it’s time I stand on my own two feet again.

My parents were devastated when I didn’t come home for the holidays last year.

This is my chance to repair the rift between us.

Besides, they still think you dragged me into a cult, so arriving alone will help prove to them that your billionaire husband isn’t keeping me in a harem. ”

Nora made a face at me, and I flashed her my dimples.

“This time tomorrow,” I went on, “I’ll be back. Promise. With all the people you’ll be hosting this year, you won’t even miss me.”

“Not true,” she replied with a frown. “You’re family, Brie. We’re all going to miss you.”

I gave her a grateful smile, then reached over and pulled her into a hug.

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that not everyone would miss me, but I swallowed the words.

Ever since our time together as roommates in college, Nora and I had shared practically everything with each other.

She’d even told me about the supernatural world while I was still a human.

But when it came to talking about Jagger, I always froze.

What was there to say, anyway? I thought he was smoking hot and was inexplicably drawn to him, but we’d been living under the same roof for over a year and had barely spoken two words to each other. Not exactly my finest piece of gossip. In fact, it was downright embarrassing.

I knew she was aware of the constant tension between me and the infuriating male, though. It often felt like she was holding her breath and waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, she’d sigh and move on.

Well, it was way past time for me to sigh and move on, too.

I was done waiting for something, anything to happen. If I wanted to find my forever mate and start a family, I’d have to look elsewhere.

“You’ll call the instant you feel the urge to wolf out?” Nora said, pulling back to give me a stern look.

“Yes, Alpha,” I replied, earning myself an eye roll.

“I mean it, Brielle. You’ll be in a heavily populated area surrounded by humans. Someone could get hurt, including you.”

I sobered at that, all too aware of what could go wrong.

Even after a year of shifting every full moon, I still struggled to control my wolf.

I couldn’t talk to her like Nora could with her wolf.

She wasn’t a separate entity like Storm was.

She was me. Well, a brown-furred, feisty, somewhat feral version of me that walked on four legs.

I hadn’t even named her because, well, she was me.

After I’d been scratched and infected with werewolf toxin, I’d actually been excited to turn into a wolf.

Living among supernaturals was way more thrilling than working nine-to-five at my accountant job and going home every night to an empty apartment.

I’d never been the outdoorsy type, but I’d been looking forward to experiencing a new adventure alongside my best friend and the family she’d married into.

And then my body had rejected the werewolf toxin.

Just like that, my rose-colored dream of becoming a supernatural had turned into a terrifying nightmare. If it wasn’t for Nora’s powerful healing ability, I’d be long dead.

Shaking off the painful memory, I hugged Nora again and murmured, “I promise to call at the first sign. I won’t take any chances.”

“Thank you,” she replied with a relieved sigh. “Oh!”

“What is it?” I pulled back, immediately concerned when she reached down to rub her belly.

“The baby kicked. Here.” She grabbed my hand and placed it on her round stomach. A moment later, it sharply moved beneath my palm.

I sucked in a soft gasp, lifting my eyes to beam at her. “That was a strong kick. I bet it’s a boy.”

“Kolton thinks so too, and he was right about Luca and Lily.”

A sudden ache throbbed in my chest, and I gently pulled my hand away to resume packing. “I still can’t believe you’re about to become a mother of three. Remember in college when you just wanted to be a normal werewolf so you could leave home and live a simple life of your choosing?”

She chuckled. “If I’d been told back then that I would become a hybrid alpha female, marry the most powerful alpha in America, live in a mansion, and conceive three babies in one year, I never would have believed it.

Life has a tendency to surprise you that way, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. ”

“You’ve definitely been blessed.” I smiled at her, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes—the annoying downside to having a heart-on-your-sleeve personality type.

Not surprisingly, she noticed right away. “You okay? You’ve seemed a bit down lately.”

Knowing there was no point in denying it, I let my smile fade. “It’s stupid, really. I’ve just been pining for something I don’t have.”

“Like what?”

At the sincere look on her face, I finally caved and admitted, “A family of my own. You know: husband, kids, the whole shebang. I’m not jealous of you. I’m actually very happy for you and the life you now have. I just . . . I want it too and can’t seem to get it out of my head.”

Her expression fell. “Oh, Brie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t realize either until recently. Now that everyone is getting married and having babies, my biological clock started ticking or something. But I’m not even dating anyone, and Jagger is being so—”

I slammed my mouth shut, realizing too late what I’d just done.

Pathetic. I was so pathetic.

But there was no undoing my slip, and Nora was searching my face far too intently to let it go.

Sure enough, she quietly said, “What did he do?”

Ugh, she was definitely going to think less of me after this.

Grimacing, I flipped my suitcase shut and zipped it closed before confessing, “He’s always watching me.

Remember when Buck used to visit? I know he’s interested in me, but I think Jagger scared him off with his silent glares.

And then last night when I was about to hook up with some guy I met at the wedding—” Nora’s brows flew up in surprise.

“Hey, I haven’t had sex in eighteen months. I’m horny and lonely, okay?”

She held up her hands, not quite able to hide a smirk. “Not judging.”

“Anyway, Jagger wouldn’t let me leave with him.

I mean, what is his deal? It’s not like I was in any danger.

It’s just sex. For a guy who barely speaks to me, he sure tells me what to do a lot.

I know he’s the pack’s second in command and feels duty-bound to protect me, but he acts like my babysitter or something.

What? What’s that face? Ugh, sorry. I sound like a whiny brat. Just ignore me.”

Nora huffed a laugh. “Slow down, Brie. You don’t sound like a whiny brat. You’re frustrated and understandably so.” She paused for a moment, then said, “You know, I think this trip will actually be good for you.”

I frowned, a tad suspicious at the way she said it. “How so?”

With a shrug, she grabbed my suitcase and hoisted it off my bed. “I just have a feeling. Jeez, Brielle, how many pairs of shoes did you pack in here?”

I hurried over to help her, but she’d already placed the suitcase on the floor and was rolling it toward my bedroom door at a rather fast clip. I bustled after her, grabbing my purse and phone before replying, “Just six. I wanted to be prepared in case it snowed.”

As she opened the door and rolled my suitcase out into the hallway with an amused snort, a little body covered in blue tulle bounded toward her.

“Where are you going? Can I come this time? Pretty pleeeease?”

“Sorry, Mellie,” Nora replied to her husband’s youngest sister.

The energetic seven-year-old was bouncing up and down in her newest princess dress, hugging the daylights out of the stuffed blue unicorn she took with her everywhere.

“This trip is only for Brielle. She’s going to visit her family for Thanksgiving. ”

The girl stopped bouncing to stare at me in confusion. “But we are your family. Right, Brie?”

I smiled down at her little cherub face as I closed the bedroom door behind me. “Of course you are, but I also have a human family, and they haven’t seen me in a long time.”

Her nose scrunched up. “But you’re a werewolf now. What if you’re tempted to eat them?”

A barked laugh, followed by a familiar head of spiky blond hair, rose up the stairs. “Like how you were tempted to eat Brielle when she was still human?” Griff teased the little brunette, earning himself an indignant pout.

“That was Blue,” Melanie said, stamping her foot. “And she’s better now. When she needs to chase something, she tells me.”

Yet another reminder of why I needed to master my instincts. Even a seven-year-old had more control over her wolf than me.

“Well, I’m better now too,” I replied, hating how untrue the words sounded. “I can handle one day out in the world by myself.”

I needed to. And then maybe one day could become two, which could become three, then four, then five. The more independence I regained, the stronger my chances were of finding the future I dreamt about.

“And you’re sure Jagger will be okay with this little trip?” Griff delivered the question casually, but I saw the pointed look he gave Nora as he took the suitcase from her and slung it over his shoulder.

Before Nora could answer, I snipped, “It’s not up to him. Nora and Kolton are okay with it, and that’s all that matters.”