Page 7

Yelena

“And so, as we conclude these trials, we would like to welcome you as fully fledged members of the Nightwing Pack. May you find strength and belonging in our midst, and may your bond with your wolf deepen with each passing day,” Alpha Malaki’s voice booms through the forest clearing.

The moon is shining high in the sky, bathing us all in her blessed light and adding an air of mysticism to the ancient ceremony.

Our pack is growing, evidence that the Moon Goddess has truly smiled down on us.

We’ve gained three new members today, and it’s a truly joyous occasion.

Two of the members have already found their Fated Mates within the Nightwing Pack.

The addition of their Fated bonds to our numbers only strengthens our pack.

The other new member is a rogue who has fought with us for the last year.

His strength, cunning, and loyalty will be an asset to our warriors as we continue to defend our land against incursions from rivals like the Highland Pack.

As soon as Alpha Malaki steps down from the podium, the whole pack erupts into cheers and howls, rushing to welcome our new packmates. I watch as the new pack members are enveloped in hugs and cheers. They all stand tall and proud in the center of the clearing, surrounded by our pack.

Out of habit, I scan the crowd and locate Austin easily. He is laughing and smiling and it makes me smile too. I love seeing him like this, happy and carefree. I crane my neck to see who he’s with and my heart falls when I see that it’s one of the pretty young females that has made him laugh.

He’ll talk to new packmates, old packmates, even the kids, but he won’t talk to me.

A tendril of jealousy winds its way through me, making me clench my fists and stifle back a growl. Whether he wants it to be or not, we’re Fated, which means he’s mine . I don’t like seeing him with other females, even though I know it’s part of his job to talk to everyone in the pack.

The progress I had hoped we achieved with my small dinner win last week is long gone. Austin has been cold and distant every day since. I’ve even taken to making his favorite breakfast pastries every afternoon and leaving them out for him each morning, but he’s not said a single word about it.

It’s made my inner turmoil reach a fever pitch. I’ve been torn between continuing to tolerate his icy demeanor and confronting him in an effort to try and understand why he subjects me to such disregard.

At this point, I want a reason. I need one. His mood swings are emotionally exhausting, and I don’t know how much longer I can keep on doing this.

“Whatever you’re planning, don’t do it,” Callie says, coming up behind me. Her unexpected presence makes me stumble.

“Why? Did you have a vision?” I ask her anxiously.

“Sweetheart, I don’t need a vision to know that you are up to something,” Callie says seriously. I shift my weight on my toes and avoid her gaze.

I’m saved from having to answer that when another pack mate comes rushing up to drag Callie away to their table.

“I’m serious, Yelena. Don’t do it,” she warns, looking back at me over her shoulder.

Technically, the only thing I am planning to do tonight is eat a ton of tacos so I disregard her advice with an eye roll and head over to the small eating area we’ve set up.

Most of the pack is still busy welcoming in the new members so I get my pick of tables.

I choose one that has an excellent view of the whole clearing.

Austin is still talking to the new pack members, so I decide to try ignoring him the way he’s been ignoring me.

It’s harder than it looks. We’re like two sides of a magnet, and he draws my attention anytime he’s in the vicinity, no matter how hard I try to avoid it.

“Do you mind if I join you?” a familiar voice asks, forcing me to look up from my plate.

I look up and stare directly into the eyes of Jimmy, the wolf from the Bonfire.

“I’m not here for anything other than wanting to extend my deepest apologies for disrespecting you the way I did that night,” he says, quietly. “Please, forgive me.”

He seems sincere, and I can count on one hand the number of apologies I’ve ever received like this. It feels nice.

“Have a seat, Jimmy,” I invite, gesturing toward the seat in front of me.

Jimmy beams and quickly joins my table. Two plates of tacos are brought out to us, and we make small talk.

I finally start to feel relaxed. The more I talk to Jimmy, the more I laugh.

He’s funny and seems to possess an innate ability to set me at ease.

I’m surprised when I realize that I genuinely enjoy his company.

I’m careful to keep it appropriate. The entire pack is here, after all.

But I can’t remember the last time I’ve been able to let my guard down like this. If things were different, I would absolutely be his friend.

Yet, as much as I’m enjoying myself with Jimmy, Austin is never far from my mind.

I’ve glanced over at him multiple times throughout the conversation and each time, I see him with a frown on his face.

He’s still talking to our packmates, and it makes me wonder what they told him to make his mood sour so quickly.

The festivities continue around us as the whole pack celebrates our new members. Soon, the bonfire is crackling and popping, casting flickering shadows across the clearing. The steady thump of music fills the air, blending with the sounds of laughter and howls.

Jimmy remains a perfect gentleman, and it’s allowing me to actually enjoy a pack event for the first time in ages.

“Do you want anything more to drink while I’m up?” I ask Jimmy as I drain the last dregs of my sparkling water. He nods and I notice he’s drinking beer.

I stand and brush off my jeans before going back toward the cooler to hunt down some drinks. Whispers from my packmates follow me as I move through the crowd, making me feel uneasy. I bite my lip and wonder if I’ve crossed a line by sitting with Jimmy.

We’ve done nothing untoward but, perhaps I’ve somehow made a mistake by being friendly with him.

By the time I return, a bottle of water in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other, my anxiety is in full swing. I hand Jimmy the beer, and he cracks it open with a smile.

“You’re a beautiful angel,” he says after taking a giant gulp of his beer. I flush and look away, uncomfortable with the praise. I don’t want to hear any compliments like that from Jimmy. There’s only one person I want calling me that.

Movement catches the corner of my eye, and I notice that Austin has moved closer to our table.

His chiseled face is stony, and nerves tingle up my spine.

I edge my chair away from the table, putting some additional space between Jimmy and I.

The last thing I want is for Austin to somehow get the wrong idea.

“Oh, man, I love this song,” Jimmy proclaims, getting up to sway with the music. I give him a tight smile. The feelings of camaraderie and friendship have fled, leaving me anxious.

“C’mon! You should dance!” Jimmy continues, stumbling over his feet to come stand next to me.

His breath smells like old beer, and I wrinkle my nose. He’s singing loudly and off-key, drawing the attention of our packmates to us.

I cringe under their scrutiny.

“Maybe we should just sit down,” I urge him, reaching out to grab his arm. My intent was to lead him to our table, but he loses his balance and flings his arm around my shoulders to catch himself. I find myself squished up against him, my face buried in his jacket.

Everything about him is wrong and I start to panic. I don’t want his hands or his scent on me. I shove away from him and take a large step backward.

“I need to go,” I tell him shortly.

I can feel the burn of many eyes on me, and I look up. Austin is staring at us and he looks… stricken.

My heart clenches.

“Oh, no,” I whisper, looking between him and Jimmy.

If the last Bonfire was an indicator of how he would react, I know I need to brace myself for his fury.

“You need to get out of here. Go sober up,” I hiss at Jimmy, but he ignores me.

Austin gives me another dark look before turning around and walking into the woods, leaving the party, and me, behind.

I’m relieved that he doesn’t make a scene in front of the pack this time. I want to hurry after him, tell him that it was just a misunderstanding, but my feet feel glued to the ground. I was just talking to a pack member, and Jimmy touching me was an accident.

Callie’s warning flashes in my mind again and my heart sinks. How do I fix this?