Page 8

Yelena

It’s well after midnight before I make my way back home. I’ve been walking around for hours, even shifting at one point, in order to assuage the pain in my heart. Not even my wolf form can make me feel better tonight.

I’m tired, both from the day and from the emotional anguish of carrying my feelings. I know Austin is likely to be angry with me, but I can’t hide from it any longer. Trudging up my front steps, I sigh heavily and prepare myself for the worst.

At least if he yells, he will finally be talking to me, I think bitterly to myself.

My hand stills on the doorknob when I hear a strange, discordant noise coming from inside our cottage. It sounds like a child banging away on a piano. I twist the knob and step inside, confused.

Inside, the noise is louder.

“Austin, I’m home,” I call out, slipping off my shoes and following the noise toward our living room.

The house is dark, except for the hall light that spills out into the living room. I can just make out the shape of Austin sitting in the shadows at the piano bench, his shoulders hunched over as he furiously bangs out notes.

“Look who finally decided to come home,” he snarls, stopping his playing long enough to take a long swig from a bottle before dropping it on the floor with a crash. It’s empty, and it rolls toward the couch. I cringe.

“Austin, I…” I begin, but he cuts me off with more off-key piano playing. The noise makes my head hurt and I feel my temper spike. This is childish.

“Are you going to talk to me, or are you going act like a child and throw a fit?” I ask, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

The harshness of my words surprises both of us, and he stops playing and turns to look at me. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve spoken to him like this, but I can’t bring myself to take it back.

Instead, I summon my courage and flip on the light, making him wince, before entering our living room and flopping down on the couch.

“I would have thought you’d be with your special friend ,” he snarls, reaching for another bottle of beer on the floor. “Glad to see you made it home.” His face is red, and I can tell he’s been drinking heavily.

Great. Just great.

I stare at him incredulously. Is he being serious right now? A laugh escapes me, and I shake my head. Unbelievable.

“I’m allowed to have friends, Austin,” I say slowly, “I’m lonely, not that you care.”

He scoffs and takes another long drink.

“Jimmy isn’t your friend,” he says flatly. “He wants more than that. I can tell. Or are you blind to the way he looks at you? The way everyone looks at you?”

My heart starts to pound in time with the headache forming behind my eyes. The double standard he has is beyond frustrating and I resent what he’s implying.

“So, what you’re saying is, I’m not allowed to sit with Jimmy, my friend , but you are allowed to have all the pack females hanging around you all the time and I’m supposed to just smile and ignore it?” I snap back. “That’s completely unfair, and you know it.”

He glares at me. On a different night, I might have backed down or tried to make amends, but I just don’t have it in me this evening. Instead, I glared at him back. To my surprise, he’s the first one to look away.

“You’re right. But life isn’t fair, Yelena,” he says quietly. “You should be well aware of that by now.”

I roll my eyes and sit up, hugging my knees to my chest. “Austin,” I begin, pinching the bridge of my nose in irritation. It feels like we’re going in circles. He is absolutely maddening.

“No,” he stops me, lifting his eyes to meet mine.

I’m shocked by the pain and anger that I see swirling in his silvery depths.

“Don’t make excuses! What we have, what we are destined for , is unfair.

It’s unfair to me and it’s unfair to you.

I acknowledge that, but I’ll be damned if I let you be seen with other males in this pack—especially males like Jimmy! ”

“He’s just my friend!” I shout, my voice cracking as I hug my knees even tighter. “Do you think he’s the one I want? Do you think he’s the one that I lay awake at night thinking about? No! That’s you, you insufferable asshole. I don’t want anyone but you. You’re my intended-mate!”

He stares at me like I just slapped him but, once unleashed, my anger can’t be undone.

“You’re it for me, Austin. I believe in the wisdom of the Moon Goddess.

I know that our Fates are intertwined and, unlike you, that future excites me.

I want to be with you! I want to share our life and help you carry the burdens of your destiny too.

But you won’t let me. You barely even acknowledge that I exist. You want to sit there and tell me that you think it looks bad to the rest of the pack that I have a male friend?

How about how it looks that you treat your intended mate as an afterthought?

That the future Luna of this pack is a burden that you don’t want! ”

The ferociousness of my anger surprises me and I’m breathing heavily by the time I’m finished.

Austin is staring at me like I’ve grown two heads.

He stands up abruptly, knocking over the piano bench in his haste. The room is silent except for our heavy breathing. The tension between us is thick enough to cut with a knife. His eyes bore into mine, but I hold his gaze, unflinching.

After what feels like an eternity, Austin takes a single step closer to me.

I exhale shakily, and his expression softens slightly, the anger giving way to a mix of emotions that I can't quite decipher.

Without a word, he reaches out a hand and gently lifts my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.

His touch is so unexpected that I freeze.

"I never wanted you to feel like a burden, Yelena," he whispers huskily. If I didn’t know better, I’d say his voice was laced with regret.

I can smell the alcohol on his breath but, as his thumb gently strokes my cheek, I lean into him.

A part of me just wants to soak up the mixture of relief and longing that swirls within me.

For the first time in forever, there’s a feeling of hope that flickers deep in my chest.

"I know I haven't been who you deserve, but it's not you. You are everything a good Luna should be. It’s…” He swallows hard, and I hold my breath, hanging on to his every word.

He falls silent and his grip on my chin tightens. I furrow my brow in confusion, my anger slowly dissipating.

“What is it, Austin?” I whisper, almost afraid of the answer.

He hesitates for a long moment before speaking again.

“It’s me. I’m angry that we never had the choice,” he admits, his eyes locking onto mine with a vulnerability I’ve never seen before. “And I’m afraid that I’m going to end up failing you or, worse, losing control and hurting you.”

I reach up and rest my hand over his, trapping his warmth to my cheek.

My touch causes him to flinch, but I hold his gaze.

As I rub my hand over his, he relaxes, allowing me to touch him.

When he closes his eyes briefly, I can almost imagine him savoring the connection between us and it emboldens me.

I know it’s probably the alcohol in his system, but I’ve dreamed of a moment like this—when he would finally come to me and share with me. Confide in me like a true mate.

“We’re in this together, remember?” I whisper to him softly, hoping to convey the depths of my feelings for him through my touch and my words.

He opens his eyes slowly and then nods. He releases his hold on my cheek, and I immediately miss his warmth.

“Play for me?” he asks

I allow him to pull me up from the couch and lead me over to the piano. Carefully, he sets the bench upright and waits until I slide across it before he joins me.

“What do you want me to play?” I ask nervously.

He shrugs and closes his eyes. I think for a moment before I start to play Clair de Lune by Debussy. It’s a piece I learned as a child, and I’ve always found it both beautiful and soothing at the same time.

My fingers fly over the keys as I lose myself to the music.

The haunting melody combined with the warmth of Austin’s body sitting next to mine, lulls me into a sense of peace.

As I play, I steal glances at Austin, his eyes closed as he listens.

I pour my heart and soul into the piece, each note a poignant reflection of the emotions swirling within me.

I so rarely get to see this side of Austin and I want to do whatever I can to prolong whatever this moment is.

As the last chord fades into silence, I slowly move my hands to my lap and turn to look at him, unsure of what comes next.

He opens his eyes and meets my gaze. There’s an intensity in his eyes that I haven’t seen before. It’s raw, almost primal, and it causes a jolt of desire to rush through me.

His eyes drop to my lips and my heart starts to pound. Is this happening? Is Austin finally going to kiss me?

“Yelena.” His voice is rough and just the sound of my name leaving his lips makes my body shiver. He leans toward me, cupping my cheek with his hand. I lick my lips in anticipation, too nervous to even breathe, lest I somehow ruin this.

“You’re so beautiful it hurts,” he whispers, caressing my cheek.

I lean toward him, aching for his touch.

“Tell me no,” he whispers, his lips hovering just out of reach of mine. “If you don’t want this, tell me no right now.”

I can’t. I won’t. My entire body feels primed for this moment. Instead, I reach up to rest my hand on his broad, muscular chest and close the distance between us.

The first touch of his lips on mine sends a shockwave through me. That surge of electricity melts away any doubts and fears that I had about our Goddess-given chemistry.

The kiss is hesitant at first, as if we both can’t quite believe this is happening, but Austin soon deepens it, pulling me closer to him. My heart races as his hand slides from my cheek to cradle the back of my head, pulling me closer.