Page 17 of The Wolf Prince’s Mate (Marked Beneath the Moon #2)

seventeen

NOVA

We moved my things into the house the next day. I slept there alone that night, though Clay was reluctant to leave me. I pulled the friends with benefits card, and pointed out that we weren’t living together, so he agreed.

Though I didn’t want to do that, I figured it was necessary to the plan.

The more we were apart, the more his wolf would push him to assert his claim.

I spent the next few days planning and ordering everything I’d need for my studio in the Lodge, and the week after that setting up both the studio and my new house. Clay sent a letter to Olive’s tattoo shop for me, too. I kept it simple and referenced Wicked just like she had.

If you care to find me

(555) 555-8080

My arm healed.

The full moon came and passed.

Clay spent it alone in Stray, so his wolf could run. I spent it alone in my new place.

Other than that, he brought me coffee from his fancy new machine every morning, and made good on his promise to help me paint a few walls.

Neither of us brought up any sensitive or intimate topics. We didn’t mention Hunter, or Clay’s wolf.

It felt like we had taken a step back, minus the frequent sex and the insane amount of time we spent together. I didn’t love the backward progress, but it was part of the plan, so I dealt with it.

After we finished getting everything set up in my new studio, I told Clay to hit the road, because I had agreed to let Aspen be my first client in the new place. He left me with a kiss, but he did leave.

I’d agreed to let Aspen be my first client. Sydney joined us, since Fletcher was out hunting. Syd had no desire to get any tattoos of her own, but she liked watching the process.

“Do we have the Alpha’s permission for this?” Syd teased, as she sat down in the chair next to Aspen’s.

I was already working on her arm, because we’d started her sleeve a few months back and were working on it when she had time.

“Nah. He loves surprises,” Aspen teased, and we all grinned.

Everyone knew she and Enzo were a team. They would’ve talked about it before she came back to my chair. They respected each other too much not to.

Also, now that I was living in his pack, I didn’t really want to risk pissing off the Alpha.

“How are you and Clay? You’ve been nearly inseparable since you went through heat,” Sydney remarked.

I kept my gaze trained on her arm. Obviously, the tattoo came before the chatting. “We’re good.”

“Just good?” Aspen checked. “I’ve never seen him grin so much.”

“Everyone keeps asking me what the gossip is,” Syd added. “What’s going on?”

“We’re friends with benefits.”

They were silent for a moment.

“Isn’t he bringing you coffee every morning?” Aspen finally asked.

“And helping you paint walls?” Syd checked

“Emphasis on the friendship?” I tried.

“Don’t lie to us, bitch. We’ve been here for you since the beginning,” Aspen warned.

“According to Clay, we really are just exclusive friends with benefits. He says we can make the rules.”

“What do you think?” Sydney countered.

I sighed. “I think his wolf has claimed me, and he’s so out of touch with the beast that he hasn’t realized it yet.”

There was a pause.

A long one.

“Holy shit,” Aspen said, at the same time Sydney said, “I knew he wasn’t insane.”

“He has to be insane. He’s tried to kill Enzo and Hunter like a dozen times,” Aspen protested.

“Have you ever heard the story of how Clay’s wolf went crazy?” I asked.

“Yeah, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy. It was bad, though. Has he told you?”

“No. I only got the story about the food. He’s keeping our conversations surface-level, and I’m letting him.”

“Is there a master plan here?” Syd wondered.

“Of course there’s a master plan. Nova wouldn’t be doing the friends with benefits thing if there wasn’t a plan,” Aspen said. “So what is it?”

“He obviously wants to be more than fuck buddies. I’m waiting for him to realize that. When he realizes how attached he is to me, I’m thinking he’ll come to terms with the fact that his wolf has claimed me, and he’ll want to seal a mate bond,” I explained.

There was another moment of silence.

I continued working on the tattoo.

“Tell me that’s not the only plan,” Aspen finally said.

“It’s not great,” Sydney agreed.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“You’re counting on a man who’s been convinced that his wolf is insane for over a century just realizing that not only is his wolf not crazy, but that he’s claimed you, and a mate bond is the right call,” Aspen summarized.

I frowned.

Then pulled away from Aspen’s skin as my forehead creased deeper.

“You don’t think he’ll ever realize it?”

Both of them shook their heads emphatically.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” I gestured with my empty, gloved hand. “His wolf has claimed me. I see him in Clay’s eyes all the time, when Clay doesn’t even realize he’s there. When I bring up ending things, he gets furious. He’s never hurt me, and he doesn’t like to be away from me for long.”

“I have no idea,” Sydney said.

“There are two people you need to talk to about this, unfortunately.” Aspen held up two fingers. “Enzo, and Hunter.”

“That’s an even worse idea than mine,” I argued. “There’s no reason to involve Hunter.”

“They’re Clay’s brothers, and his only friends,” Aspen countered. “They’re the only people other than him who know what happened to make his wolf lose it, and they’re the only ones who would have any idea how to deal with Clay’s wolf choosing a mate. Unless you’re ready to come clean to Clay, they’re the only option.”

I grimaced. “I can keep trying with my plan.”

“You can,” Sydney agreed. “But eventually, you’re going to need to try another approach.”

I grimaced.

Before I could accept or turn them down, my phone buzzed once. Then again. And a third time.

“Want me to check it?” Sydney asked. She knew my password. I wasn’t all that private.

“Sure.” It was probably just Clay, but if he was coming to the studio, I wanted a warning.

Syd picked it up as I refocused on Aspen’s arm.

A moment of silence passed.

Then another.

Finally, Syd cleared her throat. “I think you’re going to want to turn the machine off for a minute.”

I frowned, but did so, tugging my gloves off and accepting the device she handed to me.

When I saw the message thread she had opened, my eyes widened.

My stomach dropped, too.

There were two texts, with a picture of my sister Olive sandwiched between them.

Olive

Dancing through life

The picture was of her with a beanie on her head and an IV in her arm. She was much skinnier than she’d been in the picture she’d sent me before, and she looked deathly pale.

Olive

Good thing no one mourns the wicked

Between the picture and the last Wicked references, her message was clear.

She was dying.

“Fuck,” Aspen whispered.

She and Syd knew everything about my situation with my sister.

I tapped on the contact and pressed the button to call her. She didn’t answer immediately, but right before it went to voicemail, she finally did.

“I hope you’re calling to sing to me.” The sound of her voice made my eyes sting.

“What happened, Oli?” I didn’t beat around the bush. There was too much panic coursing through me.

“Breast cancer. Guess it runs in the family. Would’ve been nice if good old mom warned me, huh?”

“How bad is it?” I demanded.

The moment of silence that followed answered the question for her.

“There’s nothing you can do,” she finally said. “There’s nothing anyone can do. It already spread too far. I don’t have much time left. I’m just glad you’re a wolf, so you don’t have to deal with this.”

The sting in my eyes grew to a burn. “Human women can become wolves now too.”

There was another pause. “Wait, what?”

“We figured out last year that born-female werewolves can turn human women into werewolves with a bite. I didn’t think you’d want to, and I couldn’t reach out until now—but wolves can’t die from cancer.”

“Holy fuck,” she breathed. “Don’t get my hopes up if you’re not sure.”

I looked at Aspen, and she nodded. “We’ve done before and after scans on the sick women. The change wipes out cancer cells.”

“We’re sure,” I said. “Send me your address. I’m coming to get you.”

“It’s a twenty-one-hour drive, Nova. And if I was a wolf, I’d have to live in Crimson River.”

“Then you have forty-two hours to decide whether or not you’re going to let me change you, because I’m coming to get you either way. If you’re going to die from cancer, you’re going to die with me there to take care of you.” My voice was fierce, but my eyes were still burning. There were probably tears on my face, but I was too shocked to feel them.

She let out a long breath. “Alright, I just sent it.”

My phone went off, and I checked the message.

I couldn’t suppress a sound of relief when I saw the address on the screen.

“I’m leaving now. I’ll be there soon.”

“In twenty-one hours, plus a few pee breaks,” she corrected.

“I love you. See you soonish. I’ll pack your shit when I get there.”

“I’m not that weak,” Olive argued.

“I saw the picture. Just save it for me.”

She sighed dramatically. “Alright, fine. I love you. See you soonish.”

We hung up, and I let out a shaky breath as I stared down at the picture for another minute.

She was going to be okay.

I wouldn’t accept any other outcome. I couldn’t.

“I have to go,” I told Aspen.

She squeezed my hand. “I’ll clean and bandage the work you did, and take care of your machine. I’ve seen how you do it. I have too many appointments to go with you, but you should call Clay.”

“I can’t bring him. I won’t be able to pretend about the claiming thing right now.” My voice trembled.

“I’ll go. Etch just went out hunting, so he won’t be back for a while anyway. We can take turns driving,” Syd offered.

“Thank you.” I choked on the words, my eyes still watering. Now, I could feel the tears on my cheeks.

“Let’s go.” Syd took my hand, and squeezed.

I nodded, and we hurried out to the parking lot.

There were enough spare clothes, snacks, and toiletries in the back of my new bright orange Jeep to get us through the two solid days of driving without stinking too badly.

“Clay was spot on with the vehicle, huh?” Sydney teased me.

I tried to smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace. “Yeah. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

She smiled, gently taking the keys from me and settling in the driver’s seat.

“Thank you,” I repeated, wiping my eyes as she pulled out. I programmed Olive’s address into my phone and stared out the window as Syd pulled away from the Lodge.

Olive was going to be okay.

I couldn’t accept anything else.

Two hours later, my phone rang.

I was surprised it hadn’t gone off sooner.

I didn’t want to answer, but I knew Clay was just going to keep calling if I didn’t.

“Hey,” I said, my voice shaking slightly.

“Hey, Gorgeous.” Clay’s voice was upbeat. “Where did you go? Your studio’s empty, and I’ve got your newest batch of ice cream ready.”

“It’s a long story.” I ran a hand over my face and glanced over at Sydney, worried I was making her uncomfortable.

She flashed me a smile and a thumbs-up.

Guess she didn’t mind the conversation.

“I’ve got time.” Clay still didn’t sound concerned.

Something told me that was about to change.

“I finally heard from Olive. She has cancer. It’s bad, and she doesn’t have much time left. Syd and I are on our way to pick her up so I can bring her back to the Lodge and change her, if she lets me. She’s a handful of states away, so it’s about a day each direction.”

There was a moment’s pause.

“Fuck,” Clay finally said. “I’m so sorry. Pull over, and I’ll meet you out there as soon as I can. Syd can take my car back, and I’ll drive you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “No, Savage. We’re just friends who screw, remember?”

He growled. “Friends go on road trips together.”

“Not to pick up their dying twin sister.”

“Then I don’t want to be just fucking friends , Nova.”

“We can talk about it when I get back. I’ll let you know when I’m headed home.”

“Fine. Share your location with me so I can see where you are.”

“That’s not friendly.”

“I don’t give a damn what it is. Share it or I’ll have Hunter hack your phone for me.”

I let out a long breath. “Fine, I’ll share it. See you in a few days.”

“Be careful, Gorgeous.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I hung up, hit the button to share my location with him, and dropped my phone on my lap.

“How’s Clay?” Syd asked.

She sounded amused, which didn’t surprise me even a little.

“Pissed.” I ran a hand over the top of my head and leaned back in the chair. “I really have no idea what to do about him.”

“What do you want from the connection?”

“I’m not sure.” I stared out the window. I still wasn’t completely comfortable being in a vehicle, but I’d mostly gotten through the lingering terror. “He makes me feel amazing. We have fun together, and things are easier when he’s around. But he’s so determined that his wolf is a monster that I’m avoiding bringing up difficult conversations, which is… not ideal.”

I closed my eyes. “I guess in a perfect world, I’d want us to be honest with each other so we could have a shot at making things work. In this one, I don’t know if we’ll ever figure it out. I could spend months trying to win his heart, and in the end, he could still be so afraid of his wolf that he could reject me.”

“But do you want to be with him?”

“I guess I do.”

“You guess, or you know?”

I tried to imagine my life without Clay. I pictured what the last few weeks would’ve looked like without him there to shop with me, paint with me, and joke with me.

He was just… fun. Even when we were avoiding deep conversations.

And I needed that. I really did.

I wanted it, too.

“I know he would be an incredible mate,” I admitted. “I just can’t see him actually agreeing to bond with me. He’s too afraid.”

“At some point, he’ll be more afraid of losing you than he is of his wolf,” Syd offered.

I didn’t know if that was true.

I actually thought I might eventually have to force the wolf out to show Clay that he would never hurt me.

“I hope you’re right,” I said instead.

We traded places the next time we stopped for a pee break, and I sipped gas station coffee while I drove.

The hours passed slowly, but they did pass. And eventually, we made it to the address Olive had given me.

She’d sent me the passcode I’d need to get into her apartment, so I typed it in when we got there and slipped inside. When I stepped into the room, I shuddered at the thick scent of my sister—and illness.

Oli was asleep in a leather recliner, her face even hollower than it had looked in the picture she sent me.

She’d sent one from when she was healthier .

If she didn’t look so shitty, I would’ve insulted her for it. As it was, she looked like she was barely alive.

“We can set her up with pillows and blankets in the Jeep,” Syd murmured, her eyes heavy with sleep. I’d been at the wheel for the last ten hours, letting her get some rest. I didn’t want her to deal with the worst parts of our drive—I was just glad she was with me.

I nodded, my throat swollen.

Olive looked like death incarnate.

I crouched down in front of her, putting a hand lightly on her arm. We had the same dark hair and light skin, though hers was deathly pale, and she had less tattoos than me. She only had one sleeve that I could see, though her legs were covered by a thick blanket.

She had always looked like the nicer version of me, thanks to our similar facial features, and even age hadn’t seemed to change that.

“Hey, Oli,” I murmured.

When she didn’t respond, I repeated myself a few times before she finally wrestled her eyes open.

Her lips curved slightly when she did. “Can’t say I ever thought I’d see you again.”

“Probably because you were determined to die alone in this apartment.”

“You didn’t respond to the postcard I sent. I wasn’t going to send another just to tell you I was sick.”

My throat swelled. “It wasn’t safe for me to answer. I’ll explain while we’re headed back to Crimson River. Did you decide whether or not you’re going to let me change you?”

Her smile faded, but she nodded. “Dad would kill me if I let myself die rather than become a werewolf. I always wanted to sprout fur, any—” a deep cough rattled her chest, and my grip on her arm tightened as she hacked.

Her face was paler when the cough subsided. “Sorry. The cancer’s in my lungs too. Not sure where it isn’t at this point.”

“We’ll get rid of it.” I gestured to Syd. “This is my friend, Sydney. She’s also a turned female wolf.”

Syd gave her a small smile. “It’s more fun to change than it sounds.”

“How bad does it hurt?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t feel anything?”

“Feeling nothing sounds glorious right about now,” Oli mumbled. “I tried to pack my shit, but only managed to get a few things in the suitcase before I had to sit back down. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it, and then we’ll leave,” I promised. “If you care about the furniture, I can come back for it another time.”

“Nah. It probably smells like cancer.”

“Does cancer have a scent?” I tried to joke.

Oli managed another small smile. “Fuck yeah. Fire and brimstone, like hell.”

I laughed softly, and Syd joined in.

Olive fell back asleep while me and Syd packed everything. It didn’t take long. She didn’t have many nicknacks. Oli had never been very sentimental, which I guess we had in common.

We just brought her clothes, toiletries, and a heap of medications. I wanted to bite her there and then to be done with it, so I knew she would survive, but I knew I couldn’t do that. I’d need medical attention to pull me through the process of changing her, and I couldn’t leave Syd to drive the entire way back on her own.

So, after we packed, we eased Olive out of the apartment and into the Jeep before getting her settled.

“How much did this thing cost?” Oli asked, eyeing the interior of the vehicle.

“A lot, probably,” I admitted as I pulled out of the parking lot.

“Is it yours?” she looked at Sydney, who shook her head.

“It’s Nova’s.”

“Do you have a sugar daddy or something?”

I grimaced at the question. “Or something.”

“Have you heard of the Alpha King?” Sydney asked her.

“Of course. Everyone in Crimson River knows about the monster who runs the city.”

“Well, Nova’s dating his brother.”

Oli blinked.

“Not technically dating,” I corrected quickly. “We’re friends with benefits. The reason he gave me the Jeep is a long story.”

“We’ve got at least twenty-one hours,” Olive mumbled. “Spill it.”

I sighed, but did.

A few hours of explanations, questions, and side-stories later, Olive was drifting off again. I could tell she needed more sleep than she wanted to admit.

“Sounds like you just need to bite that bastard under the full moon so he has no choice but to accept that he’s yours,” she mumbled.

I lifted my eyebrows, but she was already asleep when I looked back.

I rubbed my eyes, too uncertain to even formulate an answer.

“She has a point,” Syd remarked. “What’s he going to do if you claim him? Walk away?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

And that was what scared me.

Syd took the wheel when I stopped at a gas station an hour or two later, and I managed a few hours of sleep before Olive woke up coughing violently. It took forever to help her take all of her meds, and when she had, she fell back asleep.

I tried to rest too, but all I could think about was Sydney’s question.

What would he do if I claimed him?