Unraveling Threads

Unraveling Threads


“Where the hell did they go?” I growled under my breath, pulling the drawer off its track and dumping everything on the bed. I never left this room with my tarot cards. I always put them right back here, yet they were nowhere to be found.

I could hear the shower running in the bathroom. Nyte was utterly undisturbed by my missing cards. I had asked him before he went in if anyone had been in the room, but he had assured me that it wasn’t possible. Not since we rarely left the room empty… and no one would ever dare to steal from either of us. Even if they didn’t like me, the thieves in the pack were severely punished.

“They have to be somewhere in this apartment,” I thought, looking around the destroyed room. I had ripped apart every drawer and pulled the cushions off the chairs. The bed and pillows were now bundled on the floor at my feet, but my cards were nowhere to be found.

I looked again at the bathroom door, inhaling a breath before rushing to the bedroom door. I hadn’t left this room with my cards since coming here. I was always with Nyte or Madilyn, so leaving the room alone left me slightly vulnerable.

A few she-wolves stood at the end of the hall, tilting their heads curiously as they noticed me. I lifted my chin and smiled, doing my best to fake the confidence I didn’t feel. Turning away from the two women, I made my way to the stairs, determined to find the packhouse's common areas and look around.

Sometimes my cards do disappear. Usually, I can hear them calling out to me, near whoever needs their message. I didn’t hear them this time, but it was always worth looking around. If I didn’t look, I wouldn’t know.

“Hello,” a small boy greeted me, smiling brightly as I entered the common room. “You’re a pretty witch! Does that mean you’re a good witch?”

I chuckled at his question. “Yes, how did you know?”

“Because of this book!” He held up an old novel, smiling wider. “The good witch said that only bad witches are ugly.”

I bent at my waist, smiling at the boy and his book. “You are very smart! Bad witches aren’t ugly in the way we think, however. Their faces can be beautiful, but their veins are black as ink.” I showed him my arms, pointing out the blue veins. “See, mine are blue, like yours. More proof that I’m a good witch.”

“Wow!” He gasped, leaning in to look at my veins.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Diego. And I know you; your name is Paige! You are Nyte’s mate.”

I smiled at the boy, ruffling his hair playfully. “It’s nice to meet you, Diego. Can I ask you a question?” He bobbed his head in a nod. “Have you seen a deck of cards? They are old and handmade.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that,” he thought, pulling a paper from a bag at his feet. “Can you draw a picture? Then if I find them, I’ll bring them to you. I could bring them to Nyte’s room; I know where that is.”

I smiled, taking the paper and a pen to draw a few pictures of the cards as a reference. “Here,” I said, handing the paper back to him.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen these, but if I do, I’ll bring them to you!” 

“Thank you, Diego.” I stood back up, giving the room another look. “I guess I better get back to my room before Nyte notices I’m gone. I’ll see you later, kiddo.”

“Bye! Next time I see you, will you show me some magic?”

I chuckled, “Sure. Maybe I’ll find my cards before then and give you a reading.”

I turned to leave the room, finding the two she-wolves from upstairs standing in my way.

“Oh, sorry, excuse me.” I tried to step around them, only to have the taller of the two women move back into my path.

“You have some nerve,” she growled, her curious gaze now cold. She tossed her hair behind her shoulder like some movie mean girl, narrowing her light blue eyes at me.

“I’m sorry; what exactly is happening? Can you please explain what I have done to get on your nerves?” I asked, looking back and forth between the two she-wolves as they glared at me.

“You stole her fiancé!” The other girl accused, pointing a partially shifted finger at me. “She was meant to be the pack’s Luna when Nyte became Alpha before you came along and stole him! You ruined both of their futures, you witch!”

She spat the word "witch" at me like a curse, and my lips twitched with amusement. Why did people think calling me a witch was an insult? I was damn proud of who I was.

“Listen, I don’t know who you are. I’ve never heard Nyte mention a fiancée before. So, this is all news to me. However, he had a chance to turn me away. He didn’t. So, I’m inclined to believe you’re full of shit and that he didn’t want you as his Luna.”

“You bitch!” the friend growled, raising her arm as if she were about to strike me. I pulled magic to my fingertips, prepared to defend myself from her attack.

A hand shot up from behind them, startling both of the she-wolves. They whipped around, moving out of the way for me to see just who had come to my rescue.

“The two of you really don’t have any brain cells to rub together, do you?” Chase stepped in front of me, separating us and shoving the arm of the one who aimed to strike me back with a snarl. “What do you think in your little pea brain would have happened if Nyte found out you harmed his mate?”

“Maybe he would come to his senses and take back Katya!” 

Chase’s gaze swung to the taller woman. “Katya should know better than to come between a man and his fated mate. It’s not like it’s the first time she’s witnessed the power of the mateship.” He pushed past the two women, grabbing me around the shoulders and leading me out of the living room.

I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Diego curled in the chair, glaring at the two women. The taller woman, who looked like she had stepped straight off the runway, peeled her lips back in a silent snarl.

“Don’t mind Dasha and Katya. They’re power-hungry bitches. Your showing up disrupted their delusions of power plays. But by themselves, they are at the bottom layer of the tier.”

“Katya, that’s the tall one, right?”

“Yeah, Dasha is her sister. Their mom mated with one of the pack members and moved the three of them to the U.S. from Ukraine. She had been married to their father; and as you know, it can’t be denied, even if children are involved.”

I felt my heart twist at his words, dread gripping my heart. What would happen when Nyte found his real fated mate? I know I told him this was temporary, but after everything we’d been through, I wasn’t sure I wanted it to be temporary.

“Their mom divorced their dad because of the mate bond? How did they even find one another if they were in Europe?”

“He won some radio contest. Fully paid vacation right to their hometown.” He chuckled and added, “That’s the fates for you. They always get their way.” He looked down at me, another rock of fear weighing down my stomach. “There is no hiding or running from what the fates decide.”

Reaching Nyte’s bedroom, I quickly pulled away from Chase. “Thanks for your help.”

“Of course, not that it was necessary; I know you pack a punch with those spells of yours.” He turned away, pushing his hands in his pockets as he went. “You better hurry inside; I hear Nyte steaming from here.” He chuckled with that, descending the stairs just before the bedroom door tore open.

Nyte stared at me, his face morphing from anger and fear to relief and agitation. “Why did you leave the room, Paige? You know it’s not safe. The pack still blames you for me stepping down as Alpha Elect.”

“I’m fine,” I said, pushing past him into the room. “I couldn’t find my cards. I thought maybe they would turn up somewhere else in the house.”

“I told you no one would steal them,” he growled, following behind me.

“I didn’t say they were stolen. Sometimes they just appear in places that I’m needed.” I looked back at him, barely noticing the towel hanging haphazardly from his waist. “Were you really about to storm through the house like that?”

He smirked, pressing me against his hard chest. “And if I were?”

The thought of Katya and Dasha seeing this much of him sent a flicker of rage through my body. I didn’t like the idea of them seeing so much of him. I was not too fond of anyone having ever seen these parts of him—the curves of his muscles… and that perfect V shape ridge descending into the towel.

I never thought of myself as the jealous type. I always believed that jealous people were overcompensating for their own indiscretions. But Nyte could turn my brown eyes green with a single glance in another woman’s direction even before we entered into this arrangement.

“Well?” Nyte asked again, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“I’d be embarrassed for you.” I lied, swallowing the jealousy with a gulp of air.

“Is that so? What exactly would I have to be embarrassed about?” He flicked the tip of his tongue over my lips, my legs shaking at the simple touch.

“Don’t people have nightmares about being caught in front of their peers with nothing on?”

Nyte smiled, pressing me against his hard chest. “I have no peers, Paige. Those nightmares don’t exist for me. I would run down the middle of downtown buck naked to find you without a single thought or care about what others would think or see.”

He pressed his lips to mine, his tongue sweeping across my mouth until I parted my lips for him. My heart raced as I melted into him, wanting nothing more than to lose myself in this moment.

“If you don’t want me to run naked through the streets to find you, then listen when I tell you not to leave this room without me. Because I promise you, I would burn everything in my path with a smile on my face if it brought you back to me.” He kissed my forehead, then turned me by my shoulders, pointing to the bathroom door. “Now, go clean up for bed while I clean this room. The way you left this place had me thinking there was a struggle, and someone had taken you away without your consent.”

I looked back at the room before looking back at Nyte sheepishly. “I guess it wasn’t a good look coming out of the bathroom, huh?”

“I thought some idiot got the balls to try and kidnap you right from under my nose. There was about to be blood spilled. Now go shower. I’ll have everything cleaned before you know it. And if I find the cards, I’ll let you know.”

I smiled, looking at him before I entered the bathroom. “Thank you, Nyte.”

“Of course, just don’t make it a habit.”

I showered quickly, combing through my hair before exiting the bathroom to a freshly cleaned room. Nyte was positioned on the bed, the sheet and pillows back in place and the comforter pulled back on my side. I smiled as he looked at me, lifting the remote with a brow raised.

“I didn’t find your cards, but I found this remote under your side of the bed. I believe you and Madilyn were the last ones to use it, two days ago.”

I giggled as I crawled up into the bed. “Oops, well, I guess you can watch your show recordings now.”

He clicked the button on the remote, the mounted TV screen coming to life. “You mean, WE get to watch the show. Don’t act like you don’t want to see who comes out as the best chef.”

I laughed, settling into the bed and curling up next to Nyte. “Okay, you’re right. Put it on.” 

As the show began, I felt the tension from earlier fade away. The closeness between us was comforting, and for a moment, I could forget about the anxiety that had been gnawing at me. I leaned against Nyte, feeling the warmth radiate from him, and allowed myself to relax.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter and chatter drifted from outside, pulling my attention. I could hear the pack gathering for their run, the excitement palpable in the air. I glanced at Nyte, who seemed deep in thought, his brow furrowed slightly.

“Are you okay?” I asked, concerned about the weight of his expression.

He nodded, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. “Just thinking about tonight. The full moon always brings out strong emotions, and I want to make sure you’re safe.”

“I’ll be fine,” I reassured him, brushing my fingers along his arm. “You’re here with me.”

“I know, but the pack dynamics change under the moonlight. I don’t want anyone getting any ideas about you,” he said, his voice low and serious.

I smiled softly, trying to ease his worries. “You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself, remember?”

He turned to me, a hint of a smile breaking through his seriousness. “I know you can, but it doesn’t mean I won’t worry. You’re too important to me.”

The sincerity in his words sent a thrill through me. I leaned closer, wanting to bridge the gap between us, but I also wanted to respect his boundaries. 

“Thank you for caring,” I said softly, looking into his eyes. 

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against mine. “Always.” 

Just as our lips met, a loud cheer erupted from outside, breaking the moment. I pulled back slightly, glancing toward the window where the sounds of my pack echoed against the night sky.

“What do you say we join them?” I suggested, feeling a rush of excitement.

Nyte hesitated, his protective instincts flaring again. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Come on! I’ve never been a part of anything like this. I want to experience it!” I pleaded, my excitement bubbling over.

He looked torn, his eyes darting between the door and me. “It’s not that simple, Paige. The pack is unpredictable during the full moon. I need to keep you safe.”

“But I want to be part of your world, Nyte. I want to feel the energy of the pack and the moon. Just this once?” I looked at him earnestly, hoping he would see how much it meant to me.

With a deep sigh, he finally relented. “Alright, but you stick close to me. No wandering off.”

A smile broke across my face as I jumped up, ready to join the festivities. “I promise!”

As we made our way out of the room and down the stairs, I could feel the excitement in the air. The pack was gathered outside, their energy vibrant and electric. I could see the full moon illuminating the beach, casting a silvery glow over everything.

Nyte kept a protective arm around my shoulders as we stepped into the throng of wolves. Laughter and howls filled the air, and I felt a rush of adrenaline at being surrounded by so many of them.

“Stay close,” Nyte reminded me, his grip tightening slightly as we navigated through the crowd.

I nodded, excitement coursing through me. This was a new experience, one I had been longing for since I first arrived at the packhouse. As we reached the edge of the bonfire, I could feel the warmth radiating from it, and the atmosphere buzzed with energy.

“Welcome, Paige!” called out a few wolves, their faces lit with joy. 

I smiled back, feeling a sense of belonging wash over me. Maybe I could find a way to be part of this world, to connect with Nyte and the pack, despite the challenges that lay ahead. 

As the night wore on, I found myself laughing and dancing alongside the pack, the full moon shining down on us like a guardian. Nyte stayed close, his presence a constant reminder of the bond between us. 

But a nagging feeling remained in the back of my mind, a whisper that something was amiss, that I needed to be cautious. I pushed it aside for the moment, choosing instead to embrace the happiness surrounding me. 

Tonight was about celebrating life, the bond of the pack, and the magic of the moon. I would enjoy it while I could, letting myself be swept away in the moment.