82

82
ELLA
“Quincy,” I said after a short silence. She arched an eyebrow as a smile danced at the corner of her lips.
“I reckoned you’d say that. If he’s willing to help with the procedure, that means he considers you an important part of his life—or something close to it. That’s not the kind of thing someone does without a compelling reason. Why don’t you want a bond with him?”
I pondered her question for a moment and decided to answer as honestly as I could. It was the only way to clear my doubts. “I don’t want to undo a bond with the twins only to jump right into another with someone I barely know. He’s been great so far, and his family are good people, but I feel like there’s more to him than meets the eye.”
“More to him than meets the eye? In a good or bad way?” she asked, curiosity lighting up her features.
“In a way that makes me want to stay close to him… and run as far away as possible at the same time. It’s that sort of uncertainty that leaves me wondering if bonding with him would be the right decision. And an Alpha coming into my life just when I need one around? What are the odds of that happening?”
“You tell me. The way I see it, your ancestors might be making provisions for you so you can move on from the Blackthorns seamlessly.”
“I… I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. I’ve met these ancestors—at least the ones who initiated this bond. They seemed to know what they were doing, so I doubt they would lead me into something that fills me with anxiety every step of the way.”
“When he told you how he felt, what did you think?” she asked, crossing her arms.
“I didn’t think he was being genuine,” I admitted, and she nodded slowly. “We met when I was vulnerable—right after the tournament—and I was recuperating in the woods. He was kind enough to help me get home in my weakened state. I suspect he even brought me groceries every day until I skipped town, but that’s it.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s all I know about him,” I clarified. “We got a bit closer after that. He would spend time with Lyla and me instead of the cheerleaders who wanted his attention. We went to school together. They dropped me off afterward, but our relationship didn’t go beyond the surface.”
“Yet you trusted him enough to come all this way?”
“Our values aligned at the time. He didn’t want to fight a war he knew nothing about. I had seen…”
I stopped abruptly as the memory of the vision I had about the pack surfaced. That wasn’t something I wanted to recollect—not after doing so much work to forget it. “I wasn’t interested in fighting beside people who treated me like scum, so it was easier to leave.”
“You’ve spent time with his family. What do you think about them, and how does that reflect on his personality?”
This was starting to feel like a therapy session, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. I had come here to learn about the bond. We had gotten past that, and I was set on going through with it.
Now that I knew I could complete the process without creating a bond with Quincy, it was easier to decide.
But I still needed to know if he’d be willing to help, even if it meant we wouldn’t be mates—at least not until I was sure that’s what I wanted. This conversation, oddly enough, was helping me figure that out.
“I think they’re great,” I replied. “They’ve been wonderful hosts so far. I’m starting to feel like a burden around the house, given that no one lets me do anything, but besides that, I can see where he gets his sense of community from.”
“Yet all of this isn’t enough to try a relationship with him?”
“No. I have… dreams. Plans that could be thwarted if I enter another bond. I intend to go as far away from all this as possible and—”
“All this?” she interrupted, tilting her head as a confused expression crossed her face.
“Being part of a pack, fighting for a cause that’s bigger than me, being a wolf, and everything in between. I’m not sure I’m expressing it the right way, but I want to be done with this part of my life. There’s so much out there to look forward to. I don’t want to be held back by the same old things. I’ve always felt like there was more waiting for me out there.”
“Lone wolves don’t always thrive in the wild,” she remarked.
“So I’ve heard,” I replied, leaning back. “But I’d like to find out how things go for myself. If I bonded with Quincy or anyone else, I’d be stuck here. Doing the same old thing.”
“Are you sure this need to… leave the pack and lean more into your human side doesn’t stem from the fact that you never really had family around?”
“I…” I began, then stopped, realizing she was right. “It does. I’ve always been on my own, and I’d like things to stay that way.”
“You, your bloodline, and everything else—it’s too big for you to just toss aside, Ella,” she said calmly.
She picked up a pencil from the case in front of her and fiddled with it for a moment before continuing. “I understand the need for a clean slate and the constant yearning to start life differently, but trust me when I say this—it’s not as easy as it seems.”
“I don’t expect it to be. I’ve never had anything come easy. And just out of curiosity… if I decided to stick around and bond with Quincy, do you really think that’s a good idea?”
She stopped fiddling with the pencil and glanced at me, then chuckled. “As much as I’d like to answer that question, Quincy and his family have a thing about wanting me to keep my nose out of their business.”
“Oh, they mentioned something like that before I came here.”
“Exactly. I’m surprised they didn’t try to talk you out of this session. But I respect their wishes, so I can’t tell you anything about him or his family beyond the fact that—right now—you’re where you should be.”
“In La Derte?” I asked with a sarcastic tone, and she chuckled.
“I know the town doesn’t seem like much, but I assure you, there’s more to this place than meets the eye. And when you’re ready to go ahead with the procedure, I’ll be here to guide you through every part of it.”
I nodded and stood up. “I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll be expecting you, Ella Harper,” she answered, and I left the room in quick strides.
When I stepped outside the office, I realized I hadn’t asked for her name—which might’ve been a tad impolite.
Worse still, I had lost track of time, which meant I might have kept Eve waiting.