Chapter 50 — Bree
How can he know for sure? How can I? It’s one thing to have felt a nebulous connection neither of us could define, but now that there’s a definition, a clear explanation of what that connection is—my wolf choosing his wolf. It feels less like romance and just like losing agency.
Rainn doesn’t reply to my question. There’s a sad light in his eyes as he looks at me. “You can have my room,” he says. “I’ll sleep down here.”
“Rainn…” I start, but he silences me with a small smile.
“Don’t overthink this, Bree. It’s just one night.”
It’s much more than one night, I think as I walk up the stairs. It’s the rest of our lives. Our wolves have made a choice for us, and we have to live with it.
Nothing weakens an alpha and his pack more than fighting the mate bond.
Upstairs, I close the door of Rainn’s bedroom behind me, feeling his absence both in the room and in the wall I’ve built inside my mind.
***
In my dream, I’m standing beside Rainn, the forests of Falling River all around us. There is a palpable sense of danger even before Hugo appears in front of us, snarling at me.
“You can’t abandon your pack for him. He’s not one of us.”
I ignore him, and suddenly he shifts.
But his face isn’t Hugo’s.
It’s my dad’s.
“Bree,” my dad cries, his eyes full of pain. “Where are you?”
Dad! I rush toward him, but he strikes me, his hand stretching into a huge paw with claws far longer and sharper than anything I’ve ever seen. Pain spears through me, and I scream.
***
When I wake up, it’s bright outside, and I can hear voices coming from downstairs. It was just a dream, I tell myself. I’ve had many dreams that meant nothing. There’s no reason this can’t be one of them.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, I return to find an overnight bag on the bed. Inside are a few of my clothes from the dorm. Feeling a flood of gratitude toward Rainn, I dress quickly and go downstairs.
Long before I reach the kitchen, the tantalizing smell of breakfast fills my nose. The breakfast table is heaped with food. It’s like what I imagine a five-star hotel buffet breakfast table might look like. Emily-Rose and Derek are already helping themselves to the feast.
At the kitchen sink, there’s an older woman I’ve never seen before. When I enter, she turns around and gives me a warm smile. “You must be Bree. My! What a pretty thing you are!”
“Thank you?” I reply, a little confused.
“Bree, this is Marielle,” Professor Denton says, entering the kitchen behind me. “She makes sure we eat and don’t drown ourselves in dirty laundry. She had a week off and now she’s back, thank god.”
Marielle gives him a fond smile, then turns her attention back to me. “Go on. Eat. Eat. If there’s anything else you want, let me know.”
“Uh. Thanks.” I glance at the heavily laden table, wondering what else I could possibly want.
“How’re you doing?” Professor Denton is looking at me with a concerned expression.
“I’m alright,” I reply.
“Go eat,” he says. “We can talk later.”
He goes over to discuss with Marielle, and I pull out a chair next to Derek.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Emily-Rose grins, while Derek nods in my direction, his mouth full. “The food is fantastic,” Emily-Rose says. “With food like this every day, I’d be too fat and happy to leave the house.”
“As long as you’re happy.” I place a fresh roll on an empty plate. “Where’s Rainn?”
“He left again as soon as we came back from the dorm. He wanted to go get your things as soon as I woke.” She looks at me. “He’s sweet, isn’t he?”
Derek grunts something impolite, and I glare at him. “He is, but where is he?”
“One of the young pack members is almost ready to shift. Wolf dreams and all that. Rainn and Caleb went to talk to her and let her know she’s part of a pack,” Derek says. “I heard them talking about it.”
I bite into a piece of French toast. It’s easy to imagine Rainn in the role of a guide, showing up at just the right time to take away the confusion of shifting for the first time.
“They’re lucky to have him as alpha,” Derek says.
My eyebrows go up. I’m surprised at both the concession and the slight note of admiration in Derek’s voice. Rainn is the furthest thing from Hugo, and it’s true. His pack is lucky to have him.
I am lucky to have him.
I give Derek a quick smile. “Yes,” I agree. “They are.”