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66


Jeremy's POV

I moved around the room, making preparations for the ceremony. He was busy with so many things, arranging gifts, checking lists, and making sure everything was ready. I was in a hurry since the mating ceremony was fast approaching and the annual packs festival was around the corner, so everything felt jam-packed, but I couldn’t blame Arthur or anyone. The ceremony was important, and every detail had to be perfect.

Loretta came by out of the blue and wanted to join me to make waking easier and faster for me. She said she wanted to help, but I knew it wasn’t a good idea. “You can’t be here,” I said, my voice firm. “Not with Arthur around. He can’t see us together.”

She looked at me with a frown, her eyes narrowing. “Why not? Why can't I help you?” she asked, her voice sharp. “Are you ashamed of me?”

I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I had to be careful. I couldn’t risk anything that might give Arthur, my brother any reason to be suspicious.

“It’s not that; try to calm down and listen to me first,” I said, trying to calm her down. “It’s just that it’s better this way. Please, just trust me. You should not be around me and Arthur must not see you talking to me.”

She stood there for a moment, looking at me with anger in her eyes. Then, without another word, she turned and left. I could feel the weight of her anger, but I knew I had to keep my distance. As much as I loved her, I couldn’t afford to let anyone find out.

I sighed and stayed in the room, trying to focus on what I needed to do. But my mind kept going back to Loretta. I knew I had hurt her, and I hated it. I didn’t want to be the cause of her pain, but there was no other choice. Not yet.

After some time passed, I decided I couldn’t just leave things the way they were. I had to go talk to her. I found her sitting alone in the garden, her back to me. Her posture was stiff like she was waiting for something.

“Loretta,” I called softly, taking a few steps toward her.

She didn’t turn around. “What do you want, Jeremy? I thought you were the same person who instructed me minutes back not to be seen around for fear of your brother, so what are you doing here,” she asked, her voice cold.

I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. I had hurt her, and I could tell she was angry. I don't like the way she is feeling and the kind of eyes she is giving me. I have to fix this.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice sincere. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that earlier. I didn’t mean to make you angry.”

She finally turned to look at me, her eyes soft but still hurt. “Then why did you say it? Why can’t we just be together like we want to? Why? We are mates, if you have forgotten?”

I took a deep breath, knowing this wasn’t going to be easy. “I do want to be with you, Loretta. More than anything. But I can’t let anyone find out. Not yet. I love you, but... it has to stay a secret.”

Her face softened slightly, but she still looked frustrated. “Why? Why can’t we tell everyone? Why do we have to hide? Arthur might understand if we tell him we both love each other deeply.”

I stepped closer, my heart heavy with the truth I didn’t want to share. “I can't tell Arthur I am in love with you, knowing fully well he was the one who saved you and accepted you into the pack on the condition you become his concubine, I can't go against it; I don't want to see you drive because of our love.”

She was quiet for a long moment, staring at me as if weighing my words. Finally, she nodded. “I understand. But it’s hard, Jeremy. I hate pretending like we’re not together.”

“I know,” I said softly. “I hate it too. But please, just trust me for a little longer. I’ll make it right. I promise.”

She sighed and looked away for a moment, then met my eyes again. “Okay. I’ll trust you. But when are you going to tell Arthur the truth?”

I paused. “I can’t tell him yet. Not until I’m sure it’s safe. But I will, eventually. I promise.”

Loretta nodded again, though I could tell she wasn’t completely satisfied. She wanted more, but she knew the risk. We both knew that if we rushed things, it could ruin everything.

“You’re right,” she said, her voice quiet now. “I’ll help you, Jeremy. If you need anything, I’ll be there. Just... don’t push me away.”

“I won’t,” I promised, stepping closer to her. “I never want to push you away.”

"Arthur wants me to keep an eye on Julianne. Since you want to busy yourself with something, can you keep an eye on me till I am done preparing for the ceremony coming up?" I asked.

“I’ll help you keep an eye on Julianne,” she said. “I’ll do whatever you need.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

Eventually, we decided to take a break. We went to her room and lay down on the bed to relax. The stress of the day started to melt away, and for a brief moment, I felt like things could be normal between us. But of course, nothing was ever simple.

We laid down on the bed feeling the weight of the tension pressed down on us. I wanted so badly to reach out and take her hand, to show her how much I cared, but I knew it wasn’t the right time. So instead, I just stood there, feeling the weight of the situation press down on me.

The next thing I knew, Loretta was kissing me. It wasn’t anything slow or gentle. It was full of longing, full of the emotions we had been holding back for so long. I kissed her back with everything I had, the warmth of her lips against mine making me forget about everything else, if only for a moment,nt and before we made out again for the second time.

As we lay there, my hand resting lightly on her arm, I heard a soft knock at the door. Before I could even react, the door swung open, and Julianne walked in.

She paused in the doorway, her eyes going wide when she saw us. A small smile tugged at her lips, and she quickly stepped back, her face turning a little red.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice filled with embarrassment. “I didn’t realize you two were... um, busy.” she smiled, her eyes winking at Loretta in a knowing look

Loretta and I both sat up quickly, our faces flushing with surprise. I couldn’t believe it—this was exactly the kind of thing I had been trying to avoid.

Julianne gave us a polite smile and apologized again before quickly stepping out and closing the door behind her. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, my heart still pounding from the shock.