Chapter 14 Chapter 14
She could smell Reynard and Brendan making their way towards her. Their scents were stronger in their wolf-states. She knew she wouldn’t have long before they would be with her, but she wasn’t ready to interact with them, so she kept running.
Alas, even as a wolf, she couldn’t run forever. Eventually, she came to a slow stop and waited as the two wolves approached her.
Suki knew what Rey looked like in his wolf form already – chocolate brown fur that contrasted his piercing ocean blue eyes so beautifully. She had the privilege to see his wolf not long after his birthday, when he had his shifting under control. He was indeed a handsome wolf, one that many female werewolves desired. A sense of pride washed over her, knowing that he was mated to her.
Rapidly, her attention switched to Brendan. It was the first time seeing his wolf, and she couldn’t help but admire his beauty as a wolf too – his fur was a deeper shade of brown, almost black, and his night sky eyes glistened, reflecting the stars in the sky. She knew how many female wolves secretly desired him, too – or to be bedded by him – but he only had eyes for her.
She watched the two as they circled her, watching her carefully.
‘Ki.’ Reynard broke the silence first.
‘Rey.’ She echoed.
‘Your wolf… You’re beautiful.’
Suki almost forgot how much stronger and louder the telepathic bond was in their wolf state. It was mainly because they could communicate with all werewolves telepathically when in this state, but it reminded her how strong her communication would be with her mate once she seals the bond.
She whimpered at the thought and turned away, but Brendan was standing there, towering over her. Grunting. ‘You can’t keep running from us, love.’
Rey growled. ‘Don’t talk down to her.’ He edged closer to her slowly. Yet, even his fierce wolf eyes were able to soften at the sight of her. ‘Are you alright?’
‘Yes.’ She stepped back, but then stepped towards his warmth that always drew her in, rubbing her head against his.
‘I mean it.’ Brendan huffed. He waited for the pair to separate slightly and look at him. ‘You can’t push us away. As much as I hate admitting it, we’re both mated to you, love. And we all know this isn’t normal.’
Suki moved back, wanting to run away, knowing exactly what he was going to say.
‘Eventually, you’re going to have to pick one of us to mark you.’
Reynard looked over to her, noticing her distress, but said what he had to anyway. ‘I hate to admit it, but he’s right. We need to know, Ki.’
‘Which one of us do you want?’
She shook her head. ‘I… I can’t do this right now.’ She turned around, moved to run off, but felt her mates following behind her. She snapped. ‘Don’t follow me! I need space. I need to think.’
With that, she sped off as fast as she could all the way home.
As she slowly trotted home, she saw Erin sitting at her front door waiting for her.
The second she looked up and locked eyes with her, Erin stood and rushed towards her, dropping to her knees and embracing Suki in a tight hug, not fearing her in her wolf form at all and knowing that her friend needed a comforting hand.
✧ ✧ ✧
Suki, back in her human form, exhaled as she gripped her chamomile tea.
The two were sitting in the living room, in silence, beside the fireplace, watching the embers of the flame dance as they enjoyed their beverages and tried to piece together everything.
Running her fingers through her hair and tugging at her thick strands, Suki finally broke the silence, “There is only one thing I can do.”
Erin hummed, fiddling with her mug. “You have to pick one.”
Suki nodded slowly.
Shaking her head, “How is this not an easy choice for you? Surely you’d pick–”
“You don’t get it, the bond connects me to my mate–” Suki winces before correcting herself, “–my mates in a way that makes me yearn and care for them more than anyone else in this world. Whenever I decide on one, my heart shatters for the other.”
“But, Suki… Brendan is a Rogue. You do realise, if you choose him, you’ll become one too, right?”
Swallowing thickly, “I know. I don’t want that, to be a Rogue, and I know that would be my fate if I picked him.” Suki placed her mug down and brought her arms up, embracing herself and squeezing her arms tightly. “I can’t explain it, but he’s not a bad guy, not really.”
Erin frowned, “No, Suki, he is a Rogue. Don’t let the bond deceive you.”
“But what if the bond is trying to show me who he really is?”
“Who he really is is someone who betrayed his own pack and got banished from it as punishment.”
Erin’s words stung Suki; she knew there was logic and reason behind all that she was saying, but it didn’t stop her from wishing it weren’t true. There had to be a reason for all of this; it couldn’t just be a coincidence. Suki refused to believe that.
Lost for words, Erin looked outside the glass doors to their garden, leading to the forest. She looked up to the cloudless sky as the stars and the sliver of the moon lit up the night for them, adding a soft coolness to the room which was warmly lit by the flames alone.
Erin sighed, “Okay, I’m not going to be able to advise you as your protector. We’re going to keep going around in circles about this, and that’s not going to help anyone.”
“Erin, it’s fine, I can handle this alone.”
“No. I may not be able to advise you as your protector, but maybe I need to advise you as your friend.”
Almost choking on her breath, Suki pulled a grimacing face, “What?”
A soft giggle escaped Erin’s mouth, “As much as my better judgement advises against it, maybe you need to date them both – in secret, of course – and make a list mentally so you can decide who suits you best.”
Suki scoffed, “I don’t think it’s that simple.”
“It has to be, if you won’t let me ask the elders about why this anomaly is happening, then we’re going to have to do the research ourselves.”
Scratching the back of her neck, Suki’s tone shifted to a weight of uncertainty, “I don’t know, how is dating them both going to help us ‘research’?”
“All I know is that the Moon Goddess doesn’t pick bonds for no reason. If the Moon Goddess meant for both of these bonds to happen at the same time, there must be an important reason for it,” she rubbed her chin as she processed her thoughts out loud, “if you let it play out, then we can determine the why.”
“It sounds risky…”
She scoffed, “It’s stupidly risky, but it’ll lead you one step closer to picking one of them, don’t you think?”
“I guess.”
“You can’t keep hiding, Suki.”
Chewing the side of her bottom lip, she looked into Erin’s eyes.
“It’s time to stop waiting for someone to tell you what to do and take matters into your own hands. Do you think you can do it?”
A wave of panic brushed over Suki. Erin was right, she always did what she was told, she was so used to it that she hadn’t even realised that she was hoping for someone to do the same thing in her situation. She resented that Brendan also told her something similar once before.
No one could pick for her this time. It had to be her choice and her choice alone.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and held her chin high, “I’ll do it.”