Chapter 182

Chapter 187
Natalie POV


The hot water pounded against my skin, washing away the last traces of Nathan's scent. I closed my eyes, letting the steam envelop me like a protective cocoon, providing temporary shelter from the conversation I knew was coming with Jackson.

I wasn't looking forward to it, but I also knew I hadn't done anything wrong. Nathan was my mate just as legitimately as Jackson or Blaise. They would have to accept that reality.

I shut off the water and reached for a towel, drying myself methodically while organizing my thoughts. What exactly would I tell Jackson? The full truth seemed necessary, but also potentially hurtful. How could I describe what Nathan and I had shared without causing him pain?

With a sigh, I wrapped the towel around my body and wiped condensation from the mirror, studying my reflection. My eyes looked older somehow, more certain.

I opened the bathroom door, trailing wisps of steam behind me, and froze mid-step.

Jackson wasn't waiting for me.

Instead, Blaise sat on the edge of my bed, his posture oddly formal, hands clasped between his knees. And beside him, standing with arms crossed near my window, was Jackson.

"Blaise," I managed, the name catching in my throat. My fingers tightened around the towel.

"Hi Natalie," he replied, his voice soft, almost cautious. His eyes—those eyes that had seemed so vacant when he'd helped kidnap me—now held clear recognition and something that looked like shame.

"Your mother helped him," Jackson explained, his deep voice rumbling through the room. "Katherine found him with Magnus. He was under a spell—magical control. That's why he helped kidnap you."

I nodded slowly, my initial shock giving way to understanding. "I know," I told them both, my eyes fixed on Blaise. "I could see it in your face. I could feel it when you came near me. I knew that wasn't really you."

Blaise's shoulders sagged with visible relief. "I've been helping them look for you," he said. "But I don't remember much of what happened. I couldn't tell them where you might have gone."

"I'm going to get dressed," I announced, grabbing clean clothes from my dresser. "Don't go anywhere."

I retreated back into the bathroom, changing quickly into jeans and a sweater, feeling more centered now that I wasn't standing before them in just a towel. When I emerged again, both men were exactly where I'd left them, looking oddly comfortable in each other's presence despite the bizarre circumstances.

I sat on the edge of the bed, a careful distance from Blaise, and waited.

Jackson broke the silence first. "Who is he?"

"His name is Nathan," I explained, meeting Nathan's eyes. "After I escaped from Magnus, he was one of the ones who took me." I paused, watching Jackson's expression harden. "He has his own pack near the border."

"There are no packs in that region," Nathan stated flatly.

"No," I agreed, "not technically. He's the Alpha of a lost tribe of the Moon Clan."

Jackson's head snapped up, his eyes widening as he stared at me in shock. "They were extinct decades ago."

"No," I said firmly. "They weren't. They're still there."

Blaise leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "And you became close with this Alpha?"

I met his gaze steadily. "He's my mate."

The two men exchanged glances, clearly not expecting this revelation. I wasn't sure I had expected it either—three mates seemed excessive, even for a princess.

"I certainly didn't see that coming," Blaise murmured.

"I started feeling it after the wolfsbane wore off," I explained. "And he felt it too."

"You're sixteen," Blaise pointed out, frowning. "How could you feel the mate bond?"

"Because I'm a hybrid, and I'm the princess," I replied, lifting my chin slightly. "It comes with its own privileges. That's how I knew about you and Jackson too."

"And you two got close while you were there?" Nathan asked, his voice carefully neutral.

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "Um. You could say that."

"Then why didn't he come back with you?" Blaise questioned.

I looked down at my hands. "I left in the middle of the night while he was sleeping," I admitted. "He couldn't leave his pack, and I couldn't stay. I'm the princess. He was worried about me. I have... other responsibilities. I just left in the night and came back here."

"So you chose to leave him?" Blaise asked, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.

I didn't smile back. The memory of writing that note, of slipping away from Nathan's warm embrace, was still raw.

"Was it hard?" Blaise pressed.

"Yes," I whispered, dropping my gaze to the floor. "It was very hard."

Jackson cleared his throat. "Thank you for telling us the truth," he said, his voice gruff. "I need to think about this." Without another word, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

The silence between Blaise and me stretched thin, filled with unspoken questions and uncertainties.

"You can ask," Blaise finally said, breaking the tension. "I know you want to."

I turned to face him fully. "I don't blame you for the kidnapping. I know you were under magical control." I paused, gathering my thoughts. "But I need to know if you were sincere about wanting to be better for me. You were training, trying to be a better mate for me. At least that's what you claimed."

"That hasn't changed," Blaise assured me, his expression sincere. "Magnus may be a bastard, but I'm not. You're my mate, and I'm serious about you."

I studied him for a moment. "You and Jackson seem to be getting along well."

"When your mother broke the spell on me," he explained. "Jackson was there. We've spent the last few days looking for you together. We became friends, I guess."

"Good," I nodded. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Why don't you tell me about Nathan?" Blaise suggested, shifting to face me more directly.

I considered what to share. "His tribe is hidden. They have no enemies, no attacks. Nathan spends his days with the pack, not worrying about... everything else. They're a primitive pack, completely self-sufficient." A small smile crossed my lips as I remembered. "It was amazing to see what they could do for themselves. Not like the rest of us."

"You sound like you liked it there," Blaise observed.

"It was peaceful," I admitted. "I helped with chores every day. Made some friends."

"Why didn't you come back sooner?"

I sighed. "I was planning to come back as soon as the wolfsbane wore off. But then I realized who Nathan was, and I felt like I should at least get to know him."

"Sounds like you got to know him pretty well," Blaise remarked, his tone carrying an insinuation.

I shot him a sharp look. "Yes."

Blaise looked away.

"Are you still staying with your cousin Helen?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Helen and her parents haven't returned," he replied. "I'm staying here. In a room at the end of the hall."

"Oh," I blinked in surprise. "I didn't expect that."

"Your mother suggested it," he explained. "I accepted because I was pretty torn up after finding out what I'd done."

"I'm glad my mother could help you," I said softly.

"Thank you," he replied, equally quiet.

We talked for a while longer and then together we headed downstairs.