Chapter 65 65. Mate Pull
Tabitha’s POV
My lips part, but no sound comes out.
“Own me?” I almost choke on the words. “What the hell do you mean own me? You don’t own me! No one owns me, Jace. Stop spouting nonsense!”
His smirk doesn’t falter. “I may like to joke most of the time, but I don’t joke when it comes to mate bonds. It is a sacred connection that the Moon Goddess herself bestows to us Lycans.”
I shake my head frantically, refusing to believe what I’m hearing. “No. No, this can’t be happening. Not now. Not when I’m still—” My chest tightens. “I’m still too far from figuring out how to break the damn thing.”
Reed groans, dragging a hand through his hair. “Are you seriously still onto that? I thought you’d finally dropped that stupid plan of yours. You can’t get rid of us, Tabitha.”
“Can’t you see how problematic this is?” I snap, glaring at them. “Maybe you think this is fun, some twisted little fantasy, but for me? This is a nightmare.”
Reed scoffs. “Yeah, didn’t look like a nightmare when you were begging to suck our cocks last night.”
Heat floods my cheeks, burning hotter than fire. My body jolts as I shoot to my feet.
“Give me the pages you tore from that book in the restricted section, Reed. I know they hold the way to undo the bond. I need them. I need to end this once and for all.”
Jace shakes his head slowly, gaze sharp. “Don’t be ridiculous. Breaking the bond before the mindlink took root was already dangerous enough. But trying to sever it now, with the mindlink fully in place, is nothing short of a death sentence! Your mind will break and your body too. You’ll be dead before you realize what’s happening!”
“And it’s not gonna be a pretty death,” Luca adds. “Give it up.”
“That’s not your decision to make!” I snap. My pulse is hammering as I throw the words at them. “Don’t you get it? This is a disaster! First, you’re my stepbrothers. That, in itself, is already messed up. As if that’s not enough, the Elders already have a vendetta against me. And third…” My voice falters. I shake my head. “Whatever. This is just a bad idea all around.”
But in the back of my mind, the rest of the truth mercilessly claws its way in. The third reason is the one I’ll never say aloud—that all four of them are probably already promised to someone else. Evren, betrothed to Melanie. Luca, encouraged with Isabel. Jace, practically shoved toward Yennifer by Alpha Emery himself. And Reed? If not now, then soon. What am I doing, entertaining this bond, when they might already belong to others? I don’t want to fight battles I never asked for. I don’t want to bleed for something that may never be mine. Because if I strip everything else away, the only good thing about these brothers is the way they make me burn with lust. And lust isn’t enough. Lust won’t be enough to make me forget who they are—a living, breathing reminder of everything bitter in my past. I won’t let desire cloud my judgment. I can’t.
“You can wail all you want,” Luca says coldly, cutting into my thoughts. “But it’s too late to escape the bond now. And one of these days, the rest of the people will know you belong to us.”
“I don’t belong to you!” I fire back, the words searing in my throat. “Fine. You don’t want to give the pages? I’ll just find another way to solve my problem.”
Reed sneers. “You’re not gonna find one.” His voice is dripping with spite.
Gritting my teeth, I spin on my heel and walk out. I can’t let this progress any further.
That night, I scour the book I stole from the restricted section, flipping page after page until my fingers cramp. I still find nothing. Not a single useful passage about breaking the bond. The torn edges mock me, glaring reminders that the answers I need might have been right there—on the missing pages Reed ripped out.
For a moment, I wonder if I should just sneak into his room and take them back. But that’s too risky. Knowing Reed, he’s probably already torched them by now. That man is just unpredictable.
Frustration claws at me until I feel raw inside. I don’t know what to do anymore. Worse, the bond inside me stirs every time I think about them, as if mocking me for a connection I am unable to break.
Days blur together. I do everything I can to avoid them, like we’re back to square one. I eat breakfast before they show up, sometimes skip lunch altogether just to be safe. Once, I caught sight of Jace at the end of the hallway, and I spun around so fast I nearly smacked into the wall before sprinting off like a sheepish teenager. It was humiliating, really. But I don’t trust myself around them.
And Luca was right. Every day that passes, the pull only gets stronger. The mate bond burns hotter inside me, begging to be fed, begging to be satisfied by their presence. It’s maddening—the way it speaks to me, urging me to seek them out, to bask in their scent, to give in. But the rational part of me screams to stay away, to hold the line. And for now, I listen to it.
At least they’re not chasing me down and forcing conversations. For that, I’m thankful.
Or am I? A darker thought whispers at the back of my mind…
Maybe the reason they don’t bother is because they don’t care that much. Maybe the bond doesn’t mean as much to them as they claimed.
My chest tightens, bruised by something I shouldn’t even care about. And I force myself to shake it off. Why should it matter if they care? I shouldn’t care. My chest has no business feeling like it’s been punched just because they’re not paying attention to me.
So I shove the feeling aside and keep ignoring it.
Eight days slip by like that, every hour stretched and frayed. Then finally, Mom and Alpha Emery return from their honeymoon.
“Tabitha!” Mom’s arms close around me the moment she sees me. She looks radiant, glowing even, her cheeks flushed with the kind of happiness that only comes from a trip well spent. “Let me look at you—wait. Did you lose a few pounds? Goodness, please tell me you’re eating properly!”
“I’m good,” I lie with a smile, hugging her back tighter than I expected. “This is just my summer body.”
She snickers and pulls away, studying me with a sparkle in her eyes. She really did enjoy herself. At least one of us got a break.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of my stepbrothers—my mates—heading toward their father’s office alongside Alpha Emery himself. My stomach knots. I quickly look away.
Later that night, I’m summoned to Alpha Emery’s office. My pulse spikes the second I step inside. Mom is there too, standing beside his chair with a cautious, almost guarded expression.
“You called for me?” I ask, carefully neutral.
Alpha Emery’s gaze drifts to me, his eyes icy cold that reminds me of Evren and a perfect posture reminiscent of Luca. “Yes. My sons informed me about something.”
I freeze, air catching in my lungs. Wait, don’t tell me they have told their father about the mate bond? Shit.
“I’ve been told what happened during my absence. The stunt the Elders pulled, trying to implicate you.”
Relief spills from me in a shaky breath. For a second there, I thought—well. Never mind. It’s almost funny, how that whole mess with the elders feels like ages ago. In reality, it’s only been a little over a week. But now? Bigger problems have swallowed it whole.
I’m just grateful that the brothers haven’t told him about the mate bond yet. Thank God.
“Am I in trouble?” I ask carefully.
“Of course not,” Emery says firmly. “From what I’ve heard, you were framed with false evidence. You’re not the one to blame.” He leans back in his chair, sighing. “Politics inside the pack can be messy, and I apologize that you found yourself in the middle of it.”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, unsure how to respond.
“But,” he continues, his tone hardening, “since you are an Aldair now, you and your mother are under my protection. The Elders will not be foolish enough to touch you while I’m here.”
Wow, he’s got that almost brutal look in him that reminds me of Reed and the deep frown on his forehead that mirrors Jace every time he’s serious—ah damn it. I should really stop thinking about them.
He clears his throat. “That said, in order to protect you properly, I need to know if there’s anything they could use against you. Anything at all.”
My stomach dips. “What do you mean?”
“Secrets,” Alpha Emery says bluntly. “Are you keeping something? Anything you hesitate to share? The kind of thing that could jeopardize your reputation again?”
I swallow hard. Oh, there’s definitely something I’m hiding. The fact that I’m mated to your sons. Pretty sure that qualifies. Ha. If only he knew.
“If you’re uncomfortable speaking to me,” Emery adds after a moment, “you can always tell your mother instead.”
My gaze flicks to Mom. She’s watching me with a mixture of worried and tender expression.
Eeven with all the love and trust I have for her, I can’t bring myself to tell her my secret. I won’t. This truth—the mate bond—isn’t leaving me. Not yet. This dirty little secret stays between me and my stepbrothers.
So I smile faintly and shake my head. “No secrets. Honestly, I’m an open book. I’d say I’m too easy to read most of the time.”
Alpha Emery studies me for a minute before nodding. “Very well. But if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come to me. Understood?”
“Yes, thank you,” I murmur.
He glances at Mom then, softening. “Your turn. I believe you had something to tell her.”
Mom beams, her eyes warm. “Yes. Darling, Kaelara University is now open for enrollment for the next semester. Emery and I already spoke to the president, and he promised you’ll be granted a slot once you decide to enroll.”
Right. I almost forgot I agreed to transfer here. There are too many things that have been sleeping off my mind lately.
“The enrollment begins tomorrow,” Mom continues brightly. “You should go yourself. There might be a short interview just for formality. Your slot is guaranteed but your presence would be appreciated.”
“Kaelara University is one of the top business schools in the country,” Alpha Emery chimes in. “I’m sure you’ll have a good experience there.”
I nod absently. “Okay. I’ll go tomorrow.”
Mom clasps her hands together, her smile glowing with excitement. “Oh, darling, this is going to open so many doors for you.”
I hope so. I could really use some luck now.