APRIL

"What's going on here?" Dad's voice cuts through the tension hanging in the room.

I nearly jump.

Moon Goddess, I'd completely forgotten he was standing there.

Then again, it was hard to focus on anything when Alpha Arik was looking at me like that.
Dad folds his arms across his chest, his gaze moving between us. Confusion is written all over his face.

"Alpha Arik," he says carefully. "Is there a reason you're here? Did you want to discuss the weapon further?"

My mate clears his throat. His attention should be on my father, but sadly he hasn't torn his stare from me. Up close, he's even more intimidating. The sharp line of his jaw is tense. His broad shoulders look rigid beneath his dark shirt.

He is looking at me like I am the only thing here that matters.

Sensing that his Alpha is completely lost for words, Jacob steps in to speak in his place. "No, uh... it just seems that Alpha Arik's daughter went missing for a few hours last night, and your daughter here was the one who brought her back."

"Really?" Dad turns to me, raising his brow in surprise. "Is this true, April?"

Even with my tongue twisting into knots, I somehow force my vocal cords to work. I find the courage to speak. "Yeah. I was out running in the woods when I heard a pup crying for help," I explain.

I turn away from Dad and keep my eyes trained firmly on Jacob, resisting the overwhelming urge to look back at Alpha Arik for the countless time. "How is she doing?"

"She's fine. But she hasn't stopped talking about you."

The news sends a sudden, fierce spark of joy through my chest, and inside my head, Athena lets out a happy, content purr. "I'd love to see her again," I admit.

​"Do you want to?" it isn't Jacob now rather my mate who asks.

​His voice is remarkably soft now, entirely stripped of the gravelly command he used with my father. He stares down at me, waiting.

I suck in a breath, desperately trying to contain the panic clawing its way up my throat.

​"If that's alright with you... Alpha."

​The moment the title leaves my lips, his brows instantly pinch together in a harsh, pained frown. A heavy ripple of displeasure rolls off his aura, leaving me completely bewildered. Why is he upset that I called him Alpha? He is an Alpha.

​He steps a fraction closer, ignoring my discomfort. "Does your father know?" he asks, his voice dropping into a lower register.

​"No."

​"Can someone please explain what the hell is happening right now?" Dad demands, stepping between us. He looks utterly confused and thoroughly annoyed.

​Before I can open my mouth to find an excuse, my mate cuts in, his voice brooking zero argument.

​"I want to have a private word with your daughter, Beta Rufus."

​Dad's eyes narrow sharply. "Why?"

​"It's important," Arik says, the fierce, unyielding Alpha authority returning to his frame. But the moment his eyes slide back down to mine, that hardened mask cracks, dissolving into a look so vulnerable it makes my throat tight. "Let's talk, April."

​He said my name.

​Hearing April fall from his lips does something catastrophic to my inside world. For a split second, the heavy silence in my head vanishes as Athena practically screams in delight, her sleeping presence waking just enough to bask in the melody of his voice.

I shouldn't enjoy it. Knowing what is likely about to happen next, I shouldn't crave the sound of his voice muttering my name again. But I do.

"Dad, I'll explain everything," I say, walking over to my father and touching his arm. He doesn't look even remotely convinced, his jaw locked tight. "Just let me speak with him. I promise I'm okay."

He searches my face for a long, quiet moment before finally nodding, though the deep frown across his lips doesn't leave.

I turn back to my mate, my voice struggling to stay normal. "Where do you want to talk?"

"The woods would be good," Arik replies softly. "if that's alright with you."

The woods. Of course. He really wants to reject me out there, far away from any prying ears, where no one can witness my humiliation.

Within minutes, we are out of the house and walking along the dirt path that cuts into the thick forest behind my home. The afternoon sun is no longer scorching; instead, a crisp, cold breeze rustles through the canopy. I'm still wearing my thin training gear, and the tight tank top does absolutely nothing to shield my skin from the chill. I shiver slightly, crossing my arms over my chest.

Alpha Arik hasn't said a word since we left the porch. He walks right beside me, his long strides effortlessly matching my pace. His golden eyes occasionally roam around the towering trees and the birds flitting between the branches, but then he suddenly stops dead in his tracks.

"W-what is it?" I stammer, tensing up. I feel like dying from the sheer suspense.

"Is there a lake nearby?" he asks.

My eyes widen in surprise. "You can hear the lake from here?"

I glance down the hidden pathway to the left. Matt usually can't hear the water rushing until we walk a lot closer to the shoreline.

"You can't," Arik states. It isn't said in a way to offend me or mock my human hearing, but rather like he is carefully examining me, piecing together a puzzle.

"Look, you must have realized I have no scent by now," I say, the words snapping out of me before I can stop them. I'm lashing out for no good reason. "Why are you acting so surprised?"

Deep down, I know exactly why I'm being defensive. His nearness is suffocating. But the strangest part is that my anxiety isn't growing. Instead, a deep, instinctual sense of inner peace and absolute relaxation is trying to wash over me, a comfort born from the bond that I stubbornly refuse to let myself consume.

I hold my breath, waiting for him to get upset with the disrespectful way I just spoke to an Alpha. I've heard the rumors about how ruthless and cruel the Bloodveil Alpha can be to his enemies, so I wouldn't be surprised if he insults me or puts me in my place.

But he doesn't do either.

"How's your wrist?" he asks suddenly, catching me completely off guard. He glances down at my arm. "Jacob twisted it, correct?"

Before I can answer, he reaches his hand out toward mine. The sudden movement panics me, and I instantly take a sharp step back, pulling my hands away from him.

"What are you doing?" I ask, my heart hammering violently against my ribs.

"I want to see if it hurts," he says gently.

"I'm fine," I grit out through my teeth, refusing to show any vulnerability.

Arik's broad shoulders slump a fraction, a visible wave of relief washing over his features. Why is he acting like he cares so much? Why isn't he just getting this over with?

It's the bond. Our little interactions must be making his wolf worried about me.

"Can you show me where Reya got lost?" he asks, trying to form a smile, though it looks stiff and practiced on his rugged face. "I honestly don't even know how she managed to run all the way out here."

I blink, thoroughly confused by his shifting demeanor. "You want to go there now?"

He nods. "Yes, if you're comfortable walking with a stranger."

"But you're not a stranger," I murmur, the words slipping out against my will. I instantly bite my inner cheek, letting the sharp sting of pain punish me for my big mouth. It seems I'm also affected too much by the bond as well.

Before he can react to my comment, I point toward a narrower, overgrown trail. "It's that way."

Heading deeper into the thick forest, I track the familiar path to the exact spot where I first stumbled upon Reya last night. The silence between us stretches, and a million questions start flying through my mind until I can't keep them contained anymore.

"How did she even get out here?" I ask, keeping my eyes fixed on the dirt path ahead, refusing to look at him.

Arik lets out a heavy, guilt-ridden sigh. "I told someone to watch over her door while I went to greet Alpha Haden."

"Don't you have someone permanently assigned to watch her? Like a nanny, perhaps?"

"Reya doesn't do well with female wolves," he explains bluntly.

That makes me freeze in my tracks. I turn to face him, a sudden wave of protective anger flaring up inside me.

"You knew that, and you still made her stay with one last night?" I glare at him, completely forgetting that he could snap me like a twig if he wanted to.

"I did not," Arik counters, his jaw tightening as he defends himself. "I just-"

"She was crying, you know," I cut him off, and the moment the words leave my lips, his entire body freezes. "The woman watching her called her a brat. She told Reya that you didn't want to see her. She ran away crying because of that, and she stayed outside in the freezing cold until I found her."

A dark, terrifying anger instantly radiates from Arik's posture. The air around us grows cold, the sheer power of his Alpha aura causing the leaves on the ground to tremble.

"Do you know the name of the woman who spoke to her?" he asks, his voice dangerously low.

"No. She must be part of your pack."

His frown deepens, a flash of deep hurt crossing his golden eyes. "Reya didn't tell me any of this."

"Reya is a good child," I say softly, the anger melting away as I think of her sweet face. A genuine smile touches my lips. "I don't think she'd want you to beat someone up on her account."

The second the words leave my mouth, I realize how incredibly dumb I must sound. I clear my throat, a flush of embarrassment burning my cheeks. How can I, a complete stranger, pretend to know his daughter better than he does?

"But... I don't know. I mean..." I bite my tongue, wishing a hole would open up in the dirt and swallow me whole. I really need to shut up.

"You're right," Arik says, his gravelly voice breaking through my panic. He looks down at me, the murderous rage in his eyes softening into pure, heavy regret. "I should have made sure she was fully asleep before I left for the meeting with Alpha Haden."

I wasn't expecting that. The sudden shift back to the real reason he came out here completely shatters the fragile, safe illusion I've been trying to build. I need the distance. I need the cold formality to shield my heart before he finally rips the bond away for good.

Panicking, I scramble for a distraction. "Why doesn't she like the female wolves of your pack?"

Arik pauses, the intensity in his eyes flickering as he glances away from me, looking out into the dense trees. "I don't know," he says quietly, his voice carrying a trace of old, deeply rooted exhaustion. He shakes his head slightly, as if pulling himself back to the present. "Are we almost there?"

I blink, clearing my throat. "Yeah, it's right there." I gesture toward the edge of the small path.

He looks past my shoulder, taking a few slow, deliberate steps forward into the clearing. I instinctively shift to the side, my eyes mapping the broad, powerful expanse of his shoulders under his tight undershirt.

I want to touch him, Athena whispers, her intrusive, heavy thoughts bleeding directly into mine. His body looks like it would feel so nice to hold... don't you think?

My cheeks instantly burn with a fiery blush. Keep your horny thoughts to yourself.

Mine? Athena scoffs. I'm only saying what you're too scared to admit out loud. You desire him, too. Don't ignore what you want, April.

Refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reply, I make sure to maintain a strict, proper distance between Arik and myself. I watch him silently as he inspects the surrounding rocks and the dense thicket of the inner forest.

"I'm still incredibly confused as to how she made it all the way out here undetected," he murmurs, turning back to face me. He narrows his golden eyes, an overwhelming curiosity drawing his features tight. "But how did you calm her down? She doesn't trust easily."

"It wasn't hard," I tell him, shrugging it off. He gives me a look that screams he doesn't believe a word of my modesty, so I push further. "She was frightened and hurt. Anyone in that situation would take help. Don't think too much of it."

He looks unsatisfied with my answer.

A sharp, sudden gust of wind cuts through the clearing. Even with his heavy shirt draped over my shoulders, the biting cold makes me shiver. I grit my teeth, letting out a shaky sigh that fogs in the crisp air.

"I think we've talked long enough," I say, wrapping his shirt tighter around my frame.

"We have?" Arik tilts his head.

Suddenly, a stray beam of afternoon sunlight pierces through the canopy, radiating perfectly across his face. The golden rays catch the sharp bridge of his nose, illuminate his striking eyes, and pool softly over his lips. He looks devastatingly handsome, like an ancient god carved from marble and sunlight. It makes my chest ache.

"Yes. So... just do it," I say, clenching my hands into tight fists beneath the sleeves, bracing myself for the incoming burn.

I've heard stories about rejection. The pack girls used to whisper that it feels like having a piece of your vital organs violently ripped from your body while you're still breathing.

They said sometimes it's better if death comes first. I haven't fully transformed yet, so I frantically pray the physical pain will be less severe for a late bloomer. I just hope Athena doesn't fade away with the bond. If I lose her, I'll completely lose my mind.

My heart beats rapidly, a frantic, trapped bird against my ribs. The crushing weight of the impending rejection claws at the inside of my skin. The painful restlessness I've been harboring since last night will finally disappear once he speaks those final words and breaks our fated tie.

"Do what?" Arik asks, his tone laced with genuine confusion.

I let out a harsh sigh, pure frustration and tears building rapidly from the sheer volume of my kept-in emotions. "Why are you doing this to me?" I choke out.

His eyes widen, surprised at my outburst.

But I don't care anymore. The dam has broken, and the words just keep tumbling out of me.

"You don't want this! I don't..." I swallow hard, my throat tight as Athena practically begs me to shut up in my head. "Can you just do it? Or do I have to be the one to say it?"

"April, I don't underst-"

"Reject me, for fucking sake!"

The words echo violently through the quiet forest, slicing through the rustling leaves. A heavy, suffocating silence follows. It feels like an absolute lifetime passes before the true meaning of my desperate scream finally dawns on him.

His expression freezes, then morphs into something dark and profoundly unreadable. Leaving the spot where Reya had been hiding, he takes a slow, heavy step toward me. Then another.

"You d-don't need to be close to reject me," I stammer, my voice cracking as I instinctively scramble backward.

Distracted by the sheer terror of his approaching frame, my heel catches violently against a jagged rock. My footing is instantly thrown off, and the ground rushes up to meet me as I lose my balance completely.

Before I can even brace for the impact, a massive, warm hand clamps firmly around my waist. Another grips my arm, saving my fall.

Arik pulls me flush against his chest, anchoring me so securely to his frame that the breath leaves my lungs in a sharp gasp. The solid heat of his chest radiates straight through my thin tank top, instantly melting the chill of the forest wind.

Touch him. Hold him, Athena begs, practically vibrating with relief against my ribs.

​I place my hands against his chest, fully intending to push myself away, but my fingers betray me, curling into the fabric of his white undershirt. Up close, his golden eyes are swimming with a dangerous mix of shock, confusion, and raw fury.

"Reject you?"​ Arik's voice rumbles against my palms. His grip tightens. "Is that what you think this is?"

I manage to break away from him. I slip his hands off my body, though it takes a desperate amount of effort. Lori wasn't kidding about how it feels to be next to your mate. With his hand on my waist, I was so close to just leaning into his chest for comfort.

I was dangerously close to wanting more.

"Yes, I know what you are," I say, standing my ground. I let out a heavy sigh, needing this torture to end. "Look. If you think it will make you look bad to reject me, don't be. This must be incredibly hard on you and your wolf, having a second mate. You both should be upset-I know I would be. So this needs to end now, while our bond isn't fully formed. Don't worry, no one ever has to know what we were."

So many words pour out of my mouth, and yet I don't mean a single one of them. But it has to be done. It's what's best. Perhaps after this, I can finally convince Dad to let me go live among the humans. They will be far more accepting of me than this pack ever was.

"Do you have any idea what you're asking of me?" Arik asks, his voice dropping into a dangerous register. "You want to break our bond. Do you have any idea what that will do to our wolves?"

"I..."

"You might not care about yours, but when Lydia died, mine almost left," he cuts in, his fierce anger suddenly crumbling into a deep, agonizing sadness. "Kieran grew completely distant. The only reason I'm even still standing here is Reya. And now you want to tear this new bond away because of what? Give me one clear reason."

"I already did."

"You didn't." Arik shakes his head, stepping toward me again. "All your words were about me and my wolf. You never told me why you want us gone. Does it disgust you? Are you ashamed to be fated to an Alpha who couldn't even protect his former mate in the past? Is that it? Tell me your real reason, April, and only then will I think about breaking what the Moon Goddess has destined for us."

As if his words aren't already stripping away all my defenses, he adds, a sharp, challenging edge to his voice, "What does your wolf think about your choice? Did she agree to this decision?"

A guilty pang hits my chest, but I force my expression to harden. "She will be fine."

That answer clearly pisses him off. The air around us turns heavy with his mounting frustration. "Have you shifted yet?"

"Why are you asking?" I demand, panic rising in my throat.

"You have no scent, which you already pointed out. But have you truly bonded with your wolf fully?"

My hands clench into tight fists as my heart rate spikes violently. The truth feels like a confession of my deepest flaw. "I haven't. I can't. I'm a late bloomer."

Arik's eyes widen slightly, his brow furrowing. "That shouldn't be possible."

"It is," I snap, the bitterness bleeding into my voice as years of feeling left behind bubble to the surface. "My pack had a few of them, but they've all shifted by now. I'm the last one left."

That's even more reason you should reject me, I think desperately. I am incomplete. Broken. Why won't he just realize that and do it?

"That explains so much," Arik mutters under his breath, his eyes scanning my face as a wave of sudden understanding washes through the bond. Then, he abruptly turns on his heel. "We need to head back. I need to talk to your father."

My entire body freezes, a cold dread locking my joints. "W-Why?"

He pauses, glancing over his powerful shoulder at me. The sheer, unyielding dominance in his posture returns, but his eyes are burning with a fierce, possessive fire that leaves me utterly breathless.

"I'm taking my mate back to where she belongs," he says, his gravelly voice leaving no room for argument. "And no, I'm not rejecting you or your wolf. You better not repeat those words in front of me again. You will accept what the Moon Goddess has destined for us, because I am not refusing this bond-and neither will you. Do you understand, April?"