Page 81 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

Kirsten sighed, shoulders relaxing. “If we’re going to be partners, mates, then I should be your confidant, your sounding board. The person you discuss things with. Did you talk to anyone about this, or did you come up with this on your own?”

I winced. That was a kick in the balls, and it was only going to get worse. “Um, I did have a meeting with my council. We took a vote on whether I should challenge Eren.”

“So, they were worth your time, but I wasn’t?”

“No! No, that’s not it at all. I just…” Fuck, what did I mean? Why hadn’t I talked to her about it? Shit.

Something about this had triggered her. I’d touched a nerve on something deeper, something I hadn’t been aware of, and now I was dealing with the fallout.

“Let’s talk now,” I offered.

“There’s nothing to talk about. It’s already done,” she said, crossing her arms.

She was shutting down, putting up a wall. I had the feeling I wouldn’t be getting anywhere right now. Not today. I needed to give her some space. Backing toward the door, I said exactly that.

“I’m sorry, Kirsten. I didn’t do this on purpose. I’ll give you some space. I wanted to say—”

“Yes? What?” She gave me yet another icy glare.

“I’ve never been in a relationship before. I’m not entirely sure how this should work, not really. I went into this with a shifter mindset, and I see that I need to view it from a different angle. Honestly, I’m not even sure what kind of mate I’ll be, or if I’ll even be a good one. What I do know,” I said, giving her a pleading look, “is that this goes both ways. I can’t help heal the broken parts of you if you keep it all locked up and throw up walls at the first sign of trouble. Just like you can’t help me if I don’t tell you everything that’s going on. I’m not your enemy, Kirsten. Hopefully, you’ll let me in and help you heal soon.”

The look on her face was unreadable as I closed the door behind me. There was some sadness, some regret, and a flicker of worry in her eyes. I hoped she was taking my words to heart. I’d only known her a short time, but I’d come to the realization that I wanted to be with her forever. I didn’t want to lose her.

Chapter 23

Kirsten

Lory massaged my cuticles, prepping my nails for the polish. I’d come here to try and relax as well as get ready for the pack meeting that night. There’s been so much on my mind that I’d basically stayed locked up in the cabin since my fight with Jace.

He’d been true to his word and given me plenty of space. He hadn’t been by to see me in several days. The only contact we’d had was through texts. I’d already agreed that he could announce we were fated mates and that he would be courting me. We’d agreed via text that tonight would be the night.

“What color?” Lory asked.

My head snapped up, and I blinked away my thoughts. “Uh… I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Okay… hmm, how about something goth?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Black?”

I snorted. “Sure. Why not.”

“Cool.” She grabbed the polish and looked at me while she shook the bottle, an apprehensive look on her face. “Do you know what tonight’s meeting is about by chance? Everyone is trying to figure it out.”

Of course they were. Jace had called on every member of the pack to be there. Rumors were probably running rampant.

“Meeting?” I asked dumbly.

“Yeah. Jace called a full pack meeting for tonight. It’s kinda weird. He never does that, and we’ve had three in the last few weeks. One was the annual meeting, the other was about you, of course. No one knows what this is about, though.”

I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to lie, but I also didn’t want to let the news spread too soon. Jace had been adamant that he be the one to tell the pack about our relationship and connection.

“I do,” I admitted. When Lory’s eyes widened, I hurriedly added, “But Jace told me not to say anything to anyone.”

She visibly deflated. “Ugh, I figured. It’s not bad, is it? Can you at least tell me that?”

How to answer that question? It may have all been relative. The Sandra lady would probably be horrified, while someone who seemed a little more open and progressive like Lory would shrug it off.

“I don’t think so,” I said, hoping to keep any emotion from my voice. “It’ll be, uh, surprising, but everything’s okay.”

Lory’s forehead wrinkled. “Huh. Cryptic. I guess I’ll find out in a few hours.”

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