Page 46 of Make Me

“Not if the pair are fated mates,” Zack’s quiet voice broke in.

“Yeah, if they’re fated mates, then they need to get leader approval.” Bethany put her hands on her hips and pretended to look around the forest. “Oh wait, I forgot. Our parents didn’t give approval because they knew it wouldn’t be received well. Even if Claire changes the law, the entire Realm has believed it for decades. Hell, our pride and pack can’t even get along on a good day! If they find out we’re mates, the fighting will never end!”

“So?” Cody said. “I don’t care about any of that. I care about you! We care about you!”

“What if that’s not enough?!”

At this point, her lioness decided she’d had enough of being shoved down and surged forward. Bethany lost control of her shift as she landed on all four paws. Her lioness hesitated for a moment, not sure if she wanted to go to her mates or protect herself. Bethany used that moment of hesitation to wrest control back from her animal. She had to get out of here before she did something she regretted. She hadn’t lost control of a shift in years. She turned and ran into the forest, leaving it all behind.

The urge to run faded as the shame, anger, and guilt grew. She stopped before a large tree, pacing in front of it, tail swishing angrily. If she was in human form, her cheeks would be red and not from the exertion of the run but from shame. As it was, her lioness trembled as she paced.

For the Realm’s sake, she had really lost it. She shouldn’t have lost control like that. She knew better. But Cody had just kept pushing, like he always did. He didn’t seem to understand all the obstacles they faced. It was like, once they knew they were all mates, nothing seemed to matter to them. They didn’t get that nothing had changed. It didn’t matter that she wanted them as much as they wanted her. That yesterday it had felt like the clouds parted and birds sang when she’d realized they were all mates. Today, reality had set back in.

Rustling from above her had her lioness freezing in place. In the next breath, apples filled her nostrils and her cat relaxed before Bethany registered the scent. Mylo.

She lifted her head and spotted the inky black panther lounging on a tree branch above her. In a graceful move, he leaped down from the tree branch to land soundlessly next to her. A ripple of Energy covered his body as he shifted back. He took a seat next to her with his back against the tree but didn’t speak. As the silence dragged on, her lioness soaked up the comfort of his presence. Mylo seemed content to wait her out, so Bethany shifted back.

She took a seat next to him, their knees almost brushing as she leaned back against the tree. Although he was a comforting presence to her cat, Mylo was still very much a stranger. And in some ways, that made it easier to talk to him. She found herself opening her mouth and letting it all spill out.

“I don’t want to hurt them, hurt you. But I don’t see how this is going to work,” she admitted. She fingered her necklace as she waited for Mylo’s response.

“My parents met when they were eighteen. They knew instantly that they were fated mates.” Mylo ignored what she said as he continued. “It was frowned upon back then but not illegal. They actually met in these very woods. My mother had a bit of an adventurous streak, and my father indulged her.” Mylo’s voice was soft yet wistful as he talked about his parents.

“They snuck around a little bit but eventually decided to tell their leaders. Her pride did not take the news well. She was the daughter of a Delta and had been matched with a tiger from another pride without her knowing. But my mom put her foot down and showed up with my father bearing her mark. The pride reluctantly accepted them and, in time, grew fond of my father and even integrated him into some Delta responsibilities.” He smiled, his eyes lost in memories.

“Then the war started, and the shifters and Elves were on opposite sides. There was a lot of confusion and ignorance, which led to hate and bigotry. The Alphas panicked and kicked my father out, terrified he was going to give their secrets to the Elves. They tried to keep my mother in the pride, but she left with my father, and they went to live with the Elves. My father always felt guilty about it, tearing my mother away from her family. But my mother always told him that they were mates, and whatever they faced, they faced together. There were always going to be challenges or obstacles in their path, but the beauty of mates was they didn’t have to face it alone.”

Bethany’s eyes dropped to the ground in front of her as she understood where Mylo was going with this. His mother had been exactly where Bethany was now. Well, not exactly; she had been a Delta’s daughter and Bethany was an Alpha’s daughter. And she had a pre-approved match that her parents pressured her towards while Bethany was just being pressured to take a consort. But they both shared the same obstacle, and that was their pride. But Mylo’s mom had walked away from the pride. Bethany was the Alpha’s daughter. She couldn’t walk away from the pride. Could she?

“Were they happy?” she asked. Was it worth it? was the question she really wanted to ask.

“They were the happiest people I knew. That doesn’t mean they didn’t struggle, but they did it together.”

Bethany chewed her lip as she thought it over. Her entire life, her mom had raised her to be the most powerful Alpha Heir so she could take over the pride. Emotions were weaknesses that could be used against you. Every decision was a carefully thought-out strategy and had to be backed up by facts and figures. Happiness was never a consideration. She had found stolen moments of it with Cody growing up and then again when they’d met Zack at the Academy. Even in Mylo, who she hadn’t known very long, she could see glimpses of a life in the future where they were happy. Where all of them were happy. But was it enough when the obstacles against them seemed insurmountable?

“I will not diminish the points you made back there,” Mylo said softly. “You are right, there are several obstacles against us, and it sounds like for a long time you’ve been facing them alone. You all have. But what would happen if you faced them together?”

Bethany thought about this. What if the next time her mother questioned her decisions, she had them at her side to back her up? Or after a long day managing tensions between the pack and pride, she had them to come home to? Or their help with managing them. Bethany knew it was only going to get harder. Being Claire’s Ambassadors brought on a whole new level of responsibilities and risk, but what if she didn’t have to do it alone?

“You’ve known them a long time,” Mylo said. “Do they seem like the type to abandon you when things get tough?”

“No,” Bethany admitted. “But it can’t be that simple.”

Mylo huffed out a laugh. “It’s that simple and that difficult all at the same time. But the question is, are you willing to choose us as we are willing to choose you, even if it’s hard? Even if your parents don’t approve and the entire Realm is against us? Because if you do, I can promise that you’ll never be alone.”

Unexpected tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, and she pulled her knees up to her chest.

“You’ve been alone for too long now,” Mylo said softly, and she could feel his golden eyes fixed on the side of her face as she looked out into the forest. “You can rely on us.”

She swallowed roughly against the lump in her throat. Despite not knowing her for very long, he had hit the nail on the head. She had been alone her entire life. She didn’t know what it was like to go through life with someone at her side. Her dad had died when she had been young, and her mom had never been there for her in that way. And neither had anyone in the pride. It wasn’t until Cody and Zack, and now Mylo, that she understood what that felt like. And the thought of not choosing them, of continuing to go at it alone, had her heart aching. She couldn’t imagine life without them.

Mylo was right. It would be hard, and they wouldn’t have all the answers, but who did? She didn’t want to lose them, and she was tired of doing it alone. Could she believe that they could face whatever was in front of them together, even if it was hard?

Yes. She could.

A tear spilled over the corner of her eye, and Mylo wiped it away with his thumb. She shifted to look at him. His golden eyes were bright but gentle as he smiled at her.

“I’m tired of being alone,” Bethany said, her voice barely a whisper. “I want to choose you all. But I’m scared. Scared I’m going to mess it up. I’ve… I’ve never had anyone before to rely on like that.”

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