Page 70 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

‘I’m sure if she could figure out how to make that work, she would.’

The words made me laugh, and then we continued to work until it was time to be done for the day, only stopping to watch Bells walk away to pick up Adam, and start helping Charles and Lindsay with the preparations for tonight. I had her schedule memorized by now, and I wondered how she managed to keep herself sane. The woman worked too damn hard. I was sure she was still standing only thanks to her sheer will and stubbornness.

I’d spoken a little with some of the other women in the packs in the weeks since I arrived. I knew how much Bells took on after her mate died and all the problems she had. I learned from her patrol why she was so annoyed when I jumped in front of her.

Rogues have been continuously breaching the borders over the past year. They never attacked, they never did anything but stare at her and then run away. It was enough to keep her people in fear, and the council breathing down her neck.

I was happy to see Cory had sent her someone to investigate, because something definitely felt fishy about it all. There hadn’t been more breaches in the last week, but I’d added a few of my warriors to the patrol rotation, just in case. Bells insistedit wasn’t necessary initially, but she finally caved when she admitted some of the women currently on the rotation weren’t the best fighters.

I was surprised any of them were. From what I heard through my pack members talking around the dinner table, most of these women were the ones that took shelter when the rogue attack began, which meant they weren’t fighters. They were forced to learn over the last year in order to survive.

I showered and changed, feeling my nerves rising the closer we got to the full moon celebration. I picked at my food and even visited Violet, who wasn’t joining us, to distract myself. She did make me bring Chris back down with me, though. The man grumbled the entire time, and I wondered if he hated the pomp and circumstance surrounding the full moon, too. He was what? Twenty-four? He was probably tired of trying to find his mate. I knew he was catching feelings for Violet. Maybe he wanted to see if she was his mate.

Bells had a whole speech for both packs where she thanked everyone for their work over the last few weeks. I could feel the emotion behind her words. How much stress was she under before we got here, wondering how she was going to get it all done.

I knew Cory was ready to help his twin, but Bells hated asking for help. Even now, it must sting that she needed any help at all. And knowing how little this pack actually appreciated her... they didn’t deserve her. If I could— if she’d let me— I’d take her away from this whole mess and treat her like the queen she was to me.

I forced myself to look at the two packs as we waited for the moon to peak. The first one I saw sniffing the air wasn’t a surprise. Over the last few weeks, Charles only stopped talking about how awesome and down-to-earth Bells was, to gush over Bells’ current cook, Lindsay. They were close to the same age and watching them work and interact with each other, it was easy tosee how well they got along. It was nice to see Charles kissing Lindsay after roaring “Mine.”

Surprisingly and disappointedly, only two other couples appeared to be mated, and as I dared to peek at Bells, we weren’t one of them.

‘Sorry, man,’John sounded as disappointed as I felt, and I swallowed hard as I looked up at the full moon.

Was it really that hard an ask for her to be my second chance mate?

I didn’t dare look at Bells again. I knew I would just want to beg her to take me anyway, and I had enough pride to do that in private.

Are you ready for this?I asked my wolf.When we’re back from the estate tours, we’re going to court her.

Yes. Convince her to be ours.

Knowing I had the support of my wolf helped me swallow the hurt and resentment I was trying hard not to feel toward the Moon Goddess at this moment. She might know best for most people, but I knew what my heart wanted. What my heart had always wanted, and I wasn’t going to let anything stop me.

Chapter Twelve

Bellarose

Ididn’t know if I wanted to cry from disappointment or relief. Cade wasn’t my second-chance mate. I didn’t have to make the decision to be his luna after all. Someone else would get that privilege. That thought alone hurt, but I was in front of the two packs and I needed to push everything down and keep the show going.

“Let’s shift, and enjoy the run under the light of the Moon Goddess.” I smiled at everyone.

Lindsay and Charles were too wrapped up in each other to notice, while others were visibly disappointed. None of my widows got a second-chance mate. Did the Moon Goddess hate me that much? I’d now lost my only cook to Cade’s pack and gained no pack members. Chris also didn’t find a mate, but he looked unperturbed by the fact. Actually, scratch that. He kept looking up at the pack house, his hands flexing at his sides. Cade was right, but also wrong.

Chris didn’t like Violet. He was in love with my little sister.

Meanwhile, Elim was off to the side, confusion in his eyes as he searched the crowd. When he didn’t find who he was looking for, he also looked up at the alpha floor of the pack house, but where Chris remained with the group, Elim took off with his vampire speed into the house.

This might be an interesting little while for my sister.

I turned to head down the platform we’d set up earlier today. Cade was looking up at the moon, lost in thought. I wondered what he was thinking about. I tried to move around him to head down the steps, but he moved as I passed, and I almost lost my balance. His hands reached out automatically, and he steadied me on my feet. Lightning and fire shot up my arm and I gasped at its intensity.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. You?” I asked.

I felt like he took my question to mean more than a simple courtesy, because his eyes searched mine for a moment, before a slow smile appeared on his face that made my heart flutter.

“I will be, Princess. If things go my way.”

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