Page 43 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

“It’s okay, Bells. We’re the witness protection program,” I said, making Cade blush and chuckle.

“O-okay,” she answered, unsure of what was happening. She shook her head, and looked over at Cade. “Can I grab you for a few minutes sometime today, Alpha Cade?”

“As you wish.”

My sister left after sighing her displeasure. Chris closed the door behind her, and then there was an awkward silence in the room for a moment.

I couldn’t stand it, so I asked, “So Ada wants in your pants and you don’t know how to tell her no?”

Cade threw his head back and laughed at my crude words. “I’ve told her. She doesn’t seem to get the clue that I won’t take her as my luna, and I’m tired of repeating the same conversation with her.”

“Why don’t you have a luna yet?” I asked. “Sorry, that’s a personal question, but don’t most alphas take a chosen mate if they’re over thirty?”

It was an unofficial rule of the council. Any alpha over thirty who hadn’t found his mate must choose a luna before their wolves went feral.

“Ah. It’s the only time I’ve been happy not to have been born an alpha. My wolf is strong, and became stronger once I took over the alpha title from Dad, but the fact he wasn’t born one makes him more stable than your normal alpha wolf. The council’s given me until thirty-five to find my mate or choose a luna.”

“You’re what, thirty-two, now?”

“Yep.”

“Have you looked?”

“Violet, I’ve looked under every damn stone. She doesn’t exist and if she does, she’s in another continent.”

“So you’re going to choose?”

Cade deflated and looked so defeated that my heart went out to him.

“I don’t want to. I have three years to figure it out. Won’t be Ada, though. I can guarantee that. The woman doesn’t care about me, she just wants to be luna,” Cade answered, wincing.

“There’s one in every pack. Dad and Cory both went through it,” I mentioned. Cade nodded and sat, and that was when I noticed Chris had stopped moving in his seat by the table.

‘Are you okay?’I asked.

His eyes flickered to me then to Cade, but he didn’t answer and I saw the panic I usually see reflected on my face in the mirror. Cade hadn’t noticed yet, so I took a bite of my food and changed the subject. By the time Cade left with the empty plates, Chris was back to his broody self.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Come on Chris. I saw your face.”

“I’m fine Violet. Don’t worry about me.”

“But I—”

“I said I was fine,” he said a little shortly, effectively shutting me up.

I couldn’t help but feel hurt. This man had seen me in the most vulnerable moments of my life but he wouldn’t open up to me.

“Okay,” I said curtly, and turned back to my computer.

I tried to work, but after a few minutes of seething quietly, I turned back to Chris. “Why don’t you go for a run? Let your wolf out, I’ll be okay by myself.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“No. I think it is. I would like to be alone right now.”

---