Page 12 of Bonded Beyond Regret

The younger she-wolf stumbles a little bit, and her face flushes with embarrassment.

There are some pack members who would not take kindly to being corrected by anyone who isn’t part of the leadership of the pack or one of the top ranked warriors. Samantha takes it in stride and immediately rights herself and follows Nyx’s directive.

“Good,” Nyx praises before stepping back and easily falling into her own fighting stance. “Again. You got this.”

I can’t help but smile.

“Female acts like a Luna without even trying,”my wolf sighs before rolling over in my mind like he’s presenting his belly for the female we can’t look away from to rub his belly.

I ignore my wolf because there’s really no other option.

Yes, I’m attracted to Nyx. Yes, Aisley stole a piece of my heart with just one smile.

That doesn’t mean I can ever act on the attraction and possessiveness I’m feeling. Both females deserve more than a broken Alpha who had to kill his mate in the name of avenging his sister even though it was years too late.

Samantha and Nyx start sparring again, and I can immediately see an improvement in Samantha. After a few minutes, Nyx lands a punch that has the younger she-wolf stumbling back. Still, both have big smiles on their faces.

It’s damn good to see Samantha smiling like she is right now.

She’s gained so much confidence because of training.

“It’s more than the training,”my wolf assures me.“She feels the love and acceptance of the pack. It is helping the femaleand her she-wolf heal.”He sighs,“She’s pretty, she should have never been rejected and thrown away. The Goddess doesn’t make mistakes.”

I make a humming sound in my mind, unsure of what to say to my wolf. I’m glad that the pack and the work I’ve been doing to build a pack for wolves just like Samantha, but it’s not easy to know that the Goddess doesn’t make mistakes when it comes to mates.

Bitterness threatens to choke me because of the mate I was granted, but I try to push past it. Was Kathy really the other half of our soul? What does that say about me?

I’m not sure it’s good.

“Sometimes a mate is supposed to provide balance and to help the wolf become better. They may not be a perfect match when first mated, but the potential is there to become it. That is when the Goddess shines the most.”

I snarl,“So, does that mean Kathy was some kind of test? I’m not sure I passed.”

“We’re still here,”my wolf points out as he pants and watches Nyx’s next round with Samantha.

My eyes are trained on the pair, but I’m not paying attention even though I know I should be.

“The Goddess could have called us home when the mate bond was severed. She didn’t because she knew we still had a purpose. With that comes the hope for finding a she-wolf we can give our all to, one who can make us better, and who we love and protect with everything in us.”

Before I can continue to argue with my wolf, even though his words ring true in some deep part of me I don’t want torecognize, I get a mind link from Mike who is at the gates to the pack again for duty.

“Alpha,”Mike’s voice holds an edge of worry that has me standing up a little taller.

Nyx must notice the change in me because she glances in my direction with a furrowed brow and concern in her gorgeous gold flecked eyed. My wolf purrs in approval, loving having the female’s attention on us.

“What’s wrong, Mike?”

“There is a she-wolf here who is requesting to speak to you. I think she’s here to request sanctuary.”He sighs and adds,“She’s not looking very good. I don’t see any obvious injuries. If I had to guess, I think her mate has died.”

Fuck.

I know Mike is familiar with the signs. I’ve ensured that every warrior is properly trained and that is especially important for those who run border patrols and work the front gate. I would hate for someone to be turned away because the pain they’re experiencing doesn’t allow them to communicate easily and effectively.

“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll contact the hospital to let them know, in case she needs to be treated.”My eyes find Nyx, who is no longer sparing and watching me intently. There’s something magical about having her eyes on me. Just because I can’t accept it, and it makes me a little uncomfortable, doesn’t mean I can’t recognize how good it feels. I assure Mike,“I’ll be there in a few moments.”

“Yes, Alpha,”he links before I cut the connection between us.

When I step closer to Nyx, she tilts her head as her eyes search my face. “As much as I’m enjoying watching you spar and help Samantha improve,” my voice is pitched low, “can you please come with me? A she-wolf is at the gate and is looking for sanctuary.”

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