Page 29 of True Wolf

My mind rushed through so many thoughts. What if I’d misunderstood? What if we’d all misunderstood? My eyes shot up to Zion’s.

“Is that what you think?” he asked her.

Toyin shook her head slowly. “I don’t know for sure what she meant or what her prophecy was but what I do know is that my magic is quiet right now.”

“What does that mean?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

“It means I’m not being pulled to heal. I can’t promise you anything but if there was a problem, I would feel it. My magic has a mind of its own. It’s only up to me to follow whichever way it guides me. It’s possible you misunderstood or that she even misunderstood the message and translated it incorrectly.”

I wanted to be hopeful but if she was wrong…

“Maybe. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get dressed.”

“Sure.” Toyin nodded but before I could get around her she hugged me tightly, lifted onto her toes, and kissed my cheek.

“I’m glad it’s you, Nessah.” She backed away and I left the two of them in the hallway, heading to the living room to grab my bags which were sitting on the sofa. However, I was temporarily distracted by the sight of Rafe and Kaleb playing. A slight twinge of hope pushed through my chest at the thought of our son or daughter being just as close as the two of them were.

But then it was gone. I exhaled a shaky breath, lifted my things, and headed back to Zion’s bedroom without saying anything as I bypassed him and Toyin. Hope was for fools and I refused to be one.

&

“You look happy.” Mina arched her brow as she pushed a mug of coffee across the counter. “And stressed.”

“Of course I’m stressed. Zion believes we’re perfect for each other.”

“You are.” She shrugged and lifted her mug. “You’re fated, Ness.”

“I know…” I released a sigh. “Yet there are a million and one reasons why we don’t work.”

“And a million and one reasons why you do that trump every argument you have about not submitting to him.”

My mind shifted to the conversation I had with Toyin. A twinge of hope crept in. God, I wanted to be hopeful but hope hadn’t fared well in my life. I couldn’t rely on a fool’s wishes that weren’t tangible.

“I have to go home.”

“What? No, absolutely not.” Mina’s shocked expression had me explaining.

I told her the things Toyin said and her thoughts on what the real issue might be, that this could be a misunderstanding. There was only one way to know for sure and that meant going home to ask Sula the right questions, like if I couldn’t have kids at all or if I couldn’t have Rolf’s children.

Two very different things that could affect my future and Zion’s.

After I was done, she was fully on board with me going home. Her only goal was me accepting the bond with Zion, but she had one demand. I was not going alone.

“What kind of family would I be if I allowed you to go back there without a support system?”

“You’re the best kind of family, Mina. You’ve already risked everything in support of me.”

“Everything worked out. Lazar and Jo didn’t force me to leave,” she argued so I tried another approach.

“This isn’t your problem to fix and you have just as much reason not to go back there as I do.”

She cringed but then schooled her emotions. “It’s been a long time and I don’t know anything for certain.”

I nodded but we shared a look that expressed what she and I both felt. Years ago, her parents, my aunt and uncle, had gone out for a hunt with several other pack members. They never returned and the story told was that they encountered a group of rogues. They were all under attack for entering territory claimed by vigilante wolves and Mina’s parents were a casualty. According to those who survived, my parents were witnesses to everything that happened but their stories didn’t exactly add up. No bodies were recovered and brought back to our territory to be buried on pack grounds, which was tradition.

No one ever fully expressed what happened, even when Mina demanded answers. She never felt comfortable with the Calhoun Pack after that, so she left and roamed as a lone wolf, moving from pack to pack until she ended up here in Hollow Grove. She had bad memories there and unrequited feelings about our old pack. I refused to let her revisit those bad memories in support of answers I might never find.

“You’re not going. I can do this by myself. I have to do this by myself…”

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