Page 12 of Fated In Winter

I knew I couldn’t.

“My family knows. My twin knows.”

“Kaylee,” Romy said with a grin.

“You know Kaylee?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“I do. So it’s funny that you and I haven’t met until now.”

My wolf howled, wanting more. “Funny, that’s one way to put it.”

But before I could say anything, before she could do anything, a scent rose on the wind, and I turned. “Darren,” I whispered.

“He was here, but it’s fading. It isn’t recent.”

I cursed under my breath. “I don’t want to go back to his mate and tell him he’s dead.”

“I don’t know what I would do if I were to ever mate and lose them to being rogue.”

Her words slashed over me. She could be my mate, and I couldn’t tell her. I was one step from going rogue. I knew it. My family did. Everyone did.

I could never give in. I could never give into my wolf, to a bond, to anything that could hurt my future mate.

To anything that could hurt Romy.

And I hated myself just a little bit more that I was going to lose this potential after all.

Before I even had a chance to let myself go.

CHAPTER4

Romy

“You’re doing well,Romy, but I hope you start meeting with the Redwoods more.”

I looked up at Xavier and held back a sigh. I liked the Elder. He was a good man who always treated me with respect, but he also knew I didn’t belong here. While the Elders were doing their best to reintegrate with the rest of the Talon Pack, they also had their sense of closeness, of reality. After all, they’d had hundreds of years together to form who they were and have their own language.

They practically had their own bonds, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if that was far off. After all, I wasn’t going to know when it came to the Elders. Because I wasn’t an Elder myself. Despite what I sometimes felt, at ninety-nine, I wasn’t the oldest wolf out there. I wasn’t even close. The Alpha was nearly a century older than me. And yet, sometimes, I felt like I had no one.

And that was a problem, wasn’t it?

“I need to meet with the Redwood adviser today.” Conner. His name was Conner, and yet I couldn’t say it. I needed to just do so and stop having him take up real estate in my head. “We’re planning a Yule event for the Alphas. Our goal, we think, is to make sure every person who wants to be part of the event has something to plan. Either with food, or art, or music. Anything that helps them help the Alpha.”

Xavier grinned. “Good. Our Alpha pair need a break.”

“They do. I just don’t know why Conner and I are the ones that are in charge of it.”

“I cannot speak for the Redwoods or Conner, but I can tell you that things are done like this for a reason.”

“Again, I’m not sure why I would be that reason.” I ducked my head, feeling more lonely than I had in a while.

“Romy, they wouldn’t want you to feel like this.”

My head shot up. “We don’t know what they would have wanted because they’re gone.”

“Romy.”

“No, I’m sorry. I can’t do this.” I stood up, and Xavier reached out and grabbed my hand.

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