Page 59 of Fated to the Hunters
“Only in that a blood vow won’t work for wolves. The animal needs to connect to the bond as much as the human.”
“Why the neck?”
“The jugular is the one vein with a connection to both the mind and the heart. It’s the choice the wolves prefer.”
“Do you know how to bind us?”
“I’ve seen it once. It’s rarer for a woman to find a human mate than a wolf to find a human.”
“But you carry wolf blood. Will your children be wolves too?”
“Yes, they will.” Scarlett met the eyes of each of her mates and with a deep breath, she found the courage to ask, “Do you want the bond with me?”
Mateo was the only one whose eyes sparkled. The other two were rather hesitant, but that was to be expected from human mates. Constantly sharing one’s mind with someone else wasn’t something most grew up to achieve. Unlike werewolves, who lived their entire lives with the sole purpose of mating and continuing the bloodline. Add in their experience with the blood curse, and Scarlett couldn’t help but understand their hesitation.
“Doyouwant to solidify the bond with us?” Mateo asked, hope tinting his question.
“Wolves are usually the ones urging to fulfil the bond to its full potential. It’s their instinct to claim what’s theirs and even though they can be patient, they are the ones that can’t hold out a life without marking their mate. I would be open to a bloodvow to fulfil the bond like Isis has intended, but I won’t do anything that makes either of you uncomfortable.”
“Do you miss your pack bond?”
Scarlett dropped her gaze, fidgeting with the hem of her hoodie. “I do. Even though only a handful ever linked with me, I miss the sense of belonging and security. In a pack, you’re never alone—no matter what. It doesn’t matter how weak or sick you are; you’ll always be taken care of. I never fully understood how deeply embedded the pack bond was until my father broke me free.” Her next question was directed towards Vince and Ezra. “What makes you hesitant towards a bond?”
Vince ran his hand over his face and inhaled deeply, but before he could say anything, Ezra spoke through gritted teeth. “Fucker never wanted a woman.”
“And Ezra is afraid to share his mind with you because he knows how fucked up he is,” Mateo countered in Vince’s honour.
Scarlett flinched as Ezra cocked a gun in Mateo’s direction. “Keep talking, and I’ll make sure the only children she ever has are mine.”
“Like you would ever tell her how you feel. Now lower the gun, you are frightening Scarlett.”
Ezra’s dark, stormy eyes found hers and Scarlett tried not to show how truly uncomfortable the gun made her. He shot to his feet, snarling down at Mateo. “Talk another word about me and I’ll fuck you up.” He shoved past him and stormed up the stairs.
Scarlett stared after him, only finding her voice again once he was out of sight. “I didn’t mean to upset him.”
“He already regrets that outburst but he’s too proud to come back,” Vince explained.
“Is it true what Ezra said?” Scarlett prodded.
With guilty eyes, Vince nodded. “I never planned on choosing a woman to spend my life with.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologise. You said your goddess knows best. After all, she creates soulmates for everyone for a reason.”
She nodded, pleasantly surprised. The conversation lulled and even though her head was still spinning, she didn’t know how to organize her thoughts to form a coherent question. After a while, she stood and loaded the empty plates into the dishwasher. Only after wiping down the counters and tidying up the rest of the kitchen did she realise there was nothing else downstairs to distract her. With that, she retreated to her bedroom, shutting the door softly behind her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mateo
Vince stayed with him, though his thoughts seemed far away. The moment Mateo moved to go to bed, Vince stopped him. “She loves us.”
He crooked his eyebrow at his friend and found himself rather surprised to see him nearly pale with disbelief. “That is what fated mates do.”
“Why doesn’t she hate us? We took everything from her, yet here she is,wantingour bond.”
“She grew up trusting her goddess. As you said, she believes Isis knows her better than anyone.”
