Page 102 of Midnight Moon
“The pack won’t approve. They’ll want me to be with a Summit shifter.” I could hear my doubters now, rejecting me as their alpha because I formed an uncontrollable fated bond with a shifter from another pack.
“Which is it, Blair? That Asher won’t be willing to give up his pack for you, or our pack won’t accept him? All I hear from you are excuses not to try. If any part of you wants this mate bond to work, you need to take a little risk.”
I let that sink in, knowing she was right.
Nothing about this mate bond would be easy—the fact Asher and I were from different packs guaranteed that—but if even a small part of me wanted to give us a chance, I need to be comfortable facing the obstacles that doing so would create.
Otherwise, there was no point in trying.
But did I really want to give us a chance?
A mate bond complicated my already complicated future. Did I really want to encourage a relationship with Asher, knowing all the stress it could cause?
I’d spent my entire young adult life avoiding romance to escape this exact predicament… but Asher wasn’t just some guy who asked me on a date.Mate bonds were sacred to shifters. Did I really want to walk away from mine?
Stephanie stood watching me, waiting for my response with an arched brow.
I sighed.
If I ignored all the potential complications, I knew what my answer would be.
I closed my eyes and held my face in my hands. “What if he says no?” I’d never put myself in a position to be rejected, and I wasn’t looking forward to the experience.
“That’s a chance you will have to take,” my best friend wisely said, “but based on the way he ogles you every time you are anywhere near him, I’d say the odds are in your favor.”
That tugged a smile from me. “Please. He basically ignores me.”
“Maybe when you’re looking. Trust me, when you aren’t, its like you’re the only thing in the room. It’s been that way since Denver.”
Warmth surrounded me. It was nice to hear Asher could have found me appealing even before the mate bond.
“I should go talk to him now.” I would lose my nerve if I waited.
Stephanie grinned. “I thought you might say that.” She pulled out her phone. Her thumbs flew across the screen.
“What are you doing?”
“Asking Chase where Asher is.”
“You have Chase’s number?”
“Got it after the night I first asked him and Asher to throw the Alpha Games,” Stephanie told me with a smirk. “He’s been texting me every day since.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it’s just texting,” she replied. “Not like I’m dating the guy.”
So she said, but I didn’t miss the twinkle in my friend’s eye when she talked about the flirtatious Wilds shifter.
A minute later, her phone dinged. “Asher’s at his hotel in Laurel. Want a ride?”
“No, thanks. I’d rather drive myself.”
Stephanie nodded. “You can take my rental.”
Ten minutes later, I was driving off Badlands territory, following my phone’s GPS to the address Chase had sent Stephanie. I spent the drive trying to come up with what I’d say to Asher.
So, hey, I know your alpha planned to mate with me, but I think you and I should give us a shot. But you’ll have to come to Colorado if you want to date me…
