Page 15 of Country and Clove
Apparently Dane’s best friend had come to town a few months back, met Dane’s girlfriend, and realized she was his fated mate. Dane wasn’t holding it against them of course. But Aaron felt sorry for the guy. He had to sit back and watch his best friend and ex-girlfriend live out their fated-mate happily-ever-after without him.
Dane had been a great support for Aaron over the last few months. He owed it to the guy to be there for him now. The whole situation was rough. Dane needed a good friend by his side.
The complex came into sight, but Aaron’s wolf was still seething. It sent him a constant barrage of images of Clove alone, crying, needing them. The animal was relentless. Aaron asked for control of their body and the wolf refused. Aaron worried he might have to get Gideon to deliver an Alpha command in order to shift back. But if he went to Gideon, he may think he was too unstable to run the training program. The Alpha needed to see that Aaron was better. He needed to prove he was ready for this new group. He paced back and forth at the base of the steps.
“You’re no’ lettin’ that wolf get the better of you, are you?” a deep voice came from just behind Aaron. He whirled, his wolf baring its teeth. It was Graham, the Scottish transfer. Aaron’s wolf snarled at him. Graham just chuckled before dropping down into a crouch in front of him. “Just tell that fuckin’ furball who’s boss.” Graham’s dark eyes glowed. Aaron’s fury grew, but as it did, his hold over his wolf grew as well. He fought back, using his mental and physical fortitude to break free. His human side burst through and Graham stumbled backwards. “Fuckin’ hell, lad.”
Aaron doubled over, panting from the pain of the shift. “How’d you know I was stuck in there?”
Graham had regained his bearings and was eyeing him curiously. He shrugged. “Lucky guess.” Then he turned and strode away without another word. Aaron frowned. That guy rubbed him the wrong way. Graham flirted with every woman in the pack and he’d taken at least half of them back to his room.
Deep down Aaron knew why it really bothered him. Graham reminded Aaron of the way he was before the accident, before the night terrors and endless guilt, before he found Clove and lost her. He released a roar of frustration and slammed his fist down into the concrete steps.
“Need to talk about it?” Leah’s familiar voice came from nearby. She and Romani were walking hand in hand. It was still so strange to see the two of them together.
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Your bloody fist suggests otherwise.” She cocked a dark eyebrow at him. Aaron stayed quiet. “Fine. At least let Romani teleport you to your apartment and spare everyone the sight of you strolling through the complex with your dick hanging out.”
“I think there are several residents who would quite enjoy that sight.” Aaron grinned, but it felt forced. Romani kissed Leah before stepping forward.
“Let’s go.” Romani offered his arm and gave Aaron a warm smile. The teleporter had an unusually calming presence. He seemed similar to Laurie in that way. It made him a good match for Leah who tended to punch first and ask questions later.
“All right,” Aaron relented. He let Romani drop him in front of his apartment and thanked him before disappearing inside. It was time to get his anger under control. Dane needed him to be stable and supportive this evening. Aaron would ensure the party stayed pleasant and drama-free, for everyone involved.
* * *
The entire Daybreak Lounge had been rented out for the evening’s festivities. It was a smaller bar with stained-glass doors, a live jazz band, and golden-orange lighting that cast everyone in a warm, cozy glow. Aaron didn’t visit this part of town much, but apparently this is where the new couple had discovered they were fated mates—while the two were on dates with other lycans, which still seemed pretty messed up. Hence the chosen spot for the welcoming party of the pack’s newest member.
Aaron gave Dane a reassuring clap on the shoulder. “You okay, man?” Despite the brave face Dane had been putting on recently, he had to be hurting. Dane had been head over heels for his girlfriend. Being dumped for her fated mate had crushed him. But being the good guy he was, he still agreed to come to the welcome party.
“Yeah. Ginger’s a good person, and so is Hunter. I’m glad they both found happiness.” Dane smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. He probably was telling the truth about wanting the couple to find happiness, but he would still need time to heal. The two moved up to the bar and Aaron ordered them both shots and a beer.
“Dane!” a feminine voice squealed from behind them. “You came.”
Aaron turned.
“Of course I did.” Dane gave her a tight hug while Aaron’s eyes trained on the recent transfer. Wolves were pack animals but it took a little time to drop their guard around newbies. “Aaron, this is Hunter. He’s just transferred from my old pack in California.”
Hunter was exactly what you would expect a California beach-loving lycan to look like. Tall, blond, and tan, with golden eyes. Although, gold was a rare color for eyes in lycans and nearly impossible to find in humans. Aaron’s heart stung. He only knew two other people with golden eyes. His best friend Darren, and Clove. She only had one gold eye, but it was like all the warmth of the sun and shimmer of the stars poured into that one shining iris. He gritted his teeth.Do not think about her.
“Good to meet you.” Aaron shook Hunter’s hand as their wolves assessed one another. Hunter’s energy was laid-back, calm. After a few quick sniffs, Aaron’s wolf lay back down.
“And of course you already know Ginger.” Dane nodded toward the small woman nestled in the crook of Hunter’s arm.
“Gigi, please,” she corrected him. “Only Dane and my sister call me Ginger.”
Aaron froze. The woman in front of him had long, strawberry-blonde hair and a petite frame. He’d seen her on several occasions before but this time everything was different. She peered up at him curiously and his throat tightened.One green eye, one gold. The same small nose, soft-looking, plump lips. Even her skin was an identical shade of tan.
He was staring with his mouth hinged open. Clove’s face was sitting where Ginger’s face should have been.Fuck. What had she looked like before? He cursed the moon. This must be karma. He had rejected the mate bond and this was how he was being punished. He knew there would be repercussions, but he didn’t think it would be slowly losing his mind while he hallucinated seeing his mate’s face on random women.
Dane’s hand came down hard on his shoulder. “You good, bro?”
Aaron drew away from his thoughts and back to the people in front of him. How embarrassing. He had been silently staring at Ginger for who knows how long. Dane’s grip on his shoulder tightened. Hunter had moved himself to partially cover Gigi, adopting a protective stance. The other lycan’s wolf was up, sending out waves ofback the fuck upenergy. It was the complete opposite of the laid-back vibes from a moment before.
“Sorry.” Aaron shook his head. “It’s been a long day. Can I get y’all a drink?”
Hunter’s expression was still untrusting.
