Page 20 of The Wolf's Prince
He squeezed his eyes shut.
“I wish that could be true,” he whispered. “But he left me. Without a word. I do not even know where he is now.”
Alpha Jin hummed thoughtfully.
“That is unfortunate. It will make it much harder for you to find him.”
Soren stared.
“What do you mean?”
Alpha Jin leaned forward, gripping his hand with surprising strength.
“You must find your mate Soren. You cannot live without him.”
Soren found himself chuckling darkly. Images of Nikolai laying beneath him, skin gleaming brightly in the dim moonlight flashed through his mind.
“He left,” he repeated firmly. “I can live without someone who chose that.”
“But what about him?” Alpha Jin asked. “Can he live without you?”
Soren blinked.
“What do you mean?”
“You are an alpha. You are strong. You will survive. Buthim…”
Again, Soren saw Nikolai’s willowy frame in his mind. His small stature and soft skin.
He took a shuddering breath.
“No,” he insisted. “He is human. Their kind is not affected by the whims of the moon.”
“But he has been mated to a wolf… What if he goes into heat for the first time and you are not there to help him?”
Soren’s chest tightened at the thought.
But if that were to happen, Nikolai would find someone else to ease his aching body. He would be fine.
“He did not return my bite,” Soren insisted weakly. “Surely that means my bond will fade.”
“Perhaps.”
For a moment, Soren felt overwhelmed by all thewhat-ifs.Then, he returned to the moment, and to the sound of his alpha’s labored breaths.
“He chose his people. I am choosing mine,” Soren said firmly.
As time went on, their bond would grow weaker, he was sure. Right now, he would have to be dragged away from his dear alpha on his last days.
Fated mate or not, they had made their decisions.
CHAPTER4
ANDREY
Their parents, although typically attentive, pleasant people, did not seem to think much of Nikolai's mood since returning from the ball nearly a week ago. Perhaps they thought Nik had decided to turn a new leaf and fall in line.
He hadn't spoken back once. He hadn't playfully mocked their brother Viktor's fashion sense. He hadn't snuck anyone into his room late at night, as far as Andrey had seen, and he was bad at hiding it when he did—which was frequent.
