Page 62 of The Awakened Wolf

She leaped forward, stopping inches from his face and he nearly broke the bench suppressing his jump. The twitch in his jaw and white knuckles were a giveaway regardless, and Kiana laughed her ass off.

“It’s a good thing you’re a talented Beta, Sebastian,” she said. “Because otherwise I’d never be able to erase the face you just made from my mind.” She paused. “It might have made me rethink your leadership potential.”

That’s enough.

I snarled at Kiana, my fangs lengthening.

Whoa! Down, girl!

I rolled my shoulders to release the tension and quell my wolf. Kiana pretended not to notice that I’d almost shifted and walked to the front of the car as if she were merely interested in the scenery. But I knew that she knew she’d come a hair’s breadth from fluffing around and finding out.

“Hot,” Sebastian managed to flirt through his own gritted fangs, and I snugged my arms around his waist. He smiled, looking like Beauty’s Beast, and I laughed. He tilted his head, frightened eyes questioning.

“You locked me in a tower,” I snickered. “I had my big movie moment all along.”

Sebastian cringed. “Not my best look.”

“Just don’t do it again.” I paused and bit my lip. “Unless I ask.”

“Consent is sexy,” he repeated, though it wasn’t quite as sexy with his sputtering fang-mouthed lisp. His expression sobered, and his voice slipped inside my mind, clear and certain. “You could have a lot of big movie moments with Moira.”

“We both could,” I suggested tentatively.

He shook his head. “I pledged my allegiance to Kiana, and I’m a wolf of my word. The packs need a Beta now, more than ever.”

“Then I’m not going.” I folded my arms, leaning against him like a pouting pup against a door frame I didn’t plan on leaving. “It’s not that big of a deal. Really.”

“Of course it is.” He grasped my elbow, turning me to look up at him. “I had my chance to see the world, Elyse. I want you to have yours. Go without me.”

NO. DON’T YOUR DARE.

“You’re my fated.” I responded, knowing it would be like that every second of every day I spent away from him. “I can’t leave you.”

Sebastian took my left hand, running his thumb over my engagement ring, which I really shouldn’t have been wearing on a mission that might involve shifting, but I’d forgotten to take off. I never wanted to take it off.

“Being fated doesn’t have to mean giving up everything else in your life,” he said. “I don’t want to be like that little shit in The Devil Wears Prada. If you need to go work for a powerful frightening female in the field of your dreams…”

“I haven’t seen that one actually.” I smoothed my hand over his chest. “But now that you mention it, my aunt does scare the shit out of me. So there’s that in your favor.”

“I’m serious.” Sebastian tipped my chin to look deep into my eyes. “I don’t want you to make the same mistake as your mother. We can make long distance work if that was what you wanted—what would make you happy.”

“I don’t know if my mother made a mistake,” I said. “Just because what she wanted changed? Can’t that happen? Why is that if I want people to see me a strong powerful female, I have to conquer the world, or at least some small corner of it? What if I’m just not the girlboss type? What if I’m okay with being the Alpha Spare, just kinda vibing with my friends and happily mated to the love of my life?”

“Enough,” Kiana said, whirling. “If you’re going to fill the tram with this much tension, say it out loud. You’re making me nauseous.”

“Our private conversations are none of your business,” I snapped.

“They are if he’s encouraging you to leave your pack, which I don’t give you permission to do, by the way.”

Her petulant tone made me laugh. “And how will you stop me? You know that I know you’re not actually evil now, right? You’re not going to kill me, or threaten to harm Sebastian or my friends. You’re a ferocious leader, but you’re not a tyrant.”

Kiana strode our way and looked down at me, her red nails gleaming as she gripped the bar above her. “Fine, you’re right. You can leave.”

My heart skipped. I’d totally been bluffing. Because of part me still believed she might lose her shit and threatened to harm Sebastian or Evan or Jayla, now that they were all part of her pack. “I can?”

“Sure.” Kiana shrugged and studied her nails. “As long as you do your duty to the pack first.”

“My Goddess, I am so damned sick of you treating me like a brood mare, Kiana. Get this through your head!” I let go of Sebastian and stalked toward her, looking her straight in the eye as a reminder that she was not bigger than me, however much she’d like to posture. “Bearing the future heirs of the Bronx Pack became your duty as soon as you took over the life that was supposed to be mine.”

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