Page 7 of The Awakened Wolf

“What is this?” A SecPack male demanded. “Human sports? We’re just trading players? Who do we get to pick from their team?”

“No one,” Max snapped, his gaze abruptly cold and clear. “This male was never truly on our team to begin with, so I think Kiana offers a reasonable solution. He’s a small price to pay to ensure my son’s future is no longer delayed.”

No! More! Delays! My wolf barked, jumping up and down like a giant pup in my chest. Go get him back!

My shoulders slumped with defeat. I could berate my wolf all I wanted, but she was speaking my own truth, as much as it frustrated me. This past hour had pulled my attention in every direction at once, but no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, nothing drew me like the need to put my arms around Sebastian and beg for forgiveness. Not even my strange new bond with Evan.

“Alright, Max,” I acquiesced. “Evan will go with Kiana, and I’ll go with you. I don’t want to keep Sebastian waiting.”

Max nodded and turned to his pack—our pack, if Sebastian would still have me—and began organizing the logistics of our return. Unlike the Bronx pack, most of Manhattan’s wolves lived in their own apartments around the city, so we wouldn’t have to risk a parade back to the Plaza. But I had no idea how Kiana was going to get all of her soldiers plus two dozen werewolves back to the Bronx.

“How are you going to get home?” I asked. “I doubt there are secret tunnels under the Harlem River.”

“I’ll help,” Mateo peeled away from the tunnel’s shadows, his eyes bagged from the tremendous mental effort he’d already exerted this morning. “We can commandeer a northbound bus. The driver won’t even remember.”

“Thank you, Mateo.” Kiana smiled. “For everything you’ve done. I’m afraid we’re a bit understaffed in the Beta department for the foreseeable future.”

“I’m at your service as much as I can be in the interim. But if you’ll excuse me…” Mateo bowed his head and moved toward his own Alpha.

As soon as we were alone, attention-wise, I glared at my sister while boldly squeezing Evan’s hand. “As soon as I find Sebastian, I’ll be up to check on everyone.”

“If you must,” Kiana sighed, and the next time I heard her voice it was deep inside my head. “Congratulations on your future mating.” She sniffed once to make sure I caught her innuendo, and then her teeth flashed. “And don’t worry. I’ll be a better aunt than a sister.”

Chapter Three

I hope he’ll forgive us.

I know. I do too. But please stop repeating it. You’re driving me insane.

Good! It’s your fault we’re in this mess.

Excuse me?!

I hope he’ll forgive us.

Every curse word I couldn’t say aloud filled my mind, silencing my wolf for the first time since we’d started this journey to the Plaza. Thank Leto. My imaginary rehearsals of explaining myself to Sebastian weren’t going so well as they were. I didn’t need her fated mate dramatics on top of the wave of dread already cresting within me. It didn’t help that the only other occupant of this elevator on its way to answers we may not want was Max.

He quivered beside me with pain and—I knew, despite his stormy expression—hope. My heart softened. I couldn’t imagine how hard it had been for him without Yara these past weeks. Being separated from Sebastian was like having a piece of me torn away. All I could think about was getting that piece back. And it hadn’t even been a whole day.

I hope he’ll forgive us. We should have told him Damien was his father before mating.

I clenched my fists, but nothing could suppress my wolf’s—or my own—regret. Somehow, ‘I was too much of a horndog to tap the breaks and give you a critical piece of information I’d learned about your parentage, but I’m your fated mate, so it’s okay, right?’ didn’t seem like it would land.

I should have told him.

Yes, you should have! This is all your fault.

Max cleared his throat into the crystalline silence. “I plan to speak with the Elder Wolf on your behalf. A small ceremony completed as quickly as possible should take care of your, ah…little problem.”

The heat that washed over my face went far beyond blushing. I couldn’t describe the humiliation. It was bad enough that Kiana had clocked my newly mated scent, but to have one’s future father-in-law be able to smell that I’d deflowered his sanctimonious son…

Goddess Leto? Are you listening? I’d like to return my gift in exchange for something that will allow me to melt through the floor of this elevator so I can plummet to my death at the bottom of the shaft. Being a puddle of wolf-pulp had to be less excruciating than knowing my body felt the need to let everyone know I’d had sex.

Just wait until we’re with pup! My wolf chirped and began going through the same nesting motions she’d gone through earlier when she and Sebastian’s wolf started picking out names. That was still a long ways off if I had it my way, but it tugged at my heartstrings, remembering the adorable horror on Sebastian’s face when his wolf started throwing names like Obi-Wan and Iron Man into the hat.

“Thank you,” I said with the most deferential head bow of my life. “And I’m sorry it took me so long to—”

We reached our destination with a soft chime, and the doors slid open to reveal Kenzo and Ruby, waiting to board the elevator, their faces etched with dismay. My soul plummeted to the bottom of the shaft, cruelly failing to take the rest of me along.

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