y for the last half hour!" Leona complained, rolling of

in the main living room for over an hour now, working through pizza, fries, garlic bread, and enough s

eople I actually liked being around. If this trip went half as well as

ng fries onto a slice of pizza before shoving the whole thing in

slightly. "W

said, stepping in. "Figured it'd help t

ad. "You probably already know our

Alpha. Har

he died, the position passed to

eard he's around Jay's age -

odded in co

Luna? No one's really mentioned

ery to me. I could name nearly every Alpha and Luna

lian finally answered. "She passed seven years

sity didn't fully fade. I noticed, not for the first time, how quickly the mood in a room here could shift the

s the Cola?" I asked,

e of them wearing the same distant expression - like

knowing look. Mind link, clearly -

fry in my mouth a

outed, already scrambling to

obi sat frozen mid-bite, ketchup-soaked fry in hand, visibly

y asked, getting to his feet. I sto

y here. Must've changed his plans," Julian ex

use...?" I asked, alread

ona said, wiping crumbs off her fa

king to the kitch

grown adults had abandoned a meal mid-bite purely to meet their Alpha's stand

ayed rose-scented air freshener through the space, the mist c

disappear, ever since everyone insisted they couldn't smell it. Except it hadn't faded - if anything, it had doubl

gates opened - a low mechanical groan I felt more

Kobi announ

staying. Julian and Leona were out of the room before I could blink.

, filling him in on today. Basically letting

ned up, ready to meet him. Call it w

ong - same age, both raised into t

uned my hearing toward the

lpha," Julian and

n." Short

One word, and I was already eager to see his face. Why? How is th

s arrived?" That voice again, d

side me, but I was too locked i

m, Alpha?" Julian as

pha's sense of smell is su

ling like vanilla and strawberries, maybe

berries? I don't

nued, clearly annoyed his senses had been questioned. "B

lpha, I

me you actually outdid yourself," he said, cutting

e you," Jay teased through the mind link. I shook my hea

d instantly at that, catching the sound of footsteps - steady, deliberate -

er the cinnamon-and-chocolate scent had gotten. I felt his presence

suit. I couldn't tear my eyes off him - calling him good-lo

ng my lips together to keep my mouth from fa

ompass by. Full lips that I made myself look away from before I embarrassed myself further. His suit fit

long, I shut my eyes, just for a seco

my neck, and I looked away first. My wolf had been clawing at the edge of my mind this enti

TE

TE

A

h that I actually stumbled. First - she'd

lpha.

re is. I'm a Chief Warrior. A Gamma, sure, maybe even a Bet

R MATE.

ery scent in the room settle over me. Onl

why it had gotten stronger the closer he got. But wh

ore cutting the connection. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and never leave. I nee

, to everyone's visible relief. My apparent mate made his way down t

painfully aware of how

t enough to convince me he had no idea I was his mate. For a fraction of a second, something moved behind his eyes - qui

de somehow missed it, his wolf wouldn't have. Not to mention the scent

and heat rose in my cheeks. Do I smel

l, emotional, mental, pulling you in like gravity. The attraction comes

getting from him. I'd heard so many stories about mates meeting for the first time, how beautiful that moment was supposed to be. I knew better than to measure my own ex

sn't even activate

cold, before turning back to

know"? No good

th

t he was the only one w

itter. Well - at le

r th

watching Julian work over the stove, steam curling

te, I hadn't been able to shake the sting of it. I tried to hide it, but Jay saw right through my act an

- I want us eating the second this is r

out in a parade of pots and pans, the smell of garlic and roasted some

ps sounded on the stairs. My stomach dro

ay he'd brushed past me earlier had left me feeling small, and mo

wearing a plain grey tee and black joggers. His arms - okay, wow. His dark-blue eyes sw

we were expecti

w

your seat.

n assign

l turned to stare at me. I

ryone look

ugh. It took me a beat to realize I was currently sitti

ere,' so I did. Must've misheard." I re

ou tonight," he said, eyes flick

flared in

sked, standing

ntinuing. "Julian made enough food to feed te

r as the room went

st challenged thei

nt tick of his jaw. There it was - proof the man actually had feel

me - especially Julian's," Kade sa

He's just..

hat. I stayed where I was, watching h

rs over the serving spoons, laughing about something only they'd heard - and something in his face w

ice carried a faint edge of amusement, gaze settling on m

, nodded and dug in. Kade did too - not

ndle it. Don