ond counted as cardio, I

ing things like "How to break a fated mate bond without dying." Spoiler: the internet had nothing

n was fried. I pulled on the first hoodie I found, black,

brewed coffee, buttered toast...

e a deep voice

e not here. You're a hallucination

meone who'd probably been up all night dealing with

ke some kind of domestic fever dream. The Alpha himself, all muscl

emanded. "Invading my personal

mie asked me to check on y

st peachy. The universe didn't bond me to the guy who

ive

kitchen. You're making eggs. You'

"Would you rather I

I muttered, pouring coff

ething faintly electric filled the air, wrapping around me no matter how fa

etly, "You d

. "Are you stalking

simply. "The bond, it keep

illed. "Don

o w

ike you

ckered, pain shadow

ss of the pan. Something heavy hung between us, old history an

t get to play the concerned Alph

Confused. I took it out on you because I did

d. "You m

Because even then, I felt so

h caught.

e the only one I couldn't control. A

chest like a bad engine. I turned away. "You should

a small, real thing. "Yo

exed yo

e mi

didn't want to have. "

softly. "You'

y won't s

like it or not, this bond won't fade. You'll feel it getting strong

ng with his presence. My wolf was restless, pacing beneath my skin, and fo

-

an's

pine needles, the faint heartbeat of the pack pulsing through the l

g about the "bonded Omega." But he couldn't stay away. The pull had kept him awake

younger wolves. Jamie waved from across the clearing, all smiles and post-

e. Air. Distanc

ung to him. Coffee and rain. Rec

ht with defiance. Rowan had shoved him into that damn closet, not out of cruelty but c

m right back into that feeling. Only t

ing himself. "You deserve better

n his chest, steady, i

-

er's

ha had invaded my kitchen, cooked breakfast, confessed feelings,

rway, holding her tea like some s

se tell me that's

iled knowingly. "Th

hoping for a plag

ou can't run from

tch

I felt it again, the pull, the thread

ould've sworn I heard Rowan

, and full

to me, River Quinn.