Pecan's pov
My heart was a whirlwind as I walked the familiar halls of the pack house. No matter how hard I tried to run from him, from the mate bond that tied me to Paul...it felt like I was running in circles. And the worst part was, he seemed to be doing the same. Neither of us willing to confront the connection we shared, yet neither of us able to let it go.
The kitchen wasn't far, but the walk felt endless. My steps echoed against the cobblestone path, each one heavier than the last. The soft murmur of the park, rustling leaves, distant laughter, birds chirping, felt like a world away from my churning thoughts.
I gripped the basket tighter, its weight almost comforting compared to the storm in my chest. What was I supposed to do? The decision I'd been putting off loomed like a shadow, every possible choice leading to consequences I wasn't ready to face.
The scent of freshly cut grass mingled with the faint aroma of baked bread drifting from the kitchen, a small reminder of simpler times. I paused, drawing in a deep breath, hoping to anchor myself. The warmth of the sun on my face felt like a quiet reassurance, but even that couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change. Once I had dropped everything I headed towards Noah's room.
The mate bond was a secret I carried alone, heavy and unrelenting. No one knew, not even Noah. It made me feel like someone was always watching, like the truth could burst free at any moment. That thought haunted me, made me restless, even now.
When I stepped into Noah's room, the scene before me stopped me in my tracks. Stella was curled up in his lap, her arms draped around his neck as she murmured something into his ear. Her voice was low, almost seductive, though I couldn't make out the words.
The moment she noticed me, her head snapped up, and her eyes narrowed into a glare that could cut steel.
I ignored her, swallowing the knot of irritation in my throat as I moved to a quiet corner of the room. Grabbing one of Noah's books, I sat down and opened it, pretending to read. But the tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel Stella's hostility like a weight pressing down on me.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she asked after a long silence, her tone laced with venom.
I looked up from the book, meeting her gaze with calm indifference. "I'm fine here, thanks."
Her eyes flared with annoyance, and she turned to Noah. "She's always here. Doesn't she have her own life?"
Noah shifted uncomfortably, glancing between us. "Stella, come on. Don't start."
"Don't start what, Noah?" Stella snapped, her voice rising. "She's always hanging around. Don't you think it's a little...clingy?"
I rolled my eyes and closed the book with a quiet snap. "Relax, Stella. I'm not here to steal your boyfriend. I'm just reading."
Her lips curled into a scowl, but before she could retort, the door swung open. A guard entered the room, his presence instantly silencing the tension.
"Pecan. Noah," he said, his voice firm and authoritative. "The Alpha has requested your presence. Come with me."
My stomach clenched at the mention of Paul. I exchanged a glance with Noah, who looked just as confused as I felt.
"The Alpha?" Noah repeated, standing. "What does he want?"
The guard didn't answer, simply turning and gesturing for us to follow.
As I stood, I felt Stella's eyes burning into my back. "Of course," she muttered bitterly. "Leave me here alone."
I didn't look back, but I could feel her anger radiating across the room like a storm. Her voice rang out again, sharp and accusing. "Noah, you're always running off because of her."
Noah sighed heavily as the door closed behind us. "She's going to give me hell for this later," he muttered.
I smirked, though it didn't reach my eyes. "Maybe if you stopped letting her sit on your lap like a cat, she'd calm down."
He snorted. "Not helping."
The tension eased slightly as we walked down the corridor, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the stone walls. But the closer we got to the throne room, the tighter my chest became.
"What do you think this is about?" Noah asked, his voice low.
I hesitated, glancing at him. "I don't know."
It was a lie. Or at least, I had a feeling it had something to do with Paul. Why else would he summon me?
The air grew heavier with every step, a strange mix of anticipation and dread building in my chest. My mind raced with possibilities, none of them good.
When we reached the massive doors of the throne room, the guard paused, turning to us with a stiff nod. "The Alpha awaits inside."
I swallowed hard as the doors creaked open, the sound echoing through the cavernous hall. The moment we stepped inside, the space seemed to swallow us whole.
Our footsteps echoed as we walked forward, the sound bouncing off the walls and amplifying the tension in my chest. My eyes darted to the far end of the room, where a familiar figure stood waiting.
Paul.
My mate.
My Alpha.
The sight of him hit me like a punch to the gut, the bond between us humming to life in his presence. My heart raced, but I kept my expression neutral, even as his piercing gaze locked onto mine.
As we approached, the weight of the bond grew stronger, almost suffocating. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. I didn't know why he'd called for me...or what he wanted...but I knew one thing for sure: being in the same room as him would never get easier.
But as I got closer, I noticed a different face and I felt a smile coming on.14
Pecan's pov
My heart was a whirlwind as I walked the familiar halls of the pack house. No matter how hard I tried to run from him, from the mate bond that tied me to Paul...it felt like I was running in circles. And the worst part was, he seemed to be doing the same. Neither of us willing to confront the connection we shared, yet neither of us able to let it go.
The kitchen wasn't far, but the walk felt endless. My steps echoed against the cobblestone path, each one heavier than the last. The soft murmur of the park, rustling leaves, distant laughter, birds chirping, felt like a world away from my churning thoughts.
I gripped the basket tighter, its weight almost comforting compared to the storm in my chest. What was I supposed to do? The decision I'd been putting off loomed like a shadow, every possible choice leading to consequences I wasn't ready to face.
The scent of freshly cut grass mingled with the faint aroma of baked bread drifting from the kitchen, a small reminder of simpler times. I paused, drawing in a deep breath, hoping to anchor myself. The warmth of the sun on my face felt like a quiet reassurance, but even that couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change. Once I had dropped everything I headed towards Noah's room.
The mate bond was a secret I carried alone, heavy and unrelenting. No one knew, not even Noah. It made me feel like someone was always watching, like the truth could burst free at any moment. That thought haunted me, made me restless, even now.
When I stepped into Noah's room, the scene before me stopped me in my tracks. Stella was curled up in his lap, her arms draped around his neck as she murmured something into his ear. Her voice was low, almost seductive, though I couldn't make out the words.
The moment she noticed me, her head snapped up, and her eyes narrowed into a glare that could cut steel.
I ignored her, swallowing the knot of irritation in my throat as I moved to a quiet corner of the room. Grabbing one of Noah's books, I sat down and opened it, pretending to read. But the tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel Stella's hostility like a weight pressing down on me.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she asked after a long silence, her tone laced with venom.
I looked up from the book, meeting her gaze with calm indifference. "I'm fine here, thanks."
Her eyes flared with annoyance, and she turned to Noah. "She's always here. Doesn't she have her own life?"
Noah shifted uncomfortably, glancing between us. "Stella, come on. Don't start."
"Don't start what, Noah?" Stella snapped, her voice rising. "She's always hanging around. Don't you think it's a little...clingy?"
I rolled my eyes and closed the book with a quiet snap. "Relax, Stella. I'm not here to steal your boyfriend. I'm just reading."
Her lips curled into a scowl, but before she could retort, the door swung open. A guard entered the room, his presence instantly silencing the tension.
"Pecan. Noah," he said, his voice firm and authoritative. "The Alpha has requested your presence. Come with me."
My stomach clenched at the mention of Paul. I exchanged a glance with Noah, who looked just as confused as I felt.
"The Alpha?" Noah repeated, standing. "What does he want?"
The guard didn't answer, simply turning and gesturing for us to follow.
As I stood, I felt Stella's eyes burning into my back. "Of course," she muttered bitterly. "Leave me here alone."
I didn't look back, but I could feel her anger radiating across the room like a storm. Her voice rang out again, sharp and accusing. "Noah, you're always running off because of her."
Noah sighed heavily as the door closed behind us. "She's going to give me hell for this later," he muttered.
I smirked, though it didn't reach my eyes. "Maybe if you stopped letting her sit on your lap like a cat, she'd calm down."
He snorted. "Not helping."
The tension eased slightly as we walked down the corridor, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the stone walls. But the closer we got to the throne room, the tighter my chest became.
"What do you think this is about?" Noah asked, his voice low.
I hesitated, glancing at him. "I don't know."
It was a lie. Or at least, I had a feeling it had something to do with Paul. Why else would he summon me?
The air grew heavier with every step, a strange mix of anticipation and dread building in my chest. My mind raced with possibilities, none of them good.
When we reached the massive doors of the throne room, the guard paused, turning to us with a stiff nod. "The Alpha awaits inside."
I swallowed hard as the doors creaked open, the sound echoing through the cavernous hall. The moment we stepped inside, the space seemed to swallow us whole.
Our footsteps echoed as we walked forward, the sound bouncing off the walls and amplifying the tension in my chest. My eyes darted to the far end of the room, where a familiar figure stood waiting.
Paul.
My mate.
My Alpha.
The sight of him hit me like a punch to the gut, the bond between us humming to life in his presence. My heart raced, but I kept my expression neutral, even as his piercing gaze locked onto mine.
As we approached, the weight of the bond grew stronger, almost suffocating. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. I didn't know why he'd called for me...or what he wanted...but I knew one thing for sure: being in the same room as him would never get easier.
But as I got closer, I noticed a different face and I felt a smile coming on.