Sorry for the delay! I know I usually do at least one update on the weekends but we had a family birthday and things were a little hectic.
(Katelyn’s POV)"Glad you could make it," Tyler said, giving Ryder an approving nod."So am I," Ryder replied with a relieved smile.I began to strip off my clothes while they spoke, eager to get this show on the road before something else could happen. A door-to-door salesman trying to sell us a vacuum cleaner... an earthquake... a fucking nuclear disaster... It felt like SOMETHING was going to happen to delay this whole thing and I was having none of it.This was happening no matter what."You in a hurry there?" Tyler asked with a chuckle, watching me curiously as I tugged my pants off."Last time we talked about this, Harlan decided it would be a great time to kidnap me. Forgive my sense of urgency here, but I don't want to deal with any interruptions this time," I replied, my voice laced with bitterness as I said Harlan's name.Tyler shrugged as he began to undress too. "Can't argue with that.""So... any plans as to how we're going to do this?" Ryder asked as he pulled his shirt
(Katelyn’s POV)The familiar sensation of my wolf form enveloped me as I shifted, the world around me sharpening, the forest seemingly more alive than ever. I could hear the faintest rustle of leaves, the whispers of the wind winding through the trees. It was as if the forest knew what we were about to do, and it was holding its breath in anticipation.Ryder and Tyler followed my lead, shifting into their wolf forms too, their eyes trained on me with a mixture of reverence and intensity.I led the way to the spot I had in mind, padding through the forest with the two of them flanking me on either side.As we made our way deeper into the forest, the sun filtered down through the trees, casting soft, golden light across the ground. This was the place where I had always come to think, to feel connected to the world, and now it would be the place where I connected to them, my mates, forever.When we reached the clearing, I stopped. This was it. The moment we had been building toward for so
(Ryder’s POV)The clearing was bathed in sunlight, a perfect backdrop for what had just happened. The marking. The moment we had all been building toward for so long. Finally, it was done. Kate had marked me and Tyler, and we had marked her. I should have felt complete. I should have felt content. And I did, but there was something else... Something I couldn't quite put my finger on.It wasn’t the marking itself. That had felt incredible, like some kind of supernatural charge that flowed through me the second her teeth sank into my skin. The warmth, the connection, the euphoria, it was more than I could ever have anticipated. But then, after the initial surge faded, something else settled in its place.It was a hollow feeling, like an empty pit somewhere deep inside me. I tried to ignore it, standing there with Kate and Tyler, trying to feel what they were feeling. But that emptiness wouldn’t go away, no matter how much I smiled or kissed Kate or held her close. The bond between us wa
(Ryder’s POV)"Should we tell your dad?" Kate asked, sounding nervous and excited all at once. "Do you think he'll be upset that we skipped out on the whole celebration thing?"I was doubtful, considering the circumstances and Tyler responded, confirming exactly what I was thinking."I doubt it," he replied. "He'll probably just be relieved we got it done before The Elders arrived."She was smiling. She looked so happy. I couldn't understand why I didn't feel the same..."Are we going to celebrate?" Tyler asked as we stepped into the house. "Maybe we could go get a fancy dinner somewhere or something?" he suggested, looking just as happy as she did.I plastered on my best fake smile, trying to fit in but dreading the idea of having to go anywhere or do anything that involved people. I was barely keeping it together as it is, now pile 'attempting to look normal in front of strangers' on top of that and it was too much for me to deal with.Tyler was looking over at me, waiting for a res
(Ryder’s POV)"Well... I dunno... I guess... I guess the whole Elysian Line thing had a lot to do with it. One of the writings said something about how women of the Elysian Line often led their own packs or found themselves mated to Alphas. And then there was my mom," she went on, sadness weighing on her words now. "She was the Luna of her pack," she explained. "I think... Maybe just knowing a bit more about my background has made me look at it a little differently," she confessed, her smile returning.Dad nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "I'm glad to hear that. I feel that you have a lot to contribute to our pack."Kate turned to look at me, probably waiting for me to share some encouraging words because I'd been standing here like a mute for as long as I could remember."Th... That's great, Kate. You'll make a really good Luna," I finally managed to say, hoping it sounded convincing.I meant the words. I knew that she would be an amazing Luna. I knew that she would be a gr
(Katelyn’s POV)Tyler had been clutching my hand since we left Alpha David’s office, spewing his excitement over my change of heart and how happy he was about it.When we got to the kitchen, he scooped me up, setting me on the island counter before I had a moment to protest. His lips met mine with a mixture of passion and excitement and I let myself feel the heat that radiated between us."I'm so fucking happy right now," he murmured, our foreheads still touching while his hands cupped my cheeks."Me too," I replied softly.I was really happy, but there was still some part of me that held onto my worries about Ryder and what this all might mean for us.Tyler was proving to be a great distraction though, constantly tugging my mind away from the gnawing feeling and making me focus on the present... on us."I think we have some celebrating to do," he whispered softly, trailing gentle kisses down my cheek until he found the mark he had left on my neck earlier.The area was still tender. Be
(Ryder’s POV)The bed felt too big, too cold despite the warm afternoon light that streamed in through my window. I lay there, taking a deep breath as I tried to build the strength to actually deal with all the thoughts that were swirling through my head.Why did I feel empty? Why did I feel like there was something I was missing?Maybe we had done something wrong during the marking? But that couldn't be it... I was there and it had gone the same for Tyler as it had for me, but he didn't seem to be dying internally. In fact, he seemed to be more certain and happy than ever before.So what the fuck was wrong with me? Why was it different for me?I tried to run through the marking process in my mind to see if there was anything I had missed, but I couldn't think of anything. Everything that Tyler had experienced with Kate, I had experienced too. And I had felt it... I still did feel it. That undeniable connection to her. It was there, like some invisible string that tethered us together
(Katelyn's POV)Clearly it wasn't pizza that Tyler wanted to talk about. He made that pretty clear in the way the conversation regarding whether or not pineapple belonged on pizza suddenly morphed into a kiss that left me breathless, trying to remember what it was that we had been talking about.His lips brushed against my neck, his hands roaming up under my shirt with an eagerness that set my pulse racing.It all felt more intense, more electric than ever before. It was as if the already overwhelming connection we had felt before was now somehow magnified... amplified.“I want you,” Tyler murmured softly into my ear, his voice filled with desire as he nibbled at my ear.The sensation was maddening and all I wanted to do was say yes, but I couldn't help my hesitation, the thought of Ryder flashing through my mind.“I don’t... what about Ryder?" I asked, the words breathless as a wave of guilt swept through me.Tyler pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, his gaze soft but intense. “K