“Tonight, when you fell, I followed your scent down to the river,” he finally said. “The closer I got, the more certain I became that you were my mate. It was like... like a compass in my chest, pulling me toward you.”His expression darkened, guilt clouding his features. The grip on my hand tighten
AudreyI woke to the warm sensation of arms around me, holding me gently beneath the covers. A soft smile touched my face as, slowly but surely, the events of last night—and this morning—slowly returned.A party. A fall. A death. And then… My mate.My eyes cracked open, and there he was. I couldn’t
Edwin, sensing my apprehension through our bond, offered me a gentle smile. “No one will see him. Don’t worry.”I nodded, choosing to trust him. “Okay.”In that moment, I looked up to find Edwin’s gray eyes looking at me, his gaze intense and searching. But suddenly, his eyes widened, and he abruptl
AudreyA little while later, Edwin and I stepped out into the crisp autumn air, hand-in-hand. I was dressed in a warm sweater dress, tights, and boots—an outfit that Charles had somehow managed to pick out perfectly from my dorm room, along with a bag of other things to last me another night at Edwi
After lunch, we made our way to the campus library. The familiar scent of old books and dust greeted us as we entered the dimly lit building.“Show me the book you found on the Silver Wolf,” Edwin said as we walked through the stacks.I led him to the section where I had found it before, but when I
AudreyClimbing up on a nearby ladder, I pulled the thick, worn book from the shelf. Its golden spine glinted in the dim library light, and I turned it over in my hands as I came back down.“It’s a text on pack birth records,” I said, glancing up at Edwin as I strode back over to him. I handed it to
I felt a warmth spread through my chest at the thought. “I… I don’t know much about those sorts of things,” I admitted.Edwin’s eyes glowed slightly as he explained. “It’s a sacred ritual, binding us together in front of our loved ones. There’s an exchange of vows, a marking bite... It used to be, b
AudreyThe dean blinked up at us, his mouth agape.“I’m sorry… Did you say… Fated mate?”Edwin and I just stared down at him, waiting for the understanding to set in. The dean’s eyes darted back and forth between the two of us, and he sputtered, “But Miss Thatcher… You’re a human.”I took a deep bre
“I think you’re going to change so many lives,” I said to Eliza. “Those kids are so lucky to have you.” Eliza looked down, her cheeks pink. “Thank you, Audrey. Really.” Tina piped up next. “And my LGBT counseling department is finally off the ground! ” She paused, leaning into my mother, who was
Audrey After a long flight, we finally touched down in Italy. The sunlight streaming in through the plane window was a promising golden hue, and just the sight of it made me feel like my heart was about to leap out of my chest. “I might need a nap when we get to the villa,” Edwin yawned, shaking
And as I watched, I felt a hand slip into mine. I glanced up, finding Edwin beside me, his gaze focused on the runway but his approval humming through the bond. My mother stood on my other side, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. A lump rose in my throat, and I couldn’t even speak. None of us c
Audrey Edwin and I emerged from the small room, his hand still resting protectively on my back. The hustle and bustle of last-minute preparations immediately hit us, assistants running back and forth, models being ushered into position, and the soft hum of the audience’s chatter drifting through t
“There’s always time,” I whispered, grabbing the wrist of his free hand and pulling it close to peer at his watch. The movement caused him to topple forward, and he caught himself on his other palm, caging me against the hard wood of the vanity. “But maybe not enough time to waste right now.” Edwi
Audrey Before I could even answer his question, Edwin rushed past me and locked the door. When he turned back to me, he was grinning from ear to ear. The sight of that mischievous look on his face made my breath hitch. Once, it had been like pulling teeth to get the man to smile. And now here he
He didn’t need to tell me twice. I tore into the wrapping paper, revealing a soft red scarf. I could tell immediately that it was handmade—there were more than a few uneven stitches, and the outline was lumpy. It was far from perfect. But I loved it all the more for that. “Goddess, Edwin,” I laugh
Audrey The morning of the show was a frenzy. No, more than a frenzy. It was complete and utter chaos. I spent the entire morning from sunup to noon running endlessly from one end of the venue to the other, desperately trying to make sure every last detail was perfect. The racks were lined with c
“Uh… Yeah,” Malakai said. “Coffee would be nice.” A few minutes later, the three of us sat around the table, steaming cups of pitch black coffee in our hands. I kept it bitter, just in case Malakai was here to stir up more shit. It burned a little going down, but I sipped it anyway. Malakai look