33. Brody

Everywhere I turnin this house, her scent lingers like a melody—pervasive and hauntingly beautiful. It feels as though the very essence of the house breathes her in, then exhales her presence back into the air, entangling me in a web of her making. Under normal circumstances, this mix of scents would be a delight, but today…

Another moan vibrates through the house and deep into the core of our bond, unsettling the stillness of my heart.

Resigned, I go outside to hide, where the early morning light gently nudges the darkness away. The sun gradually unveils itself over the tree line, bathing the clearing in a soft, golden glow. Despite the turmoil within, leaving is unthinkable—I cannot, will not, leave them unprotected and alone.

The urge to be with them, and disrupt the solitude by claiming Ava, is overpowering. Just the mere thought stirs a deep, primal yearning within me, an undeniable tension.

My musings are interrupted by a subtle movement at the edge of the property. My body tenses, ready for any threat, until the figure becomes clear.

Fucking Natalie.

A sigh slips free. I don't hate the girl, but she's relentless and doesn't know when to let it go. She isn't a true threat either, but lately, she's walking a fine line, and she knows because she is my earliest friend, she can push me more than the others.

Natalie was always full of optimism, bright eyes, and endearing pigtails. As she steps out of the woods and her eyes meet mine, her smile—a rare, genuine expression—transports me back to our childhood, filled with innocence and shared dreams.

Natalie was my first friend, long before the bonds with Ethan and Tyler were forged. We grew up together in the same clan a world away from here. The world we left behind was harsh, ruled by a cruelty that knew no bounds, but here, under Alpha Hughes' leadership, we found a different kind of family—one that values kindness over power.

Living here however, warped Natalie's true self, caught between the harsh expectations of our past and the newfound freedom of our present. She's more guarded, her easy smiles replaced with calculated moves—a transformation that's both fascinating and heartrending.

She could choose anyone in the clan to mate.

Her heart has always belonged to Ethan Hughes, despite his overt disdain. Her adoration for him is unwavering, casting me in the perpetual role of mediator, striving to maintain harmony where none seems possible. I grow tired of it.

"Nat," I greet, offering her a smile that echoes our shared past.

"Brody," she responds, her actions pragmatic as she dresses. I'm momentarily distracted by the potential misunderstandings her nakedness could provoke, especially with Ava so close by.

"What brings you here, Nat?" I ask, positioning myself as a barrier to the house, hoping to shield this encounter from prying eyes.

She dodges the question, her gaze searching for Ethan. "He ran into town," I say, treading carefully around the truth to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Her response, a pout,is suggestive of the Natalie I remember, yet it signifies something more profound now. Our friendship, though platonic, is complicated due to her unwavering attraction to Ethan—a dynamic that has shaped our relationship for years.

From the moment of our arrival, Ethan and I connected on a level that only deepened with time, a bond that Tyler's later arrival only strengthened. We understood, implicitly, that if we found our mate, we would share her—a practice born of necessity and unity within a pack.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Natalie's stance shifts, her gaze briefly landing on the house before circling back to me. Time hasn't been gentle with us. It changed Natalie from the selfless child I knew into someone who sees her value only in terms of mating—the very fate we once ran from together.

She isn't the girl I fondly remember, and I've long since outgrown the role of the boy she once knew.

"Nat," I mutter, my voice a blend of weariness and caution, "I can't."

"Because she's in there," she accuses, her gaze hardening as she sizes up the house, the fa?ade of friendliness slipping away. "Since when does a girl come before our friendship?"

Her question stings. I love Natalie like a sister, but she refuses to see that, convinced our shared history entitles her to a future I can't offer.

"She isn't just some girl, Natalie. You know that," I counter, the edge in my voice sharper than intended. "Why are you here?"

Her eyes flick back to me, carrying an unspoken understanding of the delicate balance we're trying to maintain. Her mere presence here is a risk, her scent a potential catalyst for chaos, especially with a mate nearby. We've always been cautious, limiting our interactions with others to avoid this scenario, and the clothes Tyler gathered for Ava? I made sure they were reduced to ashes.

Natalie shifts, unease written in her movements.

"Natalie," I rumble softly in warning.

"Fine," she spits out, defiance tinged with resignation. "I just wanted to visit."

I can't help but call her bluff. "Bullshit. You know the rules. If Ethan sees you here, you'll be shunned from the village."

She grinds her teeth, and I know that any words she's about to say will only piss me off. For some reason, I feel the need to shatter her illusions today.

"Erase that thought," I say, my words firmer than intended. "You will never be our luna."

Her reaction is swift as tears glimmer in her eyes. "You don't have to be so harsh," she replies, her voice breaking.

It's a necessary, but bitter pill I force upon us both. "I do, Nat. It's time you understand we don't see you that way."

The harshness of my words hangs heavily between us, then something shifts in her—a fiery determination that sets off alarms in my mind. Her next words are laced with malice. "You should reconsider your association with someone linked to the Puritas agenda."

"I'm well aware of her connections," I retort, tension rising.

Natalie steps closer, laying a hand on my bicep. Her touch is meant to provoke, but my reaction is not what she expects.

I take a step back, dislodging her touch and holding her gaze. "Natalie," I warn, my steady voice betraying none of the turmoil she's stirring. "As a doctor, I've sworn to protect, but I also know how to inflict pain. Don't push me."

Her defiance doesn't waver, but she leans in, her next words a whisper meant only for me. "Christopher Thompson heads Puritas. Think about the implications of that for your mate."

Her revelation leaves me frozen, a storm of thoughts whirling through my mind as the backdoor closes. I don't pull away, her words representing a warning that challenges everything I thought I knew.

We suspected her dad was a part of the cult, but the head of it?

What cruel fate is this?

Natalie takes my silence for something else and grips my hand as though she's giving me comfort.

I hastily release Natalie's hand as if it scalds me. It's a figurative burn, yet my heart pounds, fear coursing through me like wildfire.

Natalie, sensing an upper hand, smiles softly. "I just felt that it was something you should know." She glances past me, hinting at our collective burden. "With the future of the clan on the shoulders of your pack, it'd be a shame to choose a luna who might be a…well, spy."

"Who's a spy?" Tyler arrives, his presence marked by Ava's distinct lavender and wildflower scent, intertwined with the unmistakable aroma of sex.

Natalie's nose twitches, her disdain briefly surfacing before she composes herself. "Oh, just that Ava's father is the head of the Puritas Umbra," she replies, feigning innocence with a blink toward Tyler.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Ava interjects, positioning herself between us, her potent scent signifying the deepened bond. Her presence challenges the seeds of doubt Natalie attempts to sow.

You can't seriously believe Natalie, Tyler scoffs in my head.

I shake my own as though I can dislodge the thought. Except I can't. Did she know?

"I was just saying the little boy from the attack is feeling better," Natalie says, avoiding Ava's probing gaze, yet her eyes flick to me, knowing she struck a nerve with her earlier revelation.

"That's not at all what you said," Ava argues, stepping closer to Natalie. "What about my father?"

"Oh, that?" Natalie shrugs off the accusation nonchalantly. "I just said he's a very bad guy."

"You called him the head of Puritas." Ava advances, her determination evident. I instinctively pull her back, trying to protect her from what might unfold. "What did you mean by that?" Ava demands, slipping from my grasp with a shrug.

"Oh, that," Natalie repeats, her demeanor casual. "Just a rumor going around."

"That's bullshit, Natalie, and you know it," Tyler interjects, frustration clear in his voice. "No one knows who the head is. He always used aliases."

"Oh, like Kit?" Natalie taunts, her sneer revealing more than intended.

"How did you know that?" Ethan's sudden appearance, his tone sharp and commanding, surprises us all.

"Ethan!" Natalie squeals, her hand coming to rest on his bicep. From the corner of my eye, I see Ava retreat before snarling. I know she's about to react, and I'm too slow to move to her side.

Natalie's flirtatious gesture provokes Ava, who launches into action, her claws partially emerging as she moves. Natalie doesn't resist Ava's attack, almost as if she anticipated this reaction. She smiles as though this is what she wanted all along. She doesn't even fight as Ava slashes her claws down her face, drawing blood.

Tyler quickly grabs Ava, hauling her back as Natalie licks the blood from her busted lip.

"Ethan is supposed to be my—" Natalie starts, but I cut her off.

"Get it out of your head," I insist, perhaps more harshly than necessary. "You will never be our luna."

"Enough!" Ethan's command halts the confrontation, his authority bringing a momentary pause. "Natalie, who gave you this information?" he demands, seeking the truth behind her provocations.

Natalie plays the victim, tears mingling with her claim of innocence. "Look what that Puritas mutt did to me," she cries, pointing fingers and seeking sympathy.

"Cut the shit, Natalie," Ethan counters. "You're spreading rumors about our mate. She's within her rights to challenge you. Now, why are you here?"

Our feisty little mate preens at that, a slow smirk curving her face as her wolf shimmers just beneath the surface of her awareness.

"Wait." Natalie frowns. "She shifted."

"Why are you here?" Ethan loses control—something he doesn't often do.

Natalie's head snaps back to him. "Someone left me a note," she snarls, her eyes darting to Ava. "Her father" —she points a finger at Ava— "is responsible for every bad thing in our lives, and you're just letting her shack up here."

"Ava is our mate." Ethan vibrates with fury. What I can't determine is whom he is angry at—Natalie, Ava, or himself.

"And she's going to kill us all if you make her your luna," Natalie snarks before turning around and shifting. Her clothing shreds to pieces as she takes off into the woods. For a long moment, no one says a thing. Absolutely nothing.

"You can't believe her," Ava pleads, the hurt evident in her eyes as she seeks our trust.

"It makes sense," Ethan admits reluctantly, casting a significant look my way.

I don't agree, but it doesn't look good.

"I can't believe this," Tyler interjects, moving to stand protectively next to Ava. "You can't believe that Ava is anything but our mate." The pain in his voice echoes through all of us.

"We need to confirm," I say, feeling the weight of leadership on my shoulders as I run a hand down my face. "We need more information on your father, Ava."

"You believe her." Ava's voice breaks, echoing the hurt and disbelief in her eyes, and I loathe myself for adding to her pain.

"Ava…" I reach out, an attempt to bridge the gap, only for her to step back out of my reach. Her fury whips out, and I swear I feel it lash across my face.

"After what he just put me through, you are willing to believe her over me?" Her voice is a whisper of venom, and indifference flashes across her face as her chin juts out. "He tried to marry me off to a man who was willing to beat and rape me into submission, and you believe her."

"Ava," Ethan says before Ava turns on a delicate heel and marches her way to the front of the house, leaving us in her wake. "Fuck," Ethan curses, except this time, there's an undercurrent of worry. "She's about to get really pissed."

"What did you do?" Tyler rounds on Ethan, his frustration boiling over as he faces his brother. "Ethan," he demands, a shove punctuating his question.

I turn to Ethan, already knowing what he did. "I knew it was a bad idea."

Admitting my own doubts to them isn't something I'm willing delve further into, so I bite my tongue. I face Ethan, the morning's fleeting optimism now overshadowed by the weight of his stupid decisions.

"What the hell is this?" Ava's scream from the front of the house cuts through the tension.

"This is all messed up." Ethan turns to me, his face a mask of guilt and concern. "I know she didn't know about her dad, and even if Natalie is right, Ava didn't know."

"Then you should have led with that," I accuse, frustration clear in my voice.

"I didn't see you backing her up either," Ethan snaps at me.

Regret burns in my stomach like acid.

As I round the corner, Ava's fury scents the air like burnt toast. "What did you do?" she demands, her eyes locked on Ethan.

"Hear me out." Ethan holds up his hands, taking a step toward the moving truck.

"You packed up all of my shit without my consent," she screams at him, her anger rolling off her in waves.

"You're our mate," Ethan roars back, his voice filled with authority and desperation. "Your apartment isn't safe, your old life isn't safe, and it's my job to keep you safe!"

"That doesn't give you the right to uproot my entire life," she counters, then calmness washes over her, her demeanor shifting to one of indifference.

"As your alpha, it gives me the right," Ethan snaps back, their energies clashing.

"Bullshit!" Ava retorts, her defiance clear.

"Ava, you know I'm right," Ethan insists, the fury between them simmering with equal intensity.

"You're no better than them." Ava's accusation strikes a chord. "No better than the Puritas, wanting to control what doesn't belong to you."

"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Ethan's anger flares, but Tyler steps in, creating a barrier between them.

"You heard me." Ava stands firmly, jumping off the back of the moving truck, unaware of her newfound strength. "My father wanted to marry me off to a cruel man, and you know what? If you had just spoken with me, I would have agreed," she says, her admission heartbreaking.

"Ava." Tyler approaches, drawn to her by the cascade of her tears.

"I'm not done," she yells at Tyler, her voice a mix of defiance and pain. "You robbed me of the choice to stay, to choose you, to bond with you. I would have said yes," she says, her anger wrapping around her like armor. "I would have chosen you if only you'd asked."

Ethan's own anger simmers just beneath the surface, and he chooses silence over words.

I find myself stepping forward, the mediator within me wanting to soothe the tension, but the words that usually come easily to me seem trapped. On one hand, I want to protect her as much as Ethan, and on the other, I know she deserves the choice.

"You're right," I concede, acknowledging Ava's protest. "We owe it to you to prove ourselves," I add, feeling the weight of Ethan's and Tyler's irritation through our bond, but I remain focused only on her. "Is there a place where you feel safe? Somewhere I can take you?"

"What the fuck?" Tyler interjects, disbelief lacing his tone as he pulls me aside. "You can't be serious."

"She won't stay, not with what just happened," I explain, glancing back at Ava. "It's clear she needs space to process."

"It's not safe," Ethan adds, his protective instincts flaring, despite the tension.

A bitter laugh escapes Ava—a sound that echoes her fraying edges.

"Ethan." I guide him backward, urging him toward the house. "You're making everything worse."

He looks at me, betrayed. "I thought you'd have my back."

"And I expected more from you," I retort, frustration bubbling up. "This isn't about what you want, it's about what Ava needs."

"I am alpha!" he roars in an attempt to assert control.

"Then act like it," I challenge, my resolve firm.

Ava becomes my focus again as I head to the car, tossing her the keys. "Go," I urge, initially speaking too sharply, so I soften my voice. "Please, just allow us the chance to make this right."

Ava holds the keys tightly—a silent testament to her internal struggle. "I can't drive," she admits, her vulnerability laid bare.

Closing my eyes, I slowly let out a breath, gathering my thoughts. "Come on, I'll drive you," I offer, motioning to the car. "Anything you need from the truck?"

"No, not right now," she decides, making her way to the car and closing the door firmly behind her, leaving Tyler momentarily stunned before he turns away.

Sliding into the driver's seat, I hold the keys, giving us a moment of pause.

"Two days," I say, hoping for understanding, "then I'll come for you, and we'll start learning to drive."

"Okay," she whispers. I can't tell if she's just burnt out or disassociating from the moment.

I just hope I can fix this.

I can't lose her.