13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

-Naomi-

I spent the night in restless anticipation, dreading the moment when someone might come for me. But the morning arrived without any such intrusion, signaling it was time to resume my duties in the pack house. With a heavy heart, I rose from bed, checked on my unchanged mother, and began preparing for the day.

Dressing in my usual dark, boring attire, designed to render me invisible as the low-ranking wolf I was, I grabbed a quick bite—a nut bar, my appetite diminished by anxiety—before donning my jacket and calling out to my mother, receiving no response. With a resigned sigh, I left the house and made my way back to the pack house.

Entering the kitchen, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest at the unexpected sight of Reese seated at the kitchen island. His gaze immediately fixed on me as I stepped inside.

“M-Morning,” I managed to stammer out.

“Morning,” he replied evenly.

I hesitated, uncertain of his presence, until he gestured toward the fridge.

“You’re making breakfast for me this morning.”

“Um... okay,” I acquiesced, seeing no reason to refuse. He was the Alpha, after all, and it was my duty to serve him. Setting aside my jacket, I went to gather ingredients.

“Any special requests?” I inquired as I worked.

“No, you decide.”

Nodding, I set about preparing a classic breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, and pancakes, adding chocolate chips and strawberries to cater to his sweet tooth. I could feel his eyes on me as I cooked, a nervous tremor coursing through me, but I focused on the task at hand.

“How’s your arm?” he suddenly asked, catching me off guard.

“Better,” I responded.

“I hope you understand the branding needs to stay,” he asserted, and I nodded silently, the memory of the pain still fresh in my mind as I cracked eggs into the frying pan.

“Yet it doesn’t seem to have changed much,” he murmured, drawing my attention as I worked in the kitchen. I glanced over my shoulder, curious about his remark.

“Sorry?”

“The branding was supposed to diminish your power over me, yet it doesn’t seem to have helped,” he admitted, meeting my gaze.

“Oh, um, maybe that’s because I haven’t done anything,” I replied, sensing his skepticism at my response.

“I have yet to decide if you have,” he countered, his tone firm, causing me to sigh in frustration. It seemed futile to argue my innocence when his perception of me remained clouded by suspicion.

Resuming my task, I focused on preparing the food, making sure to portion out a generous amount knowing Alphas required substantial energy to maintain their strength. As I placed the plate before him, I withdrew quickly, wary of any sudden movements that might provoke him. His observant gaze caught my nervousness, and he seemed to soften slightly.

“Do I scare you?” he asked, his voice carrying a hint of remorse.

“You did... brand me,” I whispered, unable to hide the fear lingering in my voice.

“Sorry, I… I don’t know what’s happening to me. It was the only explanation,” he offered, his admission tinged with regret. He began to eat, but his enjoyment of the meal was interrupted by a momentary pause.

“What? Does it not taste good?” I asked anxiously.

“It’s… very good,” he admitted, meeting my eyes, and I breathed a sigh of relief at his approval.

“Were you scared I was going to do something if I didn’t like it?”

“Well, I’m innocent and you still hurt me, so… yes,” I confessed, unable to suppress the bitterness in my tone.

“I have yet to decide if you’re innocent,” he reminded me. I turned away, feeling a pang of hurt at his doubt, but chose to remain silent as he continued to eat.

“Why does this taste so good?” he murmured, breaking the silence, and I turned to meet his gaze, intrigued by his question.

“Have you made me breakfast before?” he asked, his eyes searching mine for an answer.

Shaking my head, I replied, “No, only cake.”

“Yes, those were exceptional too,” he whispered, his words sending a flutter through my heart. As he finished his meal, a sense of calm seemed to settle over him, and his eyes met mine once more, leaving me wondering about the purpose behind this private breakfast.

“So, the witch came with a suggestion,” he began, catching my attention.

“Oh?”

“She seems to believe we are, in fact, mates, yet something is holding back our wolves from claiming one another,” he explained.

“She... said something similar to me,” I admitted.

“Good, then you’re up to date.”

“But what is stopping them? If it is even possible?”

“That she couldn’t say, but she believes it will help if we spend time together,” he elaborated, and a chill ran down my spine at the thought of being in Reese’s company. While a part of me longed for it, another part was filled with apprehension. He still saw me as a criminal, and I couldn’t shake off the fear of what spending time with him might entail.

“Um, what?” I stuttered, struggling to comprehend his suggestion.

“Spending time together. That was her suggestion,” he reiterated, his words sinking in slowly.

“But... you have a mate,” I pointed out, hoping to find a way out of the uncomfortable situation.

“I do, but we need to figure out if you’re my second one, and the best way to do that is if we... give the bond a chance to grow. Should there be one.”

“And when would we even have the time to do that?”

“In the evenings,” he proposed.

“I go home after dinner. My mom…” I began, but halted, hesitant to share personal details with him given our strained relationship. “I am busy in the evening.”

“You will have to make some room,” he insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“I can’t.”

“You have to, Naomi, or we won’t be able to figure out if something might pull us toward each other.”

“Can’t we just... reject each other?” I suggested tentatively, surprised by my own words but unwilling to retract them.

“Reject each other?” he echoed, his tone tinged with disgust.

I nodded, my gaze fixed on the ground. “I mean, you have a mate, and I’m low-ranking as well. It… doesn’t really make sense if we are… I thought maybe…”

“Have you not been taught the dangers of rejecting a true bond?” he retorted sharply.

“I have!” I exclaimed, meeting his eyes. “But our wolves haven’t even claimed each other. Maybe it won’t hurt us.”

“I don’t want to take that risk. It might make us both go insane.”

“But it might free us too.”

“You wish to be free of me?” he asked, his disbelief evident in his tone.

“Well, you aren’t exactly happy about me either,” I murmured.

“That doesn’t mean I want to take the chance of losing my mind. No, we will not reject each other,” he stated firmly. “And you will find time for me.”

I sighed, feeling utterly lost. Reese’s demeanor was a stark departure from his usual gentleness. He had always seemed compassionate to me, a trait some in the pack questioned as a weakness in a leader. But I believed it made him just and fair.

“Fine, I will… find time,” I whispered.

“Don’t say it so reluctantly. We might be true mates.”

“And if we are, what would that say about me?” I asked, lifting my eyes to meet his.

“That you’re a low-ranking wolf who was lucky enough to be paired with an Alpha?” he suggested.

I shook my head. “That I’m a social climber. Besides, you wouldn’t solely be mine.”

He seemed taken aback by my response, his gaze softening as he considered my words.

“I would… share you,” I admitted. “I know it’s special to be paired with an Alpha, but I guess I thought, hoped, if I found my mate, he would be just mine.”

Reese’s demeanor relaxed further, and he nodded, as if comprehending my hesitance. He reached up, rubbing his eyes wearily, taking a moment to contemplate.

“Yes, I hadn’t really wished for two mates either,” he confessed.

I nodded in understanding, though the admission stung. I knew who he truly desired.