8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

-Reese-

M y confession didn’t spark a passionate encounter between us. Instead, we both fell silent, lost in our own thoughts as we sat on the couch. But could I blame her? This wasn’t the kind of revelation one wanted to hear from their mate.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“I’m not sure what to say,” she admitted.

“No, me neither.”

“What do you even mean by that?”

“I don’t know,” I confessed, leaning forward and burying my face in my hands, still carrying the sweet scent of Naomi on my fingers.

“Then why would you say that?” she questioned.

“Because you asked me!” I exclaimed, turning to her and seeing her draw back slightly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice.”

“Reese, your behavior is extremely confusing.”

“Then how do you think I feel?” I challenged. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

Rosa sighed, nodding a little, both of us finding this situation incredibly perplexing. We both lapsed into silence, contemplating my predicament before she closed her eyes briefly, as if reaching a conclusion.

“What?” I asked.

“Some people have two mates,” she murmured.

“That is incredibly rare,” I reminded her.

“But not impossible,” she pointed out, meeting my eyes.

“Rosa, she is not my second mate. I don’t have and don’t want two mates.”

“Are you certain?” she asked.

“Yes. I haven’t heard my wolf claim her. She just…”

“Just what?” she inquired.

“She just confuses me a little.”

“A little? You seem on the verge of snapping,” she countered.

“I’m not. I’m fine. I think it’s just coming back here and… everything,” I murmured, but it was a feeble excuse. My mind shouldn’t be consumed by Naomi when I had Rosa as my true mate. My wolf had claimed her, the word echoing in my head, leaving no doubt about our connection. I had not experienced the same with Naomi. It was only her scent, her sweet, intoxicating aroma... No, I needed to stop letting it affect me. It was time to purge her from my thoughts.

I drew closer to Rosa, who gave me a small smile, surprisingly not as upset as I had anticipated.

“I will make it stop,” I assured her.

“Oh? Do you have the power to do that?” she asked a little teasingly.

“She is not my second mate.”

“You don’t know that,” she countered.

“I do, or my wolf would have told me. I know I can handle this,” I promised.

“Who is she even?”

I was about to say Naomi’s name, but for some reason, I hesitated. Why? What harm would it do to say her name?

“No one,” I replied. “She is no one.”

“And yet you desire her,” Rosa remarked.

“I will... stop it.”

“How?” she asked.

“I will just avoid her completely,” I promised.

“Is that possible when you are in the same pack?”

“As I said, she is no one,” I assured her.

Rosa sighed, looking away from me, so I leaned closer, kissing her shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I will figure out what’s wrong with me,” I vowed.

“Maybe the pack doctor can help you?” she suggested.

“I’ll check,” I said.

“I just don’t want anything to ruin our bond,” she whispered, reaching up to caress my cheek, and suddenly her warmth enveloped me, bringing a rush of emotions. I smiled, feeling more like myself again.

“Trust me, I don’t either.”

“Then you need to do everything you can to stop this,” she insisted.

“Don’t worry. I will.”

She leaned in closer, kissing me with more intensity, and I responded eagerly. This time, I felt different. Her touch seemed enticing again, and I felt my cock grow hard. Perhaps I had finally rid myself of this longing for Naomi after opening up about my struggles. I pushed Rosa down onto the couch once more, her hands eagerly exploring me in return.

“You seem perfectly healthy,” the pack doctor told me as I put on my shirt again, sitting on the examination table.

“How can that be?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Doc, I told you. I desire two different women, and one of them isn’t even my mate. That shouldn’t be possible,” I pointed out.

“Are you certain she isn’t a second mate?” the doctor asked.

“Rosa asked the same thing yesterday, but no, she is not,” I replied.

“And yet you feel incredibly attracted to her?”

“Yes.”

“That certainly shouldn’t happen,” she mused aloud.

“No, exactly. Naomi is—”

“Hold on, what did you say?” the doctor interjected.

“What?” I asked.

“Naomi is the second woman?” she questioned.

“Yes, why?”

“Interesting,” she murmured, tapping a pen against her bottom lip as she sat by the counter where my medical file was lying. I waited for her to continue her train of thought, but she remained lost in contemplation.

“Doc, why is it interesting?” I inquired.

“Well, because Naomi came here the day you arrived,” she revealed.

“And?”

“Like you, she is perfectly healthy, but she explained strange symptoms regarding her wolf.”

“Such as?” I pressed.

“I can’t disclose that,” she explained.

I groaned, rolling my head around in frustration. It seemed I wasn’t the only one struggling. Something was going on with Naomi too. Then, was she truly the culprit behind my strange behavior?

“When did she arrive?” I asked.

“Later in the day, around dinner,” she replied.

That meant it had been after our encounter in the living room. This was becoming more perplexing.

“Alpha, are you certain she isn’t a second mate?” she asked.

“No, my wolf would have said something. Besides, she isn’t even a Luna, and a second bond is incredibly rare. I can’t even remember the last time that happened to anyone,” I pointed out.

“About 50 years ago. It was another Alpha, but it was his Luna who had two Alphas, and they shared her,” she explained.

“See? So rare,” I countered.

She nodded. “But what is your wolf saying? Is he behaving strangely?”

I contemplated her question, then nodded. “Sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“He is… restless, but that is not uncommon if you haven’t found your mate. But I have!” I exclaimed.

“Is he still restless?”

I nodded, feeling my wolf pace around inside me. Though we had reconnected with Rosa, the calmness she brought had only lasted for a short period, the restless feeling returning with new power. That was why I needed to figure out what was happening to me.

“It is very confusing,” she concluded.

“Could it be magical?” I questioned.

“You mean involving a witch?”

I nodded.

“You do realize their help isn’t cheap to acquire, right?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“You think a low-ranking wolf like Naomi with a deceased father could ever afford such help?” she pointed out.

I sighed, lowering my head. I had pondered the same, yet my mind clung to something else the doc said.

“What do you mean, deceased father?” I questioned.

“You didn’t know?” she inquired.

I shook my head.

“Oh, right, you were out traveling. It was an attack. He died protecting the pack. He wasn’t the best fighter, but he held importance. However, that sadly didn’t help him,” she revealed.

“I see.”

I suddenly felt an unexplainable urge to go find Naomi, to comfort her, even though it was a long time ago. Yet I remained in my place.

“I have no other explanation but witchcraft,” I said.

“Well, there is a way we can check it,” she pointed out.

“How?”

“By hiring a witch,” she said. “You can afford that.”

“Maybe I should,” I sighed.

“I think that might be best.”