Page 99 of Crystal Luna

“No. It’s less income, but we’ll be okay without it. If we ever would be in dire need, we could still self sustain ourselves for a while, even if life wouldn’t be as comfortable as it is right now.”

“So, they’re passively trying to weaken you while strengthening themselves?”

‘Clever girl,’ Isaiah chuckled full of pride.

“Yes. But for now we just have to stay on our toes.”

“Maybe it’s because of you.”

Isaiah crooked his eyebrow in surprise, finally opening his mouth. “What do you mean?”

“You’re alphas now—you’ve also had a change in leadership. Maybe they’re still blaming the Crystals for losing so many men. Now with young, inexperienced blood they’re hoping their chances at retaliation have grown.”

Asher tensed—they hadn’t even thought about that. “Yet another reason to get you home safely without alerting them to your existence.”

Her eyes flashed dark. “Don’t try to use that as an excuse to coop me up in that fucking house of yours.”

“We won’t,” Isaiah soothed. “You are free to roam the territory as you please, but no one goes past the borders alone—even the warriors.”

“Fine.”

“Have you thought about whether you would like to stop anywhere?”

“No,” she said, stuffing her last bite in her mouth. “Let’s just get it over with.”

“What have you planned for today?” Asher couldn’t keep the disappointment from his voice.

“Going out,” she said vaguely, setting the plate in the sink as she turned to leave. “Don’t touch the dishes. I don’t need you to try and sugar coat me into liking you.”

Asher froze, his temper beginning to surface once more. “How else are we supposed to get you to accept us? Nothing we do is ever good enough for you.”

Her shoulders shook with laughter. “Frustrating, isn’t it? And you’ve only been trying for what? A day? Imagine years of never being good enough—for anything.”

The door slammed, and he stared at the wood, frustration forming into anger—because he knew she was right. Nothing she’d done had ever been good enough for them and now, she was getting her payback.

The second she was out of ear shot, Asher let out a frustrated growl. “Why isn’t the bond kicking in?”

“Because you have to let it happen naturally. She can probably feel it but there’s a lifetime of hurt clouding everything. Remember what we heard about Luna Mellowic? She was able to fight the bond to a point where she couldn’t feel Alpha Kaine’s separation from the pack when the lycan took him.”

“Just fucking great…” Asher muttered.

“If a bond is accepted by everyone involved it is all consuming. We’re taught that everyone just trusts it blindly. It’s also why human mates take longer to trust—that’s what they’re taught. They don’t know that nothing sinister lurks within those emotions that they feel towards their mate.”

“So, she can fight us for the rest of our lives?”

“No. Eventually the bond will grow stronger. The more time we spend with her, the more it strengthens—that’s what happened with Luna Mellowic. It’s probably why she hates the idea of being trapped with us in the car.”

“Then we’d better make sure she’s as close to us as possible.”

Isaiah laughed and stood to leave the cabin so they could return to their own. “Are you going to stuff us into the tiniest car possible for the next three days?”

“If that’s what it fucking takes.”

They spent the rest of the morning organising the trip, trying to get a few stops in and make sure they at least had a place to sleep for the first night. Asher made sure to only get one room with one bed, wanting Vel as close as he could have her.

They both dozed off on the couches with the TV playing softly in the background. When the door flew open soon after, Asher jumped up from the couch. Vel stood in the doorway, her eyes on the TV where a drama was playing out on the screen.

“Your attendance is needed,” she said without taking her gaze off the screen. “You might wanna look a little more presentable.”

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