Page 10 of Rituals & Runes

Axel swallowed hard and nodded.

My sight passed over each male. “That goes for everyone.”

They also nodded.

Ethan turned halfway between the men and me. “This curse has taken something from every one of us. My brother is dead.”

I gripped the bottle in my hand until it almost shattered in my fingers. My wolf paced, whining and panting. I gritted out, “My brother is dead, too. And the curse is threatening to take other things from me, but I can’t stop my attraction toward her. Besides, she’s almost in heat, and I will fucking kill any male that even breathes in her direction, let alone try to sate her needs.”

Every male in the room planted their gaze on me.

Dan scanned the room as if the ensure his safety. “Kaden, you know you’re like a son to me. Axel and I know the primal need that gets created inside us when our true mate is near.”

I spit out a mouthful of beer barely missing those in front of me. “Who said anything about a fated mate? I said was attracted to her, not that I sensed I’d met my mate.”

Axel leaned forward and placed his hands over his knees. He raised his eyebrows. “You said the council is here to advise you. We are advising you that Aila, unfortunately, seems to be your true mate. Face it, Kaden, you can’t help yourself with her.”

My wolf scratched at me and barked. He seemed to agree with my uncle’s statement. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand but remained silent. It could explain a few things…yet, it sat as well in me as a rotted crate of fish. My fated mate could not come from my enemy pack. No way.

Dan cocked his head. “I can see the doubt in your eyes. Most of us males want to deny it. Maybe Aila hasn’t sensed it yet because of her half-human side, but mark my words, you are both acting like fated mates.

“And believe me, Kaden. You need to spend the least amount of time with her because the mating call will begin to drive you insane until you fulfill it. The true mate bond defies any force of nature and takes over the mind like an obsession. The body craves the woman like the need to breathe air or drink water to sate thirst. I do not envy your position in the slightest, but she is the answer to the curse. Aila’s death can stop this plague and revive us. A third of our pack is gone, Alpha Kaden. One third. Will you wait for half of us to be gone to make a decision? We are wasting away.”

Anguish knifed through me. I sank my head against my hand which still held my now warm beer. My uncle spoke the truth. One I couldn’t deny. My pack needed me more than ever, and time worked against me.

And I faced another truth. One that grew on me, but ripped away my reasoning and replaced it with an insatiable drive. For one thing only.

Aila. Sexy, feisty, Aila.

For reasons I still couldn’t accept or explain, my wolf needed Aila. And maybe I had to admit a small part of me was warming up to her. A keen admiration developed for her. She’d shown a special feisty side that put a smile on my face. The way she’d tried to fight me. Averted her gaze to avoid being overpowered by me. Scanned the hallways for an exit, as if I didn’t notice, but I had to praise her. She never showed an ounce of fear before an entire room of shifters she had to know hated her. For multiple reasons.

Maybe she was my fated mate. But she came from the pack that had poisoned my own. And I had to sacrifice her to save those I loved. Those I’d grown up with, those who had given me life.

Still, like it or not, if she turned out to be my fated mate, I couldn’t allow her to die.

I glanced up at the three men. “If Aila is my fated mate, she is born and meant for me. I will not let anything or anyone come between us. I don’t care if she’s half-human, or what pack she came from. To me, she’s perfect. And I will never let anyone or anything get between us. I will protect Aila.”

Ethan stared at me, his beer in his hands, his eyes reflecting sadness. He looked away from me in disappointment.

Axel wiped his forehead. “Alpha Kaden, the Full Moon Winter Solstice is days away. The council has voted to prepare for the ceremony. With or without you.”

Dan stood up, his face reddened and wearing a harsh scowl. “You were born to lead. The Alpha was born to put the pack before himself. You’re selfish, Kaden. Your father is rolling over in his grave. You’re condemning us to a hellish death.”

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