Page 26 of Accepted Bonds

Caden, who was known for his calmness, had destroyed a very expensive pack enforcer training equipment in an inexplicable fit of rage and was paying for a replacement in installments after throwing in all his savings for the down payment.

Mateo was the anomaly.He’d had no fits of rage, but he’d gotten so quiet and reclusive once Aurora was gone.Other than during classes or training, I had no idea where he disappeared to.

My head was buried in Aurora’s neck, taking in deep breaths of her sweet yet smoky poppy flower scent that I’d missed so much when I heard the knock on her door.

To my surprise, Mateo, whom I didn’t know was in Aurora’s room, was the one who opened the door for my brother.

Walking past Mateo, Caden moved straight to Aurora and me.Standing behind her, he leaned down to bury his head in her neck as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

“I missed you so much ...every single day.Couldn’t stop dreaming about you.”His voice was muffled as he tried to talk while nuzzling her neck.

“I missed you too.And I dreamed about you too,” Aurora said as she released the corner of my shirt that she was gripping, raised her hand behind her, and pushed it into Caden’s hair.

I felt a little disgruntled that he was interrupting my Aurora time, but I knew better than to get mad at him.After all, Aurora wasn’t just my true mate, she was also his.Worse yet, Aurora had deeper romantic feelings for Caden than the companionship and friendship we’d cultivated.

Feeling the doubts and worries I felt toward our relationship creep up again, I stood up straight, placing my hand on Aurora’s shoulder and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

I wanted to walk away to give her time alone with Caden, but her hand wrapped around my waist tightened instead of releasing me.“Don’t go.Let’s just stay like this for ...another minute.I missed you so much, Aiden.”

“I missed you, too,” I replied, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips as I buried my face in her hair, playing with the tips of her ears as my brother all but lifted her above the ground so he didn’t have to lean down to bury his head in her neck.

I felt it when Aurora turned her head toward the bed and I turned my head that way to see Mateo seated on her bed, staring at us.

His face was expressionless, but there was something in his dark gaze that made him look so lonely.I wasn’t very close to Mateo, but we grew up together, and I knew a lot more about him than I wanted to ever admit.

I knew what that mixture of longing and anguish flickering in his eyes was.Envy.

He longed to wrap Aurora in his arms, just as we were doing, but he continued sitting on the bed some distance away from us, his piercing gaze fixed on us as if he was a nosy passerby and not one of Aurora’s true mates.

Whatever Aurora saw in his eyes had her wading toward him without letting go of her grip on us.

And that was how we ended up in a weird human puppy pile with Aurora hugging me and Mateo, while Caden spooned Mateo with his hands wrapped around Aurora’s waist.

We all released a collective sigh after we settled together, and that sigh was what I needed to reassure myself that despite the uncertainties of our strange relationship, we could totally make things work.

In the minutes that followed our reunion, a peace settled between us as we lay together, connected by sensuality-free physical touches as our heartbeats synchronized into one tune.

16

Caden

At the annual Werewolf Alphas Congress, the first event of the Congress—the opening reception—was more of a meet-and-greet party than a meeting of serious importance but as the host of this year’s Congress, the Crawford Pack and the Mac Tire City Council had spent a lot of time preparing for it.

The hall we’d chosen for the meet-and-greet was grand with glittering lights and an elegant golden undertone to the hall decorations.The opulence of the hall was undeniable as crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting a soft, warm glow over the gathering.

The walls were adorned with rich tapestries depicting scenes from werewolf history and culture.The intricate details of the artwork came alive under the play of light and shadow, telling stories of valor, unity, and tradition.

A long, polished wooden table stretched along one side of the hall, displaying an array of exquisite finger foods and beverages, which were issuing a mouthwatering invitation to anyone interested in indulging.Waitstaff in formal attire moved gracefully among the guests, offering trays of hors d’oeuvres and glasses of sparkling champagne.

Other than the waitstaff, Alpha werewolves and various pack representatives intermingled around the hall as they tried to connect to Alphas and pack representatives who were more influential than they were.

I scanned the room, taking in the elegant setting and the vibrant energy that pulsed through it.However, the decor of the hall and the various influential Alphas and future Alphas that occupied it weren’t interesting to me as I was waiting for Aurora’s arrival.

Since she was yet to arrive, I moved toward a waitstaff to get a champagne flute, intending to become a wallflower until she arrived.But then I overheard an absurd conversation between a small group of future Alphas standing not too far away from me.

“Did you hear?The Woodburn Pack Alpha brought his daughter to the Congress.”

“Mm-hmm.That’s not big news, though.He used to bring her along when we were younger ...Until he stopped bringing her.”The future Alpha of the Terrence pack said nonchalantly.

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