Come for Me 2 (The Hunt #2)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Alaina

I didn’t care how I looked for the bonding ceremony. At least I didn’t until I was told Dax’s pack would be watching. Before, I was okay with being announced as the hybrid queen with puffy eyes, tear-stained, and red cheeks. But I didn’t want his people to lose hope or think all their efforts were for nothing. I didn’t want them to worry and risk their lives on my behalf any more than they already have.

I swipe my lips with red lipstick to match the bloodred outfit Colin picked for me to wear. The floor-length maxi skirt has a slit up the side. The strapless top hugs my breasts to create cleavage Dax would have loved.

The gold bracelets are looped up my arms like snakes. The gold is meant to represent the eyes of werewolves and the red to signify the vampires.

I adjust my mother’s necklace in the mirror. The violet pendant points down to my breasts. That’s when gazes fall on me.

Ash is posted in the room, probably to make sure I don’t run or kill myself before the ceremony. Nothing like a creepy old vampire staring at my breasts again, just like he did at dinner.

“Where did you get that necklace? It’s unusual ,” he asks.

I gaze down at the stone, rubbing its smooth surface with my thumb.

Maybe he wasn’t looking at my breasts before.

“It was my mother’s. She died after I was born,” I say.

As I give Ash a small smile, I brace myself for the pity. I’m preparing for the awkward reassurance I will do after to make sure others aren’t uncomfortable that I’ve lost my mother, and they don’t know what to say—because what do you say?

“I’m sorry for your loss. What was her name?”

“Emilia.”

The silence is too unbearable for me, so I decide to fill it with more awkward personal questions.

“What was she like? Your mate, I mean?”

I can’t help myself. I don’t have anyone else to talk to about losing my mate. No one could understand what this is like unless they’ve been through it.

Ash shifts in his stance and avoids eye contact. He’s had my whole life to grieve, and he still struggles to even talk about her. No matter how great their love story might be, it couldn’t compare to what Dax and I had. And if Ash wasn’t over her yet after two decades, there wasn’t any hope for me to move on. Just like Colin said... I’ll have to bond to someone else.