7. Nova
NOVA
The next morning, there’s a knock on Roen’s side of the door as I finish getting ready. I set down my eyeliner and make sure my hair covers the dark bruise on my neck. Going to my new workplace with a bite mark wasn’t in the plans—even though I don’t think it was in Roen’s plans, either.
I’m not entirely sure what to expect when I see him. Will he seem more monstrous now that I know his secret? Or will he hide the side of him that watches me in the dark? No, even when he tried to conceal it, I’ve always been able to sense the wolf.
As I open the door, the familiar comfort of his presence washes over me. I take a deep breath to control my increasing heart rate. Instead, I’m hit with the full effect of his scent, fresh pine with rich wood undertones. There’s something else, too…
“Morning,” Roen greets, voice low and rumbly like it’s the first word he’s spoken today. A navy shirt stretches across his chest, and loose jeans hug his hips.
I lean a little closer. “Good morning.”
“How are you feeling?” His eyes linger on the side of my neck, and I feel myself flush.
“Still overheated, but better.” The pull of his magic, or the mate-bond as he called it, tugs at me.
This time, I don’t fight it. My eyes slip closed as I bury my nose in his chest. I can’t get enough of the depth to his scent, warm and almost spicy.
I rub my cheek into his shirt, stretching on my toes to nuzzle into his neck.
“Dammit, Nova,” he curses under his breath. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
I bite my lip so he can’t see my smile. “I think you said it’s the other way around.”
His mood shifts immediately. Shouldn’t have brought that up. I step away. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He lifts his hand and brushes it over my temple. “The swelling from your accident has started to go down. That’s a good sign.”
“I’ve been a train wreck, haven’t I?” It’s supposed to be a joke, but again, it hits a little too close to home.
He frowns. His hand traces down my cheek, lingering at the corner of my lips. The touch soothes my fever, but worsens the ache in my chest. It takes all my willpower not to hurl myself into him again.
Then he drops his hand. “We can visit Olivia wherever you’re ready.”
“Right.” I steady myself, remembering the purpose of our visit today. To determine if I can stay or not. “Give me five minutes.”
We drive with the windows down, the fresh air cooling me and diluting our scents. If I’m feeling its effects, I can only imagine how it must be for him. It’s hard to believe werewolves actually exist—and that I’m seriously considering living with them.
The family clinic is a single-story building in a row of brick shops downtown.
The office is empty, as expected on a Sunday, but clean and bright.
We walk through the waiting area and past the front desk, decorated with a display of flowering potted plants.
This clinic is smaller than the one I interned at, yet I already feel more comfortable here.
We turn left and walk past a row of closed doors. “How many doctors work here?” I wonder aloud.
“I’m the only primary physician, with two assistant nurses who I’ve helped train.
It’s hard to find more doctors, although I’d love to get a psychologist in here as well,” Olivia’s voice answers through a cracked doorway.
The room is so dark that if she hadn’t spoken, I wouldn’t have thought it was occupied.
With a nod from Roen, I swing the door open all the way. A shaft of light falls across a desk piled with binders and loose paper. Blue light tints a strand of Oliva’s hair that escaped her bun, the rest held together with a pen missing its cap.
“Please excuse the mess. I’ve chased quite a few rabbit holes today.” She looks up from the double monitors and stands to greet us. “It’s good to see you again, Nova. Although I wish it were under better circumstances.”
I shuffle, all too aware I’m an outsider here. “I wish I knew what the circumstances were.”
Olivia shoots Roen an exasperated look. “You didn’t explain anything ?”
“Didn’t get much information to pass along,” he replies.
She narrows her eyes, then shakes her head and turns to me. “How are you? I assume something happened since he dragged you here.”
I let out a small breath of relief that she doesn’t know the details. “I’m running a fever. Roen said I’m going through heat caused by a mate bond I shouldn’t have.”
She nods. “Right. Let’s have a seat.”
Roen pulls out a chair for me, and butterflies swirl in my stomach as I sit down. He pulls another chair closer to mine and folds himself into the small space.
Olivia follows suit, shuffling through papers as she talks.
“Let me start with the basics. Lycans view ourselves equally as spiritual and physical. Science has yet to explain much of our nature, but my research shows our abilities stem from an extra set of hormones—and in the case of bonding, pheromones.”
My mind reels with potential applications as I push away a particularly annoying strand of hair. “These hormones are unique to lycans?”
Olivia hesitates, her eyes lingering on my neck. My stomach drops. Roen’s bite.
He shifts to put his arm across the back of my chair. The warmth of his palm slips over my neck. He’s careful to not pressure the bruise, his touch equally as possessive as it is reassuring. I try not to be too self-conscious while he and Olivia share a brief glance.
Something moves behind her eyes as she gives me a soft smile. “Don’t worry, marks aren’t a bad thing in our culture—and that’s correct. Humans should be immune because you don’t have the proper receptors.”
“What if I am a lycan, but my wolf form is just a late bloomer or something?” I theorize.
Roen rubs small circles into my skin as he speaks. “Your scent is distinctly human. Just like the pack senses each other, I can sense you. If you had a dormant wolf, I would have picked up on it.”
My heart flips. He’s been able to do that the whole time?
“Our main concern is that your body won’t be able to handle the stress of mating, especially with an alpha,” Olivia explains. “However, I believe it’s possible if you’re both prepared.”
I flick my gaze to Roen. If what happened last night was any indication…the fever inside me flares to life.
“It’s not what you think,” he says.
I blush, remembering he can sense my emotions. Roen’s fingers pause for a second, then his thumb skates over the bite mark. I shiver.
He closes his eyes and lets out a breath.
“Mating is more than rough sex. The first heat comes in waves, and it won’t stop until you either reject your mate—” He locks our gazes.
“—Or you’re knotted. If I were a beta or omega, it might be feasible, but when alphas mate, we unlock a partial transformation.
My knot will grow twice as big, and my animal instincts will take over. ”
It requires a monumental amount of effort to keep my jaw from hitting the floor. When I accidentally touched him yesterday, he felt big, but nothing I’d shy away from. Twice that, plus a knot? He might literally rip my pussy in two.
“The transformation is seen as a rite of passage when leading a pack, but an alpha can only do so after choosing their Luna. Because it’s such a sacred part of our culture, there’s little to no documentation on it—or on mating, in general.
” Olivia pauses. “However, I managed to find two cases where a bond triggered between a lycan and a human.”
Roen’s gaze sharpens. “Did they mate?”
She looks away. “They didn’t know what they were getting into. One beta was a tyrant who didn’t care about his mates, and the other was a young, inexperienced alpha.”
“Tell me what happened,” Roen growls. I recognize that tone. An alpha’s command.
“Both times, the human died when they tried to complete the bond,” Olivia whispers.
I go numb. Roen roars, jumping to his feet. “Why would you even entertain this? You want me to send Nova to her grave?”
Olivia flinches. “You picked her for a reason. I want to believe it wasn’t to destroy both of your lives.”
“I know why you want this to work, but it’s not your call. This conversation is over.” Roen takes a deep breath, then turns to me. Pain flashes across his face. “I’m grateful you want to help us, Nova. But it’s better if you find a job elsewhere.”
I swallow. “What happens if I go into heat after I leave?”
“Your heat will fade when you’re far enough away. It’s the same as rejecting your mate,” Oliva answers. Her voice is hollow. “I’m not going to lie, it hurts. It feels like you’re dying…but if that’s what you choose, you can get through it.”
A deep kind of pain pools in her eyes.
“You were rejected?” I ask quietly.
She shakes her head. “Not exactly. My mate was my best friend. He accepted me the day we found out. But despite my body’s response, I knew what I felt wasn’t the same. Even now, I’ve never been sexually attracted to anyone. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t accept the bond.”
My chest tightens. “How do I know if I can accept?”
Roen bristles. Olivia recovers the tiniest amount. “Well, you could always bite him back—but any meaningful contact will work. It’s not a decision to take lightly. The bond will be sealed after you both accept, and the need to mate will be too strong to resist.”
Hold on, he didn’t have to bite me? I turn to Roen, who confirms my suspicions with a characteristic frown. That means he really did lose control last night. No, if he hadn’t accepted the bond, I would have passed out and might be dead floating in the ocean right now.
What if he needs me to accept him as much as I needed him?
“One more thing,” Oliva says, interrupting my thoughts. “And Roen, don’t take my head off—but would you mind letting me take a blood sample, Nova?”
“I don’t mind at all.” I stand, all the new information churning in my head. “Thank you, Olivia. For everything.”
She gives a half-hearted smile that says all I need to know. If I accept Roen as my mate, I might turn him into my own murderer.