6. Rudy
Rudy
D awn crept through the windows of Elowen's apartment above the bookstore, painting her sleeping form in gold. I hadn't slept—couldn't sleep—not with the mate bond singing through my blood and Rose's peril weighing on my conscience.
I traced the mark on Elowen's shoulder, still hardly believing it was real. My mate. Three days ago I'd been a lone wolf tracking blood magic corruption. Now I was bonded to a witch I barely knew, while her aunt remained captive.
This wasn't how it was supposed to happen—not manipulated by some mysterious third party through Cash's Twilight Spirit. Not while Rose was still missing and blood magic corruption spread through the supernatural community.
But the bond didn't care about timing. It pulsed between us, unfamiliar yet undeniable. I could sense her presence—an awareness that hadn't been there before—but it was faint, like hearing a sound through thick walls. I knew she was there, but the details remained elusive.
My phone vibrated. Lola. Three missed calls already. The clock showed 6:30 a.m., which meant news of our mating had already spread through supernatural channels.
I slipped from the bed and moved to the kitchen to return the call.
"Tell me you didn't," Lola demanded without preamble.
"Good morning to you too." I kept my voice low, glancing toward the bedroom.
"A witch, Rudy? In the middle of all this? Are you trying to paint a target on both your backs?"
My wolf bristled at her tone, but I forced myself to remain calm. "It wasn't exactly planned. Cash put something in our drinks"
"That manipulative bastard,” she said. “What was it?"
"Something called Twilight Spirit. Supposedly enhances existing connections."
"Existing—" Lola broke off, then sighed. "So you were already halfway there. Should have known from how you talked about her."
Had I been that transparent? I'd spent years mastering control, keeping my emotions hidden. But apparently one witch with unpredictable magic and steel in her eyes had cracked that facade without even trying.
"The pack knows," Lola continued, her voice dropping. "Curtis was at The Glitter & Stone last night. He's been... changed since he returned. The blood magic is stronger in him than the others."
"Changed how?" Curtis was the enforcer Elspeth had mentioned in connection with Rose's disappearance.
"Like he's not entirely himself anymore. Like something else is driving him." The concern in her voice was palpable. "He reports directly to the alpha now, and he was watching you two last night. This mating will complicate the rescue operation."
Understatement of the century. A lone wolf mating a witch during the worst supernatural tensions in decades was more than a complication—it was a declaration. A challenge to both the pack's blood magic corruption and the growing divisions between species.
"Any news on Rose?" I asked, refocusing on what mattered most.
"Nothing concrete. But there are whispers about a major ritual planned for the next full moon. Something bigger than their previous attempts." Lola paused. "And Rudy? The pack isn't the only group taking an interest in your new mate. Oscar Katz has been asking questions about Elowen."
A protective growl escaped before I could stop it. Through our bond, I felt Elowen stir in response, her consciousness reaching drowsily for mine.
She appeared in the doorway moments later after I had hung up with Lola, wrapped in a blanket, hair tousled from sleep. The mate mark stood out clearly on her shoulder, already healing with supernatural speed. I couldn't feel her emotions, not fully, but there was something... a faint pull when she looked at me. Recognition. Connection.
"Was that about Rose?" she asked immediately, moving to the coffee maker.
Her first thought was for her aunt—not the life-changing bond we'd formed, not the dangers we now faced, but Rose.
"Lola, with an update on pack movements," I replied.
She nodded.
I studied her, searching for regret in her expression. Instead, I found quiet determination, her focus sharpened by urgency. A warmth flickered in my chest—mine or hers, I couldn't tell. The bond wasn't clear enough for that yet.
"You're handling this... well," I observed cautiously.
A wry smile touched her lips. "Freaking out won't help us find Rose." She poured coffee into two mugs. "Besides, I've always adapted quickly. Had to, after my parents died."
The casual reference to her loss struck me. She rarely mentioned her parents. Like me, she kept her pain private, controlled.
"There's something else you should know," I said, meeting her eyes directly. "Dr. Katz has been asking questions about you. Specifically you, not just about Rose."
Her brow furrowed, concern flickering through our bond. "Why would he care about me?"
"I don't know. But his timing in Midnight Creek, his interest in blood magic research..."
"You think he's connected to Rose's disappearance?" Skepticism colored her voice.
"I think nothing about Oscar Katz is coincidental." I leaned against the counter, organizing my thoughts. "Rose trusted him enough to consult him on blood magic countermeasures. But she had notes—ones that suggested she wasn't sure of him either."
Elowen frowned, her fingers tightening around her mug. "You mean she had doubts?"
"Maybe. Or maybe she just wasn’t willing to trust him completely. But if he was working with her, he might know something we don’t."
She exhaled, processing that. "Then we need to talk to him.”
"We will. But first, we check the quarry sites." I showed her my phone, Lola’s latest text flashing across the screen: Pack on move. Multiple enforcers headed to Shadow Valley. Something big happening tonight.
The timeline was accelerating.
As we moved with unified purpose, I marveled at how naturally we fell into partnership. The mate bond was there, but it wasn’t everything—not yet. It wasn’t dictating our choices, just amplifying something that had already been forming between us. Something built on trust, necessity, and something deeper we hadn’t quite put a name to yet.
Whatever the alpha planned, whatever entity waited beyond the ritual doorway, we would face it together. Not because fate or magic or drugged drinks had forced us together, but because we chose to stand side by side.
And that choice made all the difference.