Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
A ubrey
After sex, Billy falls back to sleep with me in his arms, so I quietly slip out of bed and go out to the balcony to call Madi. I called Jamie last night to tell her that someone shot at me, and I fear it could be related to Sentience. She’s in hiding still, so hopefully, she will be safe.
We were supposed to fly back this morning to get ready for the wedding, but they decided to delay the flight for Billy to recover a little more. The plan was to leave this afternoon whether he was conscious or not–which terrified me.
But I guess after that spectacular display of virility, I don’t have to worry. They were right–he’s going to be just fine.
Which is just crazy. All the pieces are still clicking together in my head. All the hints I had but didn’t recognize. The allergy to silver–OMG!
Werewolves are supposedly allergic to silver, at least according to the lore. But they aren’t werewolves, they’re wolf shifters.
I have so many questions.
Madi answers after a couple of rings. “Hey, how’s he doing?”
“He woke up. We had sex, and he fell back to sleep.”
Madi laughs. “Well. I guess that means he’s good to fly back.”
“Yep. Thank God.”
“Jake and Vance couldn’t find the shooter.”
I suck in a sharp breath. “They didn’t?”
“But Nickel determined through his family that it wasn’t Luka or his pack. So you’re probably right–the shooter was sent from Sentience.”
“So…you’re marrying a wolf, huh?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. It killed me. I know we were drifting apart because of this secret, and I just didn’t know how to fix it.”
Tears spear my eyes. Suddenly, I’m crying. “Yeah, I’ve missed you so much.”
“Me too! I’m sorry, Aubrey.”
“Well, now I know. It makes sense why you were warning me off Billy.”
“No, I think I was wrong about that. He used to have a bias against humans. He initially didn’t think I was the right mate for Brick because I’m not a wolf, and alphas have to protect their blood lines or their kids won’t shift.
But I think you may have changed things for him. I think you might be his mate.”
There’s a reverence to the way she says his mate that clues me in to a deeper meaning. “What does that mean?”
“Well, wolves can have ordinary relationships, like humans. But supposedly every wolf has one true mate. A fated match. Someone they instinctively know–primarily by scent–is The One. But it’s not that common to find your true mate.
You’d have to search the whole world over.
So it’s pretty special when it happens.”
I remember what Billy said to me when we were making love. I wanted you the moment I first caught your nutmeg and honey scent at the cafe.
Am I his fated mate? It would explain why he pursued me even when I was so prickly. Perhaps he was pursuing me against his own best judgment.
“Are you Brick’s mate?”
“Yes. I guess it’s unusual for an alpha wolf to have a human as a fated mate, so his pack had a hard time accepting it.”
“Oh my God. That must’ve been so hard. I wish you had come to me.” It breaks my heart that she couldn’t talk to me about it.
“I wanted to. So badly. I felt so alone. But part of being in the pack is following the strict secrecy rules.”
I think about it. “That makes sense.” If word got out there were men who could change into wolves, they’d be hunted or experimented on. They’d lose their freedom forever.
“Anyway, they finally came around after I proved myself.”
“And you think I might be Billy’s fated mate?”
“He’s been fascinated with you from the start.
I should’ve seen it earlier, but I just didn’t trust him.
Now it seems obvious. He got into a brawl with the local Monaco pack when their alpha said something derogatory about you on the yacht.
And protecting you was all he cared about yesterday.
He would’ve died for you. Considering the fact that Billy is pretty self-serving, I would say you mean far more to him than a duty to please his alpha. ”
I chew on that.
“But more importantly, how do you feel about him?”
How do I feel? I told myself this was just a fling. Billy wasn’t relationship material for me. We’re just too different. I have a set of ideals and a self-image that don’t include flying on jets across the ocean for parties or living in a penthouse on Billionaire Row.
But Billy’s shown me there’s a depth beneath the dollars. He does care about climate change and protecting the environment. I thought he was selfish and standoffish, but I learned he’d do anything for the people he cares about, and the hard protective outer shell stems from deep wounds.
I take a deep breath. “Honestly? I’m falling for him, Madi. Hard. I tried not to. I told myself it was just about the sex because he’s everything I normally despise in a man, but I can’t help how I feel with him.”
“Safe?” Madi asks.
“Yes! Is that how you feel with Brick?”
“Yes.”
“I feel seen by him. Protected. He takes care of me like my dad takes care of my mom. Yesterday he bought me jewelry–and not some dumb tennis bracelet. He somehow found a lab-grown pink diamond nose ring and matching navel ring.”
“He really thought about what you would like.”
“Exactly!”
“Yeah, he pays close attention to people even though he pretends to not give a crap. Probably a result of his childhood abuse.”
My chest squeezes. I’ve judged him way too harshly.
Now, after all my delight in tormenting him, I just want to make his life easier. I want to be there for him the way he was there for me yesterday. To get him to open up and share himself with me.
I want to be his mate.
“Yeah, I’m falling hard, Mads. I hope he is, too.”
I step out of the shower. Billy was still asleep after my convo with Madi, so I decided to get cleaned up and start packing.
As I towel dry, I hear the deep baritone of Brick’s voice in my suite.
Oh! Billy must have woken and let him in.
Awkward. I don’t want to walk out there in just a towel. I put on my moisturizer.
Their voices are low, and I can’t make out what they’re saying until the A/C stops blowing, and it suddenly gets clear. “I need to know your intentions. Today. The more memories she accumulates, the harder it is to wipe them.”
I freeze. Wipe. Memories? Excuse me?
My heart starts pounding hard.
Is he talking about my memories out there?
Madi didn’t say anything about wiping my memories. But then again, why would she if she knew it was going to happen? Telling me would just produce more memories to wipe.
My stomach turns over, suddenly queasy.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Take care of it, how? You’ll take her to the vampire king to get her mind wiped? Or is she your mate?” Brick asks, still keeping his voice low. “Do you plan to mark her?”
“Fuck.” I hear the sound of Billy’s heavy footsteps, like he just got out of bed.
Was the fuck because it pained him to get up? Or because he doesn’t know if I’m his mate?
I suddenly feel like I’m untethered on a space walk. A few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have cared about his answer. A few weeks ago, I didn’t want any kind of relationship beyond sex with Billy.
Now, I just decided I want him forever.
But Billy had a rough childhood that involved heavy abuse from a shifter supremacist. That would make it hard to accept a fated match with a human. If , in fact, I am his mate.
God, this is complicated. I press my hip against the sink counter for support, my knees suddenly weak. I’m trembling although I couldn’t describe the emotion associated with it. Not fear. Not pain. Just…vulnerability. My whole world feels like it’s teetering on end.
Someone tried to kill me yesterday.
I found out wolf shifters exist, and the guy I’ve been screwing is a huge white beta.
Turns out my best friend didn’t abandon me for her fiance, she joined a wolf pack.
They know how to wipe memories for people who find out.
I may or may not be Billy White’s fated mate.
That’s the piece that makes me feel most unmoored. I want Billy to pick me. Not because I smell good to him but because he loves me.
“I don’t know,” Billy says finally.
My lips tremble, and I draw in a deep breath.
“But either way, I’ll handle it, Alpha.”