30 Meg
Meg
“So that’s why I can’t marry you.” I shrugged.
Justus put his head into his hands. “And just when I was starting to fall in love with you, too.”
My eyes narrowed.
“Kidding.” He smirked. “Does Roman know you’re his fated mate or whatever?”
“Kind of. I think. I’ll explain more to him, but I wanted to make sure we cleared up any misunderstandings between you and me before I took the next steps.” I looked out the window to see Roman marching up the hill toward the Jeep and Marcus in the rain.
“You two are perfect for each other. Insufferable with all this duty and honor bullshit. But wait. What does that mean for the…” He made finger quotes in the air. “Gods awakening thing?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “My mom has gone to Amarock to get my sister. Hopefully they found something in the archives. Alpha Kera is sending out a call to the other packs. And Morrigan is…” I glanced around, half hoping she’d materialize out of thin air.
My wolf whined. Why? Are you ready to get our ass kicked again?
For Roman, it was worth it.
I rubbed the spot in my chest that had been singing with the new mate bond in place all night, but still, this felt tainted, like we were on borrowed time.
“I need a shot.” Justus rubbed his temples. “Not that I wanted to marry you either.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.” I sat beside him. The heat had abated, but I still felt wrung out and used. Not that I was complaining. But something told me I’d need to conserve whatever strength I had left for the coming days.
“Does it really matter which human you marry?” Justus asked the question I’d been asking myself for weeks out loud. “I know that Morrigan said something about heirs joining, but isn’t this more to combine our different people like it used to be in the old days?”
“I can’t answer that. Only Morrigan can.” As an alpha wolf, I hated not having the answers and being this powerless. “Knowing our luck, she won’t show back up until the wedding.”
Justus stared at the window. “What if we still had the wedding?”
“Did you not—”
“Hear me out.” He held up his hand. “What if, instead of only one groom, there were two?”
“Like a why choose situation?” Not that I didn’t enjoy reading those types of books, but practical application wasn’t something I ever imagined happening in real life.
One guy’s drama was enough for me.
“Exactly.” Justus grinned. “The wedding can still take place, so we don’t upset these gods of yours any more than they already are.
Then if it doesn’t matter who you marry, I’ll quietly slip away.
Maybe become the scorned lover at the altar?
” He clapped. “And if we still have to get married, let’s bring a third into the marriage.
Roman can fulfill all the husbandly duties at home while I maintain our social calendar.
Didn’t you say there had to be some sort of sacrifice?
I will gladly sacrifice my marriage for you and Roman. ”
Can this work? My wolf cocked her head.
“Do you think he’d be okay with that plan?” I asked, trying to ignore the hope unfurling in my chest that I hadn’t messed everything up in the throes of passion last night.
“Have you seen the way he looks at you?” Justus rolled his eyes. “That man has been in love since the minute you first growled at my dining room table.”
I couldn’t stop the smile that quirked my lips.
“That settles it.” He jumped to his feet. “Let’s go tell him and then get the hell out of here.”
“Wait.” I held Justus back. “Why are you doing all this for me?”
“Oh, honey.” He patted my hand. “This has nothing to do with you. I owe Roman my life. If I can offload my mutant wife on him, and he’ll be happy about it, while I get my freedom, why wouldn’t I make this happen?”
*
Justus was still a self-centered asshole, but I felt lighter than I had in weeks. There was a break in the rain, even with the dark clouds that gathered ominously above, and we met Roman coming back down from the hill.
Dad sat on his porch drinking coffee.
He never did that, so I figured he was dying to eavesdrop on what happened next. It wasn’t like he couldn’t smell the mate bond on me. Alpha Kera, Coral, and Alec had already lost it this morning when I emerged from the cave after scenting Roman on his way back here last night.
It'd taken me a few hours to stop freaking out and come up with a plan. Mostly one that centered on me praying for half the night, begging the gods to forgive me.
I honestly didn’t know what I was dealing with here, but seeing the way Roman’s face lit up with hope made all the anxious noise in my brain… stop.
We were meant to be together.
Fate dictated it.
The gods would just have to understand.
“Did you tell him?” Roman asked. He was a statue as he came to a halt in the yard and his face turned to stone, but I could feel the worry and barely contained desire he had for me swimming just below the surface.
I nodded, not sure how to process all these new emotions I felt coming from Roman. He didn’t know that the mate bond gave me a deeper insight to his world, and I wondered how much he felt of mine.
When his expression softened as he glanced at me, I felt my heart sing.
He turned to Justus. “I need to apologize for sleeping with your fiancé when she was in heat before we broke off your wedding.”
Roman didn’t see the knife hand I was slicing at my neck, trying to get him to shut up as Justus frowned, and my dad started growling on the porch.
“Not all the details,” I cried.
“We’re still getting married…” Justus blinked. “You slept with her?”
Anger flared through Roman and he tightened his fists. “What do you mean the wedding is still on?”
My dad’s coffee mug shattered as his growl filled my head. “He took advantage of you during your heat?”
For gods’ sakes, make it stop.
“Dad. Justus. You two go have a drink.” I cringed, shoving my intended husband toward my father before grabbing my mate’s hand. “Roman, you and I are going for a walk.”