the Blind Bond

Chapter 07

NATE

I laid my eyes on her right after we entered the pub. She was stunning. Dark brown hair tucked behind cute little ears. Such pretty ears! Who could have imagined this body part would fascinate me at that high level? Out of all the females I slept with, I couldn't recall a single ear shape. Hm, interesting.

"We should lick those beautiful ears." Nero howled happily. He was super excited to see our Cinnamon. Our. I had to stop using that word. She was not mine at all. Even if she was my mate, she would never be fit for the Luna position.

"Nonsense!" Nero growled disapprovingly. He didn't think straight, but I would not fight with him tonight. I found two empty seats at a bar and led us there. The corner of my eye caught Erin standing up and staring at us. But she didn't need to be stressed out because of me. I would not interfere with their little group. I focused on my Beta. He seemed to be tense.

"Hey. What’s wrong?" I asked him while mind-linking the bartender. Whisky, Scottish single malt, neat. Zian hesitated at first but then cleared his throat.

"Who is the blond she-wolf next to the human?"

"Erin. Our new pack doctor." I responded, not giving it further attention.

"Is she seeing anyone?"

"Huh? None of my business. Why do you even ask?" Two whiskies arrived in front of us and I immediately took a sip. Zian was playing with the glass, his gaze on the floor. He must have been talking to Haru. Oh… I know what was happening!

"Look at me." I ordered him via mind-link. He raised his head to face me. "Spill it out."

"She is my mate. Haru is certain." He said out loud and I felt truly happy for him. Zian was a good guy and deserved a mate. I was still pissed at Erin and Beth for covering up the presence of Cinnamon in the town. But Erin was a very skilled doctor and she had a good heart. She was a perfect match for my best friend.

"Congratulations, man. Don’t just sit here. Go and charm her." I tapped his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. He stood up quickly and walked towards his newly found mate. I couldn't help it but eavesdrop. He was always so cool and confident, yet facing his true mate made him nervous. I chuckled. I was planning to make so much fun of him from now on.

"Hello beautiful lady. I’m sure we haven’t been introduced yet. My name is Zian, Beta of the Silver Moon pack and I believe you are…" Oh, no! I facepalmed myself. That i.diot.

"Careful, Zi. Don’t forget about the human."

He stopped in the middle of his speech and looked at a very confused Cinnamon. He coughed and then talked again. "I’d like to invite you for a drink. Would you mind joining me at the bar?"

"That would be lovely. Thank you." Erin jumped out of the chair cheerfully and followed my Beta to our seats. There were expectations in his chocolate eyes and I guessed that was my cue to get lost.

"Please, take my seat. I assume I’ll be going anyway." I offered my bar stool to the blushing Erin. Her next words took me by surprise.

"Alpha, perhaps you could take my previous seat."

"Oh yeah!" Nero shouts in my head, a devilish smirk on his muzzle. "Hell no!" I shouted back.

She noticed my stiff posture and quickly added, "You don’t need to worry about her. She is clueless and completely harmless. Besides, me and my mate won’t take long." Zian had a huge grin on his face. I didn't get what the big deal was. He didn’t win a jackpot in the lottery or anything like that, just a female calling him mate.

"It is a big deal you stone-cold heartless d.umbass. Mate bond is sacred." Was he for real? I very much knew how precious the mate bond was. I already HAD a mate. But she’s gone. And it still pains me when I think of her. She was so young and full of dreams. She should have lived!

"I’m sorry, Nate. I don’t want to hurt your feelings. I loved our first mate, even though it was a one-way love, because she was too young to feel the bond. But we can’t change the past. She is long gone. I will always treasure her memory in my heart, but it’s time to move on. The Moon Goddess gave us a second chance. We shouldn’t waste it." My wolf tried to reason with me and I must have admitted he was indeed wise. Maybe I could just say hi. Whether I liked it or not, she lived here now. As an alpha, I ought to know all the inhabitants of my territory.

"Zian, I will wait for you at Erin’s table. You have 15 minutes."

"Sure, sure." He didn't give a damn about me, all he did was to stare at the pack doctor.

I started to walk towards Cinnamon, inhaling deeply. Her amazing scent was supplementing me with peace and calming my nerves. I followed her sweet giggling voice and it caressed me from the inside. The dog didn't seem thrilled to see me. It jumped up and placed both front paws and head on her legs. On the one hand, it was good that Cinnamon had her own protector. On the other hand, it bothered me that it wasn't me laying a head between her legs. Wait, what was I thinking of?

"I’m with you, buddy. No need to be ashamed of having naughty thoughts about our sexy mate." Nero chuckled and I showed him a virtual middle finger.

"Why did the guy introduce himself as Beta of the pack? I feel like I'm in some Australian grotesque version of the Twilight movie. So mental. Hopefully he’s not some psycho to hurt Erin." She finished her pink cocktail and stroked the dog’s beige fur. I noticed Louise Dupont and Caleb Miller. They both worked for the pack’s security department and were good warriors. Louise released a nervous laugh. They remained silent, probably unsure how to greet me in front of the human. Calling me Alpha would not be wise in this situation. However, they were not allowed to use only my first name. It was against pack policy. Surprisingly, it was Cinnamon who broke the ice.

"And who’s the other intruder? You know, I may be blind, but not deaf. You breathe louder than my fluffy friend over here."