Fates Entwined

5

Why did everyone keep asking me that? My gaze flicked involuntarily toward the distant figure of Jordan, his golden hair glinting beneath the stars. He stood with his arms crossed, his back stiff, his eyes locked on me with an intensity that could be felt even at a distance. I sucked in a breath and looked away. "I'm sure." Ayla followed my gaze and then rested a hand on Kaden's arm. "Give her a break. She'll know when the time is right."

"Fine with me," Kaden said. "I don't like the idea of my little sister being rutted by one of the males here anyway."

"I am an adult, you know," I said, rolling my eyes. "I can 'rut' whoever I want."

"Yeah, but I don't want to know about it." He made a disgusted face.

I pictured what would happen if Kaden found out who my mate truly was. Would he set the entire forest ablaze with moon magic? Maybe he'd slam his claws into Jordan's chest? Or would Kaden's head just explode, like something from a cartoon?

Ayla bumped shoulders with her mate and grinned at me. "I think what Kaden is trying to say is that he'd be sad if you found your mate and went to live with another pack so soon."

I swallowed hard at the emotion that swelled in my chest at her words. I couldn't imagine leaving the Ophiuchus pack for any other, but tradition amongst the Zodiac Wolves stated that females always went to join their mates' packs. The one exception was the Virgo pack, which was led by women. In the Ophiuchus pack, we'd never had to worry about such old-fashioned, patriarchal bullshit, since we took in anyone who was mated to one of our members. Now that we were a part of the Zodiac Wolves we'd accepted that our females would leave our pack while new females would join our ranks, thus allowing us to keep our bloodlines strong. Or at least the others had accepted it. I refused to even consider it for myself.

"The Ophiuchus pack is my home, and I have no intention of leaving it," I said.

Kaden nodded, but he still looked concerned. "You can't avoid this forever, Stella. Fate has a way of catching up to us."

Why was everyone suddenly so concerned with me finding a mate? "I know that."

Kaden gave me a pat on the shoulder before he retreated with Ayla to their tent, leaving me alone once more in the throng of shifters. I turned back for one last look at the unmated wolves, their numbers getting smaller as more pairs disappeared into the shadows, and this time I didn't see Jordan anywhere among them. Had he gone off with someone? Not that it mattered to me. Not one bit.

I kicked the dirt as I started back toward my tent. Alone. Just as I wanted.

CHAPTER THREE

I was halfway to my tent when my path was blocked by a large, very naked male. At first, all I saw was a broad, tanned chest with rippling muscles and a Capricorn pack mark on his arm, before my eyes traveled up to a handsome face with lots of sharp angles and one very flirtatious grin.

"Hey, gorgeous," the male said, his intentions all too clear in his roaming eyes. "Didn't find your mate tonight? Me neither. But we can still have some fun." He took a step closer. "My tent is right over there. Care to join me?"

"Thanks, but—" I started to reply, but as soon as the words left my mouth, a furious growl tore through the air.

Jordan appeared out of nowhere, his huge hand reaching up to wrap around the other male's throat. The muscles in his arm bulged and his black shirt held on for dear life as he raised the Capricorn into the air by his neck. "Stella is mine," he snarled, his voice barely human.

Mine. Jordan’s word seemed to ricochet inside of me, causing a dozen different, conflicting emotions and thoughts to collide, and I could only gape at him with my mouth open.

The Capricorn raised his hands in submission, his eyes wide with fear. "Sorry, alpha! I didn't know!"

Jordan didn't seem to hear him. His fingers turned to claws that threatened to tear the other male's throat out. I couldn't see his face from this angle, but I suspected his eyes were blazing with possessive rage.

"Jordan!" I grabbed his arm and tried to yank him back, but he was too strong. I sank my nails into his skin and tugged harder. "Let him go!"

Jordan's shoulders stiffened at my touch. He threw the other male to the ground, and the Capricorn scurried away like a cowering pup without another glance in my direction. Leaving me alone with the man who’d just claimed me loudly as his own. Good thing no one else was around to hear him, or if they were, they were too busy with their new mates to care.

As Jordan turned to face me, I let go of his arm, though his heat still danced across my palm. "Yours?" I spat, my anger flaring to life. "I am no one's property, least of all yours!"

Jordan huffed. "I don't want you as my property. I want you as my alpha female."

My heart stuttered at his words, but then the thought of being the Leo alpha female brought me back to my senses. I clenched my fists at my sides, fighting the urge to reach out and touch him. "For the last time, we are not mates, and I am never, ever going to be your alpha female."

"No?" He c****d his head. "Then shift in front of me and prove there's nothing between us." I stared defiantly up at him. "I don't have to prove anything to you or anyone else."

Frustration twisted his face. "No, you'd just rather let everyone think you still haven't found your mate. Did you want to go off with that Capricorn? Is that it?"

"No, but I was handling it. And don't you dare threaten any other wolves on my behalf!"