Fates Entwined

13

We sat at the dining table, a palpable tension hanging in the air like a brewing storm. I fought to keep my expression neutral as I took the chair as far as possible from Jordan and poured myself a large glass of wine. As soon as I was done, Jordan grabbed the bottle and did the same. The rest of the evening stretched out before me like an endless chasm, and I had a feeling we were going to need a lot more wine to get through it.

As Ayla and Kaden began serving the food, I couldn't help but wonder what they wanted to discuss. I steadfastly avoided looking at Jordan, but I could feel his eyes on me like a prickle at the back of my neck.

"This tastes amazing," Jordan said after he took his first bite.

Kaden bowed his head slightly. "Thanks. It's our mother's recipe."

The thought of our mother sent a pang through me, especially when I remembered Jordan's pack was the reason she'd been taken from us when I was only a child. It wasn't his fault, of course, but that didn't mean I would ever be able to forget it.

I tried to keep my focus on the delicious meal Kaden had prepared, but even without the mate bond, it was impossible to ignore Jordan's presence across the table. Every time I lifted my gaze to steal a glance at him, my breath caught in my throat. The pull was like an invisible thread yanking my heart toward him. And the way he looked at me... His face held a mixture of longing and frustration, mirroring the turmoil brewing inside me.

"How is it being alpha?" Ayla asked, obviously trying to smother the awkwardness with small talk.

"I'm managing." Jordan's eyes darted to me like he wasn't sure how much to say. "The pack is adjusting to my leadership and my new beta is great. Although last week I fought off another alpha challenge."

I raised my eyebrows, my fork halfway to my mouth. "Another wolf challenged you?"

"Yes, and I'm still here," Jordan drawled. "Disappointed?"

I rolled my eyes and shoved lasagna in my mouth. But seriously, what i***t would fight Jordan? Had they not seen him take out the previous beta the last time he'd been challenged? The memories of him—naked, sweaty, covered in blood, and roaring in triumph—still kept me awake at night in the worst possible way. Jordan was the most vicious fighter I'd ever seen, and that was saying something considering I'd grown up with Kaden.

"Once you have an alpha female, that should end," Kaden said. "No luck at the Convergence?"

Jordan stared at me. The air between us crackled with suppressed emotions, and it became increasingly difficult to breathe. "No."

Kaden waved a hand. "Maybe next time."

Ayla glanced between Jordan and me as if she wanted to say something, but then she hesitated. "How's Griffin?"

Jordan's expression relaxed at the mention of his younger brother. "Good, although he spends so much time as a wolf I'm worried he's going to be stuck that way."

"That happens a lot when kids first get their wolves," I said. "You should see my kindergarten class. It's a miracle when I can get them to walk on two legs."

"Stella has a lot of experience dealing with this," Kaden said. "Maybe she could help you."

"Helping me is the very last thing Stella wants," Jordan said with a scowl.

I glared at him. "Maybe if you weren't such a⁠—"

Kaden's voice boomed across the table. "Enough."

I slammed down my fork. "Why don't you just tell us what we're doing here already? Enough of this small talk."

Jordan leaned back and crossed his arms. “I told you this was a terrible idea.”

Kaden exchanged a glance with Ayla before speaking. "We had a meeting with the alphas earlier today, and Jordan mentioned two young males in his pack went missing recently."

"Missing?" I asked.

Jordan nodded. "They were each gone for forty-eight hours before they stumbled back into town with no memory of where they went or what happened. We think it might be the work of the Sun Witches.”

“You think they took them? Why?” I sat up a little straighter at the mention of the Sun Witches. We'd defeated Evanora, their previous leader, and the Sun Witches were now led by Jordan's great-aunt, Brea. But Evanora's daughter, Roxandra, had escaped and still led some Sun Witches who were loyal to her. Up until now, they'd simply vanished, but we knew they'd be back eventually...and when they did, we would be ready.

"No one knows why," Ayla says. "But to have their memories wiped like that..."

"It has to be Roxandra," Jordan growled, his hatred for her evident. "I'm going to find her and stop her, once and for all."

A flash of anger and protectiveness surged through me as well, remembering the pain she had inflicted on him. Not only had she mind controlled him to make him do horrible things as the Leo alpha, but she'd also used that power to sexually assault him. As if that wasn't bad enough, Roxandra had then mind controlled Kaden and nearly destroyed his relationship with Ayla. All I needed was five minutes alone with her and I'd make sure she never mind controlled another person again.

“Have you found anything else connecting this to the Sun Witches?" I asked.

Jordan shook his head. “I’ve sent out search parties, but we’ve been unable to find any trail. But I know it was Roxandra. I can feel it.” “We’ve offered to help Jordan however we can,” Ayla said.

Kaden's brow furrowed. "This is the first lead we've had on Roxandra’s possible location in all this time. We need to figure out what she's doing with those shifters and make sure she doesn't take any other males."

"What can I do to help?" I asked.