The Bonds Tighten
1040 Words
The pizza disappeared faster than anyone expected.
Mostly because Rae treated eating like a competitive sport.
Remi sat across from her, watching her demolish another cheese stick.
“You know,” Remi said, “I think you’ve grown.”
Rae stopped chewing.
Slowly, she looked up.
“Excuse me?”
Remi smiled innocently.
“You used to survive on coffee.”
Rae narrowed her eyes.
“Coffee is food.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“It has calories.”
Del laughed.
“That is not how nutrition works.”
Rae pointed at her.
“Food is fuel.”
Del nodded solemnly.
“She has a point.”
Remi stared at both of them.
“You’re encouraging her.”
“Absolutely,” Del said.
Rae smiled victoriously.
Remi shook her head.
“Fine. Food is fuel.”
She paused.
“But my point is…”
Rae’s smile disappeared.
“Oh, no.”
Remi leaned forward.
“You’ve actually grown.”
Rae looked suspicious.
“How?”
Remi gestured toward Trey.
“You hacked into Trey’s phone.”
Trey raised an eyebrow.
“You did what?”
Rae shrugged.
“That was a long time ago.”
“It was yesterday,” Trey said.
“Details.”
Remi continued.
“And you’ve scared at least half the warriors.”
Rae nodded proudly.
“Efficient.”
“You threatened one over snacks.”
“He took the last chocolate-covered almonds.”
“That warrior still looks traumatized.”
“He’ll recover.”
Del laughed.
“But Remi has a point.”
Rae looked between them.
“What point?”
Remi smiled.
“You finally met someone who doesn’t get on your nerves.”
Rae blinked.
Silence filled the room.
Trey slowly looked at Rae.
Rae slowly looked at Trey.
Remi continued.
“You haven’t throat-punched him.”
Trey looked offended.
“Why would she throat-punch me?”
Remi quickly added,
“Yet.”
Trey pointed at her.
“That is not reassuring.”
Del laughed.
“And she hasn’t scared him off.”
Rae stared at Trey.
Trey stared back.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Something strange passed between them.
A warmth.
A tug.
A sensation neither could explain.
Trey’s wolf stirred beneath his skin.
Mate.
Trey’s smile disappeared for half a second.
Rae’s expression changed too.
She felt something pull inside her chest.
She pressed a hand against it.
“What was that?”
Trey’s eyes remained locked on hers.
“I don’t know.”
But his wolf did.
Mate.
Across the room, Del suddenly went quiet.
Elijah noticed immediately.
“What?”
Del looked at him.
“I…”
She frowned.
“I felt something.”
Elijah stepped closer.
The instant he did, the strange sensation returned.
Stronger.
Del’s breath caught.
Elijah’s wolf surged forward.
Mate.
His eyes darkened.
Del stared at him.
Neither moved.
Then Rae raised both hands.
And flipped Remi and Del off.
Remi burst out laughing.
Del nearly choked on her pizza.
Trey grinned.
Elijah completely lost it.
He laughed so hard he leaned backward in his chair.
The chair tipped.
Elijah went straight onto the floor.
Everyone froze.
Then Trey started laughing.
Del covered her mouth.
Remi doubled over.
Even Will’s lips twitched.
Elijah remained on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
“I hate all of you.”
Rae pointed at him.
“You’re laughing at me.”
“You—”
Elijah tried to sit up.
He started laughing again.
“I’ve never seen anyone flip someone off with that much conviction.”
Rae crossed her arms.
“I have standards.”
Trey shook his head.
“You hacked my phone.”
“Yes.”
“You threatened our warriors.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve probably broken into half our security systems.”
“Probably?”
Trey stared.
Rae smiled sweetly.
“Definitely.”
Del laughed.
“And somehow Trey is the one she hasn’t scared away.”
Trey looked at Rae.
“Should I be worried?”
Rae shrugged.
“Probably.”
Trey grinned.
“Good.”
Elijah finally stood, still laughing.
Will watched his brothers.
Then his gaze moved to Remi.
The laughter around him faded.
Something inside his chest tightened.
The bond.
Stronger.
His wolf surged forward.
Mate.
Will stared at Remi.
She was still laughing.
Her eyes were bright.
Her cheeks flushed.
And that invisible pull between them had become almost impossible to ignore.
Remi suddenly looked toward him.
Their eyes met.
The room seemed to disappear.
Will felt the bond tighten around his chest.
Remi felt it too.
Her heartbeat stumbled.
She swallowed.
“What is that?” she whispered.
Will didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t know how to tell her.
Not yet.
Across the room, Trey was still watching Rae.
The strange pull between them hadn’t disappeared.
If anything, it was stronger.
Rae rubbed her chest.
“Okay…”
Trey looked at her.
“You feel it too?”
Rae hesitated.
Then nodded.
“I don’t know what it is.”
Trey’s wolf growled softly.
Mate.
He clenched his jaw.
Across from them, Elijah was watching Del.
Del’s expression had softened.
“You felt it again,” she said.
Elijah nodded.
“Yeah.”
His voice was quieter now.
“Every time I get close to you.”
Del looked down at her hands.
A faint warmth spread through her chest.
Like a small flame awakening beneath her skin.
She didn’t understand it.
But she knew it was connected to him.
Elijah knew it too.
Three brothers.
Three women.
Three bonds.
And none of them were getting weaker.
They were getting stronger.
Rae suddenly grabbed another cheese stick.
“Whatever this weird supernatural thing is…”
She took a bite.
“…I’m eating first.”
Remi laughed.
Del shook her head.
Trey smiled.
Elijah laughed again.
And Will watched Remi.
Because while everyone else was joking…
His wolf was certain.
Mate.
And deep inside Remi, something answered.
Something wild.
Something ancient.
Something that had been sleeping for nine years.
Across the room, Trey felt the same invisible thread tighten around Rae.
And Elijah felt his bond with Del pull him closer.
Three bonds.
Three awakenings.
And whatever was happening between them…
It was only getting started.
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