Chapter 6
983 Words
Easton
Something shifted in the diner. The air thickened, the chatter blurred, and Gavin went wild in my head.
Mate.
His voice thundered through me, clawing at my control.
“East, you okay there?” Louie asked, his brows knitting together.
“Gavin’s losing it,” I muttered, pressing a hand to my temple.
That’s when the scent hit me. Sweet. Floral. Potent. Stronger than anything I’d ever caught before—it made every muscle in my body tense.
“Did someone come in?” I asked, scanning the diner. Mondays were routine. After brutal extra training, me and the guys always came here. Warriors, meatloaf, laughter—that was the rhythm. The Monday special hit the spot every time.
“Yeah,” Joe said, peering over my shoulder. “That new girl.”
A groan escaped me. “Great. Jenna.”
But the problem was… Gavin had never once reacted to Jenna. He tolerated her obsession with me, sure, but this frenzy? This wasn’t for her.
“Nope,” Joe corrected, squinting. “She’s alone.”
“Yep. No Jenna yet,” Louie chimed in.
That only made Gavin worse.
Find her. Now.
“Gav, what gives?” I linked him.
I don’t know! I can’t feel a wolf, but I’m being pulled, he snarled.
“What do you mean you can’t feel a wolf? This place is full of wolves. Hell, the only one who isn’t might be the cook, and he’s been flipping burgers here for years.”
It’s not the cook! Gavin roared, making my skull feel like it would split in half.
I gritted my teeth, clutching my head.
“Easton, buddy, you look rough,” Carl said beside me.
“Gavin says he doesn’t feel a wolf. Just… something pulling him,” I muttered.
“Uh, Jenna just walked in,” Joe interrupted.
Perfect. As if I didn’t have enough chaos in my head.
“You look pale, man,” Louie added.
“I need the bathroom,” I muttered, shoving out of the booth. Anything to get a handle on Gavin.
But the second I stood, dizziness slammed into me, making the room spin.
“What was that?” I snapped at Gavin, instantly regretting linking him.
I don’t know! I want to say mate—but I can’t feel the wolf. If it’s human, it better not be the sixty-year-old cook!
I almost choked. Please, Goddess, don’t let my mate be the cook. Sure, her meatloaf’s legendary, but I don’t have a granny fetish.
Then I saw her.
Blue-green eyes. They locked on mine like a current surging straight into my chest. Auburn hair framed her face, catching the light like fire. My lungs forgot how to work.
Mate, Gavin howled, triumphant.
I couldn’t look away. She lowered her head to speak to someone in the booth, then looked back at me. That pull between us snapped tighter.
It was her. It had to be her.
I moved before I realized it, drawn forward. “Who are you?” I heard myself ask.
Her lips parted, shock in her expression—
“Easton! Hi!”
Jenna’s shrill voice shattered the moment.
I blinked, forcing my eyes away from the goddess across the diner. “Jenna?” I muttered, disoriented. Since when was she here? She was usually glued to her friend—
“Want to sit with me and Ari?” Jenna asked sweetly.
My gaze whipped back. “Ari.” The name rolled off my tongue like I’d always known it.
The woman lifted her chin, voice quiet but steady. “Arianna. I’m Arianna.”
“Arianna,” I repeated, dazed. My mate. My damn mate.
“You’re both acting weird,” Jenna said, oblivious.
Arianna jolted to her feet. “I have to leave.”
She bolted, panic in every movement.
“What the—” Jenna gasped.
I didn’t hesitate. I ran after her, heart pounding.
Outside, she bent over, gasping for air. “No!” she cried, her voice breaking.
Cautiously, I reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. The instant I touched her—sparks. Fierce, electric, undeniable.
Proof. She was mine.
Arianna flinched, tears spilling. “This can’t be.”
The bond tugged harder, urging me to claim her, to pull her into my arms. But she was unraveling before me, so I held back, every muscle straining against instinct.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I whispered.
She straightened, shaking her head fiercely. “It’s not. Finding my mate was the last thing I needed.”
Confusion slammed through me. “If it’s Jenna… it’ll be okay. She knew I wanted to find my mate. She’ll accept it’s us.”
Her laugh was broken, bitter. “It’s not Jenna. You won’t understand.”
I grabbed her hand. The sparks flared hotter. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. We’re mates. That’s a good thing.”
Her eyes shimmered, haunted. “That’s just it. We’re mates… and it’s not a good thing.”
“I don’t follow,” I admitted, desperate for answers.
“I can’t tell you,” she whispered.
Nothing about this was what I’d imagined. Finding my mate was supposed to be the best moment of my life. Instead, it felt like watching it slip through my fingers.
“Let’s talk. Privately,” I urged.
“No. It won’t help.” She pressed a hand over her eyes like she could block me out completely.
Frustration burned through me. “You don’t want me as your mate,” I said, the realization hitting like a blade.
Her hand dropped, revealing eyes full of torment. “That’s not it. I do… but I can’t be with you.”
She turned and walked away, each step tearing at the bond.
I stood frozen, gutted. I’d finally found her. My mate. And somehow… she was already slipping away.
- Writer
