The Weston Bond

Selene's POV There are secrets I carry like heavy stones inside my chest, sharp, painful, impossible to put down. This is the heaviest one. I slept with two brothers. One after the other, on two different nights, in two different beds. And both of them are my mates. I didn't know it then. I only knew the fire between us. The Crescent Summit Ball was the kind of event made to remind people where they stood in the world,huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, powerful guests everywhere, and champagne that cost more than most pack members earned in a month. I came alone, which was either brave or stupid. I still wasn't sure which one. My job was simple: represent my pack, greet the important people, smile when needed, and leave before midnight. Easy. Professional. No trouble. Then I saw him. He stood at the far side of the bar, leaning against a marble pillar, as he belonged there. Dark hair. Sharp jawline. A mouth that looked like it hid dangerous secrets. He wasn't the loudest man in the room or the most famous. But he was the only one I could look at. When his eyes locked with mine across the hall, something broke open inside my chest. A strong pull hit me so suddenly it almost hurt, like an invisible rope had tied us together and someone had pulled it tight. Mate. The word rushed through me before my mind could understand it. No. That couldn't be possible. I had spent twenty-four years without finding my mate. I wasn't ready for it to happen while wearing a ball gown, holding champagne, surrounded by strangers who would definitely notice. But the bond doesn't wait for the right moment. It doesn't ask for permission. It just happens. And right then it crashed through my body, pulling me toward the man now walking across the room toward me like he couldn't stop himself. He finally met me halfway. I've never felt this way before. It felt surreal. Too good to be true. "You've been staring," he said when he reached me. His voice was low and playful. "You were staring too," I replied. His smile grew wider. "Zane." "Selene." He held out his hand. The second our skin touched, the pull inside me became even stronger. We danced. We talked. We laughed at things that honestly weren't funny, only because laughing with him felt easy, because everything felt lighter when he was close to me. After all, the mate bond is older than logic and stronger than plans. I forgot about every important person I was supposed to speak to. By midnight, we ended up alone on the balcony, far away from the music and noise, with the city lights shining below us like scattered stars. His hand rested warmly on my waist. His eyes stayed on my face. "Tell me you feel this too," he said softly. "I feel it," I whispered. What happened next was not smart. It was something I'd never do in my right senses. It was the kind of thing I would have judged another person for—giving yourself completely to a man you had only known for three hours. I wasn't myself. I knew deep down that I was done for, but I still didn't give up on what I wanted. The bond leaves no room for careful choices. It pulls you in completely. It makes you certain. It makes you feel deep in your soul that this person was meant for you. At the end of it all, we found a room. We found each other. I've never felt anything this magical with a man who turns out to be my mate. I can't explain this feeling, but it was raw. I felt whole again. I felt like a woman. I felt loved and chosen. Am I crazy? Anyone in my shoes would do that, right? Or am I that crazy? Afterward, I lay beside him in the darkness while his arm rested around me, and I thought, So this is what it feels like. To be chosen. I should have known nothing this easy ever lasts. Zane stayed quiet for a long time. His thumb moved slowly across my shoulder, and when he finally spoke, his voice sounded careful, like he was afraid of what would happen next. "Selene, there's something I need to tell you about my family." I turned toward him. "That sounds serious." He didn't smile. "My family carries a rare trait. It passes through the men in our bloodline." He paused. "Brothers can share the same mate." The silence after that felt painfully loud. "What?" "It doesn't happen in every generation," he said quickly. "But when it does, both brothers are tied to the same woman. It's not a choice. It's part of our blood." He looked directly into my eyes. "My brother is probably your mate too, Selene." I slowly sat up. "You're telling me this now? After everything that just happened?" I pressed my fingers against my forehead. "You're saying there's another man out there who is also my mate?" "Yes." "Your brother?" "Yes." I stared at him for a long moment. The candlelight showed the tightness in his face, the nervous way he watched me like he was waiting for me to break apart. I thought about the pull I felt the second I saw him. The way the bond grabbed me before I even knew his name. And now he was telling me it could happen again, that somewhere out there was another man tied to me by the same bond. "I want to meet him," I finally said, because honestly, what else could I say? The bond already felt carved deep inside me. "But Zane..." I held his gaze. "That doesn't mean I'll accept any of this. You need to understand that." He nodded slowly. "I know. I just need you to meet him first." He said it like that alone would change everything. He had no idea how wrong he was.