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1015 Words
Selene's POV
I woke at sunrise. Not because I wanted to.
Because my mind refused to let me sleep.
For a few quiet moments, I lay still beneath the blankets, listening to the steady rhythm of Zane's breathing beside me.
His arm rested loosely around my waist, warm and comforting. Part of me wanted to stay exactly where I was. The other part couldn't stop thinking about what he'd told me the night before.
Brothers can share the same mate.
The words had followed me into my dreams.
I stared at the ceiling, hoping everything would suddenly make sense.
It didn't.
Somewhere out there was another man, Zane's brother—who was supposedly tied to me by the same bond that had brought Zane into my life.
It sounded impossible.
Ridiculous.
Yet nothing about the bond I felt with Zane could be explained by logic either. I closed my eyes and sighed.
I needed space.
Not because I wanted to run away from him, but because I couldn't think clearly while lying beside him.
Every time he shifted closer in his sleep, the bond wrapped itself tighter around my heart. It was impossible to separate my feelings from whatever magic connected us.
Carefully, I slipped out of bed.
I dressed as quietly as I could, hoping to leave before he woke up.
A quiet café.A cup of coffee.An hour alone. That was all I needed.
I had just reached the door when his sleepy voice stopped me.
"Leaving already?"
I froze. Turning slowly, I found him watching me with amused eyes.
A lazy smile tugged at his lips."I thought you'd make it at least twenty minutes before trying to escape."
I folded my arms."I'm not escaping."
"No?"
"I'm... thinking."
He chuckled softly."So thinking requires sneaking out before sunrise?"
"It requires distance."
He sat up, rubbing a hand through his messy hair."I'll make you a deal."
"I'm listening."
"I'll let you leave..."
Hope flickered inside me.
"after breakfast."
I sighed."You're negotiating with your mate already?"
"I prefer to call it compromising."
Despite everything weighing on my mind, I laughed."I was hoping to think alone."
"I know."
His smile softened."But I'd rather not let you face all of this alone."
Something about the sincerity in his voice made it difficult to refuse.
Twenty minutes later, we left together.
A quiet restaurant across the street had just opened for the morning.
The place was nearly empty except for a few workers preparing for the breakfast rush.
We settled into a booth by the window.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
The waitress brought our coffee before quietly disappearing again. Zane wrapped both hands around his cup.
"Ask me anything."
I studied him."How long did you know?"
His brows lifted slightly.
"That I was your mate."
"The moment I saw you across the ballroom."
"So you knew before I did."
"I did."
I traced my finger around the rim of my mug.
"You still waited before coming over."
"I wanted you to feel it first."
I looked up.
"I didn't want you wondering whether I approached you because of the bond," he continued. "I wanted you to choose to walk toward me."
A small smile escaped me.
"That was... surprisingly thoughtful."
His answering grin made the bond stir warmly inside my chest.
I looked away before he noticed.
"Tell me about your family's bloodline."
His smile faded.
"You deserve the truth."He leaned back slightly."It began four generations ago."
"My great-grandfather and his brother shared the same mate."
"What happened?"
"She rejected them."
I frowned."Both of them?"
He nodded.
"Neither brother ever truly recovered."
Silence settled between us.
"And after that?"
"My grandfather's older brother experienced the bond too."
"And?"
"Their mate accepted both of them."
"Were they happy?"
"Eventually."
He smiled faintly."The beginning was difficult. She hated the situation."
"I can understand why."
"So could they."
He looked down briefly before continuing.
"But over time... they became a family."
I absorbed his words quietly."What happens if someone rejects the bond?"
His expression became serious."A normal mate bond can heal."
"And this one?"
"It can't."
His eyes met mine."This bond connects three souls."
"If one person walks away..."
"The damage stays with the other two."
A chill crept down my spine."So there isn't a simple answer."
"No."
I looked out the window."So it can't just be you and me."
"I wish I could tell you otherwise."
I took a slow sip of my coffee, though I'd barely tasted it.
"What is your brother like?"
Zane hesitated.
"He's two years older than me."
"What else?"
"He's the Alpha."
"I figured."
"He doesn't trust people easily."
"And?"
"He's not cruel."
The hesitation before those words didn't escape me.
"You almost said something else."
He smiled awkwardly."I was trying to think of the best way to describe him."
"Try the honest way."
His smile disappeared."He's guarded."
"Stubborn."
"Proud."
"And once he makes up his mind..."
"He rarely changes it."
I let out a quiet breath."This sounds like it's going to be a disaster."
"It might."
"Does he even know about me?"
"No."
"So you're taking me to meet a man who has no idea the Moon Goddess has decided we're mates?"
"I'm afraid so."
I rubbed my temples."This keeps getting better."
A laugh escaped him."I know this is overwhelming."
"That's an understatement."
He reached across the table and gently took my hand. Warmth spread through the bond instantly.
"I won't force you into anything, Selene."
His voice was steady."If, after meeting Cain, you decide you can't accept this..."
He paused."We'll find another way."
I searched his face. He wasn't trying to manipulate me. He genuinely meant every word.
That honesty made trusting him dangerously easy.
After a long silence, I nodded.
"Alright."
Relief flickered across his features.
"I'll meet your brother."
His smile returned.
"Thank you."
I pointed a finger at him."Don't thank me yet."
"Oh?"
"If he's anything you've described..."I shook my head."...there's a very good chance one of us won't survive the introduction."
Zane laughed.
Then, almost as if he knew something I didn't, he murmured,
"You have no idea."
- Writer
