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how off a little. Mostly, because I’m very proud of the
It feels fantastic to clear my head and just let my instincts take control. The area is vast, so there’s plenty of space to cruise around before hitting the curve on the other side of the room. progress I’ve made. Ive hurt myself many times since taking up Ihmished my physical therapy.
his hobby again. I was afraid to get back on this board after
After a while. I head back up to get the water bottles and snacks packed this morning before leaving the house.
“Food!” he laughs, coming over. I sit at the edge of the dip and offer him the rice balls I made.
“You like sushi, right?”
“Yes,” he says as if I insulted him. I will try anything and have mere if I like it.”
“Cool.” I hand him a bento box and a fizzy drink.
“You had all of this in your backpack? You didn’t sleep last night lid you?”
“I did not, no,” I confirm. “It was a burner account,” I say and take bite out of my race ball. “He laughed at me because I brought it up.”
“What kind of burner account has two point eight million in it?”
“Mine apparently. I’m not giving it back. I worked hard on that count and used videos from YourFang the whole time. 1 didn’t go to school for it as he did. I’m going to be a doctor, I’ll probably have whoever works my Grandma’s finances do that stuff now.
“My brother handles her finances. She trusted him with them back when my Dad first disowned him for being a little shit. Your grandma is loaded. I’ve seen the charts.”
“He just does that causally? Like a hobby?” I snort.
“Yeah, running an entire species is not a walk in the park. He says it helps him blow off steam. He emotes in strange ways, but it grows on you. I like this, he points at the dome. “It’s a little harsh on the eyes, but it really fires up your instincts.”
“Yeah, when we were kids, we learned to focus on one task here. would spiral sometimes, wanting to do everything at once.”
is a very Lycan trait we share. I didn’t know that happened o wolves.”
“That is a
“It doesn’t. We are still partially Lycan because of my grandmother. I’m probably as strong as I am because of her.”
“Have you ever taken a test to see if perhaps you have dormant can genetics? They just run blood tests for that.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. I’m sure my grandmother would have said something.” I open my bento box for the sushi rolls I made last night when I couldn’t sleep.
“He’s an asshole for saying that to you, Sophie. That’s what he wants. For you to question who you are without him. Even if it was all him, you’re a Hellvig You have better opportunities away from him anyway. Come hang out with me in Socialite
heaven.”
“What he said isn’t what’s eating at me. It was the way he said it. can see him and hear him. This scent is the same. I don’t know him anymore. Or maybe I never did. My mate made mel special. We celebrated our victones together and mourned what we lost.
“This person saying all those things is not someone he’s ever be belone. He never spoke to me the way he has been. It’s like. someone took his narrative and flapped it. I don’t understand what’s happening because it’s wrong. Something is very
wrong.
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“Maybe he was always wrong.
way’s wrong. You just never saw it before because you trusted him”
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“Not him” I laugh. “With me. I was so starved of affection that Idn’t see the moment when I handed
my
life over to thi man so entirely that he honestly believed that I would accept the arrangement. They must be having a good laugh at my. ́expense. On top of being unworthy and wolfless. I’m pathetic.”
He laughs, popping the marble into the bottle of his drink
“Loving someone is not pathetic. That’s the way things are supposed to be, Soph. You’re supposed to be a team. I saw it in the way my father was with his mate. He drove her fucking crazy because he’s kind of an asshole, but there was nothing he could have asked from her that she wouldn’t give. I mean, I’m the prime example of her love for him.
“Lady Axel treated me as if I were also her son. They were both rely around, but when she was home, we had her undivided attention. I didn’t have any contact with my mother until she was gone, and Ragnar started to crumble without his mate. It was only then that I was made aware of who she was, while she took care of us. Our father was away rebuilding this city.
“Are you trying to tell me that I should suck it up and let it happen?”
“What?” he bumps me with his shoulder. I almost drop my box
“Hey,” I bump him back. It doesn’t affect him in any way.
“It’s not the same thing. If you couldn’t have children because of all the surgeries you underwent, then it would have been acceptable for him to find someone who could give him an heir. All this other shit he’s doing is fucked.
“He’s pushing you to the side so he has something to wind down to when he gets tired of this other bitch. I would never tell you to suck it up, stupid. None of this is okay. You have every right to walk away from this idiot. There is not a single reason for you to stay and accept this.
“Not even your mate bond clearly. He’s always known what he was doing, Soph. Any alpha would have marked his mate the moment he knew who she was, especially if she was an omega. Its been four years, bro. He was never going to do it. He made a choice, and it wasn’t you.”
“Ouch,” I take a deep breath and look down at my food. For a moment, I think about putting it down, but my spicy y tuna rolls are way too good for me to pass on.
“I’m sorry, but as your friend, I am never going to sugarcoat anything for you. I expect the same courtesy.”
“Okay, I agree. “Good talk.”
“Yeah,” he smirks
“Now you,” I jab him with my chopsticks.
“Now me, what?”
“You have been quiet, and every time your phone pings, you can whip it out fast enough.”
“You’re supposed to be focused on your finals,” he growls lowly, I know he doesn’t mean it.
“I was. That doesn’t mean I can’t tell when you’re being a sad boy I roll my eyes
“Tim not a sad boy,” he huffs.
at
“Does this have something to do with my friend Kaylee? I press le lowers his chopsticks and looks over at me with a sneer. “You’re not hiding that as well as you think you are.
“What do you think I’m hiding?” he gets defensive.
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I don’t know. It’s not my place to be making assumptions,” I shrig
“Is she always this difficult?” he demands.
“She’s an alpha’s daughter. Of course, she is.”
“I don’t know what she wants me to do. I’ve never had to run around someone.”
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“Right, because your suits peakcock older women,” I nod. He turns his entire body towards me for the glare. I was serious when I told you that she’s holding out for her mate. It’s a common practice in her breed.”
“Her breed?
“Yeah, alpha–ranked Lunas. Every female in her family has been ated to an alpha. Her dad was the alpha of Lunar Eclipse before the Alpha King started enforcing state laws. The alphas who were part of the outlands have to pay tax to the Alpha family of the City in order for them to keep their position as the alphas of the Westend Territories.”
“Celestial thoroughbreeding, he laughs. “That’s wild”
“Yeah, Luna Romano hates them. She’s so envious it bleeds from her pores,” I scoff.
glare. I was serious when I told you that she’s holding out for her mate. It’s a common practice in her breed.”
“Her breed?
“Yeah, alpha–ranked Lunas. Every female in her family has been ated to an alpha. Her dad was the alpha of Lunar Eclipse before the Alpha King started enforcing state laws. The alphas who were part of the outlands have to pay tax to the Alpha family of the City in order for them to keep their position as the alphas of the Westend Territories.”
“Celestial thoroughbreeding, he laughs. “That’s wild”
“Yeah, Luna Romano hates them. She’s so envious it bleeds from her pores,” I scoff.
“Werewolves are interesting creatures,” he says, looking down at his food. “I think we’ve shared enough today”
“You didn’t even share anything.” I laugh.
“Thank you for this,” he says, shoving a piece of sushi in his mouth. “This is mediocre. Do better next time. The fucknut might be on to something
Too soon,” I flick some rice at him, and it sticks to his forehead. Way too soon.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
