Chapter 37: Awake

Chapter 37: Awake

Myla

Vanilla, but not the essence Mom used when she baked those chocolate chip cookies I liked. It was sharp, fresh, like the long strings of vanilla beans sometimes sold in the market. I sniffed. There was something else with it, floral, like the heavy scent of the magnolia trees when they were full of mature blooms that had been soaked with rain.

I blinked into the yellow light, sniffing deeply again, then went rigid as I realized what was happening.

I felt electric, my chest tightening with sudden anticipation. This was it. This is what I had been waiting for; it had to be! My mate was near. Very near

But where the hell was I? My head ached painfully, the skin on the back of my neck tight as I tried to move my head to the side, my vision blurred. I was not at home. The floor beneath the bed where I laid was pitching back and forth in slow, rolling motion. But that smell was dominating all of my senses at once.

Where was he? Nearby, for certain.

I reached up to rub sleep from my eyes, groaning softly as my arms ached and tingled from lack of use. Blinking into the light again, I saw a wiry old man, his face drawn in deep concern and heavily lined with age..

“Oh,” I said quietly, only slightly disappointed. I would love him regardless, right? He was my mate, after all. Everyone said the Moon Goddess worked in mysterious ways.

“Cleo, she’s awake! Look!” A deep, honeyed male voice rang out in the stuffy room. I turned my head, seeing my mom step forward with a wide, grateful smile stretched across her face and tears rolling down her lashes.

“Mom?”

“I’m here, sweetheart. Oh, thank you, Goddess!”

“What-”

Suddenly, my vision was filled with gold. I blinked again, surprised, pushing my head back against the pillow to get a better angle of whatever, whoever, was blocking my field of sight.

“Nice to finally meet you, darlin’,” he said, his golden-green eyes sparkling with pleasure. His golden hair was falling around his face, which was deeply tanned, and his wide mouth was stretched into a beautiful smile, showcasing his straight, white teeth. He was gorgeous, the most delicious thing I had ever seen. And he smelled good, like really REALLY good.

Then he touched me, his fingers gently running down the length of my forearm. Electricity. Fire. Pure, unaltered desire.

Oh, take that Natasha Blaine, I thought with mirth. She had found her mate at the last social while I had gone home empty-handed and desperately hungover. Natasha’s mate was balding and had smelled strongly of ale and onions when she showed him off during the market, stopping at my booth to gloat.

But mine?

“Holy

shit…” I breathed, looking up at him.

“Myla!” Mom hissed, her voice twisted in shock and embarrassment. But I only had eyes for the beautiful man hovering over me, his eyes alight with something I could only describe as joy.

Take that, Natasha!I thought, my mind going over how I was going to tell her, how I was going to flaunt my perfect, divinely beautiful match.

But then reality came crashing down around me, the pitch of the room and the dull ache on the back of my head suddenly became too much. I felt a little sick, wondering why all of these people were in my room.

My gaze lingered on the golden man for a second longer before I broke away, turning to the side to see the wiry old man, whose own eyes had narrowed as he tilted his head, looking over my expression.

give her some space now-” he said, but his voice was drowned out by the

“Where-where–”

from side to side. The golden man had my legs and

15:28 D

Chapter 37: Awake

needle gleaming the light of a single oil lantern swinging over

eyes round and full of tears, “you’ve been asleep

“Remember-remember what?”

hands fall and sat on the side of the bed, reaching

.

stole a steely glance at the old man before turning

cried as I sat up straight, my vision

it. In through your

The room was clammy and cold. Hooked around, watching as the old man stood in the corner, taking apart the syringe

are we? The room’s

a boat, Myla. But it’s

head hurts really

I know. What do you remember? What is

threatening to

heat. I woke up and kicked the covers down with my feet and then I couldn’t

asked, looking up at Mom as she stroked my hair away from my face. “There was a fire. I was in bed… -I don’t remember leaving, but you were there and telling me we had to get

right. That’s exactly what

we were on the street

and throwing her arms around me in a tight squeeze. She took the breath out of me, literally, and I

Keaton snapped, his face reddened with effort. He was breathing heavily and ran his fingers through his hair as he glared at Maeve. He looked down

the exchange, shaking her

nodded briskly, not taking my eyes off

expecting. There was a severe hurt behind her eyes, something I had

the crowd. He was watching us,

room now with so many people. I felt queasy again as I watched them all look at each other, willing one another

was on the edge of tears, and the man behind her moved out of the doorway suddenly, resting his hand on her shoulder.

somewhere safe, Myla,”

doesn’t answer my

said, her voice silencing the room. I felt the floor drop

choked, a nervous laugh tickling the back of

with Maeve in the market weeks ago, the one who had left without barely a word. The

were we doing on a boat with Maeve’s breeder? And Gemma

Troy,” he said, standing

he told me

to process what had happened. Aaron hadn’t actually been Aaron of Red Lakes at all. His name was Troy. He was someone named Romero’s grandson. Gemma was dead, and it was likely Alpha Ernest was as well. Drogomor had fallen to Alpha Damian of Poldesse, a pack I hadn’t even known existed. Damian wanted Maeve for something. He would be coming after us. We were

the top of her head, and she was wearing

more, I realized, reaching back to touch the wound on the back of my head, my

was

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