The Beast And The Blessed

Fifteen: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

"Do I need to ask if you're okay, or can I assume by your smell that things went well?" Holden asked with a grimace, but there was disappointment on his face. He moved away from me subtly, but I didn't have it in me to feel guilty.

Tobias said I was his.

I had nothing to be mad about ever. The world could burn around me, and I would still be happy.

"I'm better than okay, but you might not be." There was a slight skip in my step when I looked over my shoulder and saw Tobias hadn't left the conference room. He would need a minute to calm himself down, and I bit my lip as I thought about turning around and walking right back in there to claim him as mine too.

"What the hell did I do?" Holden pulled open the door to the dining hall, and a few people looked taken aback by the smile on my face.

Natalie raised her eyebrows at me, and Killian curled his lip when I walked past, no doubt smelling what I had just been up to.

"He's going to kill you," I practically sang happily, but Holden did not look amused. I looked up as Tobias entered the room, his eyes immediately landing on me. It made me happy when he filled up his plate and began eating this time, but I knew he was listening to everything I said.

"For interrupting?" Holden asked, and I laughed when he looked from me to Tobias.

"No, I think it was good you did," I smirked when Tobias growled. I would have loved to have him take me right then and there, but more than that, I wanted to be sure he wanted all of me. He had no problem ignoring my advances for months.

I wanted to be sure that he was interested because he wanted me and not just because I stopped throwing myself at him. He would have to earn it, and I looked forward to the fun we were about to have together while he did so.

"So, cheesecake?" Holden asked, and I looked back at him to see him staring out over the rows of tables with pack members talking and laughing. I knew what he was really asking, and I nodded. Friends.

"Cheesecake," I replied, my smile falling as I looked at him. He looked worried and sad, and I wondered what was going through his mind. He had a mate that was waiting for him. Once he turned nineteen, he could find her, but he didn't seem excited by the idea.

"Does this mean we aren't going dancing tomorrow?" He lowered his voice but could still be heard by anyone who cared enough to listen.

brown eyes had remained black since our rendezvous in the conference room, and

I'm looking forward to

table before standing up and leaving the room. He wouldn't

get me killed, aren't you?" Holden asked as

Fight like a man!" I insisted, standing as well, eager to get back to my tower for the night to take another look at Rona's blood now that I was calmer. I also didn't like that the council had

could have tried to get them to spill everything they knew about what was happening or what would happen. Until I got to the

out to escort me from the room, but I shook my head. If Tobias was going to kill my new friend, he would have to wait until after

walk you back to your room?" Holden asked, and I stared at him momentarily

halfway there when I broke the silence, hoping he would give me some answers after

find her. I'm worried about what situation she will be in when I do.’ He lifted his arm, rubbing his hand along the back of

moon about the

I hadn't known anyone else to be resistant to the bond

and I watched as the happy boy turned into a man. One filled with pain and exhaustion, hiding behind the fagade he wore the rest of the time. "I can't know for certain, but I might have already found her. There was this girl growing up. She was the brightest thing I had ever seen. Always smiling and laughing. I wanted to be around her all the time so that she could share some of that happiness

and I matched his pace to let him speak. Clearly, he needed to talk about it. "She had this boyfriend that wouldn't let anyone near her though, so I never got my chance. When she was seventeen, she got pregnant, and her light dimmed. When she turned nineteen last year, I thought that she would find her true mate, but

slowly, "And you think

times to see if she was okay, but she always has it blocked." Holden dropped his hand back down, sliding them into the front pockets of his jeans. "I have the feeling that if it's not her, it's going to be someone in a situation like that. They might already have a kid or be mated to someone they chose for themselves, and I'll have to suffer through

witches who I could introduce you to. We don't get mates, so you don't have to worry about that with

closer to his age but would chew him up and

with another witch might drive you crazy to know that you missed your chance with me." He smirked as we reached the door to my tower,

under my skin and into my heart.

you're still here this weekend, you can always attend the mating mixer and see if any women here recognize you as their mate." I had not been looking forward to it. Every few months, everyone with Lycan blood who hadn't found or chosen a mate would meet to search for their fated. If they didn't find them,

feeling the magical field almost sizzling at my

markings on my skin vibrated in anger, knowing someone was in

as he stared at me

tower." The low declaration made his eyes turn black, and all amusement melted from his face. He looked ready

would happen, but I had expected it to happen sooner. My guess had been while we were on the cliff this