Ember's Pov

"Ember? Are you alright?" I knew William was talking. I heard him talk, but I couldn't bring myself to pay attention to what he was saying, or even respond,


"I" I drew my brows and turned to the man that every part of me reacted to, and trembled when I found him looking at me with the same confusion I looked at him.

"mate" my wolf cried again, this time with a lot more intensity, and I was at a loss of what I was supposed to do.

How was it possible that after all this time, with everything that was happening in my life, the moon goddess had deemed it fit to send my mate to me? Wasn't it a different kind of strange?


"William, can I go use the bathroom?" he reached out to place a hand on my forehead that had already begun to break out in a sweat, and his brows furrowed, "do you feel unwell? We can go home."

But I shook my head, "No, it's fine, I just need a moment. I might not be back before it's our turn, do you think you could get my ticket?"


He nodded slowly, "Of course. I'll be waiting at the bench for you." he pointed at a close by bench and I nodded,

"Thank you." Then I fled. And just as a part of me had expected the man followed.

I did go into the bathroom, but for the sole reason that the man could not follow me in there. But when I came out, there he was, waiting for me as well, watching me with black beady eyes that would have made the woman I once was squirm,

"Who are you?" I finally asked after I could take silence no more

" I should be asking you the exact same thing, seeing as it is you my wolf has decided to lose its mind over." he had a French accent, and his words made heat rise in my cheeks. I had no idea why that was so. But so was it, and I pressed my lips together, hoping the feeling would go away.

The feeling did go away, but his gaze on me stayed, that had me moving out of his view,

"where are you going?" he asked, as I began walking away,

"I didn't come alone, my friend is waiting for me."

"Then why did you leave him and make me come chase you?"

"I didn't make you-" I paused when he lifted a brow and smirked, and Dear God, he was handsome,

"Who are you?" I asked again,

“Search within you, little miss. What do you feel when you look at me? How do you feel with me this close?”

How did I feel? I felt as though my wolf would leap on him for joy if I let her. But that wasn’t what I was going to tell a complete stranger , now was I?

“I’d rather not play such games. So tell me. Who are you? Please don’t make me need to ask again.”

"Alpha Jean of the Silver Bright Pack. But it's just Jean to you," he said and stretched out his hand to me. I looked at his outstretched hand for a long time, before finally taking it, and believe me when I say, that stars literally exploded. I didn't see them, but they did,

"And you?" he asked quietly, as though affected by the stars bursting forth inside me,

"Ember. Macgregor Ember."

"ember." he said and lifted my hand to his lips before kissing it, "I always wondered what my mate would look like, and alas, the heavens have blessed me with the finest one. an actual goddess."

I was blushing when he let go, and shook my head when I remembered that William was still waiting for me,

"There must be some kind of mistake."

"The higher power makes no mistake."

"then perhaps I might need to speak to the higher power. My life is way too upside down for me to think about having a mate right now." I said, taking a step back from him,

"It was nice to meet you, Alpha Jean. But I really have to go meet William."

"William is the friend?"

I nodded, "William is my friend."

"This won’t end here."

I placed my hand over my heart because I felt my wolf's sadness at me leaving, "I should not. Until we see each other again, then." and with that, I turned away, and left

And this time around, he didn't follow.

"Ember? What took you so long? Did something happen?" William exclaimed as he got up from the chair when I finally appeared,

"I'm fine. Really, I am." I said, and chuckled, when he kept feeling for my temperature, "I simply got caught in a conversation, forgive them for that one. I know you were waiting."

He studied for a moment, "it's fine. I was just beginning to worry that perhaps something had happened. I was considering leaving here and going to look for you. But I didn't want to leave, then you'd come and not meet me here."

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting this way."

"Nah, it's fine. I got the tickets. Let's get on the ride. I hope you still feel up for that."

"Of course, I still feel up for that."

"Let's get to it." He took my hand and led me to the ride, but I found myself looking for Jean as we went, but he was nowhere in sight.

We didn't go home till it was midnight, by which time I expected everyone to be asleep,

"You can spend the night, Will. It's already late."

He opened his mouth and placed a hand over his heart, "are you suggesting that we stay in the same bed tonight?"

I laughed and shook my head, no.

"I'm suggesting that you take a guest room and leave during the day because you might be tired."

"Well, I am tired. But I think I'd have a hard time staying away from you if I stayed in your house."

"then you just have to keep in mind that my father is the alpha king and he'd sooner kill you than catch you in my bed."

"he nodded slowly, " I think I see the bigger picture. The guest room it is." he said soberly and I laughed.

AXEL's POV

I couldn't understand why she couldn't simply stay with William. She was so much happier when she was with him. Life was bound to be easier, and happier with him but no. Instead, she chose to make deals with Paris that were going to leave her unhappy in the end.

"I'm not going to sit and watch while that happens," I said to myself as I watched her and William from my window.

As I watched them walk into the house, I began to have a plan.

I waited till a full hour had gone by before I left my room. I had not seen William leave, so I believe that meant he was staying the night.

Heaven help him, if I caught him in my sister's bed.

I found him in the first guest room I checked, a towel wrapped around his waist, and screeched like a girl when he saw me,

"y'all don't know in this household?" he exclaimed, and I couldn't help the smile that formed,

"should have locked the door, mate.

"I hadn't expected you to barge in unwelcome. And why are you up so late? Waiting to make sure your sister came home in one piece?"

I shrugged, "perhaps." I said and took a seat,

"Well. She's fine."

"for now."

He turned to me slowly with his brows furrowed, "What do you mean, for now?"

"Well, perhaps she hasn't told you, but at the moment she's considering being friends with the man she's supposed to be divorced to."

"Oh." he replied, and turned away from me, "what? You know about it?"

"she told me today. So the wound is still fresh."

I heaved out a breath and ran a hand over my head, "William? You have to do something."

"There's only so much I can do. I can't manipulate her feelings. I can't make her stop loving the guy."

"I fear she might even have a trauma bond going on there."

William scrunched up his face, "you think?"

"Perhaps. Because why hasn't she thrown the bloke in the trash yet?"

"she probably must have genuinely loved him," William said softly,

"Well, he never loved her. He messed with her."

"he did. I agree. But he seems bent on making amends."

"and Ember seems to want to see where he will go with it. I can't let that happen. We can't let that happen."

"so, what do you have planned?"

I looked at him and smiled mischievously, "If we can't manipulate Ember's feelings... And she's my sister, so it's wrong, then perhaps we can make her see that the man has never really stopped being a scumbag."

"and how are we supposed to do that?"

My smile stretched, "the mate bond."