I crouched just enough to be level with her.
“Kasmine,” I said gently, wiping the tears from her cheeks with my thumb, slow enough to memorize the way they felt.
She tried to turn her face, but I held her there and kissed her.
She didn’t kiss me back.
But she didn’t pull away either.
When I finally lifted my head, I looked her dead in the eyes.
“Everything will be fine,” I said quietly. “I’ll take care of everything. Trust me.”
And then I reached in and gently pulled her out of the car.
The dining room was lit like a banquet hall. It was the kind of dinner we only ever had on pack holidays or when council members came over. But tonight, I had called for this. I had planned it down to the last seat.
Even the atmosphere tasted formal.
My uncles, Greg, Ralph, and Vincent, were seated across from me, grumbling amongst themselves about stocks, women, and old war stories. On the opposite end, Dylan- the Head of the Council-sat, and beside him were Lance and James, my Beta and Gamma.
Kasmine sat beside me, extremely still. Her fork barely scraped at the steamed vegetables on her plate. I personally dished out her meal for her, specifically putting more veggies on her plate. The doctor said it was good for her and the baby.
Every so often, shed shift slightly like her skin didn’t fit her right or like the fabric of her dress itched more than it ever should.
I reached out and placed my hand over hers, my thumb gently brushing over her knuckles. I could feel her resisting the urge to flinch as if my touch burned her.
Jorja saw it.
I caught the flicker of her frown across the table, but she turned her gaze quickly, tucking it behind the rim of her wineglass. She probably thought it was just a Brother comforting his sister. Nothing more.
By the time we were halfway through the main course, I felt Kasmine’s pulse fluttering beneath my palm. She was seconds away from bolting.
And that was when my father cleared his throat.
“So.” He set his utensils down and leaned slightly forward. You called all of us here. Said you had good news. What is it?”
The clinking and chatters quieted.
I reached for my wineglass, not because I needed the drink, but because I needed the pause. I wanted to make sure I had everyone’s undivided attention.
“I’ve found my mate.” I dropped the words, and Kasmine’s heart kicked in her chest-I heard it. Like a bird crashing against a cage.
Gasps were stifled behind napkins. Heads turned instantly in my direction. A ripple of mixed emotions spread across the table. Dylan blinked once. James and Lance exchanged a glance. Greg arched a brow. Vincent muttered something under his breath, and Ralph replied with a shrug.
There was silence before Jorja finally spoke.
“What about June? What will you do about her?”
“She’s right,” my father added. “You know what June means to this pack and our family.”
I set my glass down gently. “I’ll handle June.”
My father’s palm hit the table with enough force to rattle the salt shaker.
“No. No, Kester. You don’t handle something like this. You do what is right. What is expected of you. If your mate isn’t June, then you reject whoever she is. That’s what any Alpha who is about to claim the Alpha King position would do.”
Jorja nodded quickly. “You have to, Kester. This isn’t just about you. It’s about the alliance. The legacy. The pack.”
“Even if the world breaks its teeth, I’m not rejecting my mate,” I said calmly.
Jorja shot up slightly in her chair. “Kester, listen to your father! Do you want to bring shame to the pack?”
“Shame would be to oppose what fate has already willed, Mother, I lifted my gaze slowly to meet hers, and I was certain she saw the furnace in my eyes.
Uncle Greg finally cleared his throat, “Then who is she?” he asked. “Who is this mate of yours that’s worth destroying everything we’ve been trying to build?”
Kasmine shifted suddenly beside me. Panic dripped off her. She was going to bolt, but I gripped her hand tight.
And everyone noticed it. But I was certain they were still in denial. Nothing would prepare them for it.
I looked around the table, one face at a time, letting the silence fan the flames of tension and anticipation.
I turned and ran a thumb along Kasmine’s face, which had grown cold with panic. Then I slowly reached out and planted a kiss on her forehead while everyone watched with all kinds of expressions of their faces before I dropped the bomb.
“Kasmine is my mate.”
The silence that followed was priceless.
KESTER.
The silence sat comfortably with us, refusing to leave. And 1, trust me, have always Yoom bran to extantin sheer te it was t with me like we shared a womb.
Kasmine almost collapsed beside me, I had to mind-link her immediety, Hold yourself together, baby. You wedde’t want to hom our child by panicking too much.”
She didn’t respond.
Thanks to the Blood Claim, I was able to mind-link her the moment the got her wolf. There was no need for any serial Wading before I could mind-link her.
Everyone else stared like I’d just poured gasoline on the table and lit a match.
I carefully ate my dinner while waiting for everyone to catch their breaths or whatever they were doing i didn’t have time fox suda drama as if we were acting in a movie.
I knew Uncle Ralph, the pack’s unpaid gossip channel, was already compiling his mental list of names, ticking off who he’d run to after dinner to spread the word. That’s why I made sure his fat little excuse for skipping this dinner didn’t fly,
He was a tool.
And tonight, I needed the news to spread like wildfire that Kasmine was off-limits to everyone and every young, unmated wolf who always had eyes for freshly transitioned wolves.
Of course, every other person had a part to play in this. My Beta, my Gamma, the Head of my Council. Come on. They were carefully selected.
“Ahem…” Finally, Jorja cleared her throat, “Kester… This is about the most expensive joke you’ve ever cracked,” Her small voice rang in the silence – that was how silent the room was.
She tried to laugh crumbling cake. that weak, motherly kind of laugh meant to redirect the room, smooth everything over like icing on a
She squeezed my father’s hand, already expecting everyone else to burst into a certain stupid kind of laughter, while I’d sigh and go, ‘Relax, Mum. It was a joke.’
Haha, Funny.
I sliced a piece of meat and carefully led it into my mouth. Chewed. Swallowed. Then looked her dead in the eye. “Does it look like I’m joking… Mum?”
My father mind-linked me immediately.
“What is wrong with you, boy? How dare you embarrass the family in front of strangers?”
I lifted my gaze to meet his and slowly wiped the corner of my mouth with my napkin. They are not strangers, Dad,” I said out loud, knowing he’d feel even more embarrassed, “And I wouldn’t have you call my mate an embarrassment.”
All eyes fell to my father now, dragging him into the center of a fire he wasn’t ready to sit in. The silence that followed was sharper than a razor.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply