Arranged Bonds

Bonus Chapter 4:

Chapter 8 and 9: Remorse

Nox's POV

My brother is nowhere to be found.

He is a smart wolf. He knows we are searching for him.

His scent is accompanied by the smell of alcohol. Always drunk, but never enough to forget to cover his tracks.

It's been days, maybe a week and his trail is all but gone.

I miss him. I miss my brother like I would miss the breath in my lungs if I could no longer breath.

Griffen is on the phone with his mate.

I don't want to speak to mine. She is starting to burrow her way under my skin, under my ribs, around my heart.

And I'm not sure if it's me or just this punishment of a bond.

She tries for me, but I haven't tried very hard for her. I know that Lily wouldn't want me to be miserable like I am now, but I have to make peace with her before I can give my full attention to this little bird.

I feel my phone buzzing.

"Yea?"

"Alpha." It's Cole. My third in command, whom I had left in charge in my stead. He sounds desperate and I can feel the bond for my mate flaring as we speak.

"She's in heat."

She? My mate?

"She's in heat?"

He doesn't give me time to question it further. "I think you should come back. The single males are sniffing around. Her scent is strong."

I'm sighing. How did this happen? I'm not ready to let my brother go. I'm not ready to give up the only chance at finding him that I have left.

Griffen has been watching me closely. He's been off the phone for a while now, just listening in on mine like a peeping tom.

"I can't."

Cue the dirty looks.

Griffen is angry at me now.

"But Alpha.."

I cut Cole off. "I can't. I have to find Hux and bring him home. I can't give up on him yet. I will be home as soon as I can. Until then.... Try to make sure she's not in pain."

I end the call and let my disrespect for my mate fester. I chose my brother over my mate.

He's family.

She's only just beginning to become an important existence for me, my little bird.

"Are you really sure about this?" Griffen. He's going to be up my ass now.

"We have to find Hux."

And with that I shift and head back into the woods at the edge of town, Griffen follows after, but I can feel the hatred he has now gained for me.

---

It's day three of her heat now. I can feel her pain inside me, searing me from the inside, punishing me.

I welcome it. The pain helps me clear my mind, helps me focus on the one scent I want to find.

"We should go back, Nox." Not Alpha Nox, just Nox. An Alpha wouldn't let his mate go through the pain I am putting mine through. An Alpha wouldn't put a single being above his mate, but I have.

"Just a bit longer."

"My mate is with child. I want to go back now. We have gone far enough. I want to find him just as much as you do, Nox, believe me, but out females need us now. Hux obviously doesn't want to be found."