“Yes, there was that,” Amara acknowledged, glaring at her sister, “but Nova is fine, so I didn’t want to alarm you.” Sadie had the good grace to look ashamed. Good. The last thing Amara wanted was for the whole town to find out about that mess. So far, they had managed to keep it discreet, but she wasn’t sure how long they could keep that going. “But enough about me and all of that. Let’s talk about the wedding and where on earth you learned to cook French food.”
Chapter 15
Nova walked into Murphy’s tavern twenty minutes later, completely preoccupied. Amara wasn’t the only one nervous about what the rest of the Trials would bring. Sure, Nemoy and his mother had said she was brave, but did that mean she was brave enough to be Pack? Or did her seduction of the Valley Clan’s Beta mean she was no longer suitable to be part of the Mountain Clan? He couldn’t believe his brother would hold it against her, not since she used the seduction as a weapon to get out of that room, but what about his mother? It wasn’t as if she actually liked Amara.
No, that wasn’t true. She didn’t like that Amara was human, but she had definitely come to respect her. They wouldn’t tell them no. They wouldn’t force him to choose between the woman he loved and the family he belonged to. Would they?
Laughter made Nova turn, relieving him of his dark, worried thoughts. Amara, her sister, and surprisingly Zoe, were all sitting at the bar, talking and joking about something or another. He was glad to see she was still able to laugh after the events of the last few nights. He wasn’t so sure he could yet, but there was no need for her to know that.
Mitch stopped him as he walked in. He stuck out his hand. “Hey, Nova, how’s it going? You here for a drink?”
Nova took the hand Mitch offered and the two men shook. “No, not tonight, Mitch, but thanks for asking. I’m actually just here to pick up Amara. We’re heading out to my parent’s place tonight.” He sighed. “Wedding stuff.”
“Oh. Right.” Was it his imagination, or did Mitch sound upset? “Wedding stuff.” There was definitely a vein throbbing at his temple. Did Mitch have a problem with Nova and Amara getting married? Nova wondered.
Then Mitch clapped him on the back with a grin. “Well, congratulations, man. Marriage. You got yourself a catch with that one.” He nodded his head to indicate Amara.
“Yeah, thanks.” Maybe he’d just imagined Mitch’s discomfort, Nova conceded. Maybe there was nothing to worry about at all.
“But all that planning. Whew. That’s all those girls have been talking about all night. Wedding this, wedding that. I think Zoe’s even going to be your caterer. Something about France? I don’t know. Better you than me, right?” He laughed again. “Best get back to the bar. You have a good night now, you hear?”
“You too.” Still shaken, Nova made his way over to the girls. He pressed a kiss into Amara’s hair when he reached her. “Good evening, ladies,” he crooned, unnerved by the way they all looked at him—as if he were a thing, a pawn on a chessboard that they were deciding where to place. Thank goodness they weren’t actually going to be talking wedding plans tonight. That almost made the Trials look good.
Nova glanced down at Amara. “Are you about ready? It’s nearly seven and you know how my mother gets. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting when there’s food on the table.”
Amara forced a small laugh. “Sure. Ladies,” she said with narrowed eyes. The other two resumed their giggles.
“What was all that about?” he asked her quietly as they walked away.
“Oh, nothing,” she replied. “Just talking about how you and your brother would look in a tux.”
Heat rushed to Nova’s face. They had been talking about him. Looked like his pawn assumption had been right on the money. And the thought of being discussed like a piece of meat made him feel slightly ill. “I see.”
Taking her hand, Nova led her out of the bar. It wasn’t until they were both settled in his truck however, and on the road, that he broached the sticky subject that was bothering him. “So you and Mitch. Were you ever, you know, an item or anything?”
Amara raised a brow. “An item?”
“Did you ever date?”
“What? Mitch? No. No,” she repeated firmly, a smile curving her lips. “We’ve only ever been just friends. Why do you ask?”
Nova stared out the front windshield. “Just wondering.”
Amara frowned. “You’re kidding me, right? You can’t possibly be jealous of Mitchell, can you? Please, tell me you’re kidding.”
“I’m not jealous.” But he could see why she would think that. How did he phrase it so he didn’t appear to be nothing more than a jealous boyfriend? “It’s just…look, there’s just something about him lately. Something, I don’t know, off.”
“He’s been stressed,” Amara insisted. “I barely work at Murphy’s anymore and with the wolf attacks finally under control, it’s not like business is slowing down. If anything, it’s picking up, and he’s only got Zoe as an extra hand most nights. And from what I’ve heard, working so close with someone you’re also sleeping with can be just a little bit taxing. Combine all of that together, and yeah, I would say that was enough to make a person seem ‘off.’”
“I also caught his scent around your house,” Nova told her. “Barely more than a few hours old. It was mixed in with the sheriff’s scent, but it was still there.”
“Maybe he was helping Mac search.”
“Did Mac tell you he’d enlisted Mitch’s help?”
The crease between Amara’s brows deepened. “Well, no, but maybe he came to see me when I wasn’t home or something. That does happen, you know.”
“And maybe he left rotten flowers on your porch and put a rock through my window.”
“Are you seriously accusing Mitchell of being my stalker right now? Are you that insecure about our relationship that you would resent my friendship with him?”
“No, of course not.”
“He’s my best friend.”
“I know.”
Stubbornly, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the window. “It wasn’t him, Nova.”
“Okay.” He heaved a deep breath. “Okay. I was wrong. I’m just worried about you is all. I guess I’m seeing enemies everywhere.” Taking her hand, he pressed it to his lips. He kept kissing her until the frown disappeared and the hint of a smile took its place. “Forgive me?” he asked.
She glanced at him sideways and her lips twitched up at the corners. “I suppose I forgive you,” she told him. “But you have to promise me that you won’t go accusing any more of my friends.”
For a moment, he raised his hands in surrender before placing them back on the wheel. “I promise.”
“Good.”
When they parked in front of the Council Chamber, Nova went around to help her down from the truck. “It’s the last one,” he said. “Are you ready for this?”
Amara just sighed and shook her head. “Let’s just get this over with, okay? I’m just ready for this to be over.”
“Sure.” But he couldn’t stop chancing glances at her when she wasn’t looking as the made their way in. He knew she could make it through this. She was strong enough. They were strong enough together. But would she forgive herself for the choices she had made during the Trials? Even if they weren’t real? Of that he wasn’t so certain.
“Welcome,” Nemoy greeted them. Once again, he was standing next to the Shaman amidst the circle of elders. “Tonight, you enter into the third and final Trial. The decision at the end will be final. You will be accepted as a couple and part of this Pack, or you may choose exile, but you may not choose both. Do you accept the terms?” He looked to Nova.
Nova nodded at this brother. “I accept.”
“And you, Amara?”
“I accept.”
“Wonderful. Now, if you will both step this way, we will begin.” He led them in the chamber and directed them on more to their beds of pillows. “Take your seats,” he instructed. Then he handed them b
oth steaming cups of brew.
Nova and Amara raised their glasses. “Cheers,” she said.
“Cheers.” And then he drank.
Nova woke on the grimy floor of his cell, the cold, hard concrete pressed against his cheek. His muscles were still trembling from the Taser, but he was able to push himself forward up onto his hands and knees. It was a slow, painful process, and he shook the entire way up. Somehow, he managed to get himself perched on the edge of the metal slab that passed for a bed. Aching and breathing hard, he gripped his ribs, trying to stem the pain, but nothing helped. It sliced through him like a sword’s edge, cutting deeper with every pass.
The handle to his cell moved and Nova’s head snapped up. If Kal was coming to finish him off, he wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight. But he could try. With a grimace, Nova forced himself into a standing position, gritting his teeth to stop the scream. The handle turned again, and this time it opened. Nova clenched his fists.
The door creaked open wider, opening enough to let in a human body. Amara stepped through. Instant relief flooded through him and Nova slumped back down on the bed with a groan.
Amara rushed to his side, her clothes in disarray. “Nova. Oh my god, Nova. Are you okay? That stun gun…I thought…but you’re alright.” With her hands on either side of his face, she pressed her lips to his. “We need to get out of here,” she told him. “Can you walk?”
“I don’t know,” he huffed. Even talking hurt. “Maybe.”
“Try.” She wedged her shoulder under his arm and heaved him to his feet. Even in his weakened state, he was surprised she was able to carry him.
“Tougher than you look, aren’t you?” He knew what he was trying to say, but it came out a garbled mess. Had they drugged him as well?
“Sshh. Don’t talk. Let’s just get you out of here.”
Every step was labored, and there were a few moments when he was convinced neither of them were going to make it, but they finally reached the door.
And then Nova woke up.
Looking around, he spotted Amara coming to across from him. She was just as surprised as he was. His gaze went to the grave faces of his Alpha and the elders. “That’s it? That was the entire third Trial?”
Nemoy nodded. “That was it.”
“Did we pass?” Amara asked. For the first time in days, she actually looked excited. But that excitement was short-lived.
“I’m afraid not.”
Chapter 16
For a moment, time stopped. Nobody moved. Even the crickets outside were silent. All Nova could hear was the rushing of his blood through his veins and the frantic beating of his heart. Nemoy could not possibly have said what he thought he just said. They could not have failed. “What was that?”
“I’m sorry, brother, but the Council has voted. You have not passed the Trials. We cannot sanction you as a couple in the eyes of the Pack.” His gaze went to Amara who only sat there silently. “I am truly sorry.”
So that was it? He knew exactly what this meant… Stick with the pack and give up his relationship with Amara, or be together in exile.
No. This couldn’t be happening. They had gotten through the Trials together. They had fought for each other. They had suffered for each other. They should have passed, damn it.
But they didn’t. And he knew the laws. He turned to Amara. “Amara,” he started, but she just shook her head.
“It’s okay, Nova. I understood the risks.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks. “I won’t make you choose between me and the Pack.”
Confused, he stared at her. Choose? There was no choice. She was the love of his life, damn it. He had waited his entire life for her. Her. He had fought for her, protected her. He had fallen in love with her before she even knew his name. There was no way in hell he was letting her go. Even if it meant giving up every other aspect of his life. She was worth it.
Nova stood. Squaring his shoulders, he met the gaze of each elder in turn, lingering on the blank face of his mother, before finally landing on Nemoy. His Alpha gazed stoically back at him. “Thank you for the opportunity to pass the Trials,” he said, reciting the ancient words of their people. “I have made my choice. I choose exile.”
A collective gasp went through the room. Only Nemoy appeared unsurprised.
“Nova, you can’t do this,” Neveah protested.
“I love her, Mother. We went through the Trials. You made your choice. Now I have made mine.”
“You would choose to give up the Pack?” Nemoy asked. “To give up being one of the Mountain Wolf Clan? You would choose to be stripped of your authority, or any communication with our people, to live out life as a human for the remainder of your days? This is the choice you make?”
Nova stood straighter. He didn’t want to think of what he was giving up. He knew what he was gaining instead. “It is.”
“No!” Rushing to him, Amara grabbed his arm and turned his face to hers. “No, Nova, I can’t let you do this. I love you, so much. More than I have ever loved anyone, and I know that you love me. But this place, these people, you love them too. The Pack is part of who you are. Sometimes it’s the best part of who you are. You love being their Beta. I can’t let you walk away from that.” He brushed a tear from her cheek, but she pushed his hand away. “I couldn’t live with myself if you were never allowed to speak to your mother again. Your brother. He has a baby on the way. You’re going to be an uncle. How could I build a life with you knowing I had taken you away from the one you already had?
“If the Pack doesn’t want to accept me, fine. I’m not okay with it, I don’t agree with it, and I sure as hell don’t understand it, but I will live with it. I will walk away from you so that you don’t have to walk away from the Pack.”
Closing his eyes, Nova pressed his lips to her forehead. “But don’t you see? You may be able to live with it, but I can’t live without you. I will miss the Pack. But they had their chance to have us both. I choose you.”
“And that, my son,” Neveah said, placing her hands on their combined fingers, “is the right choice. Now you have completed the third and final Trial. And you have passed.”
“What?” Amara stared up at him, just as confused as he was, but it was the hope in her eyes that spurred him to speak.
“Explain,” he ordered his mother. He could feel her suppress an eye roll.
“You were faced with a decision,” Nemoy said, stepping forward, “and you made it. Amara, you were willing to sacrifice your heart and the life you had hoped to build so Nova would not have to give up his home. Nova, you were willing to sacrifice your home and the only life you’d ever known for the woman who holds your heart. Neither of you were making a selfish choice.
“You could have defied the Council. You could have blamed and ridiculed, argued or attempted to negotiate. Instead, you respected the traditions of the Pack and made the choice that was right for you within the terms that were set. That shows loyalty, integrity, and character that we value in this Clan.
“Throughout the Trials, both of you fought for one another against a common enemy, but it was the way you rallied together, the way you emboldened and strengthened each other outside of these walls that spoke to the true nature of your relationship. You have proven yourselves both as individuals, and as a couple. The Mountain Clan is happy to welcome the unit that is the two of you together, into the fold.”
Going to Amara, Nemoy took her hands and lightly kissed both of her cheeks. “Amara Townsend, lover and mate of the Mountain Clan Beta, Nova Lowery, I now officially declare you Pack. Welcome to our family.” Grinning broadly, he embraced them both. “Congratulations, little brother.”
Dumbfounded, Nova just stared. He couldn’t move. For the second time in a matter of minutes, time stopped. Then he looked at Amara, and he kissed her full on the mouth.
They barely made it back to his cottage before they were ripping each other’s clothes off. He imagined the neighbors thought an earthquake was happening in his ho
use. Neither of them could control themselves. They slammed each other from one wall to the other, eager to be joined together as quickly as possible.
They had made it through the Trials. Better, they had passed. And now they could get married and be part of the Pack. Together.
Nova tugged Amara’s jeans down from her hips. The second he got her free, he hoisted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. Then he blindly moved forward, still kissing her, until he knocked into something hard. The table. Oh good, a flat surface.
With one hand, he swiped everything aside, not even noticing when at least a dozen of his possessions crashed to the floor. All he could think about was Amara and the fact that he was going to spend the rest of his life with her.
Amara’s hands clawed at his pants, and he made quick work of kicking them off before pulling her to him. Her nails raked down his back and he plunged into her. She screamed her passion and he began to move, each thrust hard and furious, as if he wanted their bodies to be one in more than just spirit. He felt her hot, wet center spasm around the length of him, felt her toes curl at his hips and her hands ball into fists at the back of his arms, keeping them linked together. And when neither of them could hold back any longer, he let himself explode inside her before losing his breath and collapsing on top of her.
Hours later, when the two of them were curled up beside each other in Nova’s bed, Amara’s phone began to ring, jolting Nova from sleep. He glanced at the clock. It was three in the morning. Who the hell would be calling her at three in the morning?
He could only think of one person.
Picking up the phone, he looked at the Caller I.D. “Unknown Caller,” it read. For now, he thought, his alpha side rearing its ugly head. He may take human form and have mostly human tendencies, but Nova was still wolf, and Amara had just been officially declared his Mate. Shifters mated for life. Even the wolf inside him screamed mine when Amara was threatened. She was his now. His to love, to protect. And human or wolf, he would kill anyone who jeopardized her happiness or her safety.
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