Cheating Death: The House of Marchese Saga, Book One by Sarah Reynolds

Author:Sarah Reynolds [Reynolds, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ychews Press
Published: 2022-12-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Mud Pie

— Ben —

I watch Sunday stiffen before waving slowly at someone outside the plane. She says her family’s stamp of approval isn’t important to her, but I’ve heard that before. When you grow up as the only shifter who isn’t a wolf, in a population of thousands, you start to expect polite dismissal to your face and more direct exclusion behind your back. It’s not enough to say that I’ve never felt like I belong somewhere or belonged to someone before.

Wolves get a great deal of comfort from their strict, hierarchical structure. They’re happiest when certain of their place within it. From the moment they’re born, they smell like their designation. The alphas fight it out, the betas keep it organized, and the omegas are the heart of the pack. One sniff and everyone knows what to expect of you.

Unless you’re me. I make them uncomfortable by smelling like all three designations. I favored my wolf form for years, but it seemed to add to the olfactory confusion. Though I still had romantic partners, it was understood that I was for fun or practice—I wasn’t a serious option. I was crazy about one girl, but when her “real mate” showed up, she kicked me to the curb. Her parents assured everyone I was nothing more than a rebellious phase.

Tomas has finished packing up Grayson’s things—his needs always come first. His devotion to Gray is easy for anyone to see, well, except for the vampire himself. I’m still a little annoyed with him, but he’s my brother and I’ll get over it. He upset Sunday, and he needs to be the one to make peace with her. I trust that his wolf will see her as pack soon enough. Things are pretty simple for wolves.

The only question for a wolf to figure out is, who’s my mate? But when an alpha finds the answer while interviewing for a job with the oldest vampire in North America, it’s not so simple anymore. His situation makes me willing to forgive a lot from him. The first few years, I hoped that Grayson would be open to it, that he would see Tomas as more than an employee, but it hasn’t happened. Mother Moon is supposed to pick a perfect partner for you. Now, I’m not saying that the moon magic failed, but it certainly seems to be taking a while to kick in on Grayson’s side. For me, it was nearly instantaneous.

Sunday leans back into me as we wait for the steps to unfurl onto the tarmac. She’s wearing cut-off jeans shorts that hug every curve and a white blouse with embroidered flowers around the neckline and sleeves. I thought she looked beautiful last night, but this seems more like the real girl, pretty and fresh with lots of soft skin to enjoy under my fingers. Glints of copper and gold catch my eye as she pauses beneath the overhead lights. Her hair is partially braided to the side with soft curls falling over her right shoulder.

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