Chapter 385
Three hundred and eighty seven
Rin Island looked exactly like the kind of place my dearest cousin Anita would choose.
The name alone gave me chills, like a warning that I should head back before something crazy happened.
Music spilled from open bars along the waterfront, mixing with laughter, shouting, and the crash of waves against the shore. Tourists crowded the streets, some barely dressed, some in things that probably should’ve stayed in the suitcase.
Neon signs glowed above restaurants, clubs, and hotels, while people moved from place to place with the carefree confidence of those who owed no one an explanation.
No wonder Anita loved it.
“Please don’t add me to any madness tonight,” I said when we got to our room, collapsing onto the bed.
“What?!” Anita shrieked. “We just got here. Tonight is the festival p>
“You can go ahead. I’m tired, and I need to do a few work calls, and p>
“You have an obsession with your work. I should file a complaint to my dad, and maybe your mom too, about how you always find an excuse not to have fun p>
I gave her a look and screamed into my pillow when she told me she’d already paid for our seats at the bar, the kind you had to book in advance or the whole place filled up.
“I thought this trip was supposed to help me relax p>
“It is. You’re the one insisting on doing vacation wrong p>
I let her drag me to the bar that opened toward the beach, tables scattered beneath hanging lights, music vibrating through the floor. People packed the dance area while servers wove between tables carrying drinks.
Anita’s eyes scanned the crowd for whoever she was hooking up with that night.
“How are you even comfortable sharing your body with a stranger?” I said dryly.
“Hello. I’m young and allowed to be stupid. Also, she’s not a stranger. We met here before, and we like each other.
“1
“Like as in this is beyond a hookup and you two will get serious p>
She laughed. “Slow down before you start planning my wedding. I’m not chasing commitment, I just want to have fun p>
I smiled despite myself.
Anita had never pretended to have everything figured out. She enjoyed people, enjoyed experiences, and walked away the moment something stopped feeling right. I had always envied that about her. She protected herself from heartbreak simply by refusing to build expectations around anything.
I had never learned how to do that.
We headed downstairs to the bar after I bought myself a coconut drink for electrolytes, knowing Anita’s mission was to get me drunk. I wasn’t a drinker, but one drink wouldn’t destroy my life, especially since I needed to loosen
1/4
Then hundred and -ty coven
+15 Bonus
Anita spotted her date across the bar and brightened.
There she is p>
She waved, then leaned toward me. “I’m going over. Will you be fine p>
“Duh p>
She disappeared into the crowd. I settled into my chair and took a sip. The drink was stronger than I expected, but the warmth spreading through me felt welcome. My shoulders relaxed as I watched the crowd without any real interest in joining it.
Anita returned after a while, dropping into the chair beside me, looking annoyed.
“Haley had to make a call. Her mom is quite controlling p>
Then, as if remembering her plans for me, she looked around.
“Seriously, Emma, have you been moping around? Have you not found anyone p>
“I came here because you forced me p>
She rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible. A lonely, impossible woman p>
When she leaned closer, I knew it wasn’t going to be good.
“How about we strike a bet tonight? You hook up with a hot guy, and I give you fifty thousand tokens p>
“A hundred thousand p>
She gasped. “You thief. Okay, fine. Deal p>
My heart skipped, realizing what I’d just agreed to, and I wanted to ask what exactly she meant by hooking up, when a group entered the bar.
The energy inside shifted. Conversations dipped around us as people looked toward the entrance. Three men walked in together, all carrying themselves with the ease of men accustomed to being noticed.
I barely looked at them. Edgy men weren’t my type.
Anita, however, had no such restraint. Her eyes followed them across the room. “If I liked men, I’d have a foursome with them p>
I groaned.
“You called the man selling coconuts attractive p>
“He had a nice smile.” She kept her gaze on the ‘men. “Ouuu, Emma, look at the tall one in the leather jacket p>
“I don’t care p>
“He’s gorgeous. You can have him p>
“I don’t want him, Anita. Stop staring p>
“I like appreciating beautiful things. Just look at him p>
The alcohol had begun to soften the edges of everything, even though I wasn’t drunk. I looked up at the dark- haired man Anita was pointing at, and a pang in my chest startled me, my body suddenly overly aware.
2/4
thon haded and ghty seven
на
+15 Bonus
His gaze met mine, and everything inside me stopped.
he world seemed to recede beneath the sudden rush of sensation. Heat swept through my body, starting deep in my chest and spreading beneath my skin. My wolf stirred with such force I nearly dropped my glass.
His eyes held mine with an intensity that made it almost difficult to breathe.
What was happening to me?
Anita followed my gaze and grinned.
“Ooh. He’s looking at you.” She looked back at me and laughed, with no sense of embarrassment. “You’re flushed.
11
I wanted to respond, wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. My wolf whined with delicious excitement, and my pulse climbed as the man started walking toward us.
“Emma,” Anita whispered, delighted. “He’s coming. Behave, and if you’re going to reject him, at least be polite p>
“He’s a stranger p>
“Shut up. He’s here p>
She stood.
“I’ll give you two some space p>
“What p>
She was already moving away, flashing him a grin as she passed.
“Good luck, handsome p>
I stared after her in disbelief, unable to even bring myself to look at the man who stopped beside my table.
When I did, my throat dried. His dark hair fell across his forehead, and a crooked smile touched his mouth as he looked down at me. Something about him carried a roughness that felt different from the polished men I was used to seeing back home.
My wolf pushed closer, and I wondered why.
He leaned toward me. His fingers brushed my hair away from my ear, and the simple touch sent heat rushing through me. Then his face moved toward my neck, and he inhaled against my skin.
The scent hit me, and everything inside me erupted.
My wolf surged forward, recognizing something my mind hadn’t even considered.
Mate.
The word echoed through my entire body.
The man straightened, that crooked smile returning.
“Mine p>
I stared at him, unable to make sense of what had just happened.
My wolf knew. She had known before I did.
3/4
The and ighty sovan
I swallowed, my voice barely leaving my throat.
Mate p>
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Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.