As I enter, Megan whirls around to face me, she’s holding an armful of clothes that she appears to be stacking away and she stops mid-note of whatever tune it was she was humming. She looks surprised to see me. “Ryann? I didn’t realise you were still here. I thought Bellamy must have taken you home already. Are you only getting up now? It’s almost eleven.” she rambles cheerfully. She drops her armful of clothes onto a large pile on her bed and pulls her curtain open a little. I flinch at the bright morning light and shield my eyes, groaning. “Of course I’m still here. And I drank waaaaay too much last night, of course I’m only getting up now. It’s a miracle I’m up at all.” I grumble. Megan tilts her head in confusion. “Are you really feeling that bad?” she asks curiously. I roll my eyes and regret the motion. Now that I’m standing up I feel a lot worse. Also her room is way too bright. “Of course I am! Aren’t you?” I demand. She shrugs nonchalantly. “Nope. my metabolism burned of

Darrien hangs around for a while until Megan chases him out telling him to go home and get some rest and that he can come get her in the morning to take her home. She’s stayed over a few times now but he’s never seemed very comfortable with it. I messaged to ask him once reminding him that my home is safe. He just responded that it might be safe, but it would be safer if I kept guards around. He’s been doing better now that Megan isn’t engaged or in a relationship, but the two of them have made no progress since. Understandably, Megan isn’t interested in relationships right now and has declared it several times, so he has been mostly keeping to himself. Still, her nightmares have been less frequent and she’s even decided she is willing to watch rom coms again. That’s the plan for tonight actually. To watch her first romance movie since her failed wedding. I already have the TV set up and the movie waiting. Megan plops down onto the couch dramatically holding a glass of wine from the S

I elbow Bellamy in excitement and he takes my hand to keep me from bouncing in place. Megan stares at Darrien a minute longer before giving a very slow nod. The grin that crosses Darrien’s face is gorgeous and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him so happy. He places his own order and pays for the food. While he does this Megan turns to me, her eyes wild and her face flushed. She looks beyond nervous and her furrowed eyebrows ask a clear question. ‘Did I do the right thing?’ I give her a reassuring smile and nod. Her tense shoulders relax a little. Then, ever so slowly, she turns towards Bellamy to see his reaction. He has a serious case of poker face going. I squeeze his hand meaningfully. He glances sideways at me then back to his sister before lifting one shoulder in a half shrug and cracking a hint of a smile. Megan relaxes further and I realise she must have been barely breathing because she suddenly draws in a loud and deep breath and lets it out with a slight shake. She looks a

“You can’t know that he didn’t care for her, or that he was with someone else.” He objects. I raise an eyebrow. “I take it you haven’t heard what my particular brand of magic is then? I can see the strings of fate. I know who people’s destined soulmates are before they do half the time. And I can tell you with complete certainty that Tristain had found his soulmate and it wasn’t Megan. Also Megan did spare Tristain at first. Then he tried to attack again and was killed by accident.” The Canine Alpha seems to be stunned into silence. It’s Alpha Kohen who speaks first from his spot in the recliner.“Well, it looks like this meeting was for nothing. Alpha Kane has things well in hand. The complaints from that woman are just the denial of a woman who can’t admit her son isn’t perfect. Not that I can really blame her, no parent wants to believe their child was a bad person.” He pulls the lever on the side of the recliner and lays back, closing his eyes and relaxing. The Canine Alpha sputt

“I- It was what the other Alphas said at the end of the meeting, saying you need your mate. I can mostly ignore them when they’re being jerks. But Alpha Kohen is nice, and he was actually being kind. It just left me feeling really guilty.” I confess. Bellamy takes both of my hands in his.“Hey, look at me.” I meet his gaze. His golden eyes are gentle. “It’s really okay. I know you’re stressed by it, but you shouldn’t feel guilty. I’m the one who is asking a lot of you in expecting you to take on extra duties as my mate one day. The very least I can do is give you time to be ready for it. The other Alphas have been saying stuff like that pretty much since I stepped up. It doesn’t bother me and I don’t want it to bother you either. My situation with the Alphas hasn’t changed, you’re not making anything more difficult for me, and when you are ready, you’re only going to make things easier. Besides, you might not be aware of it but you have already started stepping into the role in small