Chapter 50

Darren

The moment Lily’s voice echoed off the walls with that last line—“You have a mate?!”—I nearly lunged across the desk to clamp my hand over her mouth. It was like she’d just let off a firework in the dead of night.

“Lily,” I hissed, holding a finger to my lips, leaping up and slamming the door shut behind her. “Keep it down, for Goddess’ sake.”

“Oh, sorry.” Her eyes went wide, and she lowered her voice to a whisper, barely able to contain the excitement in her tone. “But is it true? Do you really—”

“Shh!” I cut her off again, groaning inwardly. This was not the conversation I wanted to have this morning. Or any morning, really. Especially not with a lower pack member.

Lily bit her lip, clearly straining against the urge to burst into squeals. “But… seriously, Alpha? Your mate? Who is she? Where’s she from?”

I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to compose myself. No way was I telling her any details. “Look, yes, I found my mate,” I admitted, figuring a breadcrumb or two would shut her up for now. “But it’s complicated.”

“Complicated?” She tilted her head, curiosity dancing in her eyes, and I knew that if I didn’t give her something more, she would spend the rest of the day hounding me for answers. “How? If you found your mate, then—”

“I can’t be with her,” I said flatly, hoping that would be the end of it.

Instead, it seemed to spark a whole new level of curiosity in her. She lifted her eyebrows as if this news was somehow scandalous. I could already picture her gossiping about it with Melissa at the water cooler. “Wait… why not? I mean, if you found her… doesn’t that mean—”

I felt a rush of irritation. Talking about this was the last thing I wanted, but the look on Lily’s face told me she wasn’t about to drop it until she had wrung every drop of detail from me. I took a deep breath, trying to hold onto some scrap of patience. “Look, I marked her. But I didn’t mean to do it. It just… happened. And it’s made things more complicated.”

She frowned. “If you accidentally marked her, then maybe it wasn’t as accidental as you think,” she said, giving me a knowing look. “You must feel something for her, right? So why not just… give it a shot?”

“Lily, it’s not that simple.”

Her face softened, but there was a stubborn glint in her eyes. “Why isn’t it? I mean, I know you’ve got a lot of responsibilities to the pack, but a mate is… well, a mate. If she’s the one, then nothing should stop you from being with her.”

“Lily,” I said again, my tone a warning. “You’re forgetting the complications of being the Alpha. It’s not just about what I want.”

Her brows drew together in confusion, clearly trying to piece together what I was getting at. “What… complications?” she asked carefully.

I hesitated, considering how much I could say without giving away too much. “There are… outside factors,” I replied slowly, choosing each word with care. “If the pack knew about her, they wouldn’t approve.”

Lily’s eyes widened in understanding, and for a second, I thought I saw a flash of sympathy there. “Oh,” she murmured, nodding. “So… she’s from a rival pack?”

I took a deep breath, not bothering to correct her. It was easier to let her assume that. “Yeah. A rival pack.”

She folded her arms, looking thoughtful. “But even so, Alpha, love is love,” she said softly. “No one should be kept apart because of pack politics. If she’s truly your mate, then… isn’t it worth fighting for?”

I felt a pang that went deeper than I’d care to admit, and for a split second, I allowed myself to imagine it—Aria by my side, her hand in mine, knowing without a doubt that she was mine and no one else’s.

But that was just it—she wasn’t mine. Not really. Not in any way that mattered. Not in any way that would ever work.

“Lily,” I said, trying to keep the frustration from seeping into my tone, “it’s not as easy as that. My situation… it’s different.”

Her expression softened, and she gave a little shrug. “Maybe. But if you ask me, the pack would understand if they saw how much she means to you. And think about it—you’d have a Luna by your side after all these years. I think… a lot of people would like that. It’s been a long time since—”

She cut herself off, looking almost embarrassed. But I knew what she was about to say. Since my mother. Since her death, she had been the last Luna in our pack. My grandmother had taken over as Acting Luna, but it wasn’t quite the same.

I forced a smile, my throat suddenly tight. The pack needed a Luna, yes. But they needed a Luna who could stand by them and protect them, not a human who would be vulnerable to any stray threat that might come her way.

“Thank you, Lily,” I said, my voice gruff. “I appreciate what you’re trying to say. Really.”

She nodded, but I could tell she wasn’t quite convinced. There was still that spark of excitement, that eager look that told me she hadn’t given up on the idea.

“Still… it’s something to think about, Alpha,” she said as she turned to leave. “A mate is a blessing, not a burden.”

I held my breath, waiting until she reached the door, hoping she would go before she said anything more that might stir up that strange ache that had taken root in my chest.

She paused, her hand on the doorknob, then turned back, her eyes serious. “I won’t say anything, of course. Your secret is safe with me.”

I gave her a nod of thanks, a slight smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “I appreciate that. Really.”

“But… don’t reject her,” she said softly, almost as if she couldn’t help herself. “I think… you might regret it if you do.”

I didn’t answer, just watched as she finally stepped out and closed the door behind her. I waited until her footsteps faded down the hall, a strange mixture of relief and regret pooling in my chest.

Then, with a sigh, I leaned back against the door and let my head fall back as I closed my eyes.

This was turning into much more of a mess than I thought, and I was still no closer to repaying Aria for her kindness—and the trouble I was putting her through with this whole mate business.

At that thought, I glanced toward my window, where I could see Aria just now walking up to her cubicle and shrugging off her coat. She sat down and immediately turned on her computer, getting straight to work as always.

Suddenly, an idea struck me. It wasn’t as good of a solution as freeing her from our mate bond, but it was something.

I hoped it would make up for at least a little of what she’d gone through for me.