The One 94

THE ONE 94

. Time with Sephim Chapter 94: Time with Sophie Hunter I was surprised when Sophie told me that Brooklyn wanted to be at Owen’s execution. It’s yet another reminder that I should never underestimate anyone, not even my omegas. Brooklyn had found a way to awaken all the women who lost. their mates. After seeing that it worked for the first one, we started bringing the pups to see their mothers. Some woke faster than others, but now, they’ve all woken, including Leah. Sophie and I made a point to see them all, checking on them and making sure that they don’t need anything from us or the pack. It’s not uncommon for those who have lost their mates to want to leave the packhouse, finding the cheerful, boisterous atmosphere too much to bear, and these women were no different. I let Sophie and Kinsley handle the move for the families out of the packhouse and into their own homes. My mate, in all her intuitive genius, decided to move them all close together. It not only allows them to continue to have other pack members close, but it also gives them a sense of security. Now, Leah and Brooklyn aren’t alone on the outskirts of the pack. When Ezra arrived with Owen, I was thrilled that he asked about reaffirming our alliance. He’s pulled away from me since my sister’s death, but now, hopefully, he’s coming back. Of course, all that goes out the window when he realizes that Margot is his second chance mate. He’s been waiting a long time for the possibility of a second chance mate, whereas Margot only rejected her mate a week ago. Understandably, her 17040 response to finding out that she has a second chance mate was considerably different than his. When I pulled Ezra into my office, he sat down, putting his head in his hands. I’d given him glass of whiskey and he’d shot it back. “Why now? Why her?” he asks me. “I don’t have those answers,” I say refilling his glass and handing it to him. This time, he sips it, sitting back.

“She smells like jasmine,” he says, as sit beside him. He turns and looks at me, his eyes haunted. “Your sister planted jasmine all over my pack lands. I’d never smelled it before then, but I’ve come to love that smell. And now Margot smells like jasmine.” He closes his eyes and I see the pain written all over his face. “I feel like your sister did this for me. I know that sounds crazy, but I’m here, in your pack, her old pack. Margot smells like the jasmine that Diana planted in my pack. It’s too coincidental, don’ t you think?” “It does sound that way. Who knows how these things work, or why some get a second chance mate, and some don’t,” I say, taking a sip of whiskey. “You know she’ll try to reject you.” “I do. Joshua is an a**ole who never treated her well. Her father wasn’t any better. All I can hope is that she gives me a chance.” “What are you going to do?” I ask him. “I’m going to ask you if I can stay for a while and get to know my new mate, give her a chance to get to know me.” 17:04 “You know you’re always welcome here. But I will not allow you to forcibly mark her and definitely not publicly,” I tell him. He laughs humorlessly. “Trust me, I learned my lesson the first. time. I have no intention of losing another mate.” It isn’t long before I hear a soft knocking on the door and smell Sophie’s orchid scent. I smile, getting up to open the door. As soon as he sees her, Ezra jumps up. “How is she?” “Shocked, as I’m sure you can imagine.” “Yeah, a week ago we were in the same room, and she was mated to someone else. Now she’s here, rejected her mate, and found her second chance mate, another Alpha. F**k. She must be terrified,” he says, dropping back into his seat. “She is, but she didn’t allow herself to show it for long. She’s… she’s quite a strong woman,” Sophie says and something about the way she says it, has me pulling her into my arms. I kiss the top of her head, trying to understand the emotions. going on inside her. “Are you okay?” I ask her.

She nods, sighing and relaxing against me. “Do you want to sit with us?” I ask her. I know Ezra probably won’t want that, but my mate seems to need to be close to me right now. “No, you two talk. Margot has gone to her room. She’s planning to stay there for the rest of the evening, in case you thought to ||| 17:04 bophi look for her, Alpha Ezra,” Sophie says to him. “I’ll give her the time and space she needs,” he says, finishing off his drink. “I should probably go to my room. I could use a little time to think as well.” He stands, setting his empty glass on the table and walking to the door. “Thank you for letting me stay. I will not betray your trust by doing anything with Margot. I just want to get to know her. And I still do want to reaffirm our alliance.” “We have some time now that you’ll be here a few days. We’ll see you tomorrow at warrior training?” I ask. “I’ll see you then.” After he leaves, I spend some time talking to Sophie about the emotions going on in her mind. “It’s like she had a mask and I watched it fall over her face. How many times must she have had to do that for it to fall so easily, to transform her from a terrified, sobbing woman, into a stoic, put together Luna?” I hold my mate, stroking her back until I felt her calm. “I think we all know that Joshua is a terrible mate. He either expected her to hide her emotions or… he made it easier for her to hide them than suffer his response to them,” I say carefully, wanting to shield my mate from the terrible things I’m sure happen in some packs. “Kinsley said she was hyperventilating when she got out of the ||| 17:04

safe room. I put her in one thinking that she would be okay, but…” “You didn’t know. You can’t blame yourself. We were under attack. She wasn’t strong enough to fight,” I reassure her. Lucas had told me the same thing already. I’m guessing that dark, enclosed quarters were a punishment for Margot. Something that she’ll hopefully be able to work through with time and maybe, if she allows it, Ezra can help her with that. I decide to take the rest of the afternoon off and spend it with my mate. We’ve been working hard, and the pack has been recovering from the first battle, so I tell Sophie that I want to have dinner with her in our room, just the two of us. I’d almost forgotten how much I enjoy just talking to my mate. We’ve both been so busy, going in multiple directions for so long that I haven’t taken time to just hear about her day. Over dinner, I stay quiet, letting my mate talk animatedly about Brooklyn, how the mates have awakened, and how Leah may have found a second chance mate as well. “Seriously, Hunter, what is up with our pack?” she asks me. “Maybe the Legend has started something special here,” I say, pushing the food aside and beginning to prowl toward her. “Well, what does it say about you, Alpha, that you’re mated to the Legend?” she purrs at me. “It says I’m one lucky b**d,” I say before showing her just how much I adore her, love her, and want her. Hours later when we’re lying in bed, naked and sated, I kiss the 62 43% 1704 “Want to try to multi task with the pack? I ask, knowing that’s something she’s recognized more than once and that bothers her that she can’t do it “Yes,” she says excitedly “Now’s a good time to practice. I used to do it late at night when the pack’s minds aren’t so active Once you get the hang of it, you can start trying it at busier times of “What do I do?” she asks. Exclusive content from .

day.” “Start by opening your mind to the patrols. Listen to their conversations and discussions about what they’re smelling and seeing,” I say, entering her mind to help guide her. We have four patrols, one in each quadrant that run the entire perimeter of the pack. Even this can be difficult as you have four separate groups conversing with each other. I sense their hesitation when they realize that Sophie is connecting to them, but then they continue, not getting any requests or commands from her. I’m always connected unless I’ m asleep or with Sophie, so they’re used to me being part of the mind link. Thelp her to filter out the different groups, compartmentalizing them so she can hear them all. “Very good,” I say to her, feeling her getting tired. “We cant practice every night until it’s easier, then we’ll add in the nighttime omegas. That always makes for interesting listening,” I say, chuckling. “Why is that?” she asks. “They see everything, hear everything. If I’ve missed something. I usually hear it from the omegas.” I can sense her curiosity. “Here, like this,” I say, and help her connect to a small group of omegas that are talking about two pack members who were caught sneaking off to be together. Sophie gasps. “It’s like a gossip channel.” “Exactly,” I say before shutting it down. “Now, get some sleep. I love you, Sophie Reynolds.” “And I love you, Hunter Reynolds,” she says, and we snuggle together, falling asleep.