Chapter 145


    “Enough of that,” Rafe calls from across the room where he’s tossing what few personal


    possessions he has into a backpack. “Hands off, Luca. Still my sister.”


    “Still my mate,” Luca calls back, but his voice is cheerful as he pushes himself up from the wall,


    letting his arm drift from behind my back so that he can grasp my hand as he tugs me over to the


    sitting area. Ben’s there too, his already–packed backpack at his feet, but he stands when we


    approach, going to pretend to help Jesse pack and giving us our space.


    “So, I’ve been thinking about it,” Luca says, sitting down on the couch and pulling me with him so


    that we sit close together.


    “Yeah?” I ask, encouraging him to go on. I turn towards him, taking his hands in mine, listening


    closely. Because I want, desperately, to know what he’s thinking – how he’s feeling about all of it.


    “And,” he murmurs, reaching out a hand to tuck a strand of hair back from my face, “we still have to


    talk about…about you keeping this from me, Ariel. That was deeply unfair, and I …I think it’s going


    to take a while for me to trust you again.”


    I nod, understanding, listening to him and holding back my opinion on the matter. Because I do


    think that I was in a hard ce with that it would have been horribly unfair to Jackson if I had told


    Luca that Jackson was my mate before I even told Jackson. But…that’s not really important now.


    Instead, I just want to hear Luca, to understand how he feels.


    “But I didn’t liest night,” Luca murmurs, his pretty brown eyes intent as he squeezes my hands.


    “I’m in love with you, Ariel – you’re my mate, you’re…you’re everything to me. I’ll do whatever it


    takes to make this right with us.”


    “Luca,” I breathe, leaning closer,pletely overwhelmed at how good he’s being. “Thank you – I


    feel the same way – I’ll do whatever it takes too, you’re so important to me


    “So, you’ll reject him, then,” Luca murmurs, tucking that same strand of my hair back again, his


    fingers warm as they caress the shell of my ear. “And then we’ll move on! It will be amazing, Ariel, I


    promise I’ll do everything I can to make you happy, everything, and we’ll be so –”


    I sit up straight, rigid, staring at him unblinkingly. Because wait…what? What is he asking me?


    What…did I agree to something? “Luca,” I say, putting a hand out between us, my palm t as it


    presses against his chest. “Luca…no…”


    “No?” he asks, likewise sitting up straight and staring at me. “No to…no to what?”


    “Luca,” I whisper, horrified, leaning closer. “Luca, I’m not going to reject my bond with Jackson…”


    “What!?”


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    “Hey!” Jesse says, shoving Rafe’s armchair ridiculously close to the couch and flopping down into it.


    “This seems sufficiently intimate andplicated and like you might start yelling at each other!


    Thought I’d join in!”


    “Get out of here, Jesse,” Luca growls as Rafees around the couch and stands on the other


    side of the coffee table, his arms crossed. “This is between me and Ariel.”


    “Oh, I’ll go,” Jesse says calmly, raising his eyebrows and holding Luca’s gaze for a pause before


    shifting his eyes to mine. “If Ariel wants me to.”


    I bite my lip, hesitating, because…I mean, even though Luca is right that this is between us…


    God, but I have trouble saying no to him. And quite frankly, I do want my brother and my cousin’s


    support.


    “Ariel,” Luca growls, leaning closer to me and ring, “are you seriously going to let them budge in


    on this!? This is our personal rtionship! This is between you and I, and you’re going to –” 1


    “Let us advocate for her?” Rafe interrupts, his voice smooth and a little mad. Luca gapes, turning


    towards him. “Intercede? Not let you bully her, when she’s emotional and clearly wants to do things


    to help you feel better, even when they’re not in her best interest?”


    I feel a great deal of relief that my family is helping me, but it mixes awkwardly with the sinking pit in


    my stomach at making Luca feel so bad. God, crap, but this is horrible.


    “Bully!?” Luca spits out, dropping my hands and staring at Rafe, truly offended. “Are you seriously


    saying that I would stoop so low as to bully the woman I love!?”


    “You’re kind of doing it now,” Jesse says, a little dry.