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Five
Olivia
Rolling over with a stretch, my nose is flooded with the delicious aroma floating through the room this morning. “Please tell me that’s a caramel latte,” I say as I open my eyes.
Chloe laughs, handing me a cup. “You’re in luck. Here you go.” I sit up in bed and take the latte, enjoying the cup's warmth against my hands as Chloe sits on the bed next to me. “Are you hungry? I can order us some breakfast. Our pack house chef can make the most divine anything you could possibly want.”
“There’s a chef?” I’m not sure why that surprises me after everything else I’ve learned.
“Yeah, we have a restaurant here to do catering for meetings and events, as well as being open for breakfast and lunch.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.”
I walk over to the large window in our room. It’s open slightly, letting in the fresh pine scent being blown in by the morning breeze. It literally looks like someone came along and painted the perfect scenery to draw me in. The sun shimmerson a beautiful lake, and there’s a forest thick with pine trees as far as the eye can see. The name Pinewood is appropriate. For a moment, I imagine what it would be like to live every day somewhere so peaceful.
Chloe stands next to me by the window. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I love living here.”
“It is,” I agree, “and it smells amazing,” I say, taking in a deep breath.
“So, I have to ask. How long are we going to pretend last night didn’t happen?” Chloe says.
“Ugh, I was kind of hoping it was all just a bad dream.” I sink back down onto the bed.
Chloe giggles, shaking her head. “No such luck, my friend. Welcome to your new reality.”
“I don’t know what to say, Chloe. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Is it safe to say you feel something for Ethan? I know it’s not your character to kiss a guy when you’re committed to someone else, so that tells me there’s something there between the two of you. It’s me, Liv. You can tell me anything, and we can talk it through.”
How do I explain this when I don’t even understand it myself? Do I really have feelings for a werewolf?
“I don’t know what it is, but when I’m close to Ethan, I feel…alive in a way I never have before. Then I feel guilty because I know I shouldn’t feel that way.”
“You’re feeling the mate bond, Liv. You aren’t doing anything wrong.”
“How can you say that? What about Colin?”
“You didn’t set out to intentionally hurt him, and this isn’t the typical kissing a guy behind another guy’s back situation. You have little control over the way the bond makes you feel.”
I sigh, picking up my phone to see if Colin has tried to reach me, but there’s nothing.
There’s a knock at the door, and Nick’s deep voice is on the other side. “Chloe, are you guys up?”
Chloe opens the door to greet him. “Good morning.” They embrace each other in a long kiss.
“Morning. I missed you last night, babe,” he says to Chloe. The way they look at each other makes me feel like the awkward third wheel in the room, and I clear my throat to remind them they’re not alone.
“Sorry,” Chloe says with a giggle.
“You guys are cute. You’ve been together for years, and you still act like it’s the first month.”
“You know,” Chloe says, “it could be like this for you too. The passion mates have for each other is something indescribable. You deserve this kind of love, Olivia.”
“I agree,” Nick says. “Have you explained how this works?” he asks Chloe.
“We haven’t explored the details yet,” Chloe says.
“Olivia, Ethan is my best friend, and I care about you like a little sister. There are some things you need to know,” Nick says.
