Bound By Moonlight to My Mates (by Sofange Daye) novel Chapter 38

Chapter 38

The two men glare at each other. Neither one of them is willing to budge. Damon shuffles from foot to foot, but Theo remains calm and collected.

“She isn’t going with you,” Damon finally growls.

A smug smile tugs at Theo’s lips. “I think she could be quite happy living with me.”

I wrinkle my brow. “Where exactly do you live?”

Theo steps closer to me, rubbing his finger along my neck. “Somewhere hot.”

I swallow at the thought of descending into the depths of hell with Theo, and step away from him. He laughs playfully, but shifts his eyes at Damon. “Don’t you have a club to run?”

“I will not leave her with you,” Damon snarls. “How do I know you won’t take her from me?”

Pretending to pout, Theo presses a black–tipped finger to his chin. “You don’t.”

“I won’t go with him,” I spit out. “I don’t want to reside in hell.”

Theo’s laugh sharpens. “I never said it was hell

Damon looks between us and throws his hands up in frustration. He cups my cheek, running his thumb over my lips. “I will be right back. I need to show Leah up.

swollen

I nod, wanting to feel the warmth of his mouth pressed against mine again, but he slides out without another word.

Theo waits until Damon leaves for the club floor, then closes the door behind him. I jump when he slides the bolt shut with a click. The bass from the club shakes the floorboards, but I can barely hear it over the beating of my heart. I am not scared of Theo, but I am scared of being alone with him. Afraid of what I might do if I get too caught up in the moment.

He stands by the door, arms crossed, but not looking at me. His gaze is on the books. I get the feeling that he didn’t know Theo was an avid reader either. He drags his gaze away from the framed picture and draws in a heavy sigh.

“I think you should sit down.”

“Okay,” I mutter.

I sit on the edge of the couch and wait for Theo to sit with me, but he doesn’t. He kneels in front of me, into his. His thumbs trace patterns on the backs of my hands, sending sparks of electricity over my skin. Finally, he speaks. “The sickness isn’t random, Little Cricket. It’s tied to you.”

taking my

hands

“I know.” My voice comes out small. I would be a fool to think otherwise. “Apparently, everything bad is tied to me.”

It is a feeble attempt at a joke, but it doesn’t land. Theo turns to me, his eyes black and unwavering. “It’s worse than it ever has been before. It’s accelerating too fast to be contained. Every day you remain unclaimed, your wolf’s power lashes out at anyone tied to you. It infects them, and then the people tied to them become infected. It is a vicious cycle.”

I cross my arms, hugging myself. “Infects them? They’re not dying. They’re going feral”

“Yes, Little Cricket.” He squeezes my hands. “Your wolf isn’t meant to exist without balance. She’s too old. Too strong. Too stubborn. Without a mate anchoring her, the madness will spread like wildfire. It already is.”

“What will happen to me?” I swallow. “If I don’t choose?”

Theo frowns. “It is a selfish choice. If you do not choose a mate, Tala will rip you apart. Your soul will be destroyed, and you will never see the afterlife.”

I lift my chin, trying to be and sound braver than I feel. “Theo, you should have told me this months ago. Why did you keep

this from me?”

“I thought we had time.” He winces as if he is in pain. “I thought there was time to let you fall in love and choose, but I was wrong.”

“How do you know?” I beg. “What if there is more time?”

He shakes his head, pulling his hands away from mine. “Because I’ve done this before.”

My heart stutters, and Tala whimpers in my mind. “What?”

He closes his eyes briefly, then opens them again. They shine with a bit of amber, outlining his cat–like pupil. “Tala,” he says her name like he is calling out to her. “Centuries ago, before you were even a thought in this universe. She was mine.”

The room tilts, and I lean back onto the couch. “You’re lying.”

“I wish I were.” He gets to his feet and begins pacing the floor in front of me. “She was my first mate. The only true mate I have ever been gifted. But I was young and foolish. I believed I could refuse the bond. I thought I could be stronger than it. I denied her, again and again.” His hands tremble with the memory. “And it drove her mad. She burned everything she touched until she threw herself off a cliff.”

I press my fingers into my eyes, trying to make this horrible nightmare stop. The memories of me falling, the pain I felt, all belonged to Tala. “No…”

Theo’s eyes glitter with what looks like tears. “She has been reborn time and time again. I have kept my distance, forcing her to choose another mate. But this time I couldn’t stay away. Her power has gotten too strong.”

He pauses for a moment, his breath ragged. “You’re her echo, Charlotte. Her power reborn. And if you don’t choose a mate soon, history will repeat itself, only worse. The sickness will consume every wolf, no matter if you are linked to them or not. It will destroy you. It will destroy them all.”

I open my mouth to speak, but he speaks again. “Please. Pick one of them. Jake or Damon. Even Ronan. Anchor yourself before it’s too late.”

Tears blur my vision. “And what about you?” My voice shakes. “What about what you are to me? What if I choose you?”

His jaw tightens. “I can’t. I’m not what you need. I’m not a wolf. I never was.”

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