The Luna’s Choice

Chapter 34: Briggs

After what happened the night before between Theo and Ayla, I wasn't expecting him to make an appearance today. I would figure out some way to appease Kylee about it, but I was getting tired of having to deal with her.

But more importantly, I was worried. Really worried.

Theo was falling apar

I had thought about telling his parents what exactly was happening with him more than once. In fact, I was planning on telling his mother after I had spoken to Ayla in Sablemane. But then the fire happened, and Mrs. Walport's murder and things just got even crazier.

So, I would deal with Kylee for a while longer if it kept her out of Theo's hair.

Kylee's cousin, Mina, would be there any minute, and I was waiting to greet her. I had just spoken to a pack member when the most amazing scent hit me. I turned to the door and found a gorgeous face staring back at me, as frozen as I was.

"Mate."

I was across the space in three strides. My hands went to her face as my mouth took hers. I probably should have said something to her first. Perhaps introduced myself. But she was kissing me back. Her arms were wrapped around me. So I didn't care. Neither did my wolf, Malcolm, who was happier than he had ever been.

Electricity was coursing through me, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake.

I understood what Theo meant now.

I felt complete. She was perfect. She was...

"Mine," I gasped out.

"What the hell, Mina?" Kylee's voice broke through the haze of the world outside us, and I had to stifle a growl.

Mina. That was my mate's name. It was beautiful, just like her.

"Kylee," Mina said, "I just found my mate."

She looked up at me with the most beautiful blue eyes.

"Oh my gosh," Kylee squealed. "You're joking. That's amazing. That means you get to come live with me. You can be my second." Mina's expression changed slightly as she looked at her cousin.

"This is so exciting. Come on." Kylee grabbed her hand. "We have so much to talk about and get planned out."

Oh, hell no. She wasn't about to drag my mate away from me thirty seconds after we'd found each other. I stepped between them. "Kylee, can we please have a few moments?"

"Of course," Kylee said brightly. "Come join us while we catch up. You're always welcome."

"Um, Kylee, sweetie," Mina said. "I'm going to take a few minutes alone with my mate. This isn't a moment I want to share with everyone." "Oh," Kylee said, visibly dejected. "Okay. I guess that's fine. Briggs can help you find me when you're ready."

"Thank you," Mina replied, giving Kylee a hug.

I grabbed Mina's hand and pulled her into a room, shutting and locking the door behind us.

"That's the least I've seen Kylee argue or complain in weeks," I said between kisses. "How did you do that?"

Mina laughed. It was a sound that had my heart soaring.

"A little trick Ayla taught me," she said. "We discovered a long time ago you kind of just have to tell Kylee how things are going to be. If you give her an option, she'll do what she wants every time."

I kissed her again.

"I guess I should introduce myself," I said.

She laughed again. "Yeah, that probably should have been done before we practically jumped each other in the hallway."

I chuckled. "Absolutely not," I said. "I'm Briggs."

"Mina."

"It's nice to meet you, Mina."

"Just nice?" She raised an eyebrow.

I smiled broadly. "Wonderful. Fantastic. Incredible. Any other adjective you would like."

"That's better," she said, kissing me again. "So, what happens now?"

"Well" I brushed her hair back from her face - "we get to know each other. That seems like a good place to start."

"I can live with that," She replied. "Although, I'm open to more of this too."

She pressed her lips to mine, snaking her arms around my neck. I wasn't going every touch. My hands moving down her body.

Then her phone started ringing her pocket. I grunted as I pulled away.

"That's probably Kylee," Mina said with a sigh.

argue. She was amazing, sparks flying through me with

"Yeah, I'm sure she's excited to spend time with you," I said, not really wanting to share my new mate.

"Yeah, she can be a little demanding," she replied, denying the call. "As long as Ayla's around, we should be able to manage her."

S⭑hit.

"Ayla's not here. She wasn't able to come up with them," I said, hoping she wouldn't ask more questions just yet. Theo would relationship with my mate with a lie.

"Oh," Mina said. "Okay, I guess I'll try to call her later. But I'll miss the Kylee buffer."

"You two don't get along?" I asked.

She shrugged. "It's not that we don't get along. I love Kylee. She can just be a lot handle all the time."

"You can say that again," I said with a laugh.

She smiled, but her expression changed.

"What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm going to ask you something, Briggs, and I need you to be honest with me."

"Of course," I said, meaning every word but dreading that she would ask me something I couldn't tell her.

"Are Kylee and Theo fated mates?"

That wasn't a question I was expecting, and I was surprised by it.

"No," I said.

She nodded and chewed her cheek. It was adorable. But it didn't distract me from her question.

"Why would you think they were?"

"It's nothing," she said, turning her face away. "I shouldn't have asked. It was just something that had been bugging me.

I have to tell them soon because I wasn't going to start my relationship with my mate with a lie.

"Oh," Mina said. "Okay, I guess I'll try to call her later. But I'll miss the Kylee buffer."

"You two don't get along?" I asked.

She shrugged. "It's not that we don't get along. I love Kylee. She can just be a lot to handle all the time."

"You can say that again," I said with a laugh.

She smiled, but her expression changed.

"What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm going to ask you something, Briggs, and I need you to be honest with me."

"Of course," I said, meaning every word but dreading that she would ask me something I couldn't tell her.

"Are Kylee and Theo fated mates?"

That wasn't a question I was expecting, and I was surprised by it.

"No," I said.

She nodded and chewed her cheek. It was adorable. But it didn't distract me from her question.

"Why would you think they were?"

"It's nothing," she said, turning her face away. "I shouldn't have asked. It was just something that had been bugging me.

We should get going before she comes looking for us."

She grabbed my hand and started heading to the door.

"Wait," I said, stopping her. "Why would you think Theo and Kylee are fated mates?"

She huffed, but more out of frustration than anger.

"Because Kylee told us they were."

"She did what?" I tried to keep my anger out of my voice. Mina had no idea what was happening around here, so she wouldn't understand where it was coming from. But it was hard.

"Yeah, when she told me about him when they first got together. But the way she talked about their relationship never really added up to me. I've had several friends who found their fated mates. Her relationship didn't sound like theirs."

"Did she tell Ayla the same thing?" I asked, barely managing to keep my tone even.

Mina nodded. "Yeah, and their mom. She actually told Ayla before anyone."

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

No wonder Ayla accepted the rejection. She must have thought this was some sick joke from the goddess. She thought she would be taking her sister's fated mate and that Theo was rejecting her for the same reason.

That lying little.