Wynta
She couldn’t tell Jared what had happened in his father’s office with that Moonstone band, but hearing him state that each one was tailored to a specific person, and only reacted to the one it was meant for; that made her brain tick like crazy… Then why had the one on Edward’s desk reacted to her at all.
It took barely a minute of her thinking about that, to understand exactly what was going on. Edward had not only wanted to bring her into his pack, but he wanted her to be Jared’s Mate as well. That could also mean that he had a moonstone band already set for her. Edward, she thought, had been going to attempt to get her to put it on after initiation. That was the reason it was out on his desk.
But then, everything had gone awry. She had inadvertently angered Jared, who stormed out of the office, leaving her alone and confused, and missing the initiation altogether. Edward must have felt an urgent need to mend their fractured relationship first. He needed to restore their communication before he could even broach the subject of the Moonstone band with her.
In that moment, it became evident that Edward prioritized repairing their bond over the immediate presentation of the band. She could almost picture him, rushing off to smooth things over, leaving the band behind as if it were a mere afterthought. But she was certain he would return to it, perhaps with a sense of urgency.
Reflecting on the situation, she realized Edward possessed far more insight into Jared’s emotions than she had at the time. He knew Jared had attempted to remove his band, a desperate gesture to express his desire to be with her. She had inadvertently rejected him on her way to Edward’s office, and now guilt gnawed at her insides.
At the time, she had been unaware of the truth—that Jared was destined to be her Mate. Instead, she had simply said what she thought was necessary to give him an easy exit from the complicated game they had been playing. She had pushed him away, only to discover mere moments later that he was meant to be her Mate. Yet, she couldn’t share that revelation with anyone; it would be seen as coercion.
The thought of Edward being devious flitted through her mind, and suddenly, another realization struck her. Even though he had finally achieved his goal—bringing her into the pack and initiating her—Edward was still orchestrating some kind of game. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a hidden agenda behind the band being left out.
Edward was not a man prone to absent-mindedness. No, that cunning old fox had deliberately placed the band where it would ignite her curiosity. Perhaps he even hoped she would pick it up or try it on. A rebellious part of her whispered that she should find a way to get back at him, to show him that she was not a pawn in his game. The thought of going rogue again flitted through her mind, tempting her with the thrill of defiance.
But another, more rational part of her insisted on the importance of understanding why she was here, why she had allowed herself to be initiated into the pack. Jared’s belief that her mother had faked her death to protect her from that mysterious wolf weighed heavily on her heart. She couldn’t abandon her mother now; going back to being a rogue would only expose her mother to further danger.
If she were discovered, it would unravel the carefully woven lie her mother had constructed. Wynta felt a surge of determination to protect her mother at all costs. If pretending to be dead was what her mother truly desired, then she would embrace that role. Yet, a nagging doubt lingered in her mind—was this pretense truly safeguarding her mother, or was it simply inviting more torment at the hands of that Alpha Wolf?
Her thoughts were interrupted as she caught Jared’s gaze, his admission hanging in the air like a fragile thread. He liked her. He had contemplated removing his band since their first meeting. She found her eyes drawn to the band on his wrist, noting the absence of any blue sparks, a stark contrast to the vibrant energy she had witnessed in Edward’s office.
“Why would you want to remove that band for me?” she blurted out, then quickly raised a hand, “Actually, don’t answer that.” The uncertainty of his response both intrigued and terrified her; perhaps it was just a game of punishment he was playing.
“Why not? Are you afraid of what I might say?” Jared’s smile was teasing, his eyes dancing with mischief. “Or maybe you’re afraid you’ll actually like the answer?”
She shut her eyes for a moment, shaking her head slightly. Would he ever cease to be so playfully wicked? “Just drop it,” she murmured, her voice low.
“I enjoy how you challenge me, especially with your wordplay. You’re unafraid to speak your mind, to admit your disdain for losing, and your relentless drive to win… even from the very first day we met,” Jared replied, leaning back against the couch with a satisfied grin. “Remember your words? If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all? Then you turned cold on me, made it clear where I stood.” He chuckled, “I’ve never had anyone curse at me quite like that.”
She shrugged, a hint of defiance in her tone. “You deserved it. You were far from a gentleman that day.”
“See? You’re still unfiltered with me. I appreciate that honesty. And then there’s the playful side of you—changing my locks, leaving me riddles to solve, stealing my underwear and replacing them.”
A snort escaped her as she nearly spilled her coffee. “How about you wear one of those for me? I could snap a picture and send it to Edward.” She had heard whispers about the ten million she could use for her rainy-day fund.
“No way,” he chuckled softly. “Father would post it on the pack forum for everyone to see.”
“That would be hilarious,” she replied, a smirk playing on her lips.
“Only for you and the boys,” Jared commented, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
“Hmm, what about Tallah?” she teased, her laughter bubbling up. “Did you wear the red one like I suggested?” A sudden thought struck her—did the boys all know? Had they seen it? “Never mind, I’ll just ask Andy.” She chuckled, recalling how he had already played along with her antics. But then, a realization hit her—Andy was Jared’s Gamma, and by extension, he was hers come the full moon. Was that why she had instinctively mentioned asking him?

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