It was rather endearing that Jonathan kept forgetting Mila’s name. I don’t even care if he does so intentionally or not. She can eat her heart out. I may mean that literally because he’s mine. She’s a werewolf, so she better start respecting that. If she doesn’t, we are going to have serious problems.
‘You know what would put her in her place.’ Sara commented as we entered a little bistro a couple of blocks from the office.
‘Kicking her ass?’ I offered.
‘Well, that could help. But the best way to get any she-wolf to leave our mate alone is to mark him.’ Sara licked her lips.
I couldn’t help it. I looked at Jonathan’s neck and tried to picture a mark there. I’m Beta by blood, but he is a Delta. So, whose mark would it be? Would his neck bear the Fayte dove, or would it be his family’s mark? That made me ponder his family’s mark, and more than that, I wanted to know more about him. I only know a little from what others have told me.
“What’s your family like?” I found myself blurting out as we took a seat in a booth.
He blinked at me for a second, then frowned. “I just meant that I don’t know much about you beyond the few things others have mentioned. No one talks about your family. And well, you know plenty about my family. But you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” I tried to backpedal.
“It’s fine. Just seemed a little random to go from silence to asking about my family.” He assured me. “My family is the pack.”
I furrowed my brow, trying to understand that answer. “That’s a vague answer. I know everyone, generally speaking, feels like family in a pack. Especially if you are someone of rank. That’s not what I meant when I asked about your family.”
“I don’t remember my family. All I know is what the Kinsley family has told me. My family’s pack was attacked, and I’m the sole survivor. My mother was barely able to escape and get me to Bloodmoon. She died shortly after Logan found us.” He shrugged while picking up the menu.
It was strange how casually he could talk about it. I still get choked up if I speak of papa and mama. Hell, I get choked up thinking about them and how we lost them. Yet he’s still here talking about losing his family, like he’s discussing the weather.
“How old were you?” I asked. “It had to be young not to remember your parents.”
“I was six when it happened. I remember bits and pieces. Like I know my dad was white, and my mother was an indigenous person. I remember my dad was a scientist.” He sighed, putting the menu down.
“I can’t remember his face, but I sometimes have dreams about him. Of being little and rushing into a lab and a man in a lab coat with a thick beard smiling at me as he lifted me and started explaining what he was working on. I never remember what he says beyond when he first greets me and calls me Jonny.” He frowned.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to dig up painful memories.” I apologized as I reached across the table to hold his hand. “But it’s good to remember things. Even if it’s vague or small and insignificant to someone else, it’s how they stay alive in spirit.”
“It’s okay. I know you didn’t ask to be mean or something.” He nodded as he squeezed my hand. “We’re mates, so it makes sense you’d want to know more about me. It’s just been a long time since anyone’s asked. Even the ranked females haven’t asked about my past. They know what their mates told them, and I think they wanted to let me decide if I opened up further.”
“Well, I don’t want to force you to open up. We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.” I assured him.
“I told you, it’s okay. You’re like me in that you have an inquisitive nature. You like to have answers. And we have some common points like we both are inventors, and we’ve lost a lot.” He shrugged.
He is right. Not just about my inquisitive nature but our commonalities. Not that having a similar tragedy is a great foundation for love, but it does mean we will understand each other better. He lost his family when he was so young that we won’t understand each other to some degree. But it still helps us be considerate of each other’s pains.
“And you’re right that I know a lot about you already. I may or may not have done a full background check on you after John said I would be your liaison.” He admitted with a subtle blush on his cheeks.
“Seriously?” I laughed, not sure if I was offended or impressed.
“I wanted to be prepared for dealing with you. I’d already raised some flags at work when I requested you to be assigned to me.” He chuckled.
“Well, for as excruciating as being trapped in a lab with you all day, I’m glad they gave in to your request. I can suffer through not being close during the work day as long as I can still be around you. It’s like a catch twenty-two.” I chuckled.
“Yeah. Blessing and a curse to share a lab with someone I’m insanely attracted to.” He admitted, and I blushed.
Goddess, what is wrong with me? I’m blushing because he said he’s attracted to me.
‘Insanely. Jonathan said he’s insanely attracted to you.’ Sara unhelpfully chimed in.
“I know the feeling,” I admitted.
I sighed in relief when we were interrupted by the waitress, and we had to choose our lunches. It gave me a chance to focus on something that wasn’t his handsome face and this urge to jump him here in the restaurant. Yeah, I need to get that shit under control ASAP.
Everyone in my family would happily say, ‘I told you so’ if they found out I let sexual desires override rational thought. Hell, André would throw a party mostly because he loves a party, but he’d make the theme ‘told you so.’
While we ate, the conversation was lighter. I didn’t try to dig further into Jonathan’s parents. He told me what he could remember and what others had told about them. His father was Daniel Weaver, a scientist, and his mother, Jacira, was a shaman in the pack.
Otherwise, he told me about growing up in Bloodmoon and how John Sr and Elizabeth Kinsley were his foster parents. But in his opinion, John Jr, Logan, and Charles all took on a big brother/father role in his life as they are whom he looked to more than John Sr.
He told me about growing up with Kurt and how some in the pack were mean to Kurt because of his douchebag father. People started to accept Kurt because Jonathan was his friend, and soon Kurt had people like David, the guy I met this morning, and Mikali joined their merry band of friends.
It was so cute how animated he became when he talked about his friends. His eyes lit up, and he talked with his hands nearly as much as André does. It was tough to resist leaning across the table to kiss him.
We were finishing our lunch when the familiar scent of my sister hit me. I turned in my booth and grinned, waving my arm as I spotted her and a guy I remember from the war. He must be Scott, the liaison Kurt told me about. He didn’t look super thrilled to be escorting my sister but whatever. That’s on him. My baby sister is as sweet as sugar.
“Delilah!” I shouted, waving for them to join us.
“Persephone!” Delilah beamed at me as she hurried over, Scott trailing behind.
“Oh, you must be Jonathan. I’ve heard so much about you through Isis.” Delilah smiled, offering her hand to Jonathan. “I’m Delilah Fayte.”
“Hi, Delilah. Nice to meet you.” He smiled and shook her hand.
“Hey, Scottie. Stop looking so down in the dumps. Logan catches you looking like someone ran over your dog. He’s going to think you don’t like your job.” Jonathan teased. “Remember what you could be doing instead.”
I’m not sure what the alternative to escorting my sister around is but based on the look on Scott’s face, it’s not pleasant. “Don’t even suggest that, Silverclo….” Scott’s eyes went wide as he clapped a hand over his mouth.
Jonathan growled at Scott and then looked at me with concern and regret. Delilah eeped, unsure what was going on but picked up that it wasn’t good. I was stunned. My brain was processing what just happened, and then it clicked. Scott called him Silvercloud. Why would he call him that? He works there, but why call him that? And why does Jonathan look concerned and regretful?
I suddenly stood from the booth and grabbed Delilah’s arm. “Let’s go for a walk. I need some air, far from people that keep secrets.” I declared, half dragging my sister out of the restaurant before I did something I regretted.
“Persephone?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Why did we leave?”
“Where are we going?”
“Could you slow down?”
“You’re starting to hurt my arm.”
My sister kept asking questions, but I was ignoring her, the sound of my angry blood pumping fast through my veins drowning everything out. He’s Silvercloud. MY MATE IS SILVERCLOUD! He didn’t tell me his real last name! He LIED to me!
And because of a slip-up from his packmate, I found out. If his packmate knew, that means others in Bloodmoon knew. That means Kurt knows! Kurt knew all this time his friend was Silvercloud and never told me!
Why?! Why wouldn’t anyone tell me!? I’ve talked about Silvercloud, my love for the company, and how I wanted to meet the founder someday. They let me ramble on like that for YEARS and never thought to say that the Bloodmoon Delta is the Silvercloud. Darren would have known the truth. Does that mean André knows? How could he keep that from me? From anyone, if I’m honest, since André doesn’t keep secrets that aren’t his own.
I thought Kurt and Isis were my friends, but they kept something like that from me. Why? And why wouldn’t Jonathan tell me? We’re mates, and he LIED! I don’t know if I’m more pissed or hurt. I’m both, and I don’t know how to express it. I tugged Delilah into the small alley and let out an angry howl as I punched the wall.
“PERSEPHONE!” Delilah exclaimed, rushing over as I slumped down to the ground, no longer caring if my work clothes got dirty.
“What’s wrong?” Delilah asked, holding my hand and checking it to ensure I was okay. Of course, I’m okay. I’m a werewolf, so I heal.
‘You are so overreacting. You ran out on our mate without letting him explain himself.’ Sara huffed.
“He lied to me.” I sniffled, hating myself for crying.
“Who? About what?” Delilah asked as she pulled me into a tight hug.
“My mate…” I choked out the words as I cried in my little sister’s arms.
“Your mate?” Delilah gasped.
“Jonathan…or Silvercloud… or whatever his name really is. He lied about his name.” I tearfully explained.
Looks like Jonathan's secret identity is out and Persephone is not happy at being kept in the dark .
Shit, shit, shit! I quickly got up from the booth as my future ran out the door dragging her sister behind her. Scott at least had the self-awareness to look remorseful. “I…” He opened his mouth but quickly shut it when I glared at him. “You pick up the tab. I need to chase down my mate and hope to Goddess that she forgives me.” I growled, jabbing my finger into Scott’s chest. “And you get to answer to Logan for your slip.” My identity is supposed to be a fucking secret. It has been that way since I launched the company. The only way someone outside the pack finds out who I am is because they are mated to someone in the pack. The only tiny sliver of gratification I got was how pale Scott turned when I said he’d have to answer to Logan. ‘She’s our mate, and your dumbass couldn’t find time in the conversation, like when she asked about your family to mention you’re Silvercloud?’ Jaci scolded me. ‘If you ruined things with our mate, I’m not forgiving you, and we are beating Scott so ba
I will blame the mate bond, and it was screwing my emotions. It’s the only explanation I have for my strong reactions to things that are not me. There was a logical reason he went by Weaver at the office. And it makes a lot of sense. People would treat him differently if they knew he was Silvercloud. For example, Reed would undoubtedly have a 180 change of attitude. He’s damn lucky Jonathan is as easygoing as Kurt and Isis said. I can’t imagine any other boss, undercover or not, would accept that kind of treatment. And while it might make jerks like him rethink their treatment of Jonathan, it would also make bitches like Mila fawn over him more than they already do. That girl was getting on my last nerve. At least THREE times after lunch, she “accidentally” came to our lab and needed directions. Every time I had to clench my jaw not to speak or growl or, more likely, snarl at the bitch. It’s good that I heal because I’ve dug my nails into my palms in sheer frustration. Each time Jona
When we stepped out of the elevator, I’d been excited to leave and spend time with Persephone far from the office. But, of course, that was impeded by Shikoba. The other staff that saw her snag me by the collar probably assumed I was in trouble for something. While no one in the building but Shikoba and now Persephone knows who I am, they all know that Shikoba is the eyes and ears of the mysterious Silvercloud. “Want to tell me what’s going on with the intern?” Shikoba signed as she narrowed her eyes at me. “Not really.” I shrugged and signed back to keep our conversation private. Usually, if she is dealing with someone, it’s done through a text-to-speech device I designed for her. I’m working on a side project at the moment, which, if Shikoba is down, would involve an implant in her brain that would instead take her thoughts, and the computer would speak them, eliminating her from even having to type. It will be groundbreaking once I get it perfected. “Right, because you randomly
Riding in Jonathan’s Aston Martin DB5 erased all my troubles about Mila from my mind. Hard to think about annoying bitches that want my mate when I’m in a car like this. And while it was fun to tease him about him coming to Incubi, I never even considered that an option. If I were in line to be Beta of Nebrodi, I’d have fought for my rank. But I don’t have a rank and wouldn’t dream of taking him away from his role as Delta.Every trouble I had melted away on the drive back to Bloodmoon. Nothing else mattered between being in this car and talking about our future. I was excited to get to the packhouse because we’d let others know we were mates. I’ll have to video call my family back in Sicily. I would say I don’t know who will be more excited at this news, but I already knew it would be André.
I felt terrible for Hana. Honestly, I do, but at the same time, she knows I’m not her mate, and I can’t and won’t fault Persephone for what she did. Show me a werewolf who would shrug off someone throwing themselves at their mate, especially their unmarked mate, and I’ll show you that you’re really on a movie set, and it’s just make-believe. No werewolf would be chill about that. Mila was bad enough trying to touch and flirt with me. But she didn’t push the limit of Persephone’s patience by trying to kiss me. Even if I knew Hana would kiss my cheek, Persephone didn’t. I’m glad Logan and Aurelia didn’t get angry at Persephone. Not that I’d have expected Aurelia to, she was the first person to put Hana in her place. Plus, she’s had to put horny bitches in their place when it comes to Logan. She understands all too well that you can’t let others try to force themselves between you and your mate. And while it’s a hard lesson, it’s one Hana needs to learn. So I might have left Persephone
I now have one more reason to want Mila dead. And while Logan and Jonathan are not as concerned that she even knows him as Jonny Weaver, I am. She upped her flirting after he introduced himself. She’s fixated on him, and I don’t like it. And no, it’s not just because he’s MINE, and I will cut a bitch for trying to get between us. Knowing who he is, not just to the company but to Bloodmoon, makes him a high-profile target. Then add in finding out she’s from the pack that destroyed his pack. Yeah, so many red flags are waving. At least Logan and Jonathan had plans to monitor her. I remember Cillian from the war in Sicily. He was with the others from Bloodmoon, looking for his mate. I don’t remember if he found one, but I know he fought well. He didn’t get himself in trouble like that guy, Clement. I wonder what happened to him after he came back to Bloodmoon. Not enough to ask or look for him. “I’ll also ask Shikoba to impose additional restrictions on Mila’s access to the building. I
Typically, I’m a distracted eater. So no one thinks twice about me sitting down, loading my plate, and digging in without much conversation. They always chalk it up to my brain going a mile a minute, and I’m probably eager to get back to my lab. And they would be right. But tonight is different. I still want to get to my lab, though not to work. Today I’m in a hurry to fuck or at least fool around with my mate. “Is everything okay?” Delilah asked. “Was there some urgent pack business?” She cocked her head, blinking innocent green eyes at me like she hadn’t just cock blocked me a few moments ago. “It’s fine, Delilah. It’s being handled.” Persephone answered her sister. Mikali arched his eyebrow from his seat at the table. I doubt it escaped his attention that Delilah’s question was directed at me, but Persephone answered instead. Annai was giving me a similar look while still managing to stuff her face. I won’t call her out on how much she’s got on her plate. She’s pregnant, and if I
I haven’t been this eager to shift since the first time. I also haven’t been this glad I didn’t wear my standard sports bra and boyshorts. André may have taunted me about what I was packing, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t bring or don’t own cute underwear. The only reason I didn’t put on my usual sports bra is that this morning Sara tracked our mate, and I figured if I came across him, I should put in some effort. ‘Judging by how he’s staring at you, it was the right call.’ Sara laughed. Okay, that was the ego boost I needed. Undressing to shift at the pack is totally different. I quickly undress and change to my wolf. I’m naked for all of two minutes. Right now, however, I’m taking my time undressing because Jonathan is looking at me like that. His brown eyes were getting darker and more intense, with the amber of his wolf swirling around starting to overtake more of his iris. I’ve been leered at once or twice. The offender lost some teeth and, when one dared whine to Alec about it