Mateo cut into her internal spiral. “I am aware that you can do it yourself. I just want to spoil you a little.”
The genuine smile he gave her warmed her heart, and she couldn’t help but return the gesture. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Wanting to get comfortable, Scarlett excused herself and went upstairs to change into her trusted leggings and hoodie. Slipping her feet into her new slippers, she returned to Mateo plating the food and Vince scrubbing his hands at the sink. They ate on the couches again and while Ezra took seconds, she set her plate aside and mindlessly sipped on her water.
“What is on your mind?” Mateo asked with fused brows.
“I have questions about your bond.”
“Don’t be shy, princess. We won’t rip you apart for asking questions.”
“How deep does it go? I mean you said you can feel each other but is that it?”
“We can feel each other’s emotions. The closer we are, the more intense they get,” Mateo explained, setting his own plate aside. “Each of us can also track the others. We never know exactcoordinates, but we can sense where the other is from where we stand.”
“But you can’t hear each other’s thoughts?”
“No. But we have learned to communicate. We can feel a pull or push. So when we hunt, we know when we need each other.”
“Is that why you bonded?”
“Yes, but our clever warlock over there fucked us over.”
Scarlett glanced at Ezra, who seemed unfazed by the harsh words. In fact, he continued stuffing his face as if no one had spoken about him. “What do you mean?”
“The blood curse he used was supposed to give us each other’s location and hopefully give us a way of pulling at each other. Instead, he melted our minds far more than we ever agreed to. We spent the first month separated from each other because we couldn’t cope with it. For me, I felt like I was intruding. On the same hand, I felt like I was being spied on constantly.”
“What made the three of you come back together?”
“Your fucking golden retriever over there wouldn’t stop pestering us,” Ezra snarled, finally choosing to participate in the conversation.
Mateo shrugged. “I felt like we should at least try to figure this thing out and use it to our advantage. If it didn’t work, we still could’ve walked in different directions.”
“So, with distance the bond weakens?”
“That’s right.”
Vince spoke up next, curious eyes on her. “What will happen ifwebond?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What happens when two mates bond outside of a pack bond?” Mateo pressed further.
“The same as if they were in a pack.”
Ezra’s face hardened as realisation set in. “You’ll hear our thoughts.”
“Yes,” she confirmed. “My bond with you has nothing to do with my severed pack bond.”
Ezra ground his teeth together so harshly that Scarlett couldhearthem, and the sound made her skin pebble.
“How would we bond? We can’t mark you like a wolf would.”
Scarlett’s gaze lingered briefly on Ezra before she answered Mateo’s question. “It’s a blood vow.”
“Is there a difference between a blood vow and a mark?”
