“You’re clinging to power like it’s the same as control,” they said. “It’s not.” They sniffed delicately. “And the more you try to ignore this bond, the more you push her away.”
I looked away from them when they mentioned Rowen. “I haven’t ignored her or pushed her to do anything.”
“No,” they said, resuming working with the bowl. “But you haven’t exactly sat down and discussed it with her, either.”
The silence that followed felt like a held breath. Mine, maybe. “I didn’t choose her to be my mate,” I said. “Neither of us asked for this.”
“And yet here it is,” they replied, leaning closer, voice low and level. “You stand here every day with the mark of the Goddess burning on your skin and pretend like it’s some inconvenience.”
I clenched my jaw.
They didn’t stop.
“Rowen is your mate. She is as close to your equal as you will get. But you treat the bond like it’s something you earned and she should be grateful for it.”
That irritated me because it was too damn close to something I didn’t want to admit. “That is bullshit,” I muttered. “I’m giving her space. As I said, neither of us asked to be mated.”
“You married her.”
“I married her forpolitics.” I glared at them. “A mate bond changed everything.” I unfolded my arms and leaned back, my palms resting on the canvas floor beneath me. “She’s not the one struggling to lead two fractured packs,” I added. “If anything, she’s the one trying to alienate half of both.”
“At least she is trying.”
I bristled. “You think I’m not trying?”
“I think you’re trying to win, Wolfe. And this isn’t a war.” They raised their hand to stop my outburst before it even began. “The war you face is out there, beyond the territory. Thetestwithin your packs is exactly that. A test. One you’re failing every time you try to dominate instead of understand.”
I didn’t answer. What was there to say?
The druid sighed. “I’m trying to help you. The Goddess, the Hollow, even the shifters who follow you without question. But you make it harder every time you ‘give her space.’”
I felt the bond stir—like Rowen had sensed the shift in me. Or maybe I was just thinking about her too damn loud.
“You don’t have to love her the way the poets sing about,” the druid said, voice softer now. “But you do have to complete the mate bond. Or you’ll both burn.”
“And how do you suggest I do that when mymateis unwilling?” I looked them over coldly. “I don’t condone rape, and without her consent, that’s what it would be.”
I genuinely think the druid had to stop themselves from rolling their eyes; it was the most human I’d ever seen them.
“Is shereallyunwilling?” they asked with what was possibly the driest tone they’d ever spoken to me with. They set their bowl down, reaching into a pouch to sprinkle a mustard-looking powder. “I’ve seen the looks between you.” Their mouth twisted with distaste. “I’ve smelled your scent on her many times.” A pinch of the dried mixture was tossed into the air between us; it crackled and then, with a small burst of flame, vanished. “Maybe you both need to stop overthinking it and?—”
“What? Just fuck her and get it over with?” My snarl was barely restrained.
The druid looked at me with a none-too-impressed expression. “Be crude or not, the bond needs to be cemented. It is the Will of the Goddess, and she is growing impatient.”
“Do you have any druidly advice regarding theactualissue of the attacks we’re facing?”
They filled a velvet pouch with the newly ground mixture. “Your walls aren’t as secure as you think.”
I nodded. “So I was right? There’s a traitor amongst us.” They gave a simple nod. “Is it Rowen?”
They looked at me with surprise, and then the pouch they’d had in their hand, which I thought had been for me, though Goddess knew what I was supposed to do with powder that burned in the air, was tucked into their robes. The druid considered me for a long moment.
“You have come so far, Alpha, but I see now that you still have a longer journey ahead of you.” They stood, and I looked up at them before rising to my feet.
“Will I ever come in here and get a straight answer?”
The druid smiled. “Ask the right questions and you may be surprised.”
