THE ALPHA'S HEALING MATE; BONDED TO THREE
to the annual p
s she grabbed her thin shawl from the
place, turned sharply, the wrinkles o
, Celeste! I'm
are her grandmother a glance as she stormed
ut behind her, shak
ir hit her face as
t take a moment to enjoy it. Her anger propelled her forward, her bo
t. The glitzy celebrations, the false smiles, the unde
, insisting it was time for her to "step into the spotlig
a m
t was late. Most found their mates by eighteen. Her grandmother worried she'd grow old and alone, bu
lm. The towering trees around her swayed gently in the wind, their long branches
n, she
path she had been following was gone, repla
ow circle. The trees here seemed taller, their trun
al sounds of the forest. No birds chir
she whispered, her v
licable sense of unease settled over her. She
stood be
dows, their figures tall and imposing.
er breathing quickening as he
red under her breath,
. They simply smirked, their gazes s
Celeste demanded, trying
her tone, a hint of fea
tepped forward,
olf," he drawled, his v
their laughter sending
dn't know if she could take on all three. Her mind raced, searching fo
re app
tly between her and the men. He was tall, his shoulders broad, a
ad like a mask, casti
ent, no o
y snarled, breaking the tense silence. "You b
idn't respond. He d
ad slightly toward Celest
ng with her fear. The men were distrac
d, his voice low and firm,
er. She turned on her heel and ran, he
hrough the trees. The sound of her own footsteps pounded in her ears, but
n? And why had
but she didn't stop. Not until sh
steady, like he had all the time in the world. He didn't speak, didn
pped forward. "You think you can scare us just by standing there? You
sked man didn
asked man struck fast, his fist connecting with the attacker's stomach. The
tainty flashing across their faces. "Get
man by the arm and twisting it behind his back. The man cried out, his kne
n companions and the masked stranger. "You're dead meat for
man said finally, his
isappearing into the shadows. The others scrambled after hi
gain, as the masked man t
-
trembling from the encounter. Her thoughts were sp
mother wouldn't notice she was back. Maybe she could sl
you doin
ting her grandmother by the fireplace, her s
presence?" Charity said, stand
guilt flashing
. "Celeste, if you don't go to that festiva
throat. She stared at her grand
Charity's eyes
eally going t
narrow bed, stari
e, shifting patterns across the room. She turned over for what felt li
st would
events of the day. The masked man,
" she muttered to herself, running a hand through her tan
ve sworn she saw movement, a flicker of something just outside the reach of th
n, she thought. But the f
nced toward the window, half-expecting to see his silhouette against the
ng for me?" She thought, she fel
t up to her chin. She closed her eyes tig
he hea
sound of a floorboard
y, her heart racing. The room was still, too still. She could feel h
whispered, her vo