Dahlia’s POV
My head was spinning from everything I’d just learned. A part of me clung desperately to denial. How could I possibly be what they claimed-a Celtic Wolf with unique abilities-without ever knowing? Yet, deep down, a greater part of me knew it was the truth.
I couldn’t explain how I knew. I just did. My wolf’s smug repetition of “I told you so” only confirmed what I was trying not to admit.
Suddenly, so many things started to make sense-like puzzle pieces quietly clicking into place.
I had always felt things with startling intensity, especially during emotionally charged moments. When my mother passed, the grief swallowed me whole for days at a time. It wasn’t just that I missed her-of course I did-but the sorrow felt deeper, almost shared. I remembered those agonizing days when getting out of bed was impossible, and now I realized that many of them mirrored my father’s worst days, too. At the time, I chalked it up to coincidence. Now, I wasn’t so sure.
And when Finnian walked away, I was shattered. The pain of losing him was almost unbearable-eerily similar to the way my father had crumbled after my mom’s death. It felt like a broken bond, but Finnian and I had never been fated.
Eventually, I learned how to shut my emotions down. It was like flipping a switch. Over time, I not only suppressed my strongest feelings-I learned to redirect them. It had become second nature. I’d done it several times since meeting the twins.
One moment I could be boiling with anger, and the next I was composed and rational. Sure, something might throw me off balance, ignite that emotional flare-but I could draw it back just as quickly. Well… almost always. That failed rejection attempt proved I wasn’t perfect at it. Lately, I’d been caught in the grip of wild emotions-rage, impulsiveness, desire. I had blamed it all on the mate bond. But maybe it was something deeper. Maybe it was simply who I was.
Everything Keziah said about the empathic trait struck a chord. And the connection to nature? That, too. I had always felt at peace outdoors-even in the middle of a storm. I could sit for hours, mesmerized by rainfall and flashes of lightning, feeling like the sky was speaking in a language only I was meant to understand.
After Mama died, her flower garden had withered under the weight of neglect. The pack’s gardener suggested we rip it out and start fresh, claiming there was no hope. But I couldn’t bring myself to destroy what she had lovingly planted with her own hands. So I tended it-watering, pruning, nurturing it in every free moment. And somehow, it came back to life. Not just blooming, but thriving. The gardener had been stunned. Said he’d never seen anything like it.
There was so much to think about, but one thing wouldn’t stop echoing in my mind: Elder Keziah had said that my bond with the twins wasn’t just a typical mate connection-it had a purpose. A greater reason for existing.
And that terrified me.
Whatever we were meant to face-whatever destiny had in store for us-apparently, I couldn’t survive it without them.
But I wouldn’t let anyone, not even the Moon Goddess herself, force me into accepting them. Yes, I cared for them. I enjoyed their company. But accepting them as mates would be my choice, not anyone else’s. And so far, I’d done a pretty decent job of keeping the mate pull in check. I had no intention of changing that.
These thoughts cycled through my mind as we made our way back to the pack house and continued to gnaw at me through dinner. I barely touched my food. Eventually, we decided to call it a night and head upstairs.
As we left the dining hall, a quiet resolve began to settle in me. I wouldn’t waste energy worrying about things beyond my control. I’d made a promise to my father-that I would take the time to get to know my mates before making any final decisions. And that’s exactly what I would do, even if I already suspected what my answer might be.
Things had been going well between us, better than I ever expected. I actually enjoyed being here. Having two god-like men doting on me? It wasn’t the worst thing in the world. And the physical chemistry between us? Unreal. We hadn’t even had sex yet, and I’d already experienced the most intense orgasms of my life. I was a grown woman-there was nothing wrong with enjoying physical intimacy, even if that’s all it ever turned out to be.
For now, I would take each day as it came and leave tomorrow’s worries in the Do Not Disturb section of my mind.
When we reached the Alpha floor, I walked into my room without even looking back to see if the twins would follow. Some parts of the mate bond were unavoidable. The instinct to be near one’s mate during stressful times was one of them. Some wolves clung to their mates even without love or a full bond, simply for the comfort-something I found a little repulsive.
But that wasn’t what this was.
Even if I couldn’t fully trust them not to hurt me, I knew they genuinely cared. They were worried about me. Their presence tonight wouldn’t be about lust or dominance. It would be about reassurance-for me, and likely for their wolves too.
And the truth? I didn’t mind.
Since I started sleeping between them, I’d had the best rest of my life.