The Light in Us

28. Wilder

28

Wilder

“ H ere.” Zeke fiddles with my tie. “You’re going to be fine, Wild.”

He looks just as nervous as me. Throat tight, I stare up at the building. “Fuck me, I hope so.”

Because everything changes today. Just how much, I’m about to find out. My world will be rearranged by an omega who by all accounts is pretty fucking perfect.

I just pray I’m not going to lose myself.

Generally speaking, I know who I am. Wilder Quill. Witty, sarcastic as hell, lover of loaded fries, the written word and shitty detective movies from the eighties. Never more excited than when there’s a crisis I can fix or a new author to promote.

Pack mate. Friend.

And now… mate .

But I’ve been called other names too.

Rabid. Feral. Broken. Beast. Animal.

I’ve been called many things over the years, and not one of those incidents bothers me as much as the potential of scaring Fallon.

I take a breath, feeling the bleach from the de-scenter burning my nose. At my wince, Zeke shakes his head. “You didn’t need to go that far. The rut-blockers would have been enough, you idiot.”

Yes, I did.

Burning my nose so I can’t breathe in my mate’s perfume… it’s fifty shades of fucked-up. But I’ll be bad enough just seeing her. If I could scent her, too, I’d rip the whole office to shreds trying to get to her.

I swallow back a surge of nausea which might be from the rut-blockers. That shit hits hard. My head is already pounding.

Fallon is going to see that side of me at some point.

But not today. Today, I’m wearing my best suit – tailored, designer, the best that I could get for her. I jiggle the fucking huge amount of flowers in my arms, and Zeke gives me the side-eye. “Did you have to? You’re making the rest of us look bad.”

I snort, wincing from the fire that laces up my nose. “It also helps to hide the scent. As if you haven’t already started planning gifts.”

He looks uncertain. “I don’t know her well enough yet. What she likes.”

“We will.” We’ll know every part of Fallon, and she’ll know every part of us .

I’ve never been so fucking scared in my life.

But this – this is as manageable as we can make it. An easy, introductory family lunch. Just us. Our mate. And my burned nostrils.

I take one step.

And a surge slams through our pack bond, so strong that it smashes into both Zeke and I. I’ve never felt anything like it.

“What the fuck?” Zeke rasps. His face is pale. “What the fuck’s happened ?”

Breathe . I suck in a breath, willing my pulse to settle. But those emotions keep coming, a tsunami flowing into the bond.

Not my mate.

But a surge of panic, of horror. Of pain .

Teddy.

I did everything I could to dampen any physical trigger, but I can’t control the Quill pack bond. Or the way that it controls me .

Zeke grabs onto my shoulder. “Wilder. Fox is up there. Teddy is fine. Fight it .”

Teddy is fine , I repeat frantically in my head . Fox is there.

But Teddy is scared, and angry, and so fucking sad.

And my mate – my mate is up there.

“ Wilder !”