Chapter 513

I nodded. "Yeah."

His hands slipped from under me. He was still holding me up, but he was trying to create space. "I'm sorry."

I tilted my head and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you sorry?"

He placed me down on the ground. "Your wolves have picked someone."

I nodded. "They have, but it doesn't change who I will decide to mate with."

His face fell, and he turned away. "I thought you were in sync with your wolves."

I smiled and snagged his hand. "I am. They are the ones that decided." I pulled him back to the table and pushed him back into his chair. "Megan was the first to decide to pull away from romantic decisions."

"Why?" He grabbed a bottle and drank as I returned to my seat.

"Because her mate was Brandon, and well… come on. I know it's the Goddess's will, but in my last life, she was head over heels for him, and look where that got us."

Hey! Megan looked a little hurt. It's true, but a low blow. Nix chuffed out a laugh.

"Okay… but what about Nix?"

I grimaced. "Honestly? She pulled back because of you and Erubus."

He sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Really?"

I nodded. "You kinda messed me up." I took a drink. "And I'm not saying this to upset you. Just the facts. She didn't pull back until after she found out that Erubus was you."

He sat back and took another drink. "Then who's the guy?"

I stopped mid-sip. "What?"

"Who's the male they set their sights on? The one that triggered the heat?" He looked jealous, and it made me snort.

"You dumbass." I palmed my face. "Or I should say, Erubus. That little fucker has been coming and visiting. He won them over by throwing you under the bus, though." I laughed.

"What?"

I nodded. "They never tell me exactly what they talk about, but I gather you, the human, kept getting in the way of Erubus and Nix." I laughed at his surprised expression.

"Wait a minute."

I leaned onto the table. "Okay?"

"You said I was the one that triggered your heat. Your wolves chose me?"

I nodded again. "Uh-huh. Well… Erubus, but yeah, you guys are in the same body."

His hands twitched, and his eyes burned with need. "Me?"

I nodded again. "But…" I shrugged. "I had thought…" I puffed out a breath and stopped.

"What?" He reached over and grabbed my hand.

I shook my head and chuckled softly. "I thought before the letters that maybe I could try with Thoth, but then I read the letters and I didn't know what I was going to do with you." I met his eyes and felt the hurt bubble up again.

Chapter 513

"But I turned out to be Thoth."

I nodded. "Yup." I popped the 'p' and sighed. "I had loved you as Rowan. And then everything my father and you decided ripped me apart."

"I'm sorry." He squeezed my hands, and I nodded again.

"I know. But hearing those words doesn't change how it felt." He looked down and pulled back his hand.

"I know."

I snagged his hand again. "Then I loved you as Thoth. And when I found out the truth, it hurt. It hurt more than I'd like to admit because it felt like you were making a fool out of me."

"I wasn't." He flipped his hand over and tried to thread his fingers through mine, but our position made it a fumbling mess. I laughed, and Rowan blushed. "It's stupid. I thought you were ignoring me, and I need you in my life. Thoth was your father's solution."

I tilted my head. "You said that, and I was confused. What do you mean?"

Rowan leaned back, pulling my hand with him. "When your dad blocked our messages, I thought you were mad at me because of the heat. I tried for weeks to talk to you, and I told your dad I was going to the school; he told me not to. But he said you asked for someone to help with your courses because the teacher who took over was confusing you." I shook my head slowly. "You never asked your dad for help finding a mentor." I shook my head again. Rowan groaned. "He told me, instead of going to the school and interrupting your studies, that he would introduce me as Thoth—a friend to help you with your schoolwork. That way we could talk, and we'd know it was us, but if anyone saw the messages, they wouldn't know who was who." He groaned again. "I knew something was fishy because you acted like you didn't know who I was at all. He convinced me you were just really committed to the secret."

Chapter 514