Bonded beyond belief, p.1
Bonded Beyond Belief, page 1
Bonded Beyond Belief (Mated to the Monster Series) by Ember Davis
Copyright © 2024 Ember Davis
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, organizations or locals is entirely coincidental. The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as an advertisement. Trademark names are used editorially with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
For permission requests, email Ember.A.Davis@gmail.com
Contains explicit love scenes and adult language. The suggested reading audience is 18 years or older.
Cover Design: Altra Luna Designs
This book is available exclusively at Amazon.com. If you’ve obtained it anywhere else, you have an illegal copy.
For anyone who likes their romance to have a side of fur.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
EPILOGUE
MATED TO THE MONSTER SERIES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
OTHER BOOKS BY EMBER
CHAPTER 1
ELODIE
I look at my roommate and best friend with suspicion filling me. She’s acting off, and I don’t know why. If she’s having second thoughts about me going home with her for spring break, all she needs to do is tell me.
It’s not like I wanted to spend spring break at her home anyway. I’ve told her no every other time she’s invited me to go home with her. I never want to be a burden to someone. I spent far too much of my childhood feeling like I was an inconvenience.
I might be friends with Tilly, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to risk wearing out my welcome. Not with her. There’s far too much to lose. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had and is my roommate.
Not only do I risk our friendship, but our living arrangement. I need this apartment for the next few months, especially since I know Tilly is charging me far less rent than she should be.
I learned a long time ago not to be offended when people offer you kindness that could also be construed as charity, not when I need the break. I could let my pride get in the way and insist that I split the rent to our apartment right off campus evenly, but then I wouldn’t be able to afford living with her.
My scholarship doesn’t cover the dorms and that would just be another expense. Graduation is too damn close to rock the boat now.
“Tilly,” I pull her from her nervous pacing as she pretends to pack her bag. She whirls around and I swear that’s a hint of a glow in her eyes, but I shake it off because that’s not possible. “You know if you’ve changed your mind about me going home with you, all you have to do is tell me. Right? I get it, things change all the time. I won’t be offended at all.”
Her eyes widen in surprise as her words start to tumble from her lips, “No, no, no. It’s nothing like that. I promise.” I arch an eyebrow in challenge, and she puts her hands up in a placating manner. “If I didn’t want you to come then I wouldn’t have been bugging you about it for the last two years we’ve lived together.”
I roll my eyes and huff out a breath because she’s not wrong. She’s been a damn thorn in my side about going home with her. At first, I thought she simply felt bad for me after she found out that I’m an orphan who aged out of the foster care system, didn’t have family, and spent my break time at school working.
Accepting someone’s charity as kindness is something I can justify but allowing them to pity me is something else entirely. That is something my pride won’t allow.
I made it. I lived through some shit, and I didn’t even have it nearly as bad as other kids who are put into the system. I had some foster parents who weren’t great, but I was never abused. I had a roof over my head and enough food to get by. Sure, I wasn’t much more than the check they got, but it could have been so much worse.
It takes some effort, but I push those thoughts away and focus on Tilly. She’s gnawing on her bottom lip as if she’s nervous. When she notices me watching her, she stops, squares her shoulders, and stands at her full height which is a few inches taller than my 5’6” frame.
I’m struck, again, with how gorgeous Tilly is. She’s blonde and curvy in all the right places while still being athletic. Then there are her eyes which can look like blue neon if the light hits them just right. I’ve also seen them darken to almost black when she’s been upset. When that’s happened it feels like a totally different person lurks under the surface of her skin.
It doesn’t make any sense, but that’s always the impression I’ve gotten.
Tilly grabs my hands and gives them a gentle squeeze. An air of authority swirls around her as she looks into my eyes. It has the hairs on my arms standing up and I find that I can’t ignore the power radiating off her.
“Seriously, I’m excited to take you home. The whole reason I’ve been trying to talk you into it for so long is because my gut is screaming at me that it’s the place you belong,” her voice is so earnest that I find myself hoping she’s right even though it makes no sense.
“What do you mean you feel like it’s the place I belong?” I can’t help the note of longing in my voice and I’m not sure I want to.
I’ve never belonged. Not since the moment I was left at a firehouse, I’ve been floating through life without a tether. It’s made finding real connections with people difficult because nothing has ever felt permanent.
The four years I’ve been at college are the closest I’ve gotten to setting down roots. Isn’t that just sad?
I’m technically an adult, but I’m still seeking the basic needs of my inner child. I know that it’s not uncommon for kids who grew up in the system which is what drove me to psychology as a major. My dream is to, someday, be able to help kids who grew up just like me.
“I can’t explain it to you.” Tilly winces knowing that I hate unanswered questions. She waves a hand dismissively after letting me go. “Maybe I’m just projecting because I want you to come home with me and have a good time for one of your breaks instead of spending the days off from class working.” My lips part to explain to her, again, why I don’t mind spending my break around campus, but she shakes her head. “I know why you do it, El, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. You deserve a break and to have a little fun. We’re about to graduate and you’ve never been on a trip for a break or anything. Think of it as a rite of passage.”
“Well, if everyone else is doing it,” I grumble defensively.
I know what she’s saying is true and that I should have some more fun while I can get away with it, but it’s difficult to turn the part of me off that is always looking at the next goal. That’s the part of me that has kept me going when everything in me wanted to give up. That’s the part that made it possible for me to see more in my future than living on the streets, or giving into being the broken shell of a person the people who found out about my past thought I should be.
Tilly barks out a laugh and I’m struck, again, at how she should really be somewhere modeling instead of here in college with me. That’s how stunning she is. I’m not unattractive, but sometimes she makes me feel like a slouch next to her. If she weren’t so kind, humble, and driven then she would be one of the mean girls who always made fun of me growing up because of my second-hand clothes, and how I never had anyone there to support me for events and ceremonies.
That’s all in my head though. There is not a single thing about Tilly which has made me feel bad about who I am or where I came from. I’ve never felt judged or liked she looks down on me.
Which is why she was able to finally get me to agree to go home with her after trying for years.
The thought of having a place to belong warms my heart, but I’m wary of whether or not it’s true. I’ve gotten used to not having somewhere that felt like home. Do I even need a place to belong? Can I continue through life the way I have been? It hasn’t been too bad, right?
“Sometimes the right thing to do is give into peer pressure,” Tilly jokes.
I find myself smiling back at her. I wouldn’t say I’m excited about going home with her, but I know she wouldn’t put me in a horrible position. She’s not that kind of person.
Just because I know it’s true doesn’t mean I’m not a little bit nervous.
I know she lives out in the middle of nowhere with forests around her. She’s talked about a lot of different people at home. I never asked too many questions because then she would only tell me that I should go home with her.
Now I kind of wish I had allowed myself to be more curious.
I quip, “Where’s the bridge when you need it?”
Tilly flashes me a grin before she goes back to packing her bag. I’m already packed because I couldn’t sleep l ast night with nerves. Going to a new place hasn’t always been a positive experience for me in the past and the thought of it gives me anxiety.
The only thing calming me down was knowing that Tilly would be there at my side. I trust her and I know there’s nothing malicious about her inviting me to her home.
As Tilly closes her bag and starts zipping it up, she glances over her shoulder at me. “I should warn you about one thing,” there’s a wariness in her voice and I’m instantly on high alert.
My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline and I’m tempted to run into my room, unpack my bag, and shut myself away. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve told you about some of my family and the other people I grew up with,” she speaks slowly like she doesn’t want to overwhelm me with her words.
I nod slowly, unsure of where she’s going with this. “Yeah, you’ve talked about some people. You mentioned you live out in the forest, but I figured there’s a town close by.”
Tilly winces and looks away from me which has my heart pounding in my chest. “Not exactly.” I stand up quickly, ready to pull the plug on this whole plan. “No,” she holds up her hands to placate me, “hear me out. It’s just that it’s more than my family living in the area in the woods. There are quite a few families and we all pool our resources.”
My eyebrows scrunch together as I process her words. “Like a commune?”
Tilly shrugs one shoulder. “Kind of.”
My mouth turns down in a small frown as I try and reconcile this new information with who my best friend is. “That’s way more hippy-dippy than I would have pegged you for.”
Tilly giggles and shakes her head at me as her eyes glow slightly. “It’s not quite like that, but everyone who lives there does believe in the importance of taking care of the forest around us. Everyone is close and we lean on each other when needed.”
“That sounds kind of nice,” I muse.
And who am I to judge how others choose to live?
It’s not like I had the most normal upbringing. For me, the idea of having a larger support system is a dream I’m pretty sure I’ll never have realized, even now as an adult.
If it could happen, I wouldn’t turn my nose up at it or think it’s strange. To have people who care, really care, about me is something I can’t ever remember having.
At least until I met Tilly.
Which means that I’ll be following through with going home with her. I gave her my word and now my curiosity has gotten the best of me.
If this whole commune-that’s not a commune thing created Tilly, who is an amazing person, then it can’t be all that bad. Hell, maybe I could even learn something. You never know.
Tilly tilts her head to the side as she studies me, “You aren’t freaked out?”
“Who am I to judge how some other people choose to live? If it works for you all, then that’s great. You’re always eager to go home and you’re awesome,” I point out, “so maybe you all are on to something.”
Tilly hooks her arm around my neck and lets out a noise of pure delight. “You’re the one who is awesome, El. Don’t you forget it,” there’s a warning in her voice that hits me in the middle of my chest.
I’ve been starved for affection and praise for so damn long. Getting even a little bit from Tilly feels like sitting with my head upturned to the sun and soaking up the warmth of it all.
I tease her, “Are you finally packed?”
“Yes,” she releases me with a shout and moves quickly to finish up grabbing her bag. When she turns back to me, she has a huge smile on her face and the worry she was carrying around with her all morning, has evaporated. “Let’s get a move on. The drive is scenic and beautiful, but it’s a little long.”
I find myself chuckling at how excited she is. I’m still a little wary, but I’ll do my best to be a good guest and keep an open mind. It’s probably not a cult. Right?
Fuck. Let’s hope not. I don’t want to be inducted into a cult. I would make a horrible sheep for some enigmatic leader.
CHAPTER 2
CREW
When I was growing up, I saw how much paperwork my dad did as Alpha of the Golden Summit pack. I just never really used that knowledge to apply it to how much paperwork I would have to do once I took over the pack. I just knew that being Alpha was my destiny, and I spent the time training and watching my father to prove it. Now I’m here and I swear the paperwork never ends.
It’s not only about running the pack, which is filled with wolves who want things—and there’s a form for pretty much everything—but it’s also the businesses that are pack run and the investments the pack makes in the businesses of my wolves. Honestly, we need a fucking HR department, it feels like. Why don’t we? Or would that just create more paperwork?
“You wouldn’t be feeling the stress of this if you had a Luna,” my wolf growls at me in my mind.
I roll my eyes and curl my lip in annoyance at him. This is a familiar and frustrating argument that my wolf makes. But there are things he doesn’t understand.
Our Luna, our mate, isn’t here. That’s just how it is. No, I don’t know where she is either.
Considering I could have met my mate at 18 and I’m 27 now, the time of me being excited or even thinking my mate will show up has long since passed. How could I keep hope alive when I’ve watched so many around me find their mates and their happiness?
For years I looked for her, wanting her in my life, but as time continued on without any sign of her, I became discouraged. And bitter. And fucking resentful as hell.
I don’t know that I blame my mate, whoever she is, since I don’t know what has happened, but it’s hard not to feel left out of one of the most pivotal moments of a wolf’s life. Now, I’ve been running the pack effectively without my Luna by my side. I had no other choice. I’ve put Golden Summit as my priority, and we’ve thrived. Businesses have been booming and I’ve been able to focus on the pack and its needs.
Fine, I’ve been able to put aside some time for my needs as well. I guess I’m weak, but there was no way I was going to be able to wait for my mate. The first two years, I held fast to not giving into the she-wolves throwing themselves at me. I thought it was just a matter of time before my mate showed up or I came across her as I visited other packs and attended Alpha meetings with my father as part of my training.
But then she didn’t.
The hormones and the anger of both me and my wolf meant we needed to relieve some of the pressure. Sure, it sounds like just an excuse to get my dick wet, but it isn’t. I was volatile and on the edge of turning feral.
I felt guilty about not being true to my mate at first. Then more years passed, and the guilt faded. Right or wrong, that’s where I am now.
I see no reason to stop enjoying the pleasures that are offered to me. It’s all in good fun and I never promise the she-wolves who give themselves to me anything. I sure as hell won’t be making any of my bed partners my Luna.
“Our mate will be better than any of those she-wolves who open their legs for us,” my wolf growls.
“Maybe,” I growl back at him in my mind, “but she’s not here. Is she?”
He huffs and curls up in a corner of my mind. I know he’s not happy with me. I get it, but he has no other choice but to roll with it. Just like I have.
When my door opens and flowery perfume assaults me, I know who it is without even looking up. I internally groan and my wolf growls in my mind. I’m not sure I have it in me to deal with this bullshit, not right now with the mountain of paperwork in front of me. And definitely not when I’ve been thinking of my absent mate.
I’m on edge and I already know this interaction is not going to help.
I might not have promised the women who have warmed my bed anything, but that doesn’t mean some of them don’t expect anything. Women want to use me for the Luna position all the time. They think they have a magical pussy which is going to have me marking them and giving them the prestige and power they crave.
“I’ll never let that happen,” my wolf growls and I hum in agreement in my mind.
“Crew,” Trina purrs as she comes closer, angling to come around my desk.
I have no doubt that she’s going to try and seduce me, but I’m not in the mood. I glance up at her and she pauses in her approach because of whatever she sees on my face. It doesn’t deter her for more than a few seconds though.
