while apart. It just wasn’t as overwhelming.
Blaine continued. “A bond can be broken, but to do so, another bond must be formed.”
Rylie absorbed his words, attempting to make sense of it. Then, it dawned on her. “Me”—she pointed toward Cash—“him.” That was all the words her mouth and mind were capable of forming.
Blaine nodded with no hesitation. “I would never suggest such a thing if neither of you hadn’t found your mate, but since you both have¯there is no worry as to that. This will break your bond with this mate of yours, set you free to join our pack, then you and Cash can part ways and go on with your lives. Think of it more as a friendship bonding than anything else.”
Rylie laughed nervously to hide the fact that the chance to heat up the sheets with Cash appealed to her. And her body responded appropriately. The warmth deepened, the wetness grew. She shifted on the hood to sit farther on her rump to alleviate the pressure between her thighs. Ignoring that feeling was of the utmost importance, and more than that, she was desperate to ensure Cash didn’t scent her desire. Before, it had only been an inkling. It could be hidden. Now, her arousal was thick and demanding.
“Okay, that is so ridiculous.” She glanced to Cash. He wasn’t laughing. He was intent, serious, and apparently thinking this over. His nostrils flaring, his eyes molten¯he hadn’t missed her moment of interest. She adamantly kept her gaze on his nose to not see that burn in his eyes. “You can’t be honestly considering this?”
Cash shrugged, his voice deep. “It hadn’t occurred to me that this is a way to rid you of your problem. There is no reason not to help you in this regard. My mate is gone. I will never be granted another soul bond. Neither will you.” She finally looked up to meet his gaze, to see his brow was arched. “It is a way out.”
“But you don’t want me as a mate,” she gasped.
“You will be brought into safety,” Cash replied. “If you broke the bond, came into the Montana pack, your mate could not hurt you. It does make sense, Rylie.”
She wasn’t sure what stunned her more, hearing of this, or the fact that he agreed to it. For the life of her, she couldn’t see his reasoning behind it. Most wolves would never agree to this. A mate was considered treasure. It wasn’t taken lightly. “You...you would do that for me?”
Cash’s eyes softened, and a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I have lived two years selfishly. Doing this would help you and might vindicate me.”
Blaine gave him a hard slap on the back, obviously approving of his line of thinking.
Rylie couldn’t wrap her head around this. “But what if you find someone that you love and want to mate with her, or what if I did?”
“Then, you can break the bond¯just as you will do now,” Blaine replied. “It is a solution. A w ay to free you and bring you into safety.” Then, he looked to Cash. “However, there is a snag we will have to work out first.”
Cash arched a brow. “A snag?”
“If she wants to belong to the Montana pack, and she is your mate¯”
Cash interrupted. “I have to belong to the Montana pack too.”
Blaine nodded, grinning. “You know it.”
Rylie attempted to find words to stop this, or even get them to explain this more, but she was stunned stupid. Suddenly, anger tore through her. Not hers¯Layne’s. Her stomach turned and heat rushed through her. She gasped and keeled over against the hood of the car.
Cash immediately had her in his arms. “What is it?”
She accepted the anger within her and forced herself to see past it. She met Cash’s gaze. “He knows I’m gone...”
Cash’s worried his bottom lip. He gazed into her eyes so deeply she was left to wonder what he was looking for. Finally, after an agonizing silence, he said, “All right, call a gathering. Let’s get this done.”
Chapter Four
Blaine hadn’t