Heart of Stone - Book 2: Hearts Collide
Chapter 7 - Aubree

Despite Gwen’s reassurances, Aubree still felt guilty when they walked into the store.

Gwen wouldn’t have to bottle up her feelings if Aubree told Dan the truth and ended their relationship. Likewise, Aubree wouldn’t have to deal with the guilt of leading Dan on and the contradicting feelings her actions have created over both men in her life.

Still, it had only been a few days since they brought Dan home from the hospital. She couldn’t be brash and dump him as if he meant nothing to her after investing so much love, time, and energy into their relationship. She still cared about him. Maybe not in the same way she did before, but she still loved him.

Gwen grabbed a shopping cart, the clanging of metal and squeaking wheels ripped Aubree from her mud-puddle of thoughts and emotions clouding her mind.

Aubree quirked an eyebrow, making the brunette grin.

“I noticed we were running out of food in the apartment. We might as well pick up a few extra things while we’re here.”

Aubree sighed in an attempt to clear the murkiness from her mind. “In that case, we should have brought the car instead of walking. Come on, let’s get the items we need and go.”

Gwen shook her head. “I got this. Besides, my muscles are aching for a bit of a workout. The gym in the basement is terrible. Only one functioning treadmill? I’m better off running around the block fifty times.”

The corners of Aubree’s lips twitched at the exasperation in Gwen’s tone. Already, she was starting to sound more like herself. “Then why don’t you?”

Gwen threw her head back with a great heave of her lungs. “What do you think I’ve been doing the past two nights? I already cleaned the apartment. I got nothing! I’m so bored with guard duty, so I took it outside.” She shook her head. “Fifty laps is nothing, anyway. It’s like twenty-five miles. I can run that in an hour in this body—half that time on four legs.”

Aubree blinked to keep herself from gaping at her.

Still prattling away as they walked toward the produce section, Gwen’s eyes flitted over the variety of apples. “Although, if I ran that fast, I’d catch attention, so I jogged, pausing between each lap to look more discreet, change direction, walk. I mean, it’s night time. Humans don’t go out for a jog after dark. It’s suspicious.”

“Right.” Aubree fought against the incredulous tone in her voice as she paused in front of her favorite type of apple and started picking through them and putting a few in a plastic bag.

“I’ve never been in the city this long, Aubree,” Gwen said, lowering her voice as she watched Aubree’s hands move from one apple to the next. “And not in my human form this long either. My wolf is longing to come out, to run through the forest, to hunt... She doesn’t like being locked up in a cage day in and day out, but I don’t want to risk shifting and being caught. I’m too big to pass off as a dog...”

Aubree put the apples in the cart and looked up to meet Gwen’s gaze. “Would it help if you took tonight off? Like, could someone else stand watch outside while you left the city and went for a run? Would that, like, refresh you? Recharge your batteries?”

Gwen pursed her lips as another shopper ambled toward them, her eyes scanning over the apples. Aubree noticed and nodded her head toward the bananas. Gwen followed behind her with the cart in silence.

Privacy restored, Gwen whispered, “It would. Gavin would be the only one though. And the way Dan’s been acting lately, I’m not sure I want to leave you alone with him.”

Aubree glowered at her before turning to the bananas and picking out a small bunch of four. “I can handle him.”

When she turned back to face her, Gwen was gritting her teeth and looking to the side. “I know you can. But I still don’t like it.”

Aubree rolled her eyes. “You’re just like Stone when you do that.”

Gwen’s brown eyes flicked to Aubree’s as a smirk played on her lips. “It’s not just Papa. It’s lycan instinct to protect our own.”

The gleam in her eyes was almost predatory and it forced Aubree to look away. “Let’s go get the pasta.”

There was that word again. Lycan. The look in Gwen’s eyes only served as a reminder that she wasn’t even human. Regardless of that, she would do whatever it took to ensure her safety.

This was the first time since picking up Dan that they got to spend some alone time together. With Gwen calm and collected now, Aubree decided to bring up one of her many questions that had been lingering in her mind the last few days.

As they turned down the pasta aisle, Aubree cleared her throat as she paused in front of the dried noodles. “So, how does the whole bonding thing that you mentioned before work?”

“Do you mean the matebond?”

“I guess so. It’s that persistent, intense feeling...” She stopped, feeling her cheeks heat up and her heart dancing a quickened rhythm in her chest.

Gwen’s grin widened from ear to ear. “Oh, that. Well, what do you want to know?”

Picking up a package of Fettuccini noodles, Aubree tried to suppress the heat rising to her cheeks as she turned to place the package in the cart. “Is it always intense?”

“Can be. I mean, I’m no expert since I’ve never found my mate, but I’ve heard about it. I can certainly feel the atmosphere in the air change dramatically between you two.” She scratched her head and then ran her fingers through her hair. “Like, everything will be neutral and calm one moment, and then you two make eye contact and immediately there’s electricity in the air. We can all feel it. It stings us and makes us—I don’t know—pull back a bit.” She scrunched her nose in an attempt to explain it. “It only lasts a split second, but it’s enough to establish distance—out of respect.” She huffed, looking perplexed. “Does that make sense?”

Aubree nodded, though it still didn’t answer her question. “Kinda. But, like, will it always be intense, or will it mellow out eventually?”

Gwen shrugged as she pushed the cart forward, her eyes trailing across the shelves before landing on jars of creamy white sauces and stopping the cart again. “Yup. And it will keep getting progressively stronger until you two mate.” She picked up a jar before looking over at Aubree. “I mean, have sex.”

Aubree cringed. Gwen said it so casually like it was no big deal. This was her father she was talking about. Shouldn’t that gross her out? Aubree wanted to gag thinking about her own parents doing the deed. Even if her parents divorced for some reason and got new partners, she still didn’t want to think about them having sex.

Reading her like an open book, Gwen looked away with a slight shake of her head. “You humans are funny. You and Papa are soulmates. It’s perfectly normal and natural.” She paused as if a new thought struck her and she began to chew on her bottom lip.

“What?” Aubree asked. A feeling of unease prickled under her skin.

Gwen looked back at the jar in her hand and put it back on the shelf and reach for another one, her eyes scanning the label.

About to press Gwen again, Gwen interrupted her before she could open her mouth.

“Perfectly normal and natural among lycans.”

“Oh.” Obviously, Aubree was human. What did that mean for her and Stone? “So...”

“So, things are more complicated,” Gwen said. “I don’t know what happens from here. Aside from the obvious physical differences, the law forbids all lycans from breeding with humans. But we’ve never heard of a soulmate being human before, so we don’t know what the Council will do if they replace out. All I know is that you both deserve to be happy and only you two can do that for each other.”

Gwen put the jar in the cart without another word, allowing Aubree to think about her words.

Aubree frowned. Even when we get together, our relationship will be a constant struggle. And... “What do you mean the law forbids... You mean, legally speaking, Stone and I can’t be together?”

And who, or what, is the Council?

“Technically, but you’re also soulmates.” Gwen’s voice lowered and paused as a woman started to approach them with a shopping cart.

Pushing the cart forward, they headed to the end of the aisle and turned around the corner and went down the next. There was another shopper down this one, so they kept quiet as their eyes scanned the shelves for other items to pick up.

When they were alone again, Gwen whispered, “There’s never been a case of a human soulmate that I know of in our history, so I don’t know if it would still be considered illegal, or just... I don’t know.”

She sighed, brushing her fingers through her hair again. “Come on. What else do we need?”

Finding other items proved to be a distraction as Aubree’s mind drifted from their conversation to food and back again.

Everything was far more complex than she thought. No wonder Stone held off on telling her the truth for so long.

Soon, their cart was almost half full and when they headed to the checkout counters, Aubree expressed her concern about being able to carry everything home.

Gwen waved her apprehension aside. “You take the lightest bags and give me all the heavy ones. I’m going to wind up carrying everything back to your place anyway.”

Aubree’s brows furrowed in confusion as they grabbed the eight plastic bags and headed for the exit. She kept trying to catch Gwen’s gaze, but Gwen kept her head straight with a hint of a smile on her lips as she marched forward.

It wasn’t until they stepped outside that she knew what Gwen was talking about.

She paused in her tracks as her eyes settled on Stone leaning against the red brick wall—in the exact same place and the exact same pose that he was in that first time she had met him face-to-face.

Her heart leaped in her throat as her stomach tumbled over the memory.

Of course, she understood everything now. It was the bond that made their first meeting so intense that she could hardly breathe and nearly fainted. It was the bond that drew him to her and made him so rough.

His blue eyes met hers and she wanted to throw caution to the wind and run into his arms. But she had bags of groceries in her hands and Dan waiting at home for her. She probably smelled like Dan too and she knew how much Stone liked that smell.

Still, what was he doing there?

Stepping up to him, she studied his face for signs to explain his presence, but it was firm and emotionless.

Did Gwen tell him to come?

She remembered Dan’s sensual whispers in her ear, and Gwen dashing in and all but dragging Aubree out before he could make light of his intentions.

Shit. Did Stone catch wind of that?

Lowering her gaze to the ground as she got closer, she cast Gwen a sideways glance, but Gwen wasn’t looking at her. Her eyes were fixed on Stone’s and he held hers as they approached. She snatched Aubree’s bags without a word when they reached him and Aubree paused a few steps away from him.

“I’ll wait for you outside. Don’t be too long,” Gwen said before she turned and left, carrying all eight bags effortlessly in both of her hands like they were full of fruit-shaped balloons.

Her stomach twisted as she stood near him and watched Gwen stroll away. Feeling his penetrating eyes baring down through her, she swallowed and peered up tentatively through her long lashes.

She knew this was more than just a friendly visit, and she braced herself for the emotions that would course through her like they always did when she looked into his eyes.

She felt that electricity Gwen mentioned ripple through her and it was all she could do not to tremble and throw herself into his arms.

It was too much. Too much for her to handle.

And he wasn’t helping with that lustful look in his eyes.