The Alpha Queen's Mate (Book 5 of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 36

Morning, Noelle. We're going to be leaving after breakfast.

Noelle laid there, staring at the ceiling. She loved having his voice in her head first thing in the morning. It immediately put her in a good mood.

She and Nick had parted ways after their walk yesterday, and she hadn't seen him since. He'd said he had some work to get done before they left.

She'd came back after dinner last night and packed a bag to take on the trip. She'd spent a lot of time pacing the room, feeling restless, before she'd finally gone to bed. She hadn't slept well; her mind had been all over the place. She'd ended up spending most of the night reading, though she hadn't gotten very far in her book as her mind kept drifting to Nick. She'd found herself missing him and that had really surprised her.

'It's the bond,' Holly reminded her.

Hearing his voice in his head this morning had made her heart leap. She was excited to see him again, excited to kiss him again.

Good morning. I'm already ready to go. See you at breakfast, she linked him back.

She got out of bed and took a shower then got dressed and headed out of her room.

Her mother was standing in the kitchen, seemingly lost in thought. Her father came down the hall and looked at her. You need to tell your mom about Nick. She's very concerned about you.

You haven't? She figured he would have told her. He told her everything. Though she supposed if he had, Jenna would have already mentioned it to her.

It's your news to share. He stopped in front of her and touched her arm, a small smile on his face.

Jenna turned to them both. "Are we ready? These pups are starving."

Noelle laughed then grew serious. "Mom, I need to tell you something before we go."

Jenna frowned and crossed the room to her, moving to her other side, concern plainly showing on her face. "Go on."

"I found my second chance mate already," Noelle started.

"What? That was fast." Her frown deepened. "Which means it's someone in the pack since you haven't been anywhere, and you knew, Daniel Remington." She turned an accusing gaze on him.

"It's her news, not mine," Daniel said, holding up his hands.

Jenna looked at Noelle, and raised her eyebrows at her. "Well?"

"It's Nick," Noelle said, holding her breath. She wasn't quite sure what Jenna would think of the mating.

"Seely?" Jenna asked, surprise clear on her face.

Noelle nodded and she looked at Daniel for confirmation.

"It's her mate, but it's a good match, Jenna. Better than Alex Artino," Daniel walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm happy with it."

Jenna sighed. "Are you happy about this?" She looked back at Noelle.

"Yes. Having a new bond has tremendously eased the heartache I was feeling from having the old one ripped apart," Noelle assured her. She wasn't quite sure how Jenna felt about it.

"Besides that, are you okay with it being Nick? He's more like a brother to you than anything else," Jenna crossed her arms over her belly. "Or maybe an uncle."

"No?" She could feel her cheeks turning bright red as thoughts of her trip with him flooded her mind. She most definitely did not think of him as a brother. She never had.