Lib Novel Page 64
I watch him walk away from me, my heart racing. It would be so easy to give him the answer he wants. But would that be fair to him? As soon as the thought strikes me, I wonder when the last time was that someone was fair to me.
Noah says he has feelings for me. Maybe I will fall in love with him eventually. I owe it to myself to try, don’t I? I know for a fact that if I turn him down, I will never meet anyone else who will treat me with so much affection.
Opening the door, I walk in and see Elsa staring at me from behind the bar, her face white. “What were you doing with Noah?”
“We had breakfast together,” I tell her, grabbing a chair off the table closest to me and setting it on the floor.
“What about Alex?”
I take a deep breath, then turn to look at my boss. “You wanted me to confront Alex right? Well, I didn’t need to. He’s engaged, Elsa. He has a beautiful fiancée. And I am no match for her. That’s why he rejected me; he already has somebody in his heart. She was here with him last night.”
When Elsa’s lips part, I hold up my hand, stopping her before she can speak. “Don’t ask me if I’m sure. He was sitting right across from her when she told me she was his fiancée, and he didn’t deny it. How much more confirmation do I need?”
“And where does Noah come into the middle of all this?”
I meet her gaze squarely. “Noah says he cares about me. He’s been courting me. You can’t expect me to wait for Alex my whole life, can you? He doesn’t want me, and I don’t want to beg for his affection.”
“But Alex is—”
“How many more times do I have to say it, Elsa?!” I shout, suddenly distraught. “Alex does not want me! How many times do you want me to have to hear myself say it? He doesn’t want me, but somebody else does. Somebody else does care about me. Why can’t I choose that person? Why do I have to wait around for the one who is constantly hurting me with his inability to tell me the truth?”
To my surprise, Elsa picks up a bottle of tequila from behind the bar, pours herself a shot, and throws it back. When she looks at me again, her expression is distressed. “I don’t think you should be with Noah.”
I study her, my heart shrinking in my chest. “Because I’m not good enough to be the Alpha Successor’s mate?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“You don’t have to say it, Elsa.” I laugh bitterly. “It’s written all over your face. And the thing is, I don’t disagree. I’m not good enough to be his mate. But he’s showing me affection. I’ve never had that before. I want to be loved, Elsa.”
“I have a bad feeling about Noah!” she says abruptly. “It’s not about whether you are good enough for him or not. I just don’t think this is the best idea.”
“Why the hell not?!”
My body tenses, and I can see Elsa struggle to say something, but then it becomes evident she has nothing more to tell me.
“Why can’t you just be happy for me?” I persist, feeling upset now. “Unless you think I don’t deserve to be happy?”
“How can you say that?!” Elsa replies furiously. “Of course I want you to be happy. But not with Noah. You should be happy with the person who is meant for you!”
I want to rip my hair out at this point. “The person who is meant for me does not want me, Elsa. Am I supposed to crawl to him on my knees and beg him to take me? Is that what you’re asking me to do? Because that’s what it sounds like from what I’m hearing!”
Elsa’s face turns pale, and she whispers, “Of course not.”
“Why can’t you just be thankful that I’m trying to move on?” I plead. “What is it about Noah that you don’t like?”
“He’s dangerous,” she says tightly. “Noah Black is a very dangerous individual.”
Chapter 13
Alex Stone
“This isn’t good, Alex.” Patrick paces in my room, his expression dark. “How did Julia find us? Didn’t Queen Karina say this was a top-secret mission?”
I look at my senior lieutenant, feeling mentally drained. “She says the Queen sent her here. I don’t buy it, but since there’s no way to contact her, we can’t do anything about the situation.”
Jared looks at me from where he is sitting on my bed. “Do you think the Queen is trying to spy on us, using her? After all, Julia is one of her closest people.”
It would make sense, but I’m not convinced. Julia is known for her temper. The Queen would not want her to compromise this mission. Karina is fond of Julia, but she’s also very much aware of her favorite pet’s temperament. That is why she’s been trying to force the engagement between Julia and me. She thinks it would make it easier to control me.