Lib Novel Page 81
My eyes harden. “That wasn’t the first time I rejected her. No, I think it’s something else. She wouldn’t be stupid enough to try to get me killed.”
Patrick studies me. “What if that was her intention all along? What if that’s why she came here? To get rid of you, on the Queen’s orders?”
His words give me pause. I can imagine that happening, but I have a hard time with the idea that the woman who is so desperate to possess me would try to eliminate me. Even if the Queen ordered it, Julia still does have a mind of her own. The whole problem stems from the fact that I don’t know Julia’s true purpose in coming here.
“What’s been going on with her this morning?”
Patrick shakes the snow globe once again before setting it back on the shelf. “She stopped by your room a couple of times, but Nathan was there. She acted like she was looking for something. Whatever it was, Nathan’s presence stopped her. I ran into her an hour ago. She was heading out somewhere. The bitch actually smirked at me.”
I can see her doing that.
I’ve never been a fan of using foul language where women are concerned, but Julia is a special case.
“And you weren’t followed here?”
“I made sure she wasn’t around before I left. I’m guessing she went into the forest to look for you.” I watch my right-hand man start to pace, a look of angry frustration on his face. “If it weren’t for the promise you extracted from us, we would have been out there searching for you first.”
I shake my head. “I already told you, if anything happens to me, you are not to interfere. We cannot afford for the rest of you to fail, too. The pack needs you. When I go, you’re the next Alpha. I’m glad you kept your word.”
My friend glares at me. “You have no idea how fucking hard it was. And if it weren’t for Sophia, I don’t think you would have survived, Alex.”
I let out a gust of air. “I know. She found me at the right time. The healing potion I had was barely enough to save my life. I think it managed to repair my intestines to some extent, but not much. That Noah Black is a powerful fighter. There’s a sadistic edge to him. Instead of killing me outright, he was toying with me.”
“How did he manage to overpower you? He’s not even an Alpha.”
“Not yet, but he does have Alpha blood. Even so, his strength was at an abnormal level. I’m not sure any Alpha could have overpowered him.”
What worries me more is that Sophia is getting romantically entangled with him. Even if I put my emotions aside, the man is an enigma—and extremely dangerous. Elsa did warn me about him, but I didn’t realize the monster he was till I faced him.
But I don’t know how to explain this to Sophia. She’s not going to believe me.
“So, now what?” Patrick glances toward the closed door. “I think she is going to let you stay, but she’s not taking this whole situation very well, Alex. It’s very cruel to her.”
My shoulders slump. “You think I don’t know that? But going back to the motel is not a good idea with Julia there, and besides the six of us, Sophia’s the only one I can trust in this town.”
“Because of your fated mate bond?”
Patrick’s question makes me roll my eyes. “No. Because even though she thinks I don’t know her, I have a good grasp of the person Sophia is. She won’t sell me out. Even if it is uncomfortable for her, she will let me stay here. Of course, at this point, it feels like I’m taking advantage of her.”
Patrick makes a sound of annoyance. “I don’t understand why you’re making things so difficult. You could still be with her. You don’t necessarily have to form a mating bond with the Silver Wolf. One of us could do it, but if that’s out of the question, we could strike up a business relationship with her. I’m sure there’s something we can give the Silver Wolf that she wants.”
His idea is tempting, but it’s one I’ve already considered carefully. “If the Silver Wolf is not bound to us, she can be taken from us quite easily. We need her loyalty. To be honest, if she prefers one of you guys, I don’t give a shit. As long as you can tie her to yourself in a mate bond, it’s fine. We just need her power. But even then, accepting Sophia is out of the question. Karina will see her as my biggest weakness. You know we cannot reject anything the Queen offers under the guise of civility. She could very well invite Sophia to visit her pack and then keep her there as a hostage. Or, ignoring civility altogether, she could simply kidnap Sophia outright so she can hold her over my head.”
My friend sighs heavily. “I see your point. But I also see that you’re miserable. And it doesn’t help that the bond between the two of you is intensifying. I doubt you’ll be able to keep your hands off Sophia for very long if you stay here. This might not be the best place for you, Alex.”
I give him a sharp look. “I can control myself.”
“I’m not saying you can’t, but I am saying that if the situation presents itself, especially considering that you two will be in close quarters here, it’s going to be hard to resist. I’m not blind. You can hardly keep your eyes off your girl.”
“She’s not my girl,” I mutter bitterly.
Patrick gives me a frustrated look, but he doesn’t press the matter. Instead, he changes the subject. “Julia is going to lose her freaking mind when she can’t find you in the forest. I bet she assumed you would be badly wounded but alive. Or maybe she’s gone to look for your dead body. Either way, when she doesn’t find you, she’s going to flip.”
The idea appeases some of my anger. Let her panic.
“It’s going to take another couple of days for you to heal entirely,” Patrick continues. “I can’t give you any more of that potion because it has its own side effects. You need to let your natural wolf healing kick in and take over.”
I run my fingers through my hair. “Yeah. You have a point there. I’m guessing three more days. Again, I don’t think being around Julia in this condition is a good idea. That’s why I didn’t want to go back to the motel last night.”