Page 34 of Half Wolf Mate
I wasn’t looking forward to another confrontation with Cole. At this rate, I’d never get any help from the hunters, and I’d be dead before my twentieth birthday.
Chapter 16 Sydney
Once again, I was escorted to the Alpha like a prisoner. Only, this time, I wasn’t taken to the pack’s compound, which gave me a bit of relief because I didn’t want to deal with an entire pack of angry, suspicious wolves. Instead, I was brought to Cole’s offices.
With men on either side of me, I was marched to the elevator. Damian stayed back at Adam’s compound to keep watch while Alex and the other guy took me to Cole. In the elevator, I blew out a long, tired breath.
“You okay?” Alex asked.
My response wasn’t immediate since I didn’t expect concern from any of the men of the Moon Guardians pack. They all seemed hell-bent on believing me guilty of conspiring against them. As I gazed at Alex, he seemed to be genuinely concerned, so I replied, “Considering that I’ve been taken prisoner again and I’m being led to an Alpha who despises me, no, I’m not okay.”
Alex frowned. “You’re hardly a prisoner. If you were, you’d be cuffed and thrown into a cell on the compound.”
“You guys have your own prison?”
“We have a self-sufficient community. Of course, we have—”
“Ehem.” The other guy, who hadn’t uttered a word since I saw him in the parking lot outside Adam’s address, sent Alex a warning glance.
“Oh, come on.” Alex rolled his eyes. “I’m not divulging top-secret werewolf information.”
Despite my irritated mood, I sniggered.
“No need to indulge the enemy,” the man said.
“Finally, he speaks,” I mused. “And I’m not your enemy.” I felt like I’d repeated that for the hundredth time since I met them. Studying the other man with curiosity, I said, “I know Damian, Alex, and I remember Stephan. What’s your name?”
He just glowered at me before facing forward.
“His name is Nic, short for Dominic,” Alex volunteered.
Dominic’s jaw clenched, and he gave Alex another lethal glare. I folded my lips to hide my amusement. When we reached the twenty-first floor, the doors slid open, and my amusement vanished, and my bravado slipped.
“Alex?”
He glanced at me.
“Am I going to walk out of here alive?”
His eyebrows pulled together. “Of course, we’re not those kinds of wolves—”
“Shut up, Alex,” Dominic warned. He gave me a fierce scowl that rivaled Damian’s. “You’re a threat, Sydney. The Alpha’s mate or not, you will be dealt with.”
I swallowed hard, following them out of the elevator on shaky legs. By the time we reached Cole’s office, I’d steeled myself for whatever was to come. Standing outside the closed door, I glanced at Alex sadly, wishing I could speak with him alone. He seemed the type who would freely answer my questions, unlike the others who were so tight-lipped about everything. He gave me a sympathetic look before knocking.
“Bring her in.”
Cole’s voice made me pull in a deep breath. So, he knew I was being brought in. Why couldn’t I hate the man? He’d put me through so much, yet I still got butterflies in my stomach when I heard his voice. Annoyed with myself, I scowled, and that was how Cole saw me when the door swung open.
He sat behind his desk, looking very much like the boss of his empire. Our eyes locked, and I kept my sour expression in place. Cole raised an eyebrow during our heated staring contest. I wasn’t sure if he was amused or annoyed.
Alex gestured for me to enter the office, and I reluctantly stepped inside.
When Alex turned away, panic set in, but I tamped it down. “Wait. You’re not staying?” I didn’t spare Dominic a glance. He could leave for all I cared because he clearly didn’t like me. But Alex had been decent all along, and I’d feel more comfortable if he stayed.
“No, I’m going back to join Damian—”
“Jesus, Alex, stop telling her every goddamn thing,” Dominic snapped. “She’s a hunter, for Christ’s sake.”