Page 28 of The Alpha's Mates
Reese’s face fell. This had pretty much been the part that had dashed all our hopes as well. Fated mates were gone. Only now, I was beginning to wonder if maybe something could change. Maybe somehow we could fulfill this prophecy.
“Oh. Well…”
“Don’t dismiss it just yet,” Grams said with a cluck of her tongue. “You youngsters. Always so impatient.” She stood and put a book on the desk in front of Reese, then pointed to a paragraph. “It’s in the old language. I only know a little. Tellura, the alpha of the Verulian Pack also knows some. From what we could piece together, this pack of alphas plays a huge part in some war.”
“War?” Reese asked, her eyes flicking from the text to Grams.
“We don’t know what that means,” she said, shaking her head sadly. “And we don’t know much more, other than this pack is supposed to be stronger than any other. They, plus some companions, are supposed to go on a journey.”
“A journey,” Reese said, doubt creeping into her tone.
“Nine of you.”
We all looked over at Vera now. I growled low in my throat. “No. It’s not happening.”
She looked at me as if to say I was the asshole for arguing with a prophecy. “I’m just telling you what the text says, Grandson.” She threw her hands up in the air.
“I don’t give a shit what some ancient text says,” I snapped.
“What’s going on?” Reese asked.
“Soren is pissed because he doesn’t want to bring you along,” Atlas told her.
Anger all but crackled off her. “What? Why not? Why wouldn’t I go?”
“Because we nearly fucking lost you today,” I snarled. “And I’m not doing it again. I won’t take that kind of risk with you.”
“Agreed,” Calder said, folding his arms over his chest.
She rounded on him. “What! You saw me out there today! I know how to take care of myself.”
He snorted in response, but didn’t reply otherwise.
“That doesn’t mean we’re willing to put you in danger,” I told her.
“You don’t have a choice,” she growled right back at me.
Breathing heavily, I stood, my palms flat on the desk as I scowled at her. “I could lock you up here. Then you wouldn’t have any choice at all.”
“Do that,” she taunted, standing as well. We were nose to nose over the desk, eyes piercing. “And you won’t like what happens.”
“Mates,” Atlas said, holding his palms up in a soothing manner when both our heads snapped over to him. “How about we discuss this rationally?”
“Fuck rational,” I muttered, but I watched as Reese’s chin tipped up with pride and she took a step back and sat down. After her delectable ass was back in the chair, I sat as well.
“At least one of you has a good head on her shoulders,” Atlas muttered.
“I would just like to point out…” Grams said, her shrewd gaze sweeping our group. “That unless you plan to claim your new mate before leaving, youwon’tbe able to leave her behind.”
“Grams,” I growled, pissed that she’d just given Reese the weapon she needed to twist my arm.
“I wasn’t planning on having a claiming right away anyway,” Reese told me in a haughty voice.
My teeth ground together in agitation. It was probably the truth, but now it was guaranteed that I was not only going to have to bring my mate on some dangerous expedition, but that I’d be doing it with fucking blue balls, too. That was sure to make my mood better.
“Fine,” I conceded, though I wasn’t happy about it. “How are we supposed to know who the other five are who are going on the quest, Grams?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a sigh. “It says something about the Sky Goddess’s vessel?”