Page 44 of Alpha Bond
“List?” I look from one to the other.
“There’s a list.” Jagger scowls as he reaches for his coffee. “Of alphas waiting for mates. I’m not on it.”
“Is that going to be a problem?” Wonderful. As if this whole thing isn’t complicated enough.
“It shouldn’t be.” Doctor Bea reassures me with a pat on my shoulder. “We only keep a list so that males can step forward when new females arrive unattended. In your case, Jagger was the one who discovered you. But if that hadn’t been the case, interested males could have presented themselves. If there’d been any question about who you wanted, a hunt would have been suggested and—”
“Hunt?” I blurt. The topic had come up before, but I’d tried to put it out of my mind.
“None of that is necessary.” Jagger’s voice has a hard edge. “Our decision is made.”
“Oh, but wouldn’t you enjoy just a little bit of a chase?” Doctor Bea teases.
I can feel that I’ve blanched, the blood draining from my face. My heart is pounding.
“I said no hunt,” Jagger all but growls. I’m not sure when he’s reached across the table, but his hand is warm over mine. “Sierra will never have to run again. Ever.” His eyes are on mine when he says it. Soothing. I feel my pulse begin to steady.
“Right. You’re right. No running.” It’s clear that the doctor has realized this is a touchy subject. More than touchy. I still have nightmares about my escape from Rack. The way they pursued me…
My mouth feels dry. It stays that way when a shadow falls over us. It’s Callum Carter.
“You’re up,” he addresses Jagger before giving me a nod in greeting. “Titer wants you ready for the mating ceremony in an hour.”
“An hour?” Jagger seems surprised. I feel like the rug’s just been pulled out from under me.
“Yep. Looks like all your dreams are about to come true, Law.” The irony in his voice is unmistakable. Jagger’s fingers are gripping mine. “In an hour, you’ll be bound. Enjoy your last moments of freedom.” He smirks and then spins on his toe and marches away without a backward glance.
I feel my breath catch.
Holy shit! This is happening.
Chapter 18
Jagger
An hour never flew by so quickly. And every second of it has left me wondering what the hell I’m doing right now.
“You good, son?” Titer has taken on his fatherly demeanor again. The women are walking ahead of us to the meeting square, and we’re taking up the rear.
“I’m good, sir.” I lick my lips. “But I’ll be even better if we can have a conversation about what we were discussing previously.”
He shoots a look at me. “Are you still going on about the risk to our pack, Jagger?” There’s a dangerous tone to the words.
“I think it needs to be taken seriously, sir.” I won’t let up on this. “Those wolves who took Sierra weren’t just rogues. There’s a pack in our territory. She saw their pack lands. They’ve set up a base.”
“What?” Titer snaps the word. “Do you seriously expect me to believe the word of a complete stranger?”
“Not a stranger. My mate! And why the fuck would she lie, dammit?” I can’t understand why he’s being so pigheaded about this.
“Who knows? Maybe she’s in on something with the fuckers. Or maybe she’s delirious – Doc says she’s still fighting off some sort of illness. Are you even sure this mating is what she wants?”
“Of course it is,” I say almost too fast. “And she’s not delirious. You can see for yourself. And as for her being in on something…” I shake my head. “I haven’t left her side since she got here. She’s something special, sir. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t believe that.”
He eyes me for a moment. “Okay, then. You and Casey go out and take a look around as soon as we’re done here. If there’s something to all of this, we’ll take it further.”
I almost feel dizzy with relief. “Thank you, sir. You won’t regret it.”
“I already do,” he mutters. “Not to mention how I fought this mating through for you with the committee.”