Page 63 of Alpha Bond

“Me?”

“Holy shit!” Casey chokes out. “You mean all this time I’ve been working alongside greatness?”

“Shut up, Casey. What are you talking about, Callum?” This is something I’ve always dreamed of, but it still leaves me reeling. I thought I would have to work harder for it. Then again, maybe I already have.

“You’ve got more hours in the field than anyone else on the team. You know every inch of Steel Lakes…and how it ticks. You have good relationships with pretty much the whole damn pack.” He winks at Heller when he says it. The male grimaces but says nothing. “And now that you’ve finally settled with a mate, you’re the obvious choice.”

“But what about you? You’ve been Titer’s 2IC for years.”

“Me? Nah, I like the way things are.” He shakes his head.

“I… Okay.” It sounds inadequate, but it’s all that I’ve got right now.

“We’ll get to the formalities once we’ve dealt with the crisis, but to all intents and purposes, you’re going to be running the show.”

“So, getting back to the crisis… We gotta get this show on the road and quickly.” Casey gives a humorless smile. “Best we all get our personal shit together. No telling what we’ll be facing.” The subtext in her words is clear. We need to get our affairs in order. Not everyone is going to come home.

“You’re right,” I say grimly. “Let’s meet back here in an hour.”

With that, we disperse, each going our separate ways. And I head straight back to the apartment, torn between triumph and apprehension.

I’ve found my place as alpha. I’ve found my mate. But I’m going to war, and I may not come back.

I have to break the news to Sierra.

Chapter 25

Sierra

Jagger isn’t here when I wake up, but I know he’s not far. I can feel him. I’m sure it’s the mate bond. I know it isn’t fully sealed, but I’ve heard about it, and everything I’m experiencing seems to fit the descriptions. And if I’m feeling this connection, I have no doubt he’s feeling it, too. After last night, I know we have a lot to talk about. And something is telling me that our fake mating has a very good chance of becoming real.

I smile as I step out of the shower, dry off, and start to dress. It’s the first time I’ve felt happy since they took me. I know it might be short-lived, that I’ll probably be consumed by thoughts of my family before long, but now I see hope on the horizon. Jagger will help me find them. He’ll help me get home, and then I can start looking for the others. It’s all going to be okay.

I’m humming when I hear someone calling me from the doorway. I recognize the voice and continue smiling as I drop the towel that I’d been drying my hair with.

“Doctor Bea!” I say brightly as I open the door to greet her. My mood drops as I take in her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Can we talk?” She looks past me into the apartment. “Alone?”

“Sure. Jagger’s out, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” I know he will. He hadn’t woken me to say he was going out on a patrol, and I know he would have if that was the case. He’d know I’d worry.

The doctor hovers in the sitting room once we’ve walked inside. “This won’t take long.” She’s edgy.

“Okay. Would you like to sit? I can get you a coffee.” Our tiny kitchenette isn’t equipped for meals, but it has the basics, which is more than the last place. And the next one will be even better. I’ll be able to cook for my family there. Jagger. And our pups. I smile again. I feel so strongly that this is on the cards for us. I can already picture it.

“No coffee. Thanks.” Her expression is still grim.

I sink onto a seat beside her. “Tell me what’s going on, Doctor.”

“I took a look at that thing last night. What we took from your neck.” She gets straight to the point. “It troubled me, and I wanted to run tests on it.”

“You have the facilities for that here?” I’m constantly surprised at how organized Steel Lakes is.

“Of course, Sierra. We have to be prepared for anything. It’s not as if we can go to a human hospital if anyone needs medical attention. I can treat pretty much anything here, aside from the specialized stuff. Thankfully, our kind seldom needs anything as complex as MRIs or CAT scans.”

“Okay,” I say, apprehension building. I want to get back to the subject. “What did you find out?”

“It’s not good, honey.” Doctor Bea takes in a breath. “When was your last bleed?”