Page 68 of Alpha Bond
“Good,” she says. Then turns to the others. “I’ll see you on the flip side, Jagger Law!” she calls over her shoulder, lifting an arm and flipping me a middle finger.
I watch as the others fall in behind her without question. When they’re gone, I strip off and wait for the wolf to emerge. The man I am is torn by duty to the fighters who just left me.
The wolf howls to go back to his mate.
And so I turn back home.
Chapter 27
Sierra
“Get it together, Sierra!” My words sound hollow in the small apartment that has too little furniture. The one I’d planned to make more homely. I straighten my back and square my shoulders. Swiping the back of my hand over my eyes angrily, I wipe away the tears that have my face swollen and puffy. I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here feeling sorry for myself.
I’m getting too weak. I don’t have an excuse for this sort of behavior anymore. I’m on the mend. It’s time to behave like the wolf I am. There’s a rumble of approval from someplace inside. My wolf is close. That’s good. I’m feeling her more and more since the doctor worked her magic. And now that my beast is stirring, she’s making her needs known.
I rise and find my sneakers, then make my way out into the hallway. I have to find my mate. Find him and explain everything. I don’t know how much he heard, but he was definitely most upset about thinking that he forced me somehow. That makes sense, in a twisted kind of way. What happened to his mother was a tragedy. He carried that memory all his life, and I just triggered a flood of grief. The thought makes my chest tighten. I can’t stand the idea of hurting him. Or disappointing him. Which will happen if he knows that I can’t have his young. My stride falters.
I can’t give him pups.
Tears prickle yet again, but I dash them away once more. Now isn’t the time for self-pity. I have to take control of the situation. My first priority is to make sure he knows he did nothing wrong. Then, we can talk about my infertility.
He’s not going to want you.
I shake my head again because I’m being selfish. He saved me when I needed it. He’s taken care of me and helped me heal. We had a beautiful night together. I’m grateful for all of it. I’ll show him my gratitude by keeping up pretenses until he’s risen to alpha, and then we can find a way to dissolve our union without raising questions. Just the way we planned it from the start.
My chest clenches again at the thought of losing him, but I force the feeling down. I need to find him and fix things. And that makes me pause.
Why is the place so quiet?
Usually, the halls are bustling with activity – troops filing past, people going about their daily duties… Today, there’s almost nothing. Just a few harried shifters moving about briskly. I stop at the top of a flight of metal stairs and look out over the center of the garrison.
Where the hell is everyone?
Quieting my anxiety, I head to the canteen, where I’m sure I’ll find some sign of life.
When I get there, it’s empty. Just Bert in the back, wiping down counters. He glances up as I hesitate in the doorway.
“Sierra,” he calls out. His voice isn’t as bright and cheerful as it normally is. Something is up.
“What’s going on, Bert?” I keep looking around as if everyone is going to appear out of the shadows.
“Didn’t Jagger tell you?” His brows pull together when I shake my head. “Shit.”
“Tell me what?”
“They’ve planned an attack on—”
“An attack?” I interrupt him.
“Yes. There’s a pack of rogue wolves out west that have been showing signs of aggression. Jagger went out with the leader group.”
“He what?” My heart rate goes through the roof. It’s Rack. I know it is. Jagger had said he’d found him, and now he’s going up against him. Without even telling me.
Bert looks uncomfortable. “I’m surprised he didn’t let you know.”
I’m not. Our last words were horrible. That’s why I need to speak to him. But I wish he’d said something. I wish I could have told him goodbye without this hanging over us.
Oh, God.