Page 49 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

“I’ve been having dreams,” she suddenly says. “The scythe, the grave, and the unknown. I keep seeing the visions I had when I picked those cards. But lately, I’ve begun seeing you standing at a crossroads, both directions tempting you.”

“Which card did I pick, Angie?” I ask slowly. “What does it mean?”

“The mask,” she says, heavily. “Duplicity. Lies. Someone is lying to you. Someone isn’t who you think they are.”

“Are you—You must be referring to Robert,” I finally say with a shaky laugh. “Don’t worry. I don’t trust him—”

“Not the wolf Alpha,” Angie says abruptly. “Whenever he comes to mind, it’s this card that comes forward.” She lifts the card with the question mark on it. “His presence in your life has changed your future. I believe the crossroads I saw in my dream are because of him.”

My chest tightens, but I try to keep it light. “He and I had a brief thing, and he got what he wanted out of me. He’s gone now.”

Angie lifts her head to meet my gaze, her eyes burning. “Don’t think he’s going to walk away so easily. Your fates are entwined. And wolves don’t give themselves to others as casually as humans. He’s not gone, Charlotte. He’s waiting.”

My mouth turns dry at her grim words.

Chapter 10

Robert Montgomery

“So, why did you want to meet me for lunch?” Aisha Wolfguard studies me curiously. “Not like you to want to order in at home. You always want to go out.”

“I just felt like it.” I pick up a slice of the pizza and munch on it. It’s from one of my favorite pizzerias in the city, and yet it seems tasteless right now.

“Just felt like it, huh?” Aisha raises a brow. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on? You’ve been acting weird for a while now, more so this past week. You haven’t been paying attention at work. We nearly lost a major pitch yesterday, Robert. We can’t function like this, with you spacing out half the time. Whatever’s bothering you, just spit it out, and we’ll deal with it.”

Aisha works with me in my company. It makes sense that she’d notice I haven’t been myself lately.

A small yip from the doorway has me looking over to see Zeno falling over his own feet in an attempt to get to the pizza. I set the plate with my half-eaten slice down on the floor so he can have a go at it.

“I still don’t understand the puppy. I never knew you liked dogs.”

“Neither did I,” I murmur, watching Zeno play with the pizza slice.

“He’s chewed most of your shoes, Robert,” Aisha points out.

“I can get new ones.” I smile and lean down to scratch Zeno’s chin. He gives me an adoring look, and I sigh internally. I guess I have become a dog person now.

Aisha shoots me a bewildered look. “Be honest with me. Are you doing drugs?”

That gets my attention, and I scowl at her. “Of course not!”

“Then what’s going on with you?” she demands. “I know you, Robert, and this isn’t like you. Brooding, adopting puppies out of nowhere, letting them chew on your prized shoe collection. Just tell me. I won’t judge.”

I did call Aisha here to talk to her. I need to discuss this with someone, someone I can trust not to betray my confidence or judge me almost instantly. While I do have friends I trust, Morris and Adam are both Alphas, and they would frown heavily upon my actions. I know what their initial reaction would be, and I need an unbiased one.

For the past week, I’ve stayed away from Charlotte. My wolf has been deeply unhappy about this. That’s what shakes me up even more.

Why is my wolf so obsessed with her? It’s never shown any sign of interest in any female before. I’ve always known I’ll never be with a woman. My scar has prevented any woman from approaching me. I’ve seen myself in the mirror long enough to know how ugly I look because of it. It’s a fact I accepted after years of struggling with my new reality.

It’s not like I can’t get a mate and bear a child. Ever since I became the Alpha and the pack has begun to prosper under my rule, many high-ranking families have been trying to get their daughters into my bed. A few of the pack elders have introduced the girls in their families to me in the hopes that I would fall for one of them.

But even with the girls playing nice with me and flirting heavily, I see nothing but greed and disgust in their eyes. They want the power and the riches, but they know they’ll have to let me into their beds to get them. My wolf isn’t immune to being disliked and viewed with prejudice. He’s never shown an ounce of interest in those women. Although, to be fair, he’s never shown any interest in a female before Charlotte.

The thought of Charlotte has my wolf wagging its tail happily.

Charlotte looks at me with shy eyes that can turn fierce at any minute.

Whenever her eyes are on me, I feel normal, as if my face is like any other, void of deformities. When she talks to me, it’s almost as if she is blind to all my faults. The biggest problem she has with me is that I’m a wolf shifter. And the further away she tries to push me, the more desperate I am to pull her into my arms.

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