Page 24 of Awakening

“You need to let us worry about that,” Chloe says, the patience in her voice wearing thin. “Liv, I need to go tell Ethan you’re okay. He’s going to want to see you immediately. Can I bring him back this afternoon?”

Anthony shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s such a good?—”

“Anthony,” I interrupt him. “It’s okay, Chloe. I’ll see him.”

Anthony

“I’ll walk you out, Chloe.”

Chloe hugs Olivia once more. “I’ll be back later.” Olivia smiles and nods as I hold the door open for Chloe. She and I walk in silence down the hall to the elevator before she turns on me.

“What the hell is going on here? I know what you are,” she says, jabbing her finger into my chest.

“Yeah, and I know what you are. I’ve always known. I know what Olivia is now, too.”

“How could you possibly have known? You were human before.”

I cross my arms and shake my head. “Nope. I was born this way, just like you.”

“You were born a werewolf? No. I would have detected it before. You had to have been turned.”

“I wasn’t turned, Chloe. My werewolf genes were medically suppressed when you knew me before.”

“Medically suppressed? How is that even possible?”

“When you know people with the right expertise, it is.”

“Why would you even want to suppress who you are?”

“I had anger issues in my late teens and early twenties. My family was genuinely afraid I might kill someone in a fit of rage. Suppressing my werewolf genes for a few years helped to calm my instincts to a normal level.”

She looks me up and down before shaking her head. “I can tell you’re of Alpha blood. Your pack elders should have been able to teach you how to control your anger. Where’s your pack?”

“Italy.”

Chloe scrunches her face. “Italy?”

“Yeah. My dad gave up his position as Alpha in Italy when he got involved in business outside the pack. He was given an opportunity here in the US, so he packed up our family, and here we are.”

“What kind of business opportunity would convince someone to leave their pack?”

“That’s not important. What is important is how the fuck Olivia ended up being one of us. What happened?”

Chloe paces with her hands on her hips. “You can’t tell her. It sounds like she’s back to not even knowing we exist.”

“Of course, I won’t. I’d never freak her out like that. The timing obviously isn’t right.”

She stops and points her finger close to my face. “That will never be your call to make, Anthony. She’s our Alpha’s mate. He’ll decide when the time is right.”

“Did he turn her against her will? She never would have gone along with something like that.”

“Of course not. Ethan loves Olivia, and as much as I can see it pains you to hear it, Olivia loves him too. He would never do something like that against her will. Olivia chose to be turned.”

“Pfft. Yeah, I bet it went just like that. She just chose to do it, huh?”

“They may have had their challenges along the way, but yes, in the end, she chose this. They’re mates, Anthony. She’s marked. They were expecting a baby together. Don’t even think of trying to come between them. It won’t work.”

“I don’t know,” I say with a shrug. “As sad as it is, Olivia has no recollection of this Ethan dude, or their baby. If they really are as bonded as you say they are, then she should recognize him as soon as they’re reunited. The bond should overrule the amnesia. If that’s the case, I’ll be a gentleman and wish them well, but if it’s not…well, don’t expect me to hand her over.” I turn and walk away, leaving a stunned Chloe standing in the hallway.

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