Page 36 of Alpha's Forbidden Bond

She shrugged as I pulled my pants on. “I read some stuff online.”

Online? The fury that I’d been struggling to keep at bay suddenly surged inside me. “You read some stuff online?” I shouted. “About the compound? About werewolves?”

Diana nodded.

“Where?” I walked up to her and grabbed her arm. “You have to tell me where you read this stuff right now!”

“Ow!” She pulled away from me. “Jesus Christ, calm down. It was just on some dumb website from the 2010s! It was clearly made by a kid, and I didn’t think much of it until…”

“Give me the link.”

She looked me up and down. “Do you have your phone on you?”

“It’s back at the house. Follow me.”

“Hang on a second,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere with you! Are you insane? After you just grabbed my arm and shouted in my face. I’d like to think I have at least some survival skills.”

“I’m not going to hurt you.” I turned around and was about to really let loose with my anger when a breeze wafted past us, and I caught a scent in the air. It wasn’t one I’d recognized, and I knew every pack member's scent. It was possible I was picking up on something from one of the Morena wolves, but no.

It was definitely human.

“Did you bring someone with you?” I said, dipping my voice so low it was almost a growl. I was barely able to stop myself from grabbing her again. “Your friend from the bookstore or someone else?”

“No.”

“Tell me the truth!”

“I swear!” She put her hands up. “I didn’t bring anyone else with me. This was a sort of a last-minute decision, and if I’d told Georgie about my plan, she would’ve surely talked me out of it. She’s way more afraid of you guys than I am.”

“Well, someone else is here.”

“Someone else?”

“Another human.”

I took one last look at Diana and determined she was telling the truth. She appeared just as confused as I was, and there was no sign of her lying to me. No sweat on the brow or elevated heartbeat. “I have to go,” I said, dropping my pants even though I’d just put them on. “Stay here.”

“Wait—”

“I’m serious, Diana. Don’t go anywhere.” Then I shifted back into wolf form as quickly as I could and took off, running back towards the road before she could stop me.

To her credit, Diana didn’t go anywhere. After searching the entire property, chasing down the scent but never finding its source, I returned to see her sitting on the ground by my clothes, scrolling away on her phone. She started when I came out from between two trees, and I guessed it would take her some time to get used to seeing me in wolf form.

Not that I’m going to let her see me again. After tonight, whatever’s going on between us has to end.

I shifted and pulled my clothes on right away. She sat there watching me, clearly waiting for an explanation.

“I lost the trail,” I said. “Whoever had been here must’ve already left. I was picking up an old smell.” I fixed her with a grim glare. “You’re sure nobody knew you were coming tonight? Nobody would’ve followed you here?”

She started to shake her head but then stopped. “Oh—” Her eyes widened.

“What is it?”

“Well, as I explained to you that day we ran into each other at the store… I do think someone has been following me lately. That’s why I bought the pepper spray, remember?”

“Who?”

“I don’t know who, and I don’t have any concrete evidence that I’m actually being followed, but I suppose if they really have been keeping tabs on me…” She trailed off.

---