Page 35 of Fated Alpha Protector

“The Alpha of Blackclaw?” comes Anastasia’s worried voice. Both Liam and I turn in time to find her descending the stairs of the porch. She joins us on the lawn, her brows furrowed.

I hadn’t noticed her following me outside.

Anastasia stares worriedly at me. “Is this about Mia?”

I shake my head. “It’s about the alliance with the pack,” I reveal as guilt rears its ugly head. My sister remains oblivious to Cyrus’s demands.

It’s not fair on her.

“Thanks, Beta,” I turn to my best friend, offering him a nod of recognition. “I’ll see you later at the den.”

Liam nods in response, taking his leave. When it’s just my sister and me on the lawn. “Take a walk with me.”

Taking a deep breath to strengthen my resolve, I keep my hands linked behind my back. Anastasia follows me into the garden, picking a rose and lifting it to inhale the scent.

The innocent act squeezes my heart with the guilt of not being truthful with her.

“Is everything alright, Brother?”

Gulping, I stop between the lavender garden and turn toward her. “The alliance with Blackclaw…” I begin. “... Cyrus has made a very difficult demand in exchange for an alliance with them.”

“What is it?” Her eyes go wide. “Is Mia safe?”

I nod. “This isn’t about Mia. This is about you.”

Anastasia frowns. “Me?”

“Yes, Sister.” I hang my head with shame. Now that the Blackclaw Alpha is due to arrive in Overton, I have to be honest with Anastasia. “The Blackclaw Alpha wants you to marry him.”

A long moment of tense silence stretches for what seems like miles. Anastasia stares blankly at me in all that time, fueling the rage I feel towards myself.

“He’s not my fated mate…” she whispers, sadness evident in her voice.

I reach for her hands, offering some reassurance with a gentle squeeze. “I know. Which is why I can’t agree to the alliance,” I assure her.

“But what about the hunters you found on our turf? We can’t risk–”

“And I can’t risk giving you up to Cyrus,” I vow.. “It’s not–”

“Fair…” she cuts in. “Perhaps the fated mate bond isn’t meant for us, Brother.”

Staring at my sister in disbelief, I feel like a fraud for lying to her. She thinks that Mia is here only because she’d been kicked out of her pack for being an orphaned Omega.

She doesn’t know that I’d found my fated mate…

“I won’t let it happen, Ana.”

Anastasia shakes her head with conviction. “You need to do whatever you can for the safety of this pack. You’re our Alpha.”

“Ana–”

“No, Theo,” she refuses boldly. “I trust you.”

As my sister leaves me in the garden alone, the dark cloud over my head grows heavier. It weighs on my shoulders, bringing me down as I go through the rest of my day.

The only thing I have to look forward to is the training session with Mia.

“Hey, Theo,” Mia greets when she enters the empty training center, closing the door behind her. She appears cheerful, her positive energy radiating off her in waves.

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