Page 12 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

“Yes,” he agrees. “But not like this. At a reasonable pace. And with a proper teacher. You have to be patient with yourself. Things don’t just happen immediately, Sofia. They take time.”

“You don’t have time, Alex,” I remind him. “You told me that the nannies and soldiers Karina sent are in your pack right now. Once I get there, they’re going to figure out who I am sooner or later. We have to break the link between them and the pups before they know what’s happening.”

“I know, but punishing yourself isn’t helping matters. These things do take time, and they require patience. We’ll be at the pack in a couple more days. I don’t expect you to master magic by then. We’ll figure it out. Together.”

I can’t meet his eyes, wrenching my face from his hands and glaring down at the moss-covered forest floor. “You don’t understand. I can’t seem to be good at anything. First, I couldn’t access my wolf, and now, I can’t learn magic—”

“You couldn’t access your wolf because it had been sealed away.”

He’s told me this before, but we’ve never discussed it. “When you say it was sealed away…”

“Elsa told me,” he says quietly when I trail off. “Back in the forest in Oakrest, when you started getting sick, it was because your wolf had been sealed away. It must’ve been done when you were born, either by a witch or by your mother. Even the mention of this sealing off created a block in your mind. You were not supposed to know. Although, I’m pretty sure you managed to figure it out, smart as you are.”

It’s true. I began to get suspicious in Elsa’s office when she brought me there. She dropped hints, and I managed to piece some of them together.

Thinking of Elsa makes my heart ache. I never got to say goodbye to her. When I first arrived in Oakrest as a terrified, young teenager, it was Elsa who gave me a job, as a dishwasher in her restaurant. I worked at the Dancing Bear for as long as I can remember, washing dishes, waitressing, bartending. Elsa became a fixture in my life. And now, I don’t know if I will ever see her again.

“Your inability to shift was not because of anything lacking within you. And see how easy it is now?” Alex smiles at me. “Each time you shift, it’s easier the next time. Soon enough, you’ll be able to shift without a second thought. It will be as easy as breathing to you. It’s the same with magic: it’s hard at first, and then it’ll start getting easier. But you have to be kind to yourself. And you have to have faith in yourself, Sophia. I know I do.”

I look up at him. “What if I let you down?”

“You won’t.” There’s a wealth of confidence in his voice. Even when I don’t believe in myself, he believes in me. Alex has faith in me.

I don’t know where this faith is coming from.

“I know you can do it. You’re too stubborn not to get it done. And don’t pay too much attention to Lily. She’s a kid who enjoys being in charge of your lessons. She’s a brat.”

It’s not as if Lily has been mean to me, but I can see the judgment in her eyes each time I fail.

“As long as you and I are together, we can do anything.” Alex takes my hand in his. “We have a long journey ahead of us, and a long battle. We’re going to stick it out together.”

His words offer me the kind of assurance I haven’t been able to give myself.

“Alright.” I don’t have much trust in myself, but I can trust what Alex believes.

He kisses the top of my head, and I feel the heat crawl into my face. He takes his other hand and puts it on my cheek; Ican feel how rough and hard his fingers are. His hand is bigger than my face. He’s also incredibly handsome. We’ve already slept together once, so I don’t know why I get so flustered when he touches me. I never allowed myself to think about him like this till recently. I don’t want to get swept away with all these feelings, but I can’t help myself. Even in his wolf form, he’s magnificent.

Alex pokes my cheek. “Why are you smiling?”

I bat his hand away, blushing. “None of your business.”

“With a smile like that on your face, Sophia, you’d better only be thinking about me.”

The streak of possessiveness in his voice has me blinking. “Or what?” The challenge in my own tone startles me.

He grins, a slow curving of his lips that lights up his entire face and gives his usual handsome appearance a wicked edge that makes my heart flutter inside my chest.

“We’ll find out, won’t we?”

His voice is low and husky, and my body reacts accordingly. He sniffs the air discreetly and stares into my eyes.

“We’re going back,” I say abruptly, rattled beyond belief. Turning on my heel, I begin walking back to the campsite.

He doesn’t stop me like I expected but trails after me.

I’m very clear about my feelings for Alex. At least, I think I am. He’s my fated mate, and somewhere along the line from when our tumultuous relationship began, I went and fell in love with him. But I don’t really know what that means.

I’m attracted to him. I like being near him. But nobody’s ever loved me, so I don’t know what that kind of relationship entails. I’ve spent my whole life being told I’m undeserving of love. Elsa showed me affection, as did Rita. Was that love? A different kind, maybe.

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