Page 19 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

I’ll talk to Hilda and tell her not to get so close to me. If Sophia doesn’t like it…

But telling Hilda to stay away from me doesn’t sound very easy. She’s an annoying little sister, and she’s going to be very upset if I tell her to put some distance between us. On the other hand, my mate, Sophia, is already upset.

I don’t know what to do.

After heading outside, I stand with my hands in my pockets, looking around. The village is the same. I still remember the territories we once used to own. My father was a proud man and a just ruler. The North Alliance prospered under his rule. But when Karina destroyed everything, she seized every bit of territory we had, and what she couldn’t seize, she set on fire. My pack, whoever remained of it, was banished to this barren land where not even the simplest crop could grow. She probably expected us to die out, not having predicted how stubborn we could be.

Despite our circumstances and our grief, we thrived. We bore all the torture, all the humiliation, and we dug ourselves out of the hole she had thrown us into. The soil around this village once used to be fertile, but Karina had it poisoned before we were sent here. I was witness to it. She did her best to squash us like bugs, and we did our best to remain resilient.

The bond the members of this pack have with each other is one that will never be broken.

I can feel someone’s eyes on me, and when I look over, I see a tall woman in a dark dress, her hair tied in a severe bun. She’s one of the nannies that Karina sent. She’s watching me. Maintainingeye contact, I sit down on the front step of the guest house and lean back on my elbows.

After a couple of minutes, the nanny turns around and walks away, disappearing from view. I know that if I leave right now, both of my guests may be dead in the morning. I’m not going to ask anybody to watch over my mate. That is my job alone.

Stretching out my legs and crossing my ankles, I lie back, folding my arms behind my head before settling in for what promises to be a very long night.

***

By the next morning, word has spread of our arrival back in the village. The presence of our guests has also been revealed. Before saying anything to anyone, I first have to talk to Sophia.

Nathan brings over some breakfast for her, and he’s surprised to see me sprawled outside the guest house, staring up at the sky. He looks down at me, frowning. “Did Sophia lock you out?”

It’s not helping that everyone seems to know I fucked up. I stand up and snatch the tray of food from him. “None of your business.”

He shrugs. “No need to be touchy. I was just asking. But you need to stop being so nice to Hilda. She’s used to having you all to herself, and now that you have Sophia, she’s not going to like it.”

I watch him leave, pondering his words. Everyone seems to be telling me to stay away from Hilda. I can’t just abandon the kid, though. She has been dependent on me her whole life.

Taking the breakfast tray to Sophia’s room, I knock on the door. After a couple of minutes, she opens it.

Her eyes are swollen as if she’s been crying all night. Behind her swollen eyes is a tired gaze.

I feel sick to my stomach. Should I have stuck around last night and tried to talk to her?

“I brought you breakfast.”

I barely get the words out. I know she’s not going to let me in, but I’m not going to let her sit here and torture herself with all sorts of scenarios when I can simply clear up the misunderstanding. I walk inside and she bristles.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Trying to talk to you. Shutting me out isn’t going to resolve anything, Sophia.”

“There’s nothing to resolve.” She shrugs, her arms wrapped around her middle as if shielding herself from me. The fact that she thinks she needs to protect herself from me pisses me off.

“Let’s get one thing straight.” I set down the tray and glare at her. “When I was ten, after my parents’ murder, I found Hilda surrounded by her own parents’ corpses. She was three years old, Sophia. She was a child, and her entire family had been killed. There was no adult to look after her. The ones who were still alive were barely holding it together, and there were too many orphans to look after. I was the one who raised Hilda. When I found her, she was completely mute. The trauma of seeing her parents killed affected her deeply. Shewouldn’t speak, she wouldn’t walk, she wouldn’t eat. I had to do everything for her.”

Sophia’s expression is tense as I continue. “Sure, she’s a little clingy, but she has never been away from me for more than a week. She’s like my little sister, Sophia. I understand that her presence made you uncomfortable, but I can’t kick her out of my life. Not for anyone.”

Sophia doesn’t have to say a word for me to know that what I just said has hurt her tremendously.

I immediately backtrack, “What I meant to say is—”

“I understand what you meant,” she says quietly. There’s an edge of finality in her voice that makes me anxious.

I have a feeling that if I drag out this issue with Hilda, it’s just going to get messier. I’ve already explained my relationship with her. I’m sure Sophia will adjust to it.

“Hilda isn’t a bad kid. She’s just very attached to me. Once you two get to know each other, I’m sure you’ll get along.”

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