Page 26 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

“I’m telling you that you don’t need to do that. You guys have been searching for so long to save all these children. I can do it. I’ll just be more careful.”

“How?” Alex demands. “How are you going to be careful? Do you have a plan in mind? Can you control this trance?”

I open my mouth to reply, but I don’t have an answer to his questions. “Not yet,” I finally admit.

“Then that’s it. End of discussion.”

“Not end of discussion! I will figure out a way to wake up when my body is being overloaded,” I seethe. “I’ll discuss it with Lily, and we’ll come up with something.”

“For once in your life, can you not be reckless?” Alex growls at me. “What am I supposed to do if I lose you? You can call me a selfish bastard but would you just think of me for once!” His hands are shaking. “How do you expect me to live on if you’re dead?”

My heart trembles. I manage to turn around and face him properly. He’s sitting on the ground behind me, and I’m straddling him now, uncaring of how sexual our position would look to anybody entering the room.

“I am not going to die. And I’m not leaving you behind. You’re stuck with me for life.” It’s my turn to offer reassurances, and I cup his face. “I’m sorry about our fight. I’m sorry for overreacting and saying all those horrible things to you. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

He stares at me, and I see the way his eyes search mine.

“I can’t lose you, Sophia.” His voice is desperate. “Don’t ask me to sacrifice you. Not now.”

“I won’t sacrifice myself,” I promise. “I’m going to work with Lily, and we’ll come up with a good, solid plan for the next time I sit with one of the pups.”

Alex looks at me in silence, absorbing my words. Finally, he says, “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have gone off with Hilda. I should’ve told you about her before. She’s not more important to me than you are. Nobody is more important than you. And I’ll tell her not to get too physically close with me. I apologize for hurting you, as well.”

My arms come to wrap around his neck, and he holds me by the waist. We’re pressed against each other in the most intimateof ways, and I breathe in his scent. Relief fills me. I didn’t like fighting with Alex. I didn’t like this misunderstanding between us.

“Next time, I’ll try to talk to you when I get upset,” I whisper.

“Next time, I’ll try to make sure there isn’t a next time,” he replies.

A watery laugh leaves my lips, and I bury my face in his neck.

I’m still feeling cold, but Alex’s presence is enough to warm me for now.

Chapter 6

Alex

My fingers run through Sophia’s hair as she sleeps beside me. The sun has set outside, but I have not been able to leave Sophia’s side. She’s sleeping deeply, curled up against me. She always does this when we sleep together. I don’t think she knows that she seeks my body heat in her sleep. Throughout our journey, I insisted on her sleeping right by my side, wanting her covered in my scent from head to toe.

She looks exhausted. There are circles under her eyes.

None of this would be happening if I had just taken her and left. I know I added additional burdens on her, and I regret it.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t forgiven me,” I murmur, wrapping a strand of her hair around my finger before releasing it and watching it fall into a smooth curl.

I didn’t expect her to apologize. Her words from before are still ringing in my ears, and they hurt even now.

She said I was no better than Noah.

From the wealth of pain she was in, she meant those words in that moment. I was lucky this time, but will she be able to forgive me the next time I mess up?

She’s so precious to me. Out of everyone in this world, she is the only person who is truly mine.

I’ll speak with Hilda. It’s about time I talk to her. I would rather she befriend Sophia; I’m not going to let anybody come between us anymore. Sophia has no reason to be wary of the girl I raised, but she doesn’t know her. As far as she is concerned, Hilda is an unmated female around me. I’m sure Hilda will understand.

I also need to speak with Lily. It relieves me that Sophia has the ability to unlink the children from Karina’s people. At least, Sophia did say that she managed to untangle some of the dark magic threads. The cost might be too heavy for her to bear, though. I’m going to have a talk with Lily first. The only way I’ll let Sophia do this is if Lily is able to yank her back.

The next problem is how to get access to the children without alerting the nannies. The six-month-old girl, Beth, was recently orphaned. Her father resisted the soldiers and was killed. It infuriates me that I cannot even protect my own people! Tomorrow, I will see if Tessa, the baby’s mother, is willing to give her up again for a few hours; I want to have Lily check whether the strength of the link between the nanny and the child is the same or if it has weakened due to Sophia’s interference.

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