Page 17 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

“Well, you could’ve fooled me.”

My voice lifts in anger. “I think of Hilda like a sister, Patrick. I raised her!”

“And she’s not a baby anymore, in case you haven’t noticed,” Patrick shoots back. “She’s a grown woman, and she doesn’t see you as a brother.”

“You’re crazy.” I scoff. “Sophia just has to understand—”

“And what if she doesn’t?” Patrick asks, his voice quiet now. “What if she doesn’t understand?”

I blink, trying to think of that outcome. “Well, she has no choice. She has to accept Hilda.”

“Wonderful.” My childhood friend sneers at me. “The girl has no support system here, so she has no choice. It’s either accept it or accept it, is that what you’re saying? Because she has nowhere else to go?”

I feel like a piece of shit hearing Patrick’s words. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Alex,” Patrick begins, his voice serious. “I am not telling you to kick Hilda to the curb. But no woman, not even a sister or a mother, should come between two mates. And if you hurt Sophia, you’ll just be one more in the long line of people who have betrayed her. That girl still doesn’t trust you completely. Don’t break what very fragile trust she does have in you. I think you’ve come close to wrecking it today.”

I don’t agree with Patrick about Hilda’s feelings for me. He’s been biased against her ever since they dated for a while and then broke up. He never told me why they split, but ever since, he has not concealed his dislike for her.

“I’ll talk to Sophia. I’m sure she’ll get it. Hilda is important to me. Once Sophia understands our relationship, I’m sure she and Hilda will grow close.”

Patrick shakes his head in disgust. “Boy, when they say rose-tinted glasses, they mean it. This isn’t my problem anymore. I just wanted to let you know what’s waiting for you inside. I hope you’re not an idiot about this, Alex. You’ve always been stupid when it comes to Hilda.”

A little annoyed now, I watch him leave. Maybe Sophia did misread the situation, but once I explain to her who Hilda is, I know she’ll understand. I can’t just walk away from a girl that Iraised for so many years. Hilda’s a good kid. A little needy, that’s all.

I enter the guest house and knock on the first door. There are five rooms, three of which are still unfurnished.

When the door opens, I see Lily standing there.

“Wrong door,” she says dryly.

Awkwardly, I look at her and ask, “Are you settling in okay?”

She makes a sound between a huff and a sneer. “Oh, I’m fine. I’m not the one you should be worried about.”

She jerks her head in the direction of the door at the end of the hallway. My mouth feels dry as I glance at the ominous-looking door before making my way down the hall.

Lily calls out, with glee in her voice, “If I were you, I wouldn’t do it. She’s a little touchy right now.”

Her words make me bristle, reminding me of Patrick’s warning. Surely not. Sophia has no reason to doubt me.

“You’ll just be one more in the long line of people who have betrayed her.”

My jaw tightens.

She has to believe me. When she has the full picture, this misunderstanding will be cleared up.

I knock on Sophia’s door. I hear the bed creak as if someone is sitting up on it, and after a moment, the door opens.

Her hair is wet. She is freshly showered; her skin smells like soap. She looks at me calmly, her expression carefully masked. “What is it?”

“Are you…Do you need anything?”

The words out of my mouth are not the most sophisticated, but they should incite a reaction. Anger, irritation, or even hurt. But Sophia just looks at me as if at a stranger. It is terrifying.

“No.” She doesn’t step back to let me in or even invite me in. I’m beginning to feel the stirring of panic.

“I need to talk to you, Sophia.”

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