Page 51 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

I lower my head to the counter, groaning.

She finally takes pity on me. “Those sausages look good. Let’s have hot dogs. I think I saw some buns in the fridge.”

As she rummages through the refrigerator, I take out the skillet and heat it up before placing the sausages in it.

I see her cutting open the buns and lathering each side with butter before popping them in the oven. I can’t help but smile. This is another new experience for me. I’ve never really had friends, so making a midnight snack with Lily while we joke about sex is pretty great.

Lily gives me a cautious look. “Why’re you smiling like that?”

I shrug. “No reason. This is nice. Having somebody to talk to so easily.”

“Like, a friend?” She eyes me.

“Sure.” I feel a little awkward labeling what we have between us. It sounds very juvenile.

Lily apparently doesn’t feel the same way. “I’ve never had any friends,” she says, leaning against the counter. “My—The witches in my coven were always very strict. No outside contactunless it was to go to the nearby villages for supplies. And they were all quite a bit older than me, as well. I would say that you’re the first person I’ve met who’s even close to my age.”

“Once Alex helps you find a coven, I’m sure you’ll meet plenty of witches your age.” I flip over the sausages, not liking the direction of this conversation. I know Lily has her plans, but I really wish she would just stay here. It is a selfish thought, but being around her is as easy as breathing. I don’t want to lose her.

“If he does,” Lily mutters irritably. “He’s not even looking for covens.”

“He will,” I promise her. “As soon as the situation here dies down. But you know—” I steal a glance at her— “you could always stay here, Lily. I mean, if you want.”

She makes a scoffing sound. “Stay among shifters, you mean?”

“It won’t be that bad.”

Lily gives me a long look before sighing and saying, “Shifters benefit from witches—and vice versa to some extent—but shifters have a very low opinion of witches. Witches were always meant to protect humans from shifters. We provide a balance of power to the world. Right now, this pack might need my help and yours, but once things stabilize, their attitude may change.”

“But I’m a shifter.” I feel wary of the conviction in her voice.

“A shifter who can practice magic. That is—Shifters cannot practice magic. Only the Silver Wolf can. Which means you’re not really a shifter, and they won’t see you as one. Not a complete one. And chances are, if you have children, that bias will also be aimed toward them.”

Troubled, I stare at the sausages sizzling in the pan. We never had a resident witch in Oakrest, so I don’t really have firsthand experience with how witches are treated by my kind.

“Noah told me that some shifters practice magic…” I begin.

“Noah?” Lily looks at me.

“The Alpha’s son, back where I used to live,” I say slowly. “He once told me that some shifters could practice magic and that he could find a witch to teach me…”

My words taper off as I realize what I’m saying. Knowing what I do now, I can hear how ridiculous the whole thing sounds and see how gullible I was then.

“Never mind. He was lying to me.”

“Why would he do that?” Lily asks curiously. “Maybe he was trying to help you.”

“Noah knew what I was before I did,” I explain as I plate the sausages. “He knew I was the Silver Wolf, and he was pretending to court me so that I would become his mate.”

Lily lets out a hiss. “Are you serious? Maybe he did have feelings for you.”

“I’ll consider that as a possibility when I see pigs fly,” I respond, my voice tense.

“You sound very sure,” Lily says with an amused glint in her eye.

“Because I know Noah.” My heart feels heavy with the shadow of memories. All of that happened not more than three months ago, yet it feels like a lifetime has passed. “I knew Noah whenwe were children. He wasn’t just a bully; he was the worst kind of person. He once tried to drown me. One of the best parts of moving to Oakrest was escaping Noah. But then he showed up in town two months ago, and it turned out that someone I considered a friend was working with him. She was giving me a potion that made me amenable to him. I don’t really know how it was supposed to work, but I do know that I forgave him far too easily.”

A strange expression crosses Lily’s face. “Magic—magic cast by a witch—wouldn’t work on you. Even in potion form.”

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