Page 56 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

I force my attention toward Sophia. “What has he said?”

“Nothing.”

“Then, what were you asking him?”

She goes still, and her eyes narrow into slits. “Watch yourself. I may be your mate, but that doesn’t mean you get to talk to me in that rude tone. It’s none of your business what I was discussing with Nathan.”

My wolf growls softly, in warning.

The defiance in her eyes is both attractive and infuriating.

“What am I supposed to assume you two are discussing, then?” I ask, my voice dangerously low.

“He looked upset, so I told him to come have a cup of coffee. Maybe you should set up cameras in your house so you can see everything I do and not have to assume anything.”

For a moment, the meaning behind her words doesn’t register on me. But when it does, a wave of anger washes over me. “I’m not suspecting you, Sophia. Don’t twist my words.”

She takes a step even closer to me, drilling a hole in my chest with her finger. “Then don’t twist my intentions. I can talk to Nathan if I want to. If he looks upset, I can help him cool down and give him something to drink. If he looks like he’s close to tears, I can comfort him. Or is that something I shouldn’t be doing?”

Nathan jerks at her words, and I can see that my mate is gearing up for a fight. Of course, if Nathan is uncomfortable, I can understand why. I glance at him.

“Go home. We’ll talk later.”

He slides off the stool, and Sophia says tightly, “Wait.”

She moves to the coffee pot, pours him a mug full of coffee, and hands him a small plate covered in foil. “Here. Take this with you.”

Nathan looks at me as if wary about accepting these things, and I have to stop myself from snarling at him. I was clearly too harsh with him before if he is this upset.

“Take it,” I say gruffly. “And go home and rest.”

As he walks past me with his hands full, I murmur in a low voice, “This is who you want to use, the one person who’s looking out for you?”

He stiffens and then hurries out.

Sophia crosses her arms over her chest, irritated. “What did you just say to him?”

“None of your business?” I suggest. My answer only prompts my mate to be more pissed off.

“What do you expect me to do when he’s walking past our house, rubbing his eyes and sniffling? You want me to ignore him? I know you had something to do with it. Nathan likes to hide it, but he looks up to you. You’re the only one who can get him so worked up like that.”

I feel a hint of guilt at her words. “I know you feel sorry for him, but he’s young and hotheaded. All I did was give him a dose of reality. Sometimes, being nice doesn’t get you the results you need.”

“And what kind of results do you want from Nathan?” Sophia looks annoyed. “He’s just a kid.”

“He’s not a kid,” I say gently. “He’s nineteen, Sophia. As far as our pack is concerned, he’s a grown adult, responsible for the life of his younger sister. Nathan isn’t thinking straight. He’s letting his emotions get the best of him.”

“Like you’re letting your emotions get the best of you?” Sophia lowers arms to her side, tilting her head. “I didn’t need to talk to Nathan to find out what your meetings have been about. I already asked Patrick.”

Cursing Patrick in my head, I say, “Look—"

“Alex.” My mate’s voice is hard, and when she looks at me, her eyes are holding a vicious rage that makes my wolf stir in anticipation. “Let me make it very clear to you. I want Karina dead. That female needs to be buried ten feet in the ground before I will breathe easy. I’m not running away. And I don’t need to be protected. I want her to suffer. And I want her to pay for every second of torment she made you go through. This is my decision. Not yours. So, you can join me or you can watch me. That’s your choice. But Karina cannot be allowed to live.”

Chapter 12

Alex

“This is my decision. Not yours.”

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