Page 8 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

She flinches almost immediately. “If you try anything weird…”

I like her. “I’m just trying to make sure you don’t make things worse for yourself. Alex, a little help?”

Alex’s brows arch into his hairline. “You want me to touch her?”

His words don’t make sense to me, but when he reaches for the girl, my wolf growls, a deep furious sound. My own temper stirs, the irrationality of my thoughts not registering on me. How dare he touch another female?

I want to snap at him and tell him to back off but the voice of reason within me reminds me that I just asked him to do this. Then, when I see his arm circling the girl’s waist, I feel a ripple of possessive anger rush through me. What is wrong with me?

“I can do it!” I snap at him, pushing his arm away.

He gives me a long look before making a huge show of stepping away from the young witch. His eyes settle on me, and I see the smugness in them.

It’s almost as if he anticipated my reaction to him touching the girl.

With him a few steps away from us now, my wolf calms down.

As we begin walking back toward the campsite, I ask, “Were the wolves chasing you?”

She gives me a sheepish look. “Yes. I’m sorry you got caught up in this business.”

“The dark witches controlling those wolves are after you?” Alex sounds perturbed by the very thought.

The girl is silent for a moment before saying, slowly, “My mother abandoned me to a coven of dark witches. As I grew up, I was taught their ways, but it wasn’t me. I never felt content with the magic I was practicing. Then I ran into another witch who was passing by, and she taught me how to use nature as a source of my magic. I tried to leave the coven, but they wouldn’t let me. They killed the witch who was teaching me, and I’ve been running from them. I just have to cross the South Alliance border so I can seek refuge with the covens in the North.”

“And what if they don’t give you refuge?” Alex asks, and my brows furrow at this tone.

The girl stiffens. I don’t think she’s thought that far ahead. I can understand her desperation to leave though. Aren’t I in the same position as her?

She mutters, “I’ll find another way. If they don’t take me in, I’ll keep looking for a coven that will accept me. And even if no one does, it’s fine. I can survive on my own. I’m never going back to those dark witches.”

Her words resonate with me, and I feel a little protective of this young girl. “So, you’ve been making this journey all by yourself? Isn’t it unsafe?”

She shrugs. “Safe or unsafe, I don’t have a choice. You don’t understand what it’s like to shift from the ugliest, darkest sort of magic to this pure, clean magic. It’s like my soul was finally able to breathe. I can’t go back to them. I can’t do what those witches do. Even if I have to die, I will never return to them.”

The passion in her voice strikes me, and I glance at Alex, who gives me a stony look.

I turn back to the girl.

I can’t just leave her here. We have to help her. Besides, we are also heading to the North border. This time when I look at Alex, he gives me a small shake of his head. He has obviously picked up on what I’m thinking and isn’t on board with it.

When we reach the campsite, Alex’s companions are taking a nap. Alex kicks Jared in the leg, growling, “Didn’t you hear the fighting taking place?”

Jared opens one eye blearily. “What fighting?”

Patrick sits up from where he’s leaning against a log. “What’re you talking about, Alex? What happened?”

“We were attacked by zombie wolves,” I pitch in.

“By what?” Patrick stares at me.

Nathan looks pale at the mention of zombies.

“Dark witches,” Alex explains.

“There was a barrier there,” the young witch besides us says. “I could feel it.”

“What sort of barrier?” Alex asks sharply.

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