Page 74 of The Alpha's Fated Bond

I stare at her, horrified. How could I have been so blind? The others were right. They could see how she felt about me. A sick realization is dawning on me, and I want to howl in pain and fury.

“You—You’re the one who released the soldiers.”

“I had to,” she says, trying to reason with me. “Why don’t you understand? If you give Karina the Silver Wolf, you and I can finally be together. We can be happy. I can make you happy, Alex. Nobody understands you better than me.”

I don’t know this girl. I’ve been so blinded by my brotherly affection for her that I never realized how much of a threat she was to the pack and to me.

“And the communication channels…You unblocked them. You’re the reason Karina’s people got here so fast,” I breathe.

Hilda pouts. “That was your fault. I opened the channels after you told the pack that Sophia was your fated mate. And I was right to do so. You yelled at me, Alex. You’ve never yelled at me before. It was only after Sophia came here that you began to change. She’s a witch, don’t you see? She’s trying to turn you against me. She’s coming between us. I can’t let that happen. I told Karina that the Silver Wolf was here and that she would probably try to escape in the morning. She promised not to hurt you, Alex. Just give her Sophia, and you and I can be together forever.”

I shake her violently. “You put the entire pack in danger, Hilda! Do you even understand what you’ve done?!”

She just stares at me, the apathy in eyes breaking something inside me. “So what? We don’t need them. You and I can start our own pack.” She caresses my face, and my skin crawls. “I will give you so many children, Alex. Strong children. These people are just going to get in the way of our happiness. We don’t need them. You don’t need them. You only need me.”

I feel like I’m being stabbed in the gut. “How long?” I ask weakly. “How long have you thought like this?”

“Ever since you saved me. You were always mine, Alex. You will never leave me.” Hilda smiles sweetly. “Not like my parents. I know you love me. You stayed, didn’t you? They didn’t stay, but you did. You’re mine.”

My eyes are burning with tears as it occurs to me what I have to do. I can hear the sounds of fighting behind me, and my heart is breaking as I lift my other hand to grasp her neck. I never realized that Hilda was like Julia, only much closer to home. Her trauma, what she witnessed as a child—it altered her, and I never realized how badly.

I look into her eyes, and I see the little girl who used to follow me around, always smiling. My voice breaks as I say, “I’m sorry.”

Hilda’s eyes widen. “What are you talking—”

I snap her neck.

And as I do, I gather her in my arms, weeping, a broken man.

Chapter 16

Sophia

Things are moving so fast that I can barely keep up. One minute I’m talking to Alex, and the next, Hilda is calling out to the enemy wolves. The shock on Alex’s face will be etched in my memory forever.

“We have to run!” one of the soldiers shouts when I try to turn around to go back to Alex. “The tunnels are going to collapse any minute. We need to get past the safety marker.”

“But Alex—”

Lily grabs my hand and pulls me with her. “Alex is the Alpha, Sophia. He knows what he’s doing. We must leave now. Alex will find you.”

I want to go find him, but when I look at the scared faces around me, I realize I have no choice. The soldiers cannot force me to go with them, but they’re not going to leave me behind, either. If I become stubborn and dig in my heels, everybody else is going to pay the price.

“Alright,” I cave, defeated. “Let’s go.”

We are told to shift into our wolf forms, and I see a few pack members eyeing my silver fur. Lily touches my shoulder and whispers, “I can’t run as fast as you.”

I nudge her with my head, silently telling her to climb onto my back.

However, one of the soldiers who has not shifted yet intervenes. “No. Nobody rides on the back of the Alpha Female. You can ride on one of us.”

Lily looks like she wants to argue, but the soldier simply picks her up and deposits her on the back of one of his companions. She sighs in irritation, but the soldiers begin running, carrying bags in their teeth. The rest of us follow them.

The tunnels are wide and well lit. I don’t know how far we go, but the whole time, I can feel a strange grief within me. It’s not my pain, but Alex’s. He’s upset. Helpless, I squeeze my eyes shut and try to focus on getting to safety. My wolf is miserable, wanting to comfort our mate. But he’s not here.

Where are you Alex?

Why are you hurting?

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