Page 77 of The Alpha's Fated Destiny

I study him and I feel a tremendous amount of guilt. I want to apologize, but the words get stuck in my throat.

“Alex, I…”

Marlene puts her hand in mine. “Come on. Cyrus’ men might be after you. I have to put up a barrier. Let’s not stay out here.”

As she drags me away, I look over my shoulder at Alex, who is following us.

I have to apologize. So why can’t I muster up the words?

Chapter 17

Alex

I understand Sophia’s pain.

I have also carried burdens on my shoulders that have nearly crushed me. I’ve also rushed against time to save the people I love.

So when my mate raged at me, lashing out with harsh words, all I saw was the suffering behind her eyes, the helplessness. I could see that she wanted me to fight back. But all I wanted to do was take her in my arms and tell her that everything will be all right, that I will be by her side, no matter what happens. I wanted to stroke her hair and tell her to cry if she needed to. I just wanted to hold her and ease her hurt and bewilderment.

But I knew she wouldn’t let me do that in that moment. She was hurting, and all I could do was let myself be the recipient of her anger.

Each time I see that flicker of hope in her eyes, my heart feels heavy, because I know it’s going to go out soon. She is fighting so desperately to save her mother and there’s nothing I can do for her.

Sitting on a grassy hill, I watch her standing across from Marlene, Elsa’s aunt. Marlene is showing her a magicaltechnique and my mate is completely focused on it. I’m sitting at a distance, not wanting to distract her. Under the shade of the trees, I watch Sophia’s graceful movements.

It’s been two days since we got here and she has been single-mindedly focused on learning as much as she can. Logan and I have given her the space she needs. Speaking of the older man, he seems to be quite familiar with this territory. He disappears for long intervals. I haven’t asked him what he’s doing, but I did follow him yesterday and I saw him sitting by the oak tree, a lonely expression on his face.

I can’t deny it. Logan is determined to protect Sophia. He doesn’t seem to have any ulterior motives where she’s concerned, but when it comes to my mate, who is in constant danger, it’s so hard to trust anybody.

Sophia, on the other hand, trusts everybody with such ease. She tries not to, but she gets lured in easily.

I see Marlene stop Sophia, and then send her off somewhere. Marlene, on the other hand, looks in my direction and begins walking toward me.

I haven’t talked to her one-on-one. She and Sophia have been so immersed in training that there hasn’t been time.

“Is everything all right?” I ask when she reaches me.

The old woman smiles at me and then sits down beside me. “She’s dedicated. Unlike her mother, who loved playing truant, Sophia is focused.”

“She has a reason to be,” I say, quietly.

“That’s true,” Marlene agrees.

I glance at her. “Do you think she has a chance to save her mother?”

The old witch is quiet. Finally, she sighs. “I don’t think so. From the situation described to me, Grace is too far gone. Even if the cure was given to her, the years of repeated torture have sent her somewhere deep inside her mind. I don’t think anybody can bring her back from that.”

“So why are you giving my mate false hope?” I ask the woman, my voice tight in anger.

“I’m not. But Sophia is a determined young woman. She feels she can make a difference, that she can save her mother. Right now, her mother is the only link she has to her family. If you take that away, she will shatter. She’s very fragile right now, even if she’s trying to put on a strong front.”

I fold my fingers together and look in the direction of the village. “That is what I’m afraid of,” I whisper. “She’s breaking and I can’t save her.”

“Sometimes,” Marlene murmurs, wisely, “one has to break before they can be whole again. There is only one way to save Grace, although it is close to impossible.”

“What is it?” I sit up, looking at the witch.

“I never met the man that Grace was in love with, but Elsa mentioned him. They were supposedly fated mates. For the Silver Wolf, the mating bond is different. Both parties have to mark each other as you and Sophia have done. It provides a balance of power. However, it also makes both of you extremely vulnerable. If one of you dies, the other will die instantly. There’s no hope of surviving.”

---