Page 94 of The Alpha's Fated Destiny

Every decision I make is more difficult than the previous one. I dig my nails into my thighs and nod. “It’s necessary. It’s all necessary. She won’t kill Alex. She’ll just hurt him.”

As I say the last part, my voice catches and Elsa takes me in her arms.

“I know this is hard, Sophia.”

Her arms are around me, my chin resting on my shoulder. I stare blindly at my mother. My voice is hoarse as I speak. “Hard doesn’t even begin to cover it. But I have to do what I have to do. I won’t break. I can’t afford to break.”

I lightly push her away. “I still have some work to do. But there’s something that Marlene taught me that can buy Mom a few more days or weeks. It’ll take me an hour.”

As I try to move toward her, Elsa stops me, her eyes worried. “You’re too exhausted, Sophia. You can do it in the morning.”

I shake my head. “I need to do it now. I need to know that I have not failed both of the people in my life. I need to do this, Elsa.”

The witch searches my eyes before stepping back. “All right. I’ll get you something to eat.”

“I already had something from the mess.”

Elsa grimaces. “Not the garbage you get there. You get started on Grace. I’ll make you some soup and fresh bread. Easy on the stomach and good for your hurting heart.”

I grab her hand as she’s about to walk out. My voice is pleading. “I can’t bear to stomach food, Elsa. Not when Alex is probably starving. Don’t ask me to. I ate that dry burger to keep my wits about me. I can’t stand to eat anything remotely nice.”

Elsa strokes my hair. “If you want to save him. If you want to rescue him and get him back, you need to eat. You need to maintain your strength. And Alex would be angry if he knew you were not eating well because of him.”

She sees the tears forming in the corner of my eyes. “I’ll bring the soup and I’ll feed you myself if I have to.”

I release her hand and rub my eyes.

When she leaves, I look at my mother, my heart heavy. “Here goes nothing.”

I spend the next hour and a half pouring a very precise amount of healing energy inside my mother. By the end of it, my body is sagging, and I’m actually grateful when Elsa returns with the soup. I shovel it down, along with the bread she brought with it.

My stomach feels warm and full once I set down the bowl and my hands are no longer trembling.

Elsa studies me. “Well, at least you no longer look like you’re at death’s door.”

“Thank you.” I give her a wan smile.

“You’re just like your mother.” She shakes her head at me. “When she was hungry, she would inhale the food. Who needs to breathe, right?”

I chuckle lightly even when my heart is troubled. Something occurs to me, and I ask, “Did you ever meet my father?”

Elsa pauses and looks at me. “That’s the first time you’ve shown an interest in your father.”

“So you met him?”

She shakes her head. “No. I never got the chance. I saw him once, from a distance. Grace was aware that if she revealed the identity of her fated mate to anyone, they would report back to her father. She knew he would be killed. She knew everything. She trusted me, but she wanted to protect him as well as she could.”

Elsa sits down beside me, looking over at my mother. “She never introduced me to him. Nor did she tell me his name, despite my persistence. She didn’t want to compromise my safety as well, you know. I always distracted Marlene when she went to meet him. After I helped her escape with him, we were supposed to meet at the Red Rock Wolf Pack. I was going to meet him then, but you know what happened.”

I don’t press her anymore, seeing the agony in her eyes. She carries guilt in her heart. It’s obvious to me.

“You should sleep now. You can sleep in my bed.”

But I refuse. “I still have work to do, Elsa. I’ll go upstairs. I need to make some calls.”

I take up the empty bowl and put it in the dishwasher. The building has four rooms. The living room, kitchen, and bedroom given to Elsa and my mother are on the first floor. Mine and Alex’s room is on the second floor. The second room on that floor has been converted into an office for me. Alex did that before we left. Feeling energized, I activate thecommunications app on the computer before putting in the code Brian gave me. The screen changes and shows the contact information of all the Alphas of the North. I first decide to reach out to Dorian.

It takes a few minutes, but Dorian Greyhound’s tired face pops up on the screen. “Sophia? Is everything okay? It’s a late hour for anyone to be calling.”

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