Page 52 of Unexpected Alpha's Claim

“Not all,” I disagreed, tossing the rest of my drink down in one long swallow. “It may be important, but there are other things that matter, too.”

“Oh, yeah, like being normal and abiding by every rule in Ms. Monica Greenwell’s book of constricting rules,” she said in sarcastic tones.

“Nice, Erica. Sarcasm suits you. Very, helpful. Tell you what, I’ll ignore that because I haven’t told you one other thing. Rumor, myth, legend, whatever it is.”

“Go on?” she asked, when I didn’t continue.

I spent a long moment staring at my empty glass. The alcohol was doing its job well. My head was buzzing and I was certain I couldn’t walk a straight line, yet I wanted more than anything in that moment for the glass to be full again.

“Refill?” I asked.

“Seriously? You’re going to be too wasted to tell me the rest of your dark and sordid little tale of how you are throwing away the greatest opportunity of your life.”

“Please?” I asked, tilting the glass towards her.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, then rose and took my glass. I took the opportunity to try to compose myself. Her words had only added to the hurt I was already feeling. She returned with the drink, my third, and I forced myself not to down it, opting instead for a sip.

“There’s something else,” I said, my voice hoarse. “Perhaps the weirdest thing. It’s a… rumor, I guess. Or another of their myths that I was told about the shifters.” I took a sip, holding it in my mouth, letting my tongue absorb as much as it could until numbness set in. I swallowed, closed my eyes, and blurted the rest of it out. “Supposedly they have one true mate and if they lose them, or, apparently, can’t have them, they die of a broken heart. They said it’s their only weakness from the wolf.

But it can’t be!” I exclaimed, looking up and meeting her judging gaze. “It’s medically impossible. I mean unless someone’s really old, which he isn’t. It can’t be. It’s just a rumor, a story they tell each other. It has to be.”

I stopped talking as soon as I realized I was only continuing to justify myself. Erica stared with cold hard eyes, a look that did nothing to alleviate the way I was feeling.

“Let me get this right,” she said, scooting forward until she’s sitting on the edge of her seat. “You didn’t just dump Raul. But according to this ‘rumor’ or ‘myth’ you also, in a way, killed him.”

The seriousness in her expression left no room for doubt that she believed her words one hundred percent. My throat was suddenly tight and my heart hurt so bad I almost wondered if I was having a heart attack myself. I shook my head, both to clear it and to deny her accusations.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” I asked “It’s not possible for?—”

“Yeah, yeah,” she interrupted, waving her hand in front of her face. “You’re saying he’s too young to die from a broken heart. I may regret saying this, but” she paused and squeezed her lips together. “When will you get off your high horse, Mon? He’s nothuman. There are things about his kind that you don’t know. You can’t just assume he’s too young to die because that’s what you were taught in medical school.Humanmedical school, I should add.”

“You think it might be true?” I asked, losing the desire to scowl.

“I do believe it,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Why would he lie to you about something so important? Besides, did he lie to you about anything else?”

I thought over every single thing both he and Helena had said to me, trying, with all the spinney mental capacity I currently had, to find any hint of a lie or even an untruth. A partial truth. Anything. But there was nothing.

“No,” I said heavily as doubt crept into my heart. “No, not really. Oh, my God. What if…” I stared at her in disbelief, mouth agape, “what if heisin love with me?”

“If?” Erica has both of her brows cocked up. “Are you deliberately being thick, hun? I mean, what else does he have to do to prove he’s in love with you? It’s a shame if you ask me. You had a perfectly good man, and you ditched him because, what? Because the doctor within you couldn’t accept a few things?

You’re an idiot, Mon. Pure and simple. Oh, and good luck finding someone like Raul again. Trust me, you’ll need it. I’ve got a long, long track record I can show you, but not tonight. I’m returning to my bed because I’ve got a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Feel free to let yourself out or you can have the couch. Up to you. Goodnight.”

Erica set her barely touched glass onto the coffee table and left. I mumbled goodnight as she left me alone. She was being mean, sure, but she was also being truthful, and I thought that waswhat I needed more than anything right then. Probably why I went to her in the first place.

I picked up both our glasses and carried them, only a little unsteadily, to the kitchen. I rinsed them out and placed them in the drainer. At the same time, I recalled the book I’d found in the library at Edward Crawford’s sanctuary.

“For all her desire to be with him, the human healer shall face inner turmoil. Her heart and mind will clash within her, threatening to curse ‘wise as a wolf’ to an untimely death.”

Penelope, however, she did it, had been spot-on. If there was ever a moment when I believed, this was it. She had described perfectly what I’d been feeling. I wasn’t sure about the second sentence yet. That I had to look into further, but everything indicated that she was right about that too.

Raul didn’t have a reason to lie. After exposing his true nature, he had been honest and open about it. I had to get back to Shandaken. I had to have a long conversation with Helena. Unlike Erica and Raul, I didn’t think that she would be mad at me for dumping him. At least I hoped. One way or another, I needed answers, and she was my best source.

33

RAUL

Itook quick strides up the hills near Shandaken, in sight of Monica’s house, repeating the pattern. I would glance at the dark, empty house. Howl. Repeat.

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