Page 40 of The Alpha King's Fate

She stopped pacing the room as dread filled her and rooted her to the spot.

She was probably going to die.

And she only had the night to process that she might have to leave Hope and Britney to fend for themselves.

If she had known about the trial when the message came, she could have made a plan. She could have tried harder to find her mother or sent Britney back to college.

But now she was supposed to do what? Stay quiet and let Jackson do the talking?

‘...there’s nothing you can do...’

Jackson’s words started to echo through her head.

Who’s fault was it that she knew nothing about their world? Who’s fault was it that she hardly ever trained properly and wasn’t expected to do anything other than raise Hope?

Her fists clenched at her sides. Rage started to build up inside her but she pushed it back. It wasn’t Jackson’s fault. She’d known what she was up against but relaxed when the false sense of security settled over the pack.

She’d pushed what she did to the witch to the back of her mind and chose to live in the bubble Jackson provided for her. She’d enabled it.

And though it frustrated her that she wasn’t training, wasn’t yet strong enough, and the voice in her head disappeared, she admitted that a part of her felt a little relief.

It was all her fault. She should have been ready for anything instead of hiding behind Jackson because he was the strongest among them.

And now it was even too late to flee like she had intended to do.

She sensed Jackson returning and looked out of the window. Dawn had crept over the land without her realising she spent so much time in her head.

Anger. She felt so much anger inside her from her bond with her mate. Her heart started to pound before she saw the beast leap over the high gates and run up the driveway. And then it stopped and looked up at Britney’s window.

The familiar red eyes glowed as they met hers. It wasn’t the first time she’d met Cain, but her heart still raced every time she saw him. He was a king among beasts, and his huge, sharp teeth made all the other werewolves around him look like tame little puppies.

And that beast was mad at her?

What the fuck for? He was the one who’d kept vital information from her ‘to keep her safe’.

The beast shifted in the blink of an eye, and the man stood in his place, still red-eyed. In the rapidly increasing morning light, she saw the muscle in his jaw tick as he ground his teeth.

And then he looked away and marched up the steps of the house.

Her heart hammered some more in a mix of anger and fear when she heard the front door slam. And then she listened to the almost silent footsteps as Jackson came up the stairs. She looked at Britney and saw her still clutching her pillow as she slept in an uncomfortable position against the headboard. What was Jackson going to do? Barge into the room and argue with her in front of her sister?

The footsteps came up to their hallway, and she rushed to stand in front of the door. The thing inside her rose again as if it wasn’t sure if she was dealing with a friend or foe. But this was Jackson. Of course, he wasn’t her foe.

But her fists still clenched as her eyes went over to the key she left in the lock. Her anger started to overpower her anxiety and fear. Her future was uncertain, and according to Jackson, she could do nothing about it.

The footsteps stopped in front of Britney’s door.

She heard the rapid breathing from the other side as if Jackson had been running since the moment he left. She heard his thundering heartbeat.

She felt his anger.

‘Come out before I break the fucking door down.’

An order. She felt it wash over her, rippling over her skin. What the... Did he think he could order her around like he did everyone else?

White hot fury washed through her as she rushed to unlock the door, and she almost ripped it off its hinges when she opened it and came face to face with the furious love of her life.

“You don’t get to order me around,” she hissed, stepping up to him until they were almost touching.

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