Page 74 of The Alpha's Broken Oath

“You…You are…”

Winter never gets to give me her words because her back collapses to mine, and she passes out.

***

“D-Deacon? What…what happened?”

Wrapped in my arms, her palms on my chest, Winter searches my face in confusion, and I soak in her beauty like a sponge because imagining her not with me tears me apart.

I push a few strands of hair from her face, kissing her forehead.

“You fainted.”

The memory of what happened to her an hour ago comes to her, and I can feel her trying to push me away.

“It’s almost midnight, and I'm not letting you walk out of here when it’s that late, baby. You are still upset. I know that. I also know everything you heard tonight was a lot to take in, which is why we are going to sleep, and tomorrow, first thing in the morning, we’ll go to Jake. I’ll explain everything that happened, and we can find out from him who put the idea that I killed your parents in his head.”

The submissive part of my mate that’s too tired to fight agrees with me, but the other part of her that’s too stoic to overlook anything makes her palm rest on my chest, her eyes flitting to mine.

“You are right. Jake is good. He would never think that. So, someone had to put that idea in his head. We have to find that person, Deacon.”

“We’ll find him. Together.”

Stubborn and trying not to let the words of us being together mean something, Winter repeats after me.

“Together.”

I wrap my hands around her cautiously, knowing that she might push me off of her or try to pull away.

To my surprise, she falls asleep on my chest without making a hassle, and I listen to her snoring the night away.

I might have her now, but I can’t shake the feeling in my gut that tells me whoever put those ideas in Jake’s head is set to ruin me. The question is, who is he?

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

WINTER

The first rays of sunlight peek through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room.

I trace a line on Deacon’s jaw, mesmerized by the way the light falls on his dark locks.

Touching him evokes a reaction from Deacon because he captures my palm and kisses the back of it before drawing me to his chest and tucking a few stray strands of hair behind my ear.

My eyes are puffy from crying last night. That would also explain why Deacon’s concerned look is honed in on me.

My thoughts are jumbled, and thinking about things, especially things that revolve around Deacon’s father killing my own family, makes my heart ache.

So, to breathe through the pain and give everything a rest, I let this man take the lead. The same man who held me in his arms all night in bed and whispered he loved me and would never hurt me.

I’m only hoping Jacob will be calm enough to understand everything Deacon says to him.

“Ready?”

“Yes,” I affirm.

Taking my hand and not letting me fall back into what happened last night, Deacon helps me into his car five minutes later. In no time, we are on the road.

The trees lined up on the edges of the road sway with the morning breeze. My eyes are glued to the sky, which is now heavy and dark with clouds that threaten to spew rain anytime. Anxiety and worry are two rivals battling in my blood as my pulse skyrockets.

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