Page 96 of Taken By the Alpha Priest

“Tilda,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “Please don’t?—”

“Don’t what?” I snap, sitting up straighter. “Don’t call it like I see it? Don’t point out that my own sister can’t even look me in the eye?”

She swallows hard, twisting her hands in front of her like she’s trying to wring water from them. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Then why did you grab me?” I ask, my voice sharper than I intend. “You didn’t have to do that. And why did you let them take my prisoner? I’m not your enemy, Enid.”

Her eyes dart to the floor, guilt written all over her face. “I know,” she says softly, barely audible. “It’s just that I’m…” She pauses, like she’s searching for the right words. “I’m scared of what they’ve done to you.”

I let out a low groan, shaking my head in frustration. “What did Patrick tell you?”

Her lip trembles, and for a moment, I think she might refuse to answer. But then she glances back up at me, her eyes glistening. “He said you won’t tell him anything about the pack, or the den. That old cavern where they’re holed up—you act like it’s your home.”

“It is,” I say, the words coming out before I can stop them. “It’s hard to explain, but it is. It’s more of a home than this town has ever been.”

Enid flinches, her breath hitching. “But what about me?” she asks, her voice breaking. “All these years, it’s just been the two of us, Tilda. Then you run off, you get hurt, and you don’t come back. You left me.”

Her words hit like a punch to the gut. I see the tears welling in her eyes, and it feels like all I can do now is make her cry. My throat tightens, and I bite my lip, trying to hold myself together. When I look at her, I force myself to see her as I used to—a scared kid, my kid, the sister I promised to protect. Not someone who doesn’t trust me anymore. Not someone who’s looking at me like I’m the enemy.

I soften my voice, taking a step closer but careful not to crowd her. “Enid…I didn’t leave you. I thought I was doing what was best for both of us. But I’ll tell you everything, okay? You deserve to know.”

She sniffles, brushing a hand across her cheek to catch the first tear before it falls. “Everything?”

“Everything,” I promise. “But you have to promise me something first.”

She hesitates, her brows knitting together. “What?”

“You have to keep an open mind,” I say firmly, locking eyes with her. “And you have to at least try to believe me. No matter how crazy it sounds.”

Enid nods slowly, her fingers still tangled together in front of her. “Okay,” she says, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I promise.”

The weight of her answer settles over both of us, heavy and uncertain. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next. This isn’t going to be easy, but it’s the only chance I have to get her to see the truth—and to get her on my side.

“This is going to sound crazy, I know,” I say. “Before I start, I need you to understand that I thought it was crazy myself. It all started when David shot me.”

“He still says he didn’t do that.”

“Do you really believe he wouldn’t be capable of it?” I scowl. “I thought the kid had a good heart, but why would I lie about that?”

Enid squirms under my stare. She’s never been comfortable when I challenge her; but she’s also rarely fought me on anything. “Okay,” she says. “Say I believe that. Keep going.”

“Reyes—Father Garza. He was the one who found me, and I was almost gone. The bullet hit me right here in the stomach.” I gesture at the spot. “And in order to save my life, he had to bite me.”

Enid starts to roll her eyes, but my glare stops her. “I’m sorry, you’re losing me,” she says. “We all know their bite has a weird effect, just like the old movies.”

“Stop, Enid,” I say. “He didn’t want to do it, and he treated me with the utmost respect. In fact, the wolves treated me with more dignity than I’ve gotten here. They gave me free roam of the den right away, gave me a friend to lean on, to guide me around, named…” I hesitate to give out her name, but I do it because I hope that, one day, they’ll meet. “…named Peaches. And they told me that all they wanted was a garden plot. In exchange, they offered to get you medicine.”

Enid licks her lips, her brow furrowing.

“You’re running out of insulin soon, aren’t you?” I ask.

She shrugs. “We bought some off some travelers,” she says. “But I had to pay a pretty penny for it.”

“What did you trade?”

“My horse.” She starts to tear up again, but quickly flicks the salty trail from her cheek. “That’s beside the point.”

“Not really,” I say. “Reyes wouldn’t have asked you to do that.”

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