Page 28 of Destined Bear
“Oh, just go with him.” Alessa nudges me coyly, and for a moment, I’m so tempted, the agreement almost slips from my lips.
But I hold fast to my convictions, difficult as it is.
His closeness continues to overwhelm me, and I can’t stop the memories from plaguing me.
I keep remembering how good we were together, all those nights talking about forever. But he moved on without me. I have to remember that.
“Come on.” I brush past Emeric, ignoring the palpable waves of regret rolling off him.
“Are you ever going to forgive him?”
The question stops me in my tracks, and I stare over my shoulder at Alessa. “I have forgiven him! I’m here, aren’t I?”
She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “If you really forgave him, you would have a real conversation with him. You’re only using him out of necessity.”
The words sting. I’m not using Emeric for anything. If anything, it’s the other way around. The whole reason I’d left Willow Grove in the first place is that I didn’t want to depend on him or anyone else.
I need space to think. I’m mad at Emeric for everything between us, and irritated with Alessa for trying to fix what’s broken.
“I’ll see you later.” I start to shift into my fox body.
But Alessa stops me. “I thought I was giving you a ride home!”
I don’t respond as I fully finish morphing and take off into the roadway, running from more than just the conversation.
CHAPTER 8
EMERIC
There’s silence for days, but my anxiety grows as I wait for something to happen.
Alessa and Sabo report back that they have eyes on Seline, but she’s doing very little in the way of leading them anywhere. They follow her to house calls and home, to social events, but they aren’t getting very far, and this lack of news is killing me.
At the next enforcers’ meeting, I explain my concerns. “I’m getting apprehensive with Millie still around. I feel like they’re plotting right under our noses.”
Vivienne stares at me across the council room table, her emerald eyes shadowing. “Do you want to approach her? I thought we were going to wait it out.”
“There’s no more time to do that. We have to do something now.”
Alessa leans forward in her chair. “What’s the new plan then?”
My head swivels around to look for Sabo. “Where is your partner?”
“He’s watching over Seline. We can’t both be here if you want constant eyes on her.” Alessa gives me an incredulous look. “Be reasonable.”
The enforcers’ heads turn toward me in unison for my reaction.
I bare my fangs at her. “Watch yourself, Alessa!”
She shrugs nonchalantly, but my rebuff annoys her. I continue to stare at her until she meets my eyes again.
“What, Emeric?”
Her petulance is really testing my patience.
“Go. Bring. Her. In.” My voice is low and full of authority. “I want to have her in the packhouse by tonight.”
With a wave of my hand, I dismiss them all.
