Page 18 of Wolf Unleashed
“No. If anything, it’s the stress of being on the run, or knowing my father now has more information on me. That would give anyone nightmares.”
“It might, but I’m sure in this case, it’s the bond. It’s not natural for a blood-bonded female to go so long without touching or being near her mate. That bond is pulling you apart.”
“That can’t be it, Rafe. I share a bond with Tiernan, too. I blood-bonded him first.”
“But you can’t feel that bond. I’m not sure it still exists at this point.”
Her face fell, even as she glanced toward the bedroom where Tiernan had retreated. “Don’t tell him that, please,” she asked, her voice low.
“Tiernan knows the reality, precious. And he’ll go with us to find Maddox.”
“We’re going to get Maddox back? You’d do that for me? For Maddox?”
“I said we are pack, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but you don’t exactly care about Maddox.”
“I don’t care for how he doesn’t keep his mouth shut, how he goads me. But he’s decent enough for a white wolf.”
“See, that right there. You don’t respect him. So why are you bothering to go after him?”
Why was she pushing him on this? He was going after Maddox for her. That should be enough. “Because you need him,” he replied. “You’re suffering without him, and I can’t allow that to continue.”
She grew exceedingly quiet, and her brows pinched together in confusion.
He pressed his lips to her forehead. “What’s wrong?”
“You barely know me. We’ve only been together two months.”
“And you’re stalling again, making excuses and trying to push me away instead of telling me what has you all twisted up inside. I tell you we’re going to find Maddox, the shifter you haven’t shut up about since the DSA arrested him, and suddenly you’re silent. The Artemis I know would be pushing to leave this second, in the middle of the night. But you’re not.”
“You said he’s been with his pack for the past two weeks.”
“So?”
“He hasn’t left to find us.”
“We don’t know that. His alpha has tight control of his pack. Which is why we’re going there to find him and, if necessary, bargain for him.”
“Bargain? You think he’s there against his will?”
“It’s a possibility. It’s also possible he’s remained there of his own will.”
“If he wanted to be with us, he would have found a way.”
“We have more questions than answers, Artemis. One step at a time, okay? First, we find Maddox.” He smiled for her, something he rarely did, but, damn it, he hated seeing her worry.
“I don’t want Maddox to come with us if he doesn’t want to. I don’t care what you think I need. I won’t force him. He has to want to be with me, with us, or we’re no better than my father and those anti-shifters who think they have the right to determine other people’s lives.”
“You blood-bonded him. You may not be able to stay separated from him. Those nightmares will only get worse the longer you’re apart. That will give us the leverage to take Maddox with us if his alpha resists. All wolf shifters respect the blood-bond.”
“Your father didn’t.”
He laughed. “On the contrary. He believed you blood-bonded two shifters, which scared the hell out of him. If you had only blood-bonded one, he wouldn’t see you as a threat to me because no blood-bonded male would allow his female near another male. The fact that you could and did blood-bond two males made him think I’m next. Despite my telling him otherwise.”
She straightened her back and lifted her chin. “Do you feel left out, Rafe? By me? By your father?”
The conversation had turned down a path that would lead nowhere good. When he said nothing, she pressed further. “Did he kick you out, or did you leave voluntarily?”
