Page 60 of Wolf Unleashed
“Tell us what’s happening,” Tiernan said.
“I’m not sure,” Maddox said, his voice strained but more tolerant. He understood Tiernan’s anxiety and respected the shifter’s concern for Artemis. They all felt it, even if Maddox was the only one with a blood-bond connection to her. “A lot of confusion and grief. Some fear.”
“Fear?” Tiernan’s muscles and bones began moving, then settled, as if he were struggling with his wolf again.
Maddox barely lifted his eyes toward Tiernan. He didn’t get riled easily. Neither did Tiernan… usually.
“Not mortal fear,” Maddox amended. “But definitely fear. Of all the emotions crossing the bond… Fuck, it’s hard to describe, but it feels like confusion is the main thread, with everything else caught up in and controlled by that one thread.”
“What do you think they’ve done to her?” Tiernan asked Rafe, as if Rafe had all the answers. An alphashouldhave all the answers. But he didn’t. That’s what they failed to understand about him. He needed and wanted their counsel because too much was at risk.
“Rafe?” Maddox said, raising a brow this time. “You okay?”
“Just thinking. From what you told me of the conversation with her parents, I think they’re trying to help her in their own twisted way.”
“Destroying her wolf won’t help her,” Maddox added.
No, it wouldn’t. In fact, it could kill her. “It’s only been two days,” Rafe added, trying to keep Tiernan calm.
“A lot can happen in two days,” the scout bit back.
“What the fuck is going on with you, Tiernan?” Maddox asked.
“I should have a blood-bond with her. She’s my mate too.”
Rafe knew how he felt. Except if he blood-bonded her, he risked weakening his shifter abilities. Regardless of what happened with his birth pack, right now Rafe certainly couldn’t afford to weaken his abilities, not if he was going to protect his new pack. Different pack, same problem. An alpha couldn’t afford to be weak. Maddox and Tiernan had been fortunate the bond hadn’t weakened their abilities, but there was no guarantee the same would hold true for Rafe.
“My brother thinks the bond never fully took, or exists, but is exceedingly weak because the blood-bonding wasn’t fully consensual,” Tiernan said.
“Then blood-bond her again when we get out of here,” Maddox said.
“You’d be okay with that?” Tiernan asked, surprised.
“I care about her. She cares about you. If it’s something she wants, then I won’t stand in the way.”
“If it works,” Tiernan added. “Your bond with her is strong. It may preclude a new bond from forming.”
“Maddox bonded her after you,” Rafe pointed out. “Even if it was weak, you had a bond with her at the time. That proves more than one male can bond with the same female.” Rafe moved to the bars of the cell. “We’ll talk about this later. When we’re out of here.” He was tired of hearing about the bond, something he’d never have with her. The two of them would be tied together through Artemis, and he’d always stand apart, not just because of his status as alpha. He’d never know the true intimacy that came with blood-bonding a mate.
The sweet scent of Rafe’s female reached him before he spotted her walking toward their cell with two guards flanking her. With her head held high and her back straight but not tense, she walked toward them, casually, as if she were outside strolling by herself without a care in the world. Something wasn’t quite right with her. He scented the air again. Nothing smelled different about her, but her behavior was off. Bright hazel eyes sparkled as they washed past him.
Aloof. Disinterested. This was not his female. Not the one he’d seen across the compound when he and Tiernan had first arrived. Not the one who’d stood up to humans and shifters at both the DSA training facility and everywhere since.
“Are you okay, Artemis?” Rafe’s hands wrapped around the bars so tightly he was sure he’d pull them free of the cement, something he’d already tried to do.
“My name’s Alyssa. Alyssa Monroe,” she said, as if he didn’t know her name.
“What have they done to you?” Tiernan asked.
They saw it too, the change in her.
“Easy,” Rafe said, his arm outstretched to keep Tiernan back. Rafe needed to talk to her without any emotional outbursts from anyone. The guards were scowling, like they didn’t want to be here and would pull her away any second.
“I’m here to inform you that I’ve made my decision. I’m staying here with my parents. They explained everything to me. I understand so much more now. We have a lot of work to do together.”
“We?” Rafe repeated, stunned by her words.
“I’m getting rid of my wolf and staying with my mom and dad.”
