Hooked

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Adrian

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, N.L.PETIT 2015.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Adrian

The moment I left the house, I knew I should have turned back and apologized to her. My chest felt heavy from the look on her face when I had practically dismissed her and left her waiting for me. I never wanted to see her feel that way, much less be the cause of it. 

She wanted me to be an alpha, to lead my pack in place of Trailmagne. Every time I had ever considered accepting that status, I saw myself following his footsteps, leaving my pack to pick up the pieces. But my pack still wanted an alpha, and against my better judgment, I was in the first in line to take that position for them. 

I'd heard the same thing from my family and my pack, but coming from her, I wanted to believe it more than anything -- in fact, I almost did. My mate was so passionate, so persuasive without even knowing it, and she believed what she said so much that I wanted to see myself from her perspective, too. 

Thinking about this only forced me to remember the way her eyes stared me down as I closed the door behind me. I could tell she was forcing herself to stay calm and not shout at me, knowing that fighting with me wouldn't help either of us. It was just another thing to admire about her, another thing to add to the ever-growing list of qualities that would make her a wonderful alpha. She had what it took to be fair and honest, and I found myself wondering if I might be able to pull this whole thing off, if she were by my side.  

She certainly brought a whole new light to the idea of becoming an alpha, yet I had just royally fucked up with her without even thinking. In my mind, it had been the only way to get out of the house to assign a team of men to guard the house, and her, without her knowledge. After hearing about Will touching her, there wasn't a chance in hell that I would leave her unprotected.

The thought of Will and what he could have done to her made my head pound. He could have taken her, and I wouldn't have even known or been able to stop him. She could have been gone, and I wouldn't have known what to do, or how to breathe, or how to even begin to go on without her. 

I pushed the thoughts away. They wouldn't help anyone and were only preventing me from stepping up to get rid of the influx of zamphyr crawling through the city. 

"Send more to my house," I said, and I watched the command sink into the men and women around me. "Every incident has been centered there, and I wouldn't doubt that the next will be, too. Aside from my mate, I don't know what they're after, but I can't ignore the fact that Waverley's pack hasn't tried to intercede or find the threat. If you come into contact with their wolves, watch what you give away, and don't trust them until this is over."

I looked at Kor, and he stared at me over the table. His body was tense, and I could see his mind reeling as he thought of his mate, Rosie, who was supposed to return from the city in only hours. If she was intercepted on her way here by zamphyr who recognized her scent, I wasn't sure he'd make it.

"Call her," I said, and he nodded.

"If something happens to her..." he started, but I wasn't sure he could finish his statement. I understood his pain all too well. 

"I know. We'll keep her safe, Kor. Tell her to stay at the airport until we can escort her out. This is too close to bring her into in her condition."

He nodded again and turned away, pulling his phone from his pocket. I turned to my parents, watching my mother fidget in my father's arms. She was the only woman who hadn't left the room, and I wanted to keep her away from everything. I knew my father felt the same way, knowing that she'd been impersonated only hours before and could be again.