Alpha Brothers - The Cold Hearted Sister (book 5)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17
Nicholas
"Nicholas."
I groaned in protest, not wanting to leave the world of Sleep.
"Nicholas," the voice hissed louder, shaking my shoulder.
I moaned, now completely out of the world of Sleep and into the world of Hell. My eyes slowly opened to Irving, looming over me. He was the one that woke me up? Why?
"What?" I groaned, still half asleep.
"Hector wants to see you."
That was enough to wake me up completely. I sat up, my body turning numb. How did he find out? I had been so careful?
Snapping out of my fear, I asked, "Why?"
He shrugged, "Who knows? He woke me up just then."
I rolled my eyes. Typical. He had to get others to do it dirty work.
My head instantly turned to Allie, her safety sitting on my mind. God, what if he had guessed? What will he do to her?
Sighing, I told Irving, "just give me a minute."
He nodded and left.
Rolling to my side, I flattened the pillow and looked down at my sleeping mate. God, I hoped he didn't know. For her sake, if not mine.
Groaning, I rolled out of bed and stumbled over to my chest-of-draws. Snatching out a jumper, I thought my sweat pants would do and walked out to meet Irving who was waiting for me.
"Where is he?" I asked Irving as we started to walk.
"In his tent."
I groaned again, growing frustrated. He couldn't even wait till lunch time to ruin my day. He just had to ruin a perfect morning with Allie.
"Could it have anythin' to do with the Patterson lass?" I asked before I stopped myself, halting in the process.
"I don't know, honestly. But are you sure your not on Christian name terms?"
"Excuse me?" I asked, not meaning to sound so defensive.
"Well, you two seem pretty close, sleepin' together," he said.
I narrowed my eyes, "I give her a bed, I give her food and in return she behaves. That is all. I'm not goin' to punish the lass for somethin' she has no control over."
"Really, because I thought punishin' her was the whole reason she was here."
Crap. I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't find an argument.
"Just be careful," he finally said, making me frown.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"I saw you hug her yesterday at The Punishment and I'm not the only one."
I narrowed my eyes, trying to hide my growing concern.
"Do you have feelin's for her?" He asked, trying to catch me in a trap.
"No, of course not," I snapped, feeling my wolf stir at the lie, "like I said before, I don't believe in punishin' the lass for somethin' she has no control over."
The look in his eyes told me that he didn't believe a word I said but at the same time he had no proof. It was my word over his and there was no way he would challenge me without everything coming down on him too.
Getting past the tension, we started to walk again. As we got closer to Hector's tent, Irving turned in a different direction leaving me alone.
My heart started to race once again at the idea of him knowing. If he had figured it out, if he knew that Allie was my mate, death would be a mercy. For both of us.
Taking in a deep breath, I controlled my neves and entered the pit-bull's cave.
I found Hector at his desk, looking over paper work. A bottle of whisky wasn't far from his grasp but by the looks of things he hadn't opened it. Yet.
"You wanted to see me," I started, the words sounding so foreign on my tongue.
He was my brother, wasn't he? My fresh and blood. So why did it seem so formal between us? Why did it feel like I was talking to a stranger?
"Aye, I did," he started, turning his body around to face me, "I want you to do a boundary check."
I frowned, "why, I don't understand?"
"Well, I just got word that Patterson has increased the search parties. I need you and five others to do a check on the whole perimeter of the pack."
"But, that will take a whole day," I argued.
"Two, actually," he corrected, "I want you to make false tracks to lead them further away."
And just like that, my mind was sent into a war zone. That was two whole days without Allie. Two days, without my protection. And if I made false tracks that meant that her family would never find her. But if I didn't go, Hector will grow more suspicious and that would put Allie in even more danger. And if Allie's family did find her and it will mean that I had lost her forever.
It didn't matter either way. The decision had be been made. But it still raised the question. Why me?
"Why me?" I asked, "I'm sure there's a better person for the job."
"Well, fortunately there isn't. I have another job for Davy, so that leaves you."
Yep, there was really no getting out of it.
"When do we leave?" I asked, not pretending to be enthusiastic about my new job.
"In an hour."
Great. That was only sixty minutes to explain to Allie that under no circumstances was she to leave the tent. Not to mention that fact she'll probably need a babysitter.
"Can you promise me somethin'?" I asked him, calling on the brother I use to know, "can you promise me that nobody touches the Patterson lass?"
"And why would I do that?" He asked, almost seeing it as a joke.
It was a joke in a way. I actually had to ask my brother to keep my mate safe. I knew in Allie's family, that question was a given.
"Because the whole point of her bein' in my guard was to prove my position in the pack. What is the point if your goin' to let someone else touch her?" I asked, the lie rolling off my tongue like I meant it.
Hector turned his head away to think. God, I would have given a hundred dollars to know what he was thinking. I never envied the connection Allie had with her brothers' until now. Did he know that I was lyin' through my teeth? Could he sense my feelin's for her? Had he made the connection that she was my mate? He wasn't giving anything away.
Finally, he turn his head back towards me with a grin on his face.
"Okay, I'll allow it," he told me.
Before I allowed myself to be relived, I asked, "I need your word."
He scoffed and rolled his eyes, "I give you my word. No one touches her. Happy?"
"Aye, thank you, Brother," was the only relief I allowed myself to show.
There was no way I would give away my true feelings in the last five seconds of our meeting when I had survived this far.
Feeling like I had accomplished something this morning, I turned and headed back to my tent.

Allie
I didn't know what was worse. Nick, leaving me alone for two days with no protection what's so ever or the fact that I believed that the only way I could get a handle over my feelings was if he left for two days. I was undecided.
"So, explain why your goin' again?" I asked after the first time he had explained it as he tried to get his life sorted before he left.
"I'm doin' a boundary check," he answered.
"That goes for two days?" I asked, in disbelief.
"Yes and no," he answered, avoiding the question, "we're also creatin' fake tracks to lead your family further away from here."
Oh, of course. The hidden agenda behind everything around here. I couldn't pretend there wasn't a hint of happiness in that. As much as I wanted to return home, I less wanted to see my brothers, particularly the Level-headed Brother himself. What Nick had said last night was true. Everything that had happened yesterday was playing with my head. Everything that I had believed when I had first come here had been thrown out the window. I hoped that my time alone would also give me a chance to get that into order as well.
"Look, if it was up to me, I wouldn't be goin'. But I couldn't give him a reason for me not to go without raisin' questions about why?"
I nodded, understanding that at least. Hector knowing that I was his brother's mate would be a death sentence for both of us.
"And Hector has given me his word that no one will touch you while I'm gone," he reassured me.
"Yeah, like I can believe that," I scoffed before I could stop myself.
"Come on," he groaned, "have little faith. Aye, Hector has his bad parts but he keeps his word."
"Got proof of that?" I asked, "because I don't. He was supposed to stay away forever and yet, here he is, ruinin' my family's life."
Nick didn't say anything making me frustrated by my outburst.
"I'm sorry," I groaned, annoyed, "I know he's your brother and all but I -."
"You don't need to explain," he reassured me, as he sat on the side of the bed, "he's done some horrible thin's to your family. Your allowed to be angry."
A small smile appeared on my lips, grateful for his understanding. And just as that thought warmed my heart, I shook it away. Damn you Nick and your sweetness, I wanted to groan.
Returning to my self-centred and selfish self, I asked, "what do I do about food?"
He chuckled and shook his head, clearly knowing me better than I realized, "I've organised someone to brin' you some."
I cringed, "you mean, that sludge that I got before?"
"It's only for one night, Allie," he said, sounding as if it was so simple.
"I would rather starve."
He laughed but I was serious. That food wasn't worth eating.
"Are you sure your okay with this?" He asked me, though I was sure that I never said that I actually was.
I didn't know how I felt. All I knew was that I had no choice in the matter.
"You have to do it, don't you?" I asked, not expecting an answer, "and besides, it might me nice not to have my Pa around me twenty-four-seven."
His eyes narrowed, giving me the reaction I was hoping for. I bit my lip to contain my smile, finding his I can't wait to punish her face incredibly sexy - No, bad Allie, stop that.
"Well, do I need to organise a babysitter or can you be trusted not to through a party in my absence?" He asked, playing along.
"But Pa," I whined, dodging the hand that Nick through at me.
I giggled as he backed away, no longer playing.
Moving over to the tent entrance, he sighed, "they're leavin' now. I better go."
My heart sunk. It killed me to admit it but it did.
Swallowing, I said, "okay, bye."
He turned his head and accidentally our eyes met. So much was said in that look that neither of us had the guts to say out loud.
He desperately wanted to say, I don't want to leave you alone. And a part of me wanted to tell him, I don't want you to go.
But we remained silent and only the Gods would ever know what we were truly thinking that day.
"Bye," he finally said, before turning and heading out of the tent.