Page 17 of The Alpha's Envy
“Please, Jonathan.”
The tremble in Marie’s voice is my undoing.
As much as it galls me not to finish this today, before Graham has the time to gather his wolves and launch an ambush, it’s time to get out of here.
“Of course.”
Scooping her up into my arms, ensuring the blanket is wrapped snugly around her freezing body, I carry her to the still running car as quickly as I can.
“Thank you,” she whispers, looping her arms around my neck and sagging against me in relief as I jog down the road, holding her possessively to me as I run.
Never taking his eyes off the trees, my beta walks backward toward the vehicle before sliding into the passenger seat once we’re safely positioned in the back seat.
“Go,” I order, bracing myself as the car peels away in a cloud of dust, tires screeching.
Marie’s eyes fall closed, and she breathes a sigh of relief, relaxed now that she’s travelling away from Silver Creek and further into Grey Ridge territory.
Twisting around, I stare at the bridge, watching with fury as Graham steps out of the darkness and stands right on the border, arms folded over his chest.
He watches us, never taking his eyes off us until we turn the corner and cut him off from view.
This isn’t over.
Marie finally stops shaking, the bitter taste of fear disappearing from her scent, while I flood my pack’s mind-link with instructions.
More patrols. Nobody wanders near the river or the bridge. Anyone suspicious should be reported back to a senior enforcer.
At the same time, my own wolves send me messages. Graham has demanded five of his wolves who work in our hotel return home immediately, as if I would ever punish them for his actions.
Hopefully this won’t escalate any further, and I’ll be able to speak to his father about what happened today without starting a war between the packs, but one thing I know for certain is he’ll never get within a hundred yards of my mate ever again.
11
MARIE
“Here.”
Jonathan presses a steaming mug of sweet, milky tea into my hands and sits down on the sofa beside me.
Staring at my fingernails, I notice a small speck of blood that I’ve missed, despite scrubbing my skin practically raw in the bath for the last hour.
Curling my fingers around the warm cup, I stare into it, my mind blank. Maybe I’m in shock.
“I’ve increased patrols on the pack borders and stationed four wolves permanently at the bridge. We’ll know if Graham or any of his wolves tries to cross into our territory. He’s not going to get anywhere near you.”
My shoulders drop a little, a tiny bit of tension leaving my body as my mate's deep voice filters into my mind and snaps me out of the daze I’m in.
“He won’t. He’s too clever for that. He knows the council will come down on them like a ton of bricks.”
He’ll bide his time.Those are the words I think but don’t say out loud. I can tell from Jonathan’s dishevelled hair anddark stubble that this is tearing him up more than me. Graham has recalled any of his pack that are working in our territory or businesses, demanding they return home.
Hopefully this isn’t the start of something more sinister, like an invasion.
The council was set up to stop the frequent fighting that occurred in the past. Nobody wants to return to the old days of constant tension and killings over nothing more than land or bruised egos.
At least, I hope nobody does. Graham does seem to be thinking rationally.
“They should anyway.” He growls, struggling to keep his wolf’s protectiveness at bay but not wanting to spook me. “If you tell them what happened, I’m sure they’ll put measures in place to ensure he leaves you alone for good.”
