Chapter 5

“Iris,” his husky voice made me blush slightly, since no one really called me Iris other than my dad. I opened my mouth to tell him to just call me Ris, but my throat caught and I quickly closed it once again.

He gave me a hard look when I said nothing, his intimidating gaze sweeping down my body as if he was inspecting me.

“How old are you?” He asked in a cold voice, his tone surprising me.

“I’m eighteen…” I said quietly, unsure of how he would react to my youth.

Sergio’s eyes hardened slightly when I spoke, and I was unsure if it was because of my reply, or just my voice.He looked almost ashamed of himself and I couldn’t help from wonder his age. To me, he looked like he was in his twenties, but looks could deceive.

Sergio took a few steps closer to me, and I could feel the space between us closing, making my heart skip rapidly. But before the distance between us closed completely, he stopped and leaned against his desk while folding his large arms across his broad chest.

He began to talk in a dark, uninterested tone, “Last night I was researching people who might be able to help us with…this. And we finally found the name of an old witch doctor who…”I must have looked as confused as I felt because he trailed off and gave me an annoyed look.

“What do you mean…Alpha?” I tacked his formal title in just enough time to avoid disrespect. If the rumors about Alpha Sergio were true, he made people pay for disrespect. I swallowed the thick lump in my throat and waited for his explanation.

He glanced between us, brows pulling together as if he couldn’t comprehend my ignorance. “This,” he pointed at me and then at himself, “should not have happened.”

Oh. I relentlessly chewed on the inside of my cheek. He did not think that we could be mates? “Why?” I asked, cheeks warming at the prospect of his rejection. Did he not feel our connection?

Sergio gazed at me as if I should already know, but I remained silent. Better to not anger him more. “My real mate is dead.”

I flinched. The comment stung, but after the initial bite of his words hit me, I began to focus on what they actually meant. Of course, his old mate was dead. Everyone knew that story. And Sergio was clearly questioning whether it was possible for him to get another Fate Mate.

After a few long moments of strained silence I finally found my words. “Then why am I here? Why did you take me away from my family if you don’t even want me?”

Something in his eyes flashed and he paused, deliberating his words. “Because even though we cannot actually mates…my wolf believes that we are. It is better to keep you here until everything is sorted out.”

I folded my arms across my waist, suddenly immeasurably insecure. I had thought that we were mates, but Sergio was making it perfectly clear that we were nothing of the sorts.

“We are leaving at sunset to find the witch.” The order slipped off of his tongue with ease. The Black River Alpha indeed, accustomed to every being bowing to his command. I wanted to roll my eyes but self-preservations stepped in before I did anything stupid. “Don’t be late.”

“Aye aye, captain,” I muttered, unable to stop myself. Sergio blinked, as if he could scarcely believe what I’d said, and just as anger settled over his features, his blue eyes glazed over and became unfocused. It was a look that I was familiar with. Somebody from his pack was trying to communicate with him through mind link.

He growled slightly and curiosity got the best of me. “What’s wrong?” I questioned, teeth tugging on my bottom lip.

Only he did not reply, and I did not expect him to. Sergio wordlessly stormed passed me, a look of pure fury clouding his gaze. The scent of his anger made my insides shake. Before I could say anything else, he pushed the door open and muttered something to Sophia before exiting the room.

Sophia glanced at me, looking slightly worried, but she filled me in on what was happening. “A few rogues were caught in our territory. It’s no big deal, we took care of them, but Sergio still wants to go and check things out.”

I understood. Rogues trespassed on the Dandelion Prime’s all the time, and they were a force to be reckoned with.

Sophia looked like she desperately wanted to join in on the action, but I knew that Sergio had commanded her to stay with me.

“You can go if you want,” I offered. “I can find my way back to the room without getting killed.” So long as I kept my mouth shut and didn’t piss off any Black River warriors along the way.

Sophia shook her head. “You aren’t allowed to leave my sight.” Despite her words, I could tell that Sophia’s mind was churning. She cocked a dark brow and smiled. “So technically we could both shift and go out to see what is going on together?”

I laughed. The sound was cool and sharp, and I didn’t quite recognize it. I’d had to admit my… deficiencies countless times in the past, but never to a member of another pack. “Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea. But, there’s one major thing holding me back.” Sophia’s head crooked to the side in question, and I continued, “I can’t shift… At least not at will.”

 I could feel my face turn red as I shamefully admitted this flaw that had plagued me since I turned fourteen and shifted for the first time.

Her eyes widened, “You can’t shift?”