21
My hand brushes against the side of her neck where she would have worn my mating mark. My wolf yearns to mark her, but I know that only one mating mark can be given. I’ve never heard of a dual mating mark. Suppressing my beast's desire, I gather Sophia in my arms and just hold her. Although she has been riding on my back for the past three days, this is different. In her sleep, she presses against me, as if seeking my heat.
As always, her touch is like an aphrodisiac, my skin rippling just from her hands against my chest, but I snuff out the hunger and desire. This is not the time or place.
My wolf paces in my mind, seeking her out, desperate to take charge. Perhaps it’s instinct, but I let it out.
It immediately circles around Sophia, curling around her and covering her with our tail. She burrows into me. After a few moments, to my surprise, she shifts into her Silver Wolf form. Even as a wolf, her eyes don’t open. Both of us are pressed against the other in an intimate manner. I can feel my wolf's affection as it begins to groom her, our tongue running over her fur. Sophia just stays next to us, resting. I don’t know how much time passes, but she soon begins to emit a rumbling sound in her chest, and her eyes finally open. She studies me before her tongue darts out to lick my nose.
I can feel the change in her.
She’s better.
It stuns me that that was all it took.
Here Elsa was feeding her tonic after tonic, while all I had to do was shift into my wolf form and surround her with myself.
It’s astounding, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
I shift back into my human form and wait for her to do the same.
When she does, the change within her is obvious.
“Feeling better?” I cup her cheek watching her blink slowly, as if she is waking up from a deep sleep. Her eyes are clear, the exhaustion in them no longer there.
"What did you do?” Sophia sighs. "I feel like somebody gave me a detox treatment."
Before I can answer her question, she looks down at her naked body, and her face turns a bright red. “And where are my clothes, Alex? You pervert!”
The shift from happy to outraged and embarrassed makes me grin. “Don’t blame me. Elsa told me to take off your clothes.”
Sophia stares at me. “There has to be more to that story. I know Elsa didn’t just tell you to strip me for no reason.”
“And what if she did?” I tease her lightly.
She’s not buying it. “And what if your pants catch on fire?"
My lips curve, pleased at seeing her feisty nature back. Pressing a heated kiss against her mouth, I murmur, “Why are you so determined to drive me crazy? Stop putting yourself in danger.”
She kisses me back, but doesn’t answer. I help her back into her clothes before pulling on my own. When we return to the campsite, everyone is waiting for us.
Brian is the first to approach us. "Sophia. You look better."
"I feel better." She smiles at him.
The other Alphas look between the two of us curiously, clearly wondering what I did, but not brave enough to ask.
Even Elsa looks surprised and relieved.
“You look as if you didn’t believe she would get better?” I murmur as I help her with the straps of the harness.
"I’ve heard of it happening. Seen it myself,” she admits. "But not to this extent. Your bond is a strange one, Alex.”
She sighs heavily. "Let's hope the rest of the journey is free from any further attacks."
This time we don't take any breaks, determined to run the whole day to reach the border. By the time we do, it is to walk directly into a large campsite at the edge of the North and South border. My pack, my soldiers, and my inner circle are all there, waiting for me.
Sophia has barely shifted back into her human form before Nathan rushes towards her.
“Are you all right?”
Of the four trusted friends in my inner circle, Nathan is the youngest. Sophia saved his sister’s life and in return, the boy has become quite attached to her. Patrick and Jared are a few steps behind him, and Patrick, who's my childhood friend, settles his hand on my shoulder. "I was imagining all sorts of scenarios. I’m glad to see that the two of you made it here safely."
“Did you face any problems?” I look around. My entire pack is watching us. Nobody has approached me, giving me the space to talk to my four lieutenants.
Saul reaches me. “Hilda leaked all the safe houses and identities. When we got to the city, the soldiers were evacuating the women and children. Fortunately, there weren't any casualties on our side."
My brows arch. "But there were casualties?"
Saul smiles nonchalantly. "They tried to burn the building down with the children and women inside. When no one came running out, they went in to check. Karina's soldiers, if that part wasn't clear. We locked them inside."
Sophia looks pale. "You burned them alive."
"They would have burned our pups alive," Jared counters, his tone angry. "We simply gave them the treatment they offered our most vulnerable people. She's lost quite a lot of soldiers."
"We got there in time to evacuate everyone from the buildings. We had a choice. They were attacking everything simultaneously. We chose to rescue the pack," Nathan says. "But all your businesses and everything you had set up was razed to the ground. Sorry, Alex."
I study my men, who look remorseful.
"It's fine. Everything can be built again. The dead cannot be brought back. You did the right thing by saving the pack. We can always make more money."
I see Sophia look around, taken aback by the sheer number of soldiers around her. Like I told Brian, Sophia doesn’t have an idea of how many soldiers I have. We’ve discussed it vaguely. She’s never expressed any interest or curiosity in finding out more. Not about my wealth, and not about the number of men under my command. But now the soldiers who are under me, also serve her.
“Is it true that you she is now the Queen of the South Alliance?” Nathan asks in a disbelieving tone.
“I wasn’t lying to you!” Jared frowns. “I showed you the message Alex sent. “
“Well, I want to hear from her own mouth.” Nathan counters. “Is it true?”
Sophia nods. Before they can start questioning her, I lift my hand. “We have to move. Staying in the North is no longer safe for any of us. Prepare everyone to cross the border."