Page 40 of The Alpha's Chosen Fate

The taste of freedom, however fleeting, only served to fuel the restless desperation building within my wolf.Each day, beneath the evergreens’ branches swaying gently in the breeze, I could feel Rieka strain against the confines of my human form.

She wanted to run, to hunt, to lose herself in the primal joy of the wild.And Goddess help me, so did I.

But always, always, we were tethered to Briggs, to his will.He held the key to our cage.

"You're especially somber today," he remarked one afternoon.

I shot him a look.

His gaze bore into mine, seeking out the cracks in my armor.“You can talk to me, Ivy.”

“No, I really can’t.”

He's trying, Rieka murmured.

I shook my head, a tight, jerky motion.It doesn’t matter.

When I returned to my quarters, I took an especially long shower, vainly attempting to relax the tensity in my muscles.

We could try to run away again, Rieka suggested worriedly.

I considered the idea.But as the fantasy took shape, I knew it was impossible.I couldn't abandon Caleb and Emery again, not without speaking to them, no matter how much I might want to get away from Briggs.

Assuming I evencouldget away from him.I at least owed my family more than another disappearance.For them, I would endure.

At least for a little while longer.

Chapter 12

Ivy

Two weeks later …

Torture came in many forms.

Whips.

Chains.

Nearness to one’s abominable yet incredibly attractive fated mate.My wolf wasn’t faring well because of it.

Neither are you, Rieka snarked.

If something didn’t give soon I was going to lose my freaking mind.

The handle turned.“Good morn—”

I bolted past Briggs and didn’t breathe until I was out the front door.He could have easily stopped me but he gave me some space.

About five feet of it.

Restless, I paced along the edge of the drive.A full moon was coming.It only made the urge to shift stronger.

The asshat damn well knew it, too.

Rieka’s instincts were riding her hard and, thus, making life more complicated for me.

Briggs tracked my every move."Ivy?"

---