Page 77 of The Alpha's Chosen Fate

Chapter 23

Ivy

I stood at the window, eyes locked on the empty driveway.A deep unease grew in my gut, worsening by the minute.

Rieka paced, restless.Her unease fed mine, the bond between us thrumming with warning.

Briggs and I were mending, but we weren’t whole.Still, faint flickers of his emotions bled through our fractured link.Pain?My breath hitched.Was he hurt?

My wolf pressed hard against my mind, a sharp yelp vibrating through me.

Something was wrong.

"Ivy?"Colten's voice cut through the haze of my thoughts."You look like you’re about to jump out of your skin."

I turned away from the window."Something isn’t right.Maybe we should go—”

“No.You’re not stepping foot outside this cabin.”

My arms crossed.“Something in me is screaming that something terrible is about to happen. It’s not a normal twinge of worry.”

I didn’t know how to explain it exactly.

He ran a hand through his blond hair."It's probably just the incomplete mating bond.It can make your emotions go haywire, especially in the beginning."

His eyes darted over to Emery who was talking quietly with my brother.“Or so I’ve been told.”

"No, it's more than that."I shook my head."Rieka senses it too.”

"Ivy, listen to me.Of course you’re feeling strongly right now.But Briggs knows what he’s doing.He knows not to trust Phelps."

I wanted to let his reassurance soothe the dread that coiled in my stomach.But the feeling persisted.

Colten sighed, resting a hand on my shoulder.“I get it.I want to be there too.But Briggs gave me an order—keep you safe.So we wait.That’s our job right now.”

I forced a nod, though nothing in me agreed.

Excusing myself, I went to the bathroom.After washing my hands, I splashed some water on my face and took several deep cleansing breaths.

The sound of raised voices caught my attention.I hurried down the hall, stopping to listen before entering the room.

"You're not listening, Colten!Those assholes have no honor, no respect for anything.We can’t just sit here and do nothing.You know they’ve plotted something.You know it."

“And I also know that you have been scheming and plotting your personal revenge for what they did to you.Don’t think I haven’t been doing the same.And, when the time comes, I will be the one to take action.Not you.”

“Are you fucking kidding me with that bullshit?!”she yelled.

“Lila, calm down.”

The air crackled with tension between the siblings like they were about to throw down.My money was on Lila.

I stepped forward to intervene when a hand caught my arm, pulling me backwards.Emery, eyes sharp, voice low.“I know you’re not okay.What do you need?”

“I need to not be trapped inside this cabin.”

“Okay, so we get out of here.Then what?Go after your mate?”

“Yes.”

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