Page 37 of Brutal Alpha's Sold Mate
Jacob glares. “You’re making a mistake.”
Theo motions to two watchers hovering nearby. “Escort him to the border. If he resists, cage him.”
Jacob casts a final glare at me before stalking off with the watchers. Once he vanishes around the corner, Theo exhales.
I meet his eyes. There are so many things I want to say, but one stands out: he didn’t have to defend me like that, but he did. Theo stood by me against his own brother. I don’t knowwhat to make of that, especially when I’ve been questioning everything.
He turns his focus fully on me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I rub a hand over my forehead. “I can’t believe Jacob was behind the attack.”
“He’ll get his due.” Theo hesitates. “I shouldn’t have left you alone. Heath reported a skirmish, and I thought it best to hurry. Sorry.”
I wave him off. “Don’t worry about me. You have a pack to lead. Besides, I can handle Jacob. Especially since it seems you found an antidote?”
He grins. “You saw. That potion was sent by Jade Thornton. She’s—”
“I know who she is,” I cut in. “Damien’s mate. I have to say, I’m a little surprised you actually sought help outside the pack. Don’t you guys usually prefer to be self-sufficient?”
“I had to try,” Theo says simply. “For you.”
I nod, unsure how to respond. My emotions are a tangle of conflicting desires. I want to trust him, but I don’t want to make a fool of myself. I don’t know what it means when he defends me. I’m still not certain of anything between us.
The only thing I’m certain of is that we have to prepare the pack. Threats are coming from all sides, and we can’t afford to ignore them. I’ll do everything I can to get back into fighting form. I’ll train the new fighters until they’re a force to be reckoned with. And no matter what, I won’t let Jacob catch me unprepared again.
Chapter 14 - Theo
I’m done watching my brothers tear this pack apart—and me along with it. That’s the thought blasting through my mind as Jacob finally storms out, leaving a trail of tension in his wake. My ribs feel like lead pipes are jammed into them, courtesy of Reed’s fists, but I won’t give Jacob the satisfaction of seeing how much it hurts.
After the latest border attack, I marched straight into Reed’s territory, ready to throw accusations—and fists—if necessary. And of course, it got ugly. Reed didn’t even try to deny the accusation at first, mostly because he was too busy swinging back after I shoved him. Once the dust settled, he claimed the attacks weren’t his doing and threw my lack of evidence in my face.
Turns out, I was indeed wrong. It was Jacob all along.
Once Jacob is well out of sight, I let out a shaky breath and lean against the wall. My side throbs with every heartbeat. Kai moves closer, her eyes moving to my bruised torso. She’s still recovering, but she has enough strength to hover like a worried hawk.
“What happened?”
I sigh, waving a hand as if to brush it off. “Reed and I had a discussion.”
Her brows shoot up. “A discussion that left you looking like that? What did you do?”
“I confronted him about the border attacks,” I admit. “It didn’t go well.”
Her frown deepens. “And by ‘didn’t go well,’ you mean what? You accused him, and he decked you?”
“Something like that.” I grimace as I shift my weight. “He claims he’s innocent, but I wasn’t about to let him off easy.”
Kai crosses her arms. “And you thought fighting him was the best approach? Theo, you’re supposed to be smarter than this.”
“Can we skip the lecture? I already feel like shit.”
She huffs. “Can we also skip the part where you pretend you’re fine? Because I can see you’re hurting.”
I let my shoulders slump. “Jacob’s threat was the last straw. I’m tired of all this—fighting Reed, cleaning up Jacob’s messes, defending the pack from every new problem. My body’s had about enough, too.”
She exhales, then steps in front of me, running her eyes over my face. “Fists and fangs won’t fix your issues with them.” She gestures toward my side. “You’re bleeding again.”
I glance down at the clumsy bandage slapped over my ribs. Dried blood stains the corner. “It’s nothing.”
