Page 82 of Rescued By the Beast
Balthazar moves discreetly backwards, raising his hands as if he already wants to withdraw from the conversation.
"I have another commitment, so..." He points to the door.
I give a brief nod, dismissing him. As soon as he leaves, I turn my attention back to Ted.
"It'll be quick. I can't back out. We made a blood promise under the moon. We both have to keep it, even if we don't want to."
Ted exhales, frustrated.
"And are you sure it's going to be a duel? Not an ambush?"
I nod.
"The code of the wolf duel is taken seriously. Hand to hand. One on one. The strongest wins. And I'm the strongest, Ted. No question about it."
He snorts, but doesn't argue.
“I know. Just... get it over with, once and for all.”
I smile wryly, without humour.
"I'll be quick."
Ted lets out a sound of satisfaction before changing the subject.
"Viklaus has regained full consciousness. What shall we do with him? He's still unstable, doesn't want to leave confinement."
I rub my face, feeling the weight of the day that has barely begun.
Am I a terrible person for hoping that Kitten's collar will call me to her again just so I can meet Sandra? Will she show up for me today? Will she...
"I think he needs the human blood treatment." Ted's voice pulls me back to reality. "I'm trying to encourage him to accept it. One drop a day until he regains his strength. So he doesn't lose control completely if he needs to feed on humans in an emergency like last time."
I try to focus on work.
But those green eyes still haunt my thoughts...
It was in the cards. Written in the stars long before I understood. Balthazar predicted that our paths would cross, and at the time, I doubted it. But then I saw her in that tavern...
And everything changed.
It was a primal call, a certainty that was engraved in every fibre of my being. Sandra is mine. My fated mate.
I just didn't expect her to accept me. I spent too much time convincing myself that I would have to watch her from afar,content myself with occasional glimpses, satisfy my hunger with just the sight of her.
But now... now fate has given me a chance.
And I don't intend to waste it.
***
I'm about to leave work and return to the cabin when I realise that the leash didn't call me that afternoon.
Kitten was safe and sound the night before, curled up waiting for me. If she explored the streets today, she found no danger. That should reassure me, but my mind insists on wandering to Sandra. She said she had something to tell me... What could it be? And more importantly, when will she appear to me again?
I descend the company stairs, the day officially over, when a buzz cuts through the silence. The urgent sound of an alert echoes through the loudspeakers. I feel my stomach tighten even before I hear the details.
I turn on my heel and run back to my floor. Ted's operations room is in a frenzy — lights flash on the panel, commands are exchanged over the headset as he coordinates the sentries with military efficiency.
