Page 49 of The Alpha's Fallen Spell
Griffin sets down his pen and leans back in his chair. “I was wondering when you’d figure it out.”
“Where is she?” I repeat, advancing toward his desk.
“Gone,” he says simply. “She left shortly after you did, on the mission.”
“And you let her?” My voice rises, anger bubbling through the shock. “She was sick! She could barely walk across a room without gasping for breath!”
Griffin’s expression hardens. “She wasn’t going to survive here, Erik. Not as she was.”
“What does that mean?” I demand.
“It means she was dying,” he says bluntly. “Her wolf was fading, and her body was failing with it. She wanted to live whatremained of her life on her own terms. I simply gave her the means to do so.”
I grip the edge of his desk, knuckles white. “She doesn’t know anything about the outside world! She has spent her entire life in captivity! What if she’s scammed or manipulated? What if she needs help? What if her condition worsens?”
“She’s not alone,” Griffin counters calmly. “Maya has ensured that she has resources, contacts. She’s as safe as she can be.”
“That’s not good enough!” I slam my palms on his desktop. “She belongs here!”
“Does she?” Griffin asks, his voice deceptively soft. “You made it clear she wasn’t wanted here. At least, not by you.”
The accusation stings. “That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” Griffin rises, coming around the desk to face me directly. “You rejected your fated mate—publicly, from what I hear. You’ve been seen running with another wolf at night. The palace staff talk, Erik. They see things.”
I shake my head, confusion mixing with my anger. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Elina,” Griffin says flatly. “I’m talking about the fact that you should focus on the woman you’ve chosen rather than the one you rejected.”
The implication leaves me speechless for a moment. “Elina? You think Elina and I are—” I break off, the absurdity of it almost making me laugh despite the situation. “There’s nothing between Elina and me. She’s a soldier under my command, the sister of a fallen comrade.”
Griffin studies me, doubt clear in his expression. “That’s not what Elina told Fiona.”
“What?” The single word comes out as a whisper.
“According to Maya, Elina confronted Fiona in the library. Told her that you and she had a history together, that you caredfor her. That Fiona was coming between you two.” Griffin’s jaw tightens. “She told Fiona she wasn’t good enough to be your mate. That she was too damaged.”
The room seems to spin around me as the implications sink in. “I never knew about this,” I say, my voice hoarse. “But I told Fiona there was nothing between Elina and me.”
“You expected her to believe that when you’d just rejected the mate bond the Goddess had chosen for you?” Griffin asks incredulously. “Erik, I asked around. It’s common knowledge among your soldiers that you and Elina are together. Nightly runs in the forest? That’s something potential mates do.”
“She asked me to teach her the new patrol routes,” I protest, though even to my own ears it sounds weak. “She didn’t want the men to see her struggling with the new formations. She chose the time.”
Griffin snorts. “And you played right into her hands. Did it never occur to you that she might have ulterior motives?”
I sink into a chair, my mind racing. “The rumors about Fiona...The noble families’ sudden interest in her status...Was all of that Elina’s doing, too?”
Griffin shrugs. “I don’t know for certain. But the timing is suspicious, isn’t it? Shortly after you reject Fiona, rumors begin circulating that she’s dangerous, unstable. That she might be a spy.”
The memory of Elina’s words in the training yard hits me with new clarity. “What if she’s a mole for the enemy? She might be spying on us for them!”
Had I really been so blind?
“I need to find her,” I say, rising abruptly. “Fiona. I need to explain.”
Griffin blocks my path. “It’s not that simple, Erik. She didn’t just leave; she took steps to ensure she couldn’t be found.”
“What do you mean?” A new fear grips me.
