Page 63 of Unbreakable Bond
Chapter 25
Zoey could actually seethe path in the grass that she’d worn down from all her pacing. Michael had left her hours ago to go looking for Rafe. She’d tried to go with him but he’d ordered her to stayput.
Ordered!
Michael had given her an order and as her Alpha, she had to follow it. Which pissed her off to no end. Whenever he showed his stupid, arrogant, bossy ass back up she was going to give him a piece of her mind. She’d been his best friend far longer than she’d been a member of hispack.
And Rafe was her mate. Hers. Sure he was Michael’s brother but mate trumpedbrother.
She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she paced. She should be out there. Looking for Rafe. Tracking him down. Finding her mate and making sure he was okay so that she could rip him apart herself for going off alone during anattack.
Jesus, Zoey swallowed hard around the knot in herthroat.
They’d been attacked. Another pack had come onto Moirae land and injured members of the pack. They’d gone after Michael. Taken him down. Tried to take him out. It had been a measured and deliberate act of violence. They’d wanted to kill Michael. They could have. And even though he was out there in the woods, walking around, a new scar on his arm and only a few bruises to show thanks to his superhuman genes, she couldn’t shake the thought of how close she’d come to losinghim.
How close she’d come to losing themboth.
She loved them. Both of them. She loved Michael as her best friend, as the brother she’d sworn she never would. She loved him with the pure, undiluted innocence of the girl she’d been. And she loved Rafe as her mate and her lover, her fate and her destiny. She loved him with her whole heart and soul, her entire being and two sides of her self. She loved them and she’d almost lostthem.
Her wolf whined and clawed at her insides. She didn’t want to think about that. She wanted to be out there, in the woods, on their scent. She wanted to find the wolves that had attacked her family and rip them to shreds. And she only consoled herself that she would, once she knew her men weresafe.
“Zoey, why don’tyou…”
She whirled at the sound of her name and hissed, “So help me Darius if you tell me I should go inside and relax I’m going to claw your eyesout.”
The Enforcer didn’t even flinch from his position on the steps of the lodge where he’d been standing the entire time she paced. His lips turned down at the corners even more than usual, something she hadn’t known was possible. He always looked annoyed and disapproving but this time she didn’t take itpersonally.
Darius had been as pissed as she was when Michael told him to stay like a good little lapdog too. He wasn’t the type to openly argue with his Pack Alpha which was why the fact that he’d questioned the logic of Michael going out alone after an attack had been brow raising. Michael had said he would be fine and for Darius to stay with Zoey and the others in the pack who were still recovering from their injuries. Darius hadn’t once gone inside to check on the others. He’d stayed on the porch and intermittently watched the woods and watched her pace and each time he’d opened his stupid mouth it had been to tell her she should go inside and get somerest.
On a normal day, she wanted to smack him for being a condescending, arrogant ass. Today? She really wanted to unleash her new claws on his stone-coldface.
When he remained silent she sniffed and went back to pacing. She was surrounded by stupid, know-it-all men that thought they could tell her what to do. Well screw that. Michael was getting a serious talking to when he got back and so was Rafe. Darius wasn’t the real source of her outrage anyway. He might think a woman’s place was to stand silent and sweetly behind her male but that wasn’t Zoey. It never had been and she wasn’t about to start now when she finally had the power of a wolf inside of her. She could and would defend herself and her mate if need be. She wouldn’t be left behindagain.
When Rafe came back she was goingto…
“Rafe.” Her head jerked up as every single one of her senses began to tingle. Her wolf clawed at her again, wanting out, but she shook off the urge to shift. He was close and her eyes darted over the tree line, looking, looking… “Rafe.”
She was running before his name ever left her lips. Her brain had only barely registered his presence as he stepped from between the trees. His hair was disheveled and his five o’clock shadow had turned into a beard. His chest was bare and there were thin red lines that looked like healing scratches. The jeans he wore hung low on his hips and he wasbarefoot.
He’d never looked better toher.
“Rafe.” She flew into his arms and he caught her with a grunt. His big arms went around her, squeezing her tight and holding her close. He dipped his head, nuzzling against her hair and she clung to him with every fiber of her being, “Oh God, Ithought…”
“I’m sorry.” Rafe murmured softly, “I’m so sorry,baby.”
Zoey held onto him for a moment longer. She let her wolf nuzzle up against her skin to get close to him. She felt his wolf do the same. Their breathing synched and they clung to each other. Her nerves began to settle now that he was here. He was safe and he was in one piece. He wasn’thurt.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again!” She shoved out of his arms and stumbled when she brokefree.
Rafe winced and his eyes lowered, “I’msorry.”
“Not goodenough.”
“I, uh… I’ll leave you two alone.” Michael cleared his throat and when she glanced at him, realizing he was at Rafe’s side for the first time he smiled softly, “Hear him out,Zo.”
“Oh, he’s not the only one I’m angry at.” She glared at her best friend, “I get you’re more than my best friend now. You’re my Alpha and that means you’re in charge. But you can’t order me to let my mate go ever again. Do you hear me, Michael? It’s notfair.”
“Being a wolf isn’t always fair, Zo. But you know I’m only ever looking out for you, it’s all I’ve everdone.”
