Chapter 6

Alex

"I'm really fine. You don't need to baby me!"

I ignore Sophia's complaints as I run alongside the other wolves. Of course she'd say that. She has no self-preservation skills whatsoever. However, even as I think that, Elsa's words are still bothering me. She said that Sophia was becoming weaker by the day.

Why didn't I notice that? I knew she was physically weaker than any other shifter around here. But I had attributed that to her being the Silver Wolf.

It's not like I have a yardstick to measure her against.

And as long as I could protect her, what was the harm?

But now, I have my reservations.

I've seen Sophia use magic. When she entered my village, I had seen her begin to grow into her abilities. Her stamina had increased tenfold by the time I sent her away from the village during the attack. Even during the scene at the banquet, she was incredible. But three days ago, when she had faced those dark witches, I had seen the way she had emptied out faster than she usually did. She had strained herself to the very end, and even though I had tried to stop her, she had almost been too far gone.

She says she's all right but she doesn't realize that when she walks, there's a wobble in her gait.

I feel guilty.

With the mating bond in place, both of us should be seeing an increase in our strengths and abilities. So why is it that I am the only one experiencing that?

I glance over at where Brian WolfFang is running a few steps behind me. Sophia's mother is strapped to his back. He's the only other wolf Sophia was willing to trust with her mother. Elsa is riding on the back of one of my soldiers.

I haven't spoken to Elsa yet. But I know she has her suspicions and I know that her suspicions revolve around Sophia's and my bond. I haven't had the time to actually discuss anything with her. Ever since the attack on us, we have been taking very infrequent breaks.

Nobody had expected that we would be attacked by dark witches. We had been anticipating an attack from Karina's soldiers. But considering how the witch covens within the North have been disappearing or swearing allegiance to Karina, there is no doubt in my mind that it was Karina behind this attack.

It was a clever scheme.

If the attack failed, she could pretend not to be aware of anything. And if it had succeeded, she would have killed me and captured Sophia. Our bond is still new enough that my death would not have shattered my mate's mind, as the death of a fated mate usually does.

My eyes darken as I look ahead.

Most of the witches' attention had been on me. I had realized it, and so had Sophia.

I doubt that Karina will stop here. We have to reach the border as fast as we can. We cannot risk another attack of that nature.

By now, Elsa has checked the stream and verified that something had been mixed in the water. Whatever it was had drugged them all. It was Sophia's healing magic that brought everyone out of their stupor. Nobody knows how she cast her magic on the unconscious members of our party. But it was fortunate for us that she did, and that they came to our rescue.

Although we got rid of most of the dark witches, Sophia nearly died. I can't shake off the memory of seeing her so pale, slumped in my arms lifelessly. I don't think I can ever forget that sight.

Nobody wants to take a risk with her life again, which is why there is such urgency to reach our destination.

When we finally stop to take an hour's rest, Brian approaches me. "We're a day's journey away from the border. Have you and Sophia decided where you will be going?"

I glance toward my mate, who is resting against one of the trees. Elsa is feeding her one of those herbal tonics. I study Sophia, and my heart feels uneasy at how wan her face is. It shouldn't be taking her this much time to recover.

"Not yet. But I'll talk to her."

"Word of Sophia's change in status has already reached the South," Brian informs me. "If she decides to go to the Red Rock Wolf Pack territory, they will not stop her. Rumors have begun spreading that if Noah remains in control of the pack, the pack will be punished for the crimes of both him and his father. I believe the Red Rock Wolf Pack will welcome Sophia with open arms."

"Rumors?"

Brian shrugs. "If Sophia wants to make them pay, she can. It's well within her rights. I doubt she will, but from what I know, they were cruel to her, and they will be fearful of the fate that awaits them. She can either destroy the pack and create a new one…"

"She will never do that," I murmur, knowing my mate.

"I agree." Brian follows the direction of my gaze. "Which is why her best option would be to take over the pack. They will be desperate to get into her good graces, and it'll make the transition easy for her."

Once again, Brian makes an excellent point.

I go check on Sophia, who is dozing off now. My fingers thread through her hair, her pale complexion making me anxious. Her pulse is steady, but she looks so fragile. Elsa is sitting at a distance now, creating another tonic.

"What is going on with Sophia?"

The witch glances at me. "I already told her, but she doesn't want to believe it."

"Believe what?"

Elsa straightens up. "Don't try to play dumb, Alex. I know full well that you overheard my conversation with her."

I sigh. "You think it's the mating bond? You think she's growing weaker because of it?"

"Not because of it," Elsa corrects me. "But I'm noticing a disparity between the two of you. During a battle, your strength and speed are incredible, and they keep growing. Sophia, on the other hand—her capacity for magicis fading. As a witch, it is obvious to me that she is not doing as well asshe should. The only thing that has changed is the mating bond. So, while I don't think that it is the bond itself, it is definitely a factor."

My stomach churns with unease. "Surely there's something I can do."

Elsa looks over his shoulder at my mate. "I don't know. Like I said, Alex, I still don't know what the problem is. Till we get to the root of the problem, we cannot come up with a solution. The only person who might have been able to give you the right guidance is Grace. And she's in no position to be saying anything."

Her words have me frowning. "You think this could be a Silver Wolf thing?"

"I don't know," Elsa admits. "My coven used to be close to the Central Alliance, and we were the teachers of the Silver Wolves, but I left my coven at a very early age. There's a lot I don't know about the Silver Wolf. Right now, I wish I knew what to do. But this is something Sophia and you will have to figure out yourselves."

I feel a sliver of tension creep within me, and I look toward the unconscious woman on the ground. "How is Grace doing?

Elsa gives me a tightlipped smile. "The only reason she's still living is because I'm feeding her my life force in small portions. But I don't know for how much longer I can keep it up."

"These tonics that you are feeding her…" I throw a look at the herbs that she's grinding. "Are they really helping her?"

Elsa gives me an irritated look. "No. I'm just doing it because I'm bored."

I wince, and she turns her attention back to the herbs. "Of course, they're helping her. She's doing much better. She's just not getting enough time to rest."

I crouch next to the witch, aware that she's upset.

"How can I help? Is there a way I can share my own life force with her or is that something only witches can do?"

My question has Elsa lifting her head. She seems to be considering something.

After a moment, she murmurs, cautiously. "Maybe you can do something. The bond between the two of you, since you are fated mates, is intense. If you can have your people guard you for a bit, then you can go a little distance away from here and give her some skin-to-skin contact. It should help her. I've seen dangerously ill shifters recover simply by having skin-to-skin contact with their fated mates. You don't have to do anything. Just hold her to you. Your wolves will do the rest."

We are in a rush, but right now, it is more important that I can fix some of the damage to my mate. I go over to Sophia and pick her up in my arms. She doesn't stir. After having a brief word with Brian, I take a few of my soldiers with me. They set up a perimeter, giving us some space.

Gently, I remove Sophia's clothing from her body before getting rid of mine.

My hand brushes against the side of her neck where she would have worn my mating mark. My wolf yearns to mark her, but I know that only one mating mark can be given. I've never heard of a dual mating mark. Suppressing my beast's desire, I gather Sophia in my arms and just hold her. Although she has been riding on my back for the past three days, this is different. In her sleep, she presses against me, as if seeking my heat.

As always, her touch is like an aphrodisiac, my skin rippling just from her hands against my chest, but I snuff out the hunger and desire. This is not the time or place.

My wolf paces in my mind, seeking her out, desperate to take charge. Perhaps it's instinct, but I let it out.

It immediately circles around Sophia, curling around her and covering her with our tail. She burrows into me. After a few moments, to my surprise, she shifts into her Silver Wolf form. Even as a wolf, her eyes don't open. Both of us are pressed against the other in an intimate manner. I can feel my wolf's affection as it begins to groom her, our tongue running over her fur. Sophia just stays next to us, resting. I don't know how much time passes, but she soon begins to emit a rumbling sound in her chest, and her eyes finally open. She studies me before her tongue darts out to lick my nose.

I can feel the change in her.

She's better.

It stuns me that that was all it took.

Here Elsa was feeding her tonic after tonic, while all I had to do was shift into my wolf form and surround her with myself.

It's astounding, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I shift back into my human form and wait for her to do the same.

When she does, the change within her is obvious.

"Feeling better?" I cup her cheek watching her blink slowly, as if she is waking up from a deep sleep. Her eyes are clear, the exhaustion in them no longer there.

"What did you do?" Sophia sighs. "I feel like somebody gave me a detox treatment."

Before I can answer her question, she looks down at her naked body, and her face turns a bright red. "And where are my clothes, Alex? You pervert!"

The shift from happy to outraged and embarrassed makes me grin. "Don't blame me. Elsa told me to take off your clothes."

Sophia stares at me. "There has to be more to that story. I know Elsa didn't just tell you to strip me for no reason."

"And what if she did?" I tease her lightly.

She's not buying it. "And what if your pants catch on fire?"

My lips curve, pleased at seeing her feisty nature back. Pressing a heated kiss against her mouth, I murmur, "Why are you so determined to drive me crazy? Stop putting yourself in danger."

She kisses me back, but doesn't answer. I help her back into her clothes before pulling on my own. When we return to the campsite, everyone is waiting for us.

Brian is the first to approach us. "Sophia. You look better."

"I feel better." She smiles at him.

The other Alphas look between the two of us curiously, clearly wondering what I did, but not brave enough to ask.

Even Elsa looks surprised and relieved.

"You look as if you didn't believe she would get better?" I murmur as I help her with the straps of the harness.

"I've heard of it happening. Seen it myself," she admits. "But not to this extent. Your bond is a strange one, Alex."

She sighs heavily. "Let's hope the rest of the journey is free from any further attacks."

***

This time we don't take any breaks, determined to run the whole day to reach the border. By the time we do, it is to walk directly into a large campsite at the edge of the North and South border. My pack, my soldiers, and my inner circle are all there, waiting for me.

Sophia has barely shifted back into her human formbefore Nathan rushes towards her.

"Are you all right?"

Of the four trusted friends in my inner circle, Nathan is the youngest. Sophia saved his sister's life and in return, the boy has become quite attached to her. Patrick and Jared are a few steps behind him, and Patrick, who's my childhood friend, settles his hand on my shoulder. "I was imagining all sorts of scenarios. I'm glad to see that the two of you made it here safely."

"Did you face any problems?" I look around. My entire pack is watching us. Nobody has approached me, giving me the space to talk to my four lieutenants.

Saul reaches me. "Hilda leaked all the safe houses and identities. When we got to the city, the soldiers were evacuating the women and children. Fortunately, there weren't any casualties on our side."

My brows arch. "But there were casualties?"

Saul smiles nonchalantly. "They tried to burn the building down with the children and women inside. When no one came running out, they went in to check. Karina's soldiers, if that part wasn't clear. We locked them inside."

Sophia looks pale. "You burned them alive."

"They would have burned our pups alive," Jared counters, his tone angry. "We simply gave them the treatment they offered our most vulnerable people. She's lost quite a lot of soldiers."

"We got there in time to evacuate everyone from the buildings. We had a choice. They were attacking everything simultaneously. We chose to rescue the pack," Nathan says. "But all your businesses and everything you had set up was razed to the ground. Sorry, Alex."

I study my men, who look remorseful.

"It's fine. Everything can be built again. The dead cannot be brought back. You did the right thing by saving the pack. We can always make more money."

I see Sophia look around, taken aback by the sheer number of soldiers around her. Like I told Brian, Sophia doesn't have an idea of how many soldiers I have. We've discussed it vaguely. She's never expressed any interest or curiosity in finding out more. Not about my wealth, and not about the number of men under my command. But now the soldiers who are under me, also serve her.

"Is it true that you she is now the Queen of the South Alliance?" Nathan asks in a disbelieving tone.

"I wasn't lying to you!" Jared frowns. "I showed you the message Alex sent. "

"Well, I want to hear from her own mouth." Nathan counters. "Is it true?"

Sophia nods. Before they can start questioning her, I lift my hand. "We have to move. Staying in the North is no longer safe for any of us. Prepare everyone to cross the border."

From the exit point where we are located, the closest pack belongs to Alpha Connor Fenris. He's one of the Alphas who was interested in Sophia when we started our journey to the South.

"You are all welcome to stay with the Diamond Heart Wolf Pack for a few days to rest." The tall wiry man extends an invitation. I want to say no, but I am not foolish enough to make that decision without consulting Sophia and my men.

"Sophia, where are you planning to go?" I finally ask the question that Brian has been asking me.

She knows the benefit of going to the Red Rock Wolf Pack. We've already discussed it, but she never gave me an answer.

She looks around and then sighs. "Home, I guess."

"Oakrest Town?"

She shakes her head with a small smile. "Ricker Town. The place where my parents' journey together ended and I was born. That is where the Alpha resides."

I can see the unwillingness in her eyes to go there, but she has to make this tough decision.

"How far is it from here?"

It's Saul who answers. "It's a three-week journey without stopping. It would be wise to take up Alpha Fenris on his offer to stay the night. You all need to rest and recover."

The others agree.

"Also," Alpha Fenris steps up, his eyes on Sophia, "I have a private airfield. I can send you on planes. They will have you at your destination within a couple of hours. I own several airfields in my territory."

Sophia looks impressed, much to my dismay. I'm starting to want to avoid stopping by his territory, but everyone is tired, and if we can shorten the journey to the Red Rock Wolf Pack, all the better.

But I plan to keep an eye on this Alpha who's looking at my mate like a cat that got the cream.