Chapter 40
I recognized my error when I returned to the bakery, but there was nothing I could do at that point.
Every trace of what had occurred the previous evening had been removed.
The bleeding note that threatened my life was nowhere to be seen, nor was there any indication of the box, heart, or threat. It took me a long time to realize that it was all gone. I was not sure what was more unsettling to me—the threat that had been directed at me or the knowledge that my mother could reach me at any time—so I wondered what she was up to and how long she would wait.
Vera came in, and I was leaning against the counter directly across from the door. I had been staring at the table, trying to figure out what was going to happen and what I needed to prepare for, but my mind was blank.
Vera sighed heavily as she saw me, and when I met her eyes, my emotions rose and dropped simultaneously. I was determined not to let Vera get caught in the crossfire, no matter what happened or the decisions I had to make.
"Please tell me you don't look like that because you were here last night; you told me you were going to your mate." I looked down at myself as she walked toward me, huffing. I had never once stopped to consider how I seemed, not even while I was rushing to escape Derrick's embrace or the pack home.
I had just realized that I was without a bra, and my dress was all creased and crumpled. I had left it folded up on the chair next to his things, like a glass slipper, and I could feel my cheeks getting embarrassed. I extended my hands to comb through the knots in my hair, but as my fingers rose to stroke my face, I realized it was pointless.
"I did go to him." She furrowed her brow and gave me a critical look.
"Then why do you look like a train wreck? Does this have to do with why you called me last night?" Her remarks became more gentle, and I realized that she had perceived the extreme fear in my tone. Consequently, I felt compelled to provide her with a firm piece of information before she persisted in pressing for the truth before I was prepared to deliver it.
"A pack member was murdered yesterday." Her eyes widened as she became limp. "It was one of the warriors; he was on patrol, and apparently they tore him to shreds." As I watched the horror take hold of her, my heart stammered. I knew far more information than I'd chosen to share with her, but I also understood that the reality would have been too much for her to bear.
"Rogues?" She spoke in a whisper, and I moved to her, bringing her closer to me while I attempted to calm the fear that was racing through her body.
Rogues were to blame for her parents' deaths.
"They have it under control; they've put out more patrols—nothing is going to happen to you, okay?" I attempted to calm her down with a quiet voice, and usually it helped, but this time it seemed to make her worse.
She withdrew from my grasp and gave me a fierce look.
"You know that rogues don't usually target unranked wolves, Kylie. They immediately target the leaders, and now that you're an alpha's mate and a luna, what do you think they'll do the moment they smell you?" I stammered, never having considered it in that way. "You shouldn't be worrying about my safety; you should be worrying about your own." Her words weighed me down and were dripping with lead. She didn't even realize how much danger I was in; therefore, she was afraid of me.
"I'm not—" Please stop berating me, Kylie. Last night, I could hear the fear in your voice; you fled from him once more, didn't you? She pushed into my shoulder, causing me to wince. I let my eyes drop to the ground and heard her irate breathing. "You're not even going to try and deny it?" She asked in shock, and I was at a loss for words. Her disappointment struck me like silver bullets.
"I apologize," I muttered in a harsh voice.
"You know I'd never forgive you if you left me here alone because of your stubbornness." Firmly and stubbornly, she said. "And you know there's nothing I can do with an apology, so why don't you go and apologize to that mate of yours instead?" As I raised my head to give her another glance, I could hear her frustration. Despite her abhorrent expression, it was clear that she could not endure this any longer.
Nobody understood me like Vera did, and her rage always told me she cared. She was always so patient with me until she discovered how destructive I was to myself. It took a lot to get her upset.
She looked at me as if I were trying to tell her a joke, but when she realized there was no punch line, she started cursing. "You're right, he'll be here soon anyway," I said.
You're a mess; it appears like you haven't slept, and I don't mean that in a positive sense. If you had fucked him, perhaps you wouldn't be here at this moment and I wouldn't be yelling at you. Are you now claiming that your partner is on his way here and that the Alpha King will set foot in this store—in our store?" With hesitation, I bowed my head, thinking for a split second that she was going to have an aneurysm.
"Stay put; I'm going to make us some coffee." With a moan, she turned around and slipped behind the counter.
I walked up to a table and took a seat on the padded surface. It wasn't until I sat down and rested my arms against the cool table that I noticed how tired my body felt. My eyes began to drop as the coffee machine started making noise and the aroma of the coffee mixed with the air. Before Vera could offer me the coffee to keep me up, I had slept off.
It didn't feel like much time at all when I finally woke up, but I could still feel the sleep tethers holding me partially to reality and partially to the dark. My muscles throbbed, and my skin clammed with yearning for him now that the mate bond's electricity was no longer throbbing between our bodies. I felt like garbage being apart from him. It was a sharp pain that burrowed its way down my spine and into my abdomen.
With a moan, I raised my head in my arms, feeling the glare of sunshine stinging my eyelids.
"Ten minutes," I whispered to myself, feeling Vera close by. However, as I inhaled deeply, a different, well-known smell filled my nostrils, waking me up.
"It's okay; let her rest." His tenor was low, and it rumbled. I could feel the mountain of anger he'd created around those words, even though no one else would be able to hear it. I had damaged his ego when I left him; I had harmed him when I hadn't woken him up; and now his wolf was hardly contained.
This was something Morgan had
it reminded me of, and now I was going to pay for it.