Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
“But,” Alice continued. “If she were to get annoyed with you and find a way to make you feel small through her words… maybe by mentioning Peter and how you abandoned him.”
Myka looked away, instantly affected by Alice’s hypothesized situation.
“Do you think you could blindly trust her to take care of you after that?” Alice asked.
“Probably not,” he sighed.
“And that is why I am bugging her,” Alice replied with a smile. “So, all the irritation she feels over this and that, and all the other things she can’t control, are directed at me and not you.”
“Ok,” Myka chuckled. “I sort of get it. But won’t she be affected by the whole not trusting you part of it?”
“Not at all,” Alice replied with confidence. “Selene would never let the mission be affected by her discomfort.”
Selene straightened her back, surprised and slightly pleased by Alice’s words.
“Besides, she has never trusted me. It’s one of the reasons this plan works so well and why she’s still listening from behind your tent.”
Selene closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose as the embarrassment and irritation rolled over her. Then, finally, she cleared her throat and walked toward the fire, not bothering to look at them until she sat down on her log.
When she lifted her eyes, Myka had the decency to look uncomfortable and a little leery of the situation. But Alice just smiled brightly over the fire’s soft glow.
Selene leaned forward and lifted the lid of the stew pot. She served them each a bowl without saying a word.
As they sat quietly, Myka blew on his stew, his eyes darting back and forth between the two women. Selene clenched her jaw as she blew on her stew and avoided looking at either of them. Meanwhile, Alice smiled as she alternated stirring and blowing her food to cool it down.
After a few awkward moments of silence, Selene took a deep breath and looked at Myka.
“I hope you don’t just believe her,” she said defensively. “I wouldn’t just say something like that to you… about Peter, I mean.”
Myka’s eyes widened, and he glanced at Alice before looking back at Selene and nodding with a half-smile.
“I wouldn’t,” she insisted.
“She’s right,” Alice said, nodding and looking at Myka halfheartedly. “She’s more likely to assume that since you are a nomad, you probably have no sense of loyalty or moral convictions. In fact, she might just assume you’re a rogue.”
Myka swallowed and looked down at his bowl, not because he was hurt or bothered by what Alice suggested. Though, truth be told, if Selene had made the comment, he would have been.
No, Myka looked down because he could feel Alice was ready to push Selene hard, and he wanted no part in it.
“I am suddenly very full,” he said, setting down his bowl and moving toward his tent.
Selene clenched her jaw; she looked up at Alice with frustration and anger swirling around her chest.
“What is your problem!” she growled. “I have done nothing to you! I haven’t said anything. I haven’t acted out! Nothing!”
“Yes, but why not?” Alice asked, looking over her bowl at Selene.
Selene let out a frustrated sigh.
“You want me to be mad at you?” she asked.
“I want you to let out your frustration,” Alice replied. “To let go of the things you cling so tightly to that they choke you.”
Selene took another deep breath. Who the hell did Alice she was?
“If you don’t, you’ll make a mistake. One you can’t afford.”
Selene lifted her gaze to Alice.
“I thought you said I would never let the mission be affected by my discomfort,” Selene commented.
“I did,” Alice replied. “And you won’t. But there is more to your life than the mission, Selene.”
Selene sighed.
“Just leave me alone, Alice.”
“Unlikely,” Alice replied.
“Why the hell not?” Selene demanded.
“Because it chips away at his heart when you use him as the target for your anger, sadness, and pain,” Alice replied with a soft growl. “I think I told you before. Axel is what matters to me. Now, the only thing that matters to me.”
Selene felt a terrible ache in her heart, remembering the pain in Axel’s voice as he told her the truth about what it had cost Alice to cure Myka.
“I understand pain,” Alice continued, an eerie smile spreading over her lips. “Deflection and reactive coping, they are good friends of mine. So lay your blame on me. Let me be the target of your frustrations. Because I, at least, will give you a good fight.”
Selene was taken aback by Alice’s words.
“What?” she said. “You want… to fight me?”
Alice chuckled.
“Why not?” she said with a wide grin. “You want to fight everybody.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You do,” Alice replied with a nod.
“No,” Selene repeated, “I don’t.”
Alice scrunched her nose and shrugged her shoulders.
“You definitely do.”
Selene clenched her jaw.
“You know Alice, my brother asked me to stop fighting with you. Small or big, he just wanted me to keep the peace, and I am trying. But you are making it incredibly difficult right now!” Selene growled.
“I do my best,” Alice smiled with a slight bow of her head.
Selene took a deep breath, balling her hands into fists.
“I am not going to fight you, Alice,” she said through gritted teeth. “We are working together on an important mission; we don’t have time for your ridiculous games.”
She turned toward the fire, removing the stew pot and grabbing her bowl.
“I’m going to go and clean these out, then I’m going to bed,” she said. Then, with an angry smile, she added. “I’m sure you can find ways to entertain yourself without me.”
Selene moved past Alice, still fighting to keep herself from saying anything else.
“I wonder if you’ll actually get to talk to Alpha Boy Wonder tomorrow,” Alice called out. “Or if, yet again, you will be left to wonder what he’s doing? Where he is? Whether he’s safe or not.”
Selene closed her eyes, clenching her jaw so tight that it hurt.
“Or maybe you’ll get another life-altering mission when you sleep tonight. Maybe this time, they’ll make you leave the territories altogether. Abandoning not just your soldiers, but your family too.”
Selene stopped where she was and took a deep breath.
“Seriously, what is your damn problem!” she growled before turning around to face Alice. “Why are you insisting on pushing every one of my buttons!”
“I told you, Selene, you’re too easy to rile up.”
“Then leave me the hell alone!” Selene shouted, once again turning to leave the area.
“Why?” Alice called after her. “You don’t like me anyway, Selene. So why not take out your frustration on me rather than continue upsetting the people who love you!”
Selene let out a growl, still fighting to ignore Alice’s prodding.
“They are not always going to forgive you, Selene!” Alice shouted.
And then, Selene could take it no more.
“Why not! They forgave you!” Selene shouted angrily as she turned to stare back at Alice, as she took deep breaths, and her eyes gave off a soft glow.
“Does that bother you?” Alice asked gently, seemingly unaffected by Selene’s anger. “That your family accepted me after everything I have done?”
The glow in her eyes flared and then fell away. Selene took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
“It doesn’t matter,” Selene sighed, turning away.
Alice moved before Selene could realize it. She was suddenly before her, and with a quick strike, Alice had removed the pin from Selene’s chest and knocked her back to the ground.
“What are you doing!” Selene cried out.
“Stop turning away from me,” Alice said. “I am trying to help you, your stubborn child!”
“By trying to get into a fight with me?” Selene shouted back, getting to her feet. “How is that helpful?!”
“You hold everything so tightly inside of yourself that all your doing is drowning in your insecurity and misery!” Alice growled. “And to make it worse, you grab onto everyone around you and drag them down into the water with you.”
Selene felt the weight of her words like a slap across the face. Axel had already told her something similar. It wasn’t news to her. She was aware of her tendency to lash out and push away her fears. But the problem was, she didn’t know how to stop it from happening. She never meant to do it; it just came out.
“No one expects you to handle this all on your own,” Alice said. “To gracefully accept that you are the chosen one that has to fight the monsters and save the day.”
Alice took a breath.
“Look, I tried to approach this in a way you relate to,” she said. “You fight, and you hate me. So it seemed like a real win-win for you.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?