Chapter 99
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Biology class has been kicking my ass. I’ve also been keeping tabs on Artume City. Things are starting to get bad. The main house gates have been shut, and there are protestors boycotting the alphas of the city. They’re demanding answers and justice for those they lost not only in the attack, but in the raids we committed as retaliation for the bombings in the Axel Castle. Betas have abandoned their posts, leaving the pack house vulnerable. The only ones who stayed are those who can’t afford to go without pay.
“You seem a little quieter than usual,” Hailey, my lab partner, says when we turn in our assignments after class. “It’s weird since you’re all people talk about lately. Everyone wants to be your best friend.”
“I have a lot on my mind,” I admit. “I’m sorry if I haven’t been much company.”
“Don’t stress,” she waves it off. “Be careful, Soph. Be wary of those who try to come into contact with you. Not everyone has good intentions. I have a request if you don’t mind.”
“Really?” I smile, fixing my book into my bookbag.
“It’s my brother’s birthday, and I don’t make friends as easily as he does. You’re literally the only person who can keep up with me here. That’s not a good way to start,” she scratches behind her ear and then reaches into her bag. “He’s having a party, and he said I could invite literally anyone I want. I’m sorry for trying to mooch off your popularity, but it would mean a lot if you and some of your friends can come tomorrow night, just so he doesn’t worry about me.”
“A party?” I ask when she holds out an invitation. “What kind of party?”
“He’s in the alpha house. It’ll be my first time too. I don’t know, so just wear something cute?”
I smile at the nervousness in her demeanor. I don’t know why a girl like her would ever be self–cautious. She’s gorgeous. For starters, she’s tall. Her legs just keep going, and it looks like she’s had training. It’s in the way she walks and her insanely sharp instincts. I’ve seen her help others.
If that’s not enough, her long hair looks like a cascade of gold. It shines like one, too. Her eyes are a warm shade of brown. When she looks away, and the light hits them just right, they turn into the warmest shade of honey. And she dresses like something out of an academic magazine. Proper and very elegant. I look forward to seeing what she wears all the time. I’ve even started picking up pieces of her style.
“I don’t make friends all that easily, believe it or not,” I admit. “I have four friends here, and I would love to invite them. Two are for sure. They won’t miss a party, but the other two are mated. So it can be a no, or they’re going to show up with their mates, and they can be a lot.”
“Okay,” she nods enthusiastically.
“Should we exchange numbers so we can maybe balance out what we’re going to wear?”
“Seriously?” she beams. “Yeah, totally.”
I smile and hold out my phone. I double–click my lock button and bump it to hers. Our contact information pops up on our
screens.
“Sweet,” I say and tuck my phone away.
“Wait, how did you do that? If I double–click my luck button, it brings up my card information to pay for stuff.”
“That is dangerous to have on their now. Anyone can trigger it with a tap in a tap–to–pay app. Go to your settings. You can literally assign anything to any buttons. Except the volume ones.”
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Chapter 99
“Oh, I didn’t know that. Thanks. I am going to do that right now.”
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“I have it set to my contact information. It’s almost as cool as having a business card, but you can do any app.
“I think they’re a pretty close comparison,” she laughs. “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow. Be safe.”
“You too,” I smile and wave at her as she walks away.
I am getting a lot of attention as I make my way out. Is there something wrong with me speaking to Hailey? One of those Aimee things? When I step out to the parking lot. Ragnar’s car is parked where my car used to be. He’s leaning against his Urus with his arms crossed over his chest. He’s wearing casual clothes today, and a lot of people are noticing him. It explains why so many are looking in my direction. Thank goodness. I still don’t know what to say to Aimee about Anastasia.
“Am I being kidnapped again?” I ask.
“Yes,” he nods and motions me towards the car.
He pushes off as I walk past him, and he follows me closely so that he can open my door. When I climb in, he goes so far as to reach over my body and put my seatbelt on. I lean away, and I can see it in his expression that it bothers him. He pulls away and shuts me in without a word.
“How was your day?” he asks when he climbs inside.
I haven’t seen him for over a week. Nine days to be exact. I know he wasn’t in town. I felt when he got back last night. It woke me up around two in the morning. Our connection had been very dim. I was worried, but Ivar sent me pictures of the two of them at court in Saudi Arabia.
“Good,” I answer lowly.
“You’re still upset,” he sighs as if I have no right to be. “I thought giving you space would help.”
I don’t know what to say to that. I don’t know how we went from playing around to this. It was pretty clear that what happened in the Temple wasn’t what he wanted or maybe what he expected, but when I asked him to talk to me, he shut me down. I guess he’s right. It’s none of my business. In the same way, the texts Santiago has sent me aren’t any of his.
“I didn’t ask you to give me space. Nor was it ever implied in any of the conversations we had before you disappeared.”
“I didn’t disappear. I was working, and you made it very clear that you didn’t want me around.”
“Just as you made it clear that you didn’t want to be. Don’t twist this shit to make it look like I’m the one who has an issue here, I growl. It catches him off guard. “Something happened to you in that temple, and you don’t want to talk to me about that. I’m fine with that, but you need to talk to someone about it.”
He doesn’t say anything as we approach the castle. He growls when he stops the car, and I reach for the handle. I look over at him and open the door without breaking eye contact. His nostrils flare, and his eyes glow with anger. I unclip my seatbelt and move to get out, but before my feet even touch the ground, he’s already standing in front of me, blocking me in.
“You don’t have boyfriend privileges when you act the way you do. We aren’t mated yet, so you have no obligation to do anything for me,” I get out, pushing him away from me.
“Did you have little fits like this for him, too?” he growls. I scoff, and instead of heading to the entrance, I begin to make my way home. I can’t believe he just asked me that. “I’m asking you a question, Sophia”
“And I’m ignoring you, Ragnar,” I quip and pick up my pace. I move when I feel his presence almost loom over me. I spin
around to face him.
“You get to keep your problems with Santiago to yourself, but I’m not allowed to have a moment to mourn the last
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connection I had with Clarity?” he all but shouts at me.
“It’s not the same thing,” I shake my head.
“How is it not the same thing?”
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“You have an idea of what your mating should have been, and I had an actual relationship with Santiago. He’s alive and making my life a living hell. You drive yourself insane with the idea of what could have been. That’s the fucking difference.
“No, I didn’t try to set any boundaries with Santiago. I didn’t think we needed them because he is my fated mate. I accepted that he had my best interest at heart, and he ripped that trust out of me. All of it. I don’t trust you any more than I trust him. You’ve lied to me. You’ve made me feel like my feelings aren’t as important as yours.
“Everything has been about you and what you want from the start. Our compromise was getting revenge. This isn’t a real fucking relationship, no matter how badly I-” I stop myself from saying something truly embarrassing. “The only difference between you and him is that I know where I stand with you and what you want from me.
“You’re free of that,” I motion his chest. “You can start swinging your dick around just like every other elite asshole on the market. Don’t you ever fucking try to blame your bullshit on me again. I am not your punching bag. I thought I was at the very least your friend. I thought we were building something. I’m sorry for misinterpreting our alliance.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
