Chapter 104: I’d Be Worried If You Weren’t Afraid

Zara 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I couldn’t go back to Alpha Kane and pretend nothing had changed. If Marcus really is my mate, that means Alpha Kane has a mate somewhere in the world. I would never be able to forgive myself if I took Alpha Kane away from his destined mate.

Time will tell," Nova muttered. "There’s no point in agonizing over it; you can’t do anything about it until your birthday."

"Thank you for your words of wisdom," I muttered, sighing nervously.

"It’s okay," Sofia sighed, the haze clearing in her eyes. "It’s hard, but some days aren’t so bad. Sometimes something good can come from a bad situation."

Sofia gave me one of her crooked smiles, and a strange feeling washed over me. A hidden emotion flickered in her brown eyes, causing her to rest her hand on the back of the seat.

I wondered if any of us were feeling the same knot in our stomachs, our nerves on edge and tense. The silence in the SUV gave me enough time to consider everything that could go wrong. We were, in essence, walking into a trap from which we might not escape.

"You look rather sleepy, Blue Rose," Alpha Kane’s voice caressed my skin, sending a slight shiver down my arms.

I raised my head from the seat and glanced warily at Alpha Kane. He kept his eyes on the road, his large hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. His full lips were slightly parted, as if beckoning me from where I sat.

"Maybe you should take a nap?" "Alpha Kane chuckled over the mental link, making me flinch at the sudden sound.

"I’m not sure I can," I sighed, the true extent of my anxiety shining through in my voice. "I’m scared. What if we lose Ryan? How will I ever see my dad again? He’s already lost Mom; I can’t let him lose Ryan."

"I’d be worried if you weren’t afraid." Alpha Kane’s voice was a calm whisper, a reliable beacon in the middle of a raging ocean. I swam toward his voice, toward the safety it offered. "You can’t think like that. Don’t think about what could go wrong, just focus on why we came here."

"Alpha, be calm in the face of danger," I chuckled over the mental link, feeling butterflies flutter in my stomach as Alpha Kane glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

His dark eyebrows were raised, a slight smirk playing on his lips. Alpha Kane continued to speak to me through the mental link, pushing away any intrusive thoughts of our reckless plan for the day.

My eyes snapped open, sitting upright as we hit a bump. I must have dozed off, as the road signs said Atlanta was only ten miles away.

My sleep was dreamless, floating in blissful darkness, unthinking. The knot in my stomach tightened again as I remembered what we were doing this evening.

Alpha Kane spoke to me privately, telling me about the role I would be playing. I would be posing as Alpha Kane’s girlfriend, and I wasn’t opposed to the title. It was clear there was something between us, and I hadn’t seen Alpha Kane with another wolf.

The thought filled me with smugness, yet I continued to ponder who we were to each other. Thoughts of Alpha Kane were a pleasant distraction from our mission today.

While Wade possessed an inviting calm, Carter was literally bursting at the seams. If anyone was excited about what this evening had in store for him, it was Carter.

For the first half of the trip, Carter had been jumping with excitement at the thought of killing enemies. Carter had trained his entire life in Alpha Kane’s pack, but had never matured to the point of actual combat. Carter was leaving the pack for the first time, heading out on his first mission.

Alpha Kane silenced Carter’s grumbling, letting the silence stretch. Though Carter and Wade seemed inseparable, Wade had fought rogues countless times. The full meaning of our mission dawned on me as we drove to the convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

So much could go wrong; Ryan could get injured or worse. We had little time to plan, and we were forced to act before they transported Ryan elsewhere.

My biggest fear was that someone at the club would recognize Alpha Kane or me. I couldn’t imagine Marcus coming to the club to watch the deadly fights, but it was better to be prepared.

In silence, I practiced what my father had told me. I mentally restored the tattered bookshelves, placing thoughts between the pages. An hour later, with a dull headache, the library in my mind was restored to order.

The last time I met Marcus, it had been in complete disarray. A chill ran down my spine at the thought of meeting him again. We turned off the Atlanta, Georgia, exit and were immediately greeted by the sprawling city.

Skyscrapers towered, glittering with windows and bright lights. Tourists and locals huddled together, strolling carefree along the sidewalk.

We drove through the center of the bustling city. The sun had long since set, taking with it the vibrant nightlife.

Atlanta. Neon Signs. Signs for clubs and bars hung on the corners of buildings. The breeze carried the smell of freshly cooked food and alcohol.

We continued driving, past crowds of scantily clad women, past lively clubs with pulsating music. Soon the crowd began to thin, and the people on the street became significantly fewer.

Alpha Kane pulled into a dimly lit parking lot, the SUV’s tires crunching loudly on the gravel. Confusion was etched on my face, my gaze fixed on the dark and gloomy building in front of us.

It appeared to be an old warehouse; some of the windows were boarded up and shuttered. The exterior was covered in sprawling vines that slowly reached toward the sky.

Just as I was about to open my mouth and insist, we pulled into the wrong place; I noticed how many cars were already parked there.

We parked right by the entrance, as close to the doors as possible. New cars of various colors and models were scattered across the parking lot. Every car looked shiny and new, some newer than the others.

"What could be better than an abandoned warehouse?" Carter chuckled, cracking his neck and flexing his fingers.

"Remember, keep an eye on each other at all times." Alpha Kane’s voice was rough and stern, his honey-colored eyes never leaving the four of us. "If Zara and I have to escape, I expect you three to know about it. The mind link will be open at all times."

"Don’t worry, Alpha. If Wade and I get stuck, leave us. We’ll get out on our own." Carter smirked, his shoulders trembling, and he pretended to poke a couple of times. Wade looked at his friend wearily, raising an eyebrow, silently questioning Carter’s sanity.

"Are you even listening to what you’re saying?" "Sophia quipped, glaring at Carter without blinking.

"Or are you just talking nonsense and hoping everything will be okay?"