Alpha King’s Wolfless Mate by Scarlett Higgins

Chapter 31

Affet per v m y caught me playing the piano, we didn’t talk much. I kept him at a distance, really only going to see him when he needed food or bandages changed. He was healing much faster now that the worst was over.

to post a few days, he’ll be ready to head back to Moonery on his own.

I was looking forward to it. I’d have enough money to make my own way and figure out who I was and what I was supposed to do with my life from here.

Jeremy, by tomorrow, you should be ready to return home,” I said, taking his last set of bandages off.

His skin was smooth again with just one little mark of a scar. Internally, he just needed one more day of rest before he could go oft on his own.

“Finally, Jeremy muttered. “It is unsettling to be away from home for so long, with a war on the h o r i z o n and everything.”

“I’m sure your father has everything under control,” I said, fluffing Jeremy’s blankets.

“He does but I don’t like to be sidelined,” he explained.

“And Helen, aren’t you looking forward to seeing her, too?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. I kept fluffing his blankets and didn’t make direct eye contact.

“Well, yes, I do want to see her. I’ve been longing for her butt…” he trailed off and shrugged.

“Probably best not to talk about that with me,” I muttered, turning away from the bed.

Jeremy reached out and grabbed my wrist. His fingers were strong, not letting me get away. Jeremy’s skin was warm and my heart fluttered as tingles ran up my arm.

I’d wanted him to touch me softly, tenderly, for so long. Now, he was.

“Where are you going to go?” he asked.

“Anywhere I want to,” I said, shrugging one shoulder.

“Don’t you want to come back to Moonery and investigate what’s going on?” he asked.

I glanced over my shoulder and raised an eyebrow. “Are you admitting that you think something is going on?”

“Well… I was attacked and left for dead. That seems unusual, doesn’t it? Maybe it is all connected,” he suggested.

My heart hammered in my chest. I was invited back home, by Jeremy!

My marriage to Blake had overruled the exile order. I wouldn’t be arrested or kicked out. I wouldn’t be exiled or sent to the Rogue Zone again. I could actually return to Moonery.

With a personal invitation from Jeremy, not even Helen could get in my way.

“Home,” I whispered. I’d left so much behind and I felt like I’d been on the run since, even when staying with Blake, that had all been temporary.

“Nora, come back with me. You know things I don’t. Maybe there’s more to uncover. I’ll help you investigate,” Jeremy offered.

I wondered how he could have gone from hating me a few days ago to inviting me home today. Things between us hadn’t changed that much. He was still married and mated to Helen, but he didn’t seem to hate me for “bullying” her anymore.

49

4 was is how I said Bath my heart tethering excitedly. I turned around and smiled widely at Jeremy “I want to

Recent up

the bad might red while I parked up the few belongings we’ll acquired while staying in that house. It was hand uineal me go back to Ahsanery ht feh like hd been gone for years!

Ervalisult was actually exened to go home. I could finally leave all this behind and get my old life back!

All night packed barely paused to sleep. When Jeremy woke up, I was ready to go with all our bags

omeone eager to get going.” he teased, slinging a bag over his shoulder.

We ve got a hong way to go and I don’t want you to wear yourself out by moving too fast,” I said, trying to mask my

Jeremy and I headed out into the small village we’d been hiding out in. We stayed side by side as we walked through the mam dreet teha the awkward at first. That was one thing when we were alone in the house where no one could see us.

Now we were in public, and I imagined that someone, somewhere, would recognize us.

Let’s grab some coffee before we get going.” I suggested, motioning to the coffee shop I’d discovered.

Yeah, gotta power up.” Jeremy agreed.

We waited in line for our coffees, awkwardly. I didn’t know what else to say. There were things I wanted to talk about, but any one of those topics could lead us right back to the arguments we’d been having. It was hard to tell what Jeremy felt toward me or what re to each other now.

When we got out of the shop, there were a bunch of other people standing around with coffee, chatting about the morning

“Did you hear about Helen. Jeremy’s mate?” someone asked in a hushed whisper.

I stopped dead and so did Jeremy. We exchanged a quick look, and casually, we both wandered to the nearest outside table and sat down. It was the perfect place to look like we were just drinking coffee while also listening to the gossip.

“Jeremy, the heir of Moonery, died. It was so tragic! Helen was a complete mess. Poor thing.”

“It was the strangest thing. She recovered quickly when she discovered she had a mate bond to the heir of another pack.”

Jeremy and I exchanged another look. His brow was deeply creased. I could tell he was just as confused as I was.

“What? Is that even possible?”

“Helen made a public statement. She said she didn’t understand what the Moon Goddess’s plan was for her, but she knew a mate bond when she felt it.”

“Does that mean she is getting remarried? So soon after her first husband passed?”

“She’s already planning the wedding, from what I hear.”

Jeremy sighed and pushed his coffee away from himself.

When the gossipers moved on, Jeremy and I got up and headed back down the main road.

“Jeremy, what is going on?” I asked.

He was walking faster than me and I had to hurry to catch up to him. I was worried he’d aggravate his injury if he kept walking that fast.

“No, I don’t he mapped

1 bowed my head and slowed down.

Jeremy sighed and stopped walking, turning to me. I’m sorry, Nora: This is. I know Helen and I have a mate bond. I can feel it Or L always felt it so strongly”

“Why did you just hesitate?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

Jeremy sighed. “I thought it was because I was injured, but some of my feelings for her have been fading”

“Like they did for me when you felt drawn to her?” I asked pointedly,

Jeremy looked from side to side, like he was trying to figure something out in his mind.

“Yeah, that’s how it feels,” he admitted finally

I nodded and started walking again. It was all the confirmation I needed to know that Helen could steal wolves and mate

bonds.

“Nora, did Helen really steal your wolf? Did she steal someone else’s?” he asked, walking fast to match my pace,

“I don’t know if she stole someone else’s for her new fiancé, All I know is that the Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes with fated mates, Helen stealing wolves is the only thing that makes sense for why she’s had so many mate bonds and why ours vanished,” I explained.

Suddenly, Jeremy clenched his fists and growled. He punched the air in front of him.

“Jeremy!” I gasped,

“No! She’s not getting away with this. She’s not getting away with what she did to me, or to you,” he snapped.

He turned to me and took my hands, his eyes looked apologetic and sad.

“I’m sorry, Nora. I played right into her. I did things to you I never would have if…”

I pulled my hands away from Jeremy, “I appreciate your apology but I can’t accept it. Even though you know the truth now.”

“But Nora, I want to make up for the things I did because of Helen’s manipulations,” he insisted,

“I don’t know if you can. True love is based on trust. When it mattered, though, you didn’t trust me, you doubted me,” I said..

Jeremy sulked a little,

“Let’s just get back to Moonery and figure out what is going on,” I suggested.