Alpha King’s Wolfless Mate by Scarlett Higgins

Chapter 48 : A Dangerous Game

**Nora POV

When we got inside, I flopped down on the little couch and sighed, spreading my arms across the back.

“I’m glad I found you, Nora.” Jeremy said. He sat down on the couch next to me, not too close.

“I am too. I can only do so much in a fight without my wolf.” I admitted.

I sat up straight and turned away from Jeremy, frustrated that I’d opened up to him. That wasn’t a good way to keep distance between us.

“I got to you just in time,” he remarked.

Jeremy grabbed my hand and pulled me against him.

“Umm…”

He hugged my head to his chest in a quick, friendly embrace.

“Thank Goddess I made it in time,” he said with a heavy sigh.

He released me quickly, his cheeks flushed.

I stood up and moved to a different chair, putting some physical space between us.

“I’m really glad you made it in time, too,” I said, smiling.

“I don’t know what I would have done if you were hurt,” he said, rubbing his hands on his thighs. “And… well, I’m glad you’re letting me protect you.”

Crossing my arms, I narrowed my eyes at Jeremy. “You remember that this isn’t a way for us to get back together. I don’t love you and I’m not marrying you.

Jeremy grinned and held up his hands in a show of surrender. “I know, Nora. Rather, I understand.”

“Then why are you here? Why are you protecting me?” I asked. I chewed the inside of my mouth as I waited for a response.

Jeremy sighed and ran his hand down his face. It was like he knew what he wanted to say, he just didn’t know how to say it. His eves darted around my little cottage.

I knew it was a big step down from the castle and his mansion, but I didn’t need a lot of luxury when it was just me.

“I love you, Nora. I’m not going to hide that from you. I don’t need you to love me back, though,” he said.

I creased my brow and tilted my head at him. What was it that he was trying to say? I still wasn’t sure if I trusted him. In the last conversation we’d had, he’d been trying to manipulate me against Blake.

“I have no desire to force you into anything. When I rediscovered our mate bond, I wanted to rush things because I was afraid of losing you again,” he explained.

He looked at me with soft, vulnerable eyes.

My stomach squirmed a little. It was urging me to let my defenses down and treat Jeremy like a friend and protector, not someone that had ulterior motives.

“I understand that,” I said, giving him the confirmation he needed. “But you never even asked if it was what I wanted.”

Jeremy nodded. “I guess I couldn’t imagine that you wouldn’t want it all to happen fast.”

There was a part of me that understood him. He’d wanted to pick up where we’d left off, make up for the lost time.

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. Loving you isn’t selfish. I can’t be selfish with you. So, I’m not going to force you to do anything anymore. But I do want a chance to make it up to vou.” Jeremy said. nodding. “Thanks, Jeremy, that means a lot,” I said with a soft smile.

We sat in silence for a while. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. It was a peaceful silence. Finally, whatever anger and confusion between me and Jeremy had been settled. We could be friends again, or at least acquaintances.

My mind wandered back to Helen and why she wanted me dead. By all accounts, she had won! She stole my mate bond and my wolf. She’d ruined any chances of me and Jeremy being together. She was back in her pack and recognized as the daughter of the Alpha.

I had left Blake behind for his own good, but at the end of the day, I still missed him and loved him.

Helen wasn’t responsible for that but she was still in a much better position than I was. She even had a leadership position in her pack.

My life was the last thing she could take from me, but she seemed determined to take it regardless.

“Why do you think Helen is the way she is?” I asked.

“Oh… um…” Jeremy trailed off and shook his head.

“I mean, she was raised in a loving family. She was fostered by a good family in Moonery. No one ever treated her poorly. How did she get so twisted?”

“I don’t know.” Jeremy muttered. “She does seem rather… evil, doesn’t she?”

“I wish I knew what motivated her,” I said absently.

Helen had been my friend once. It bothered me that I’d never seen her true nature.

“It is late, Nora. You’ve had a rough day. Why don’t you head to bed? I’ll keep an eye on things down here,” Jeremy offered.

“Yeah, okay,” I nodded.

I went upstairs and changed into some pajamas. Before going to bed, I went back to the living room and gave Jeremy a blanket and pillow.

“In case you need to catch some sleep on the couch.” I said.

“Thank you.” he said, grinning at me.

Before my head hit the pillow, I was asleep. Jeremy was right, it had been a rough day.

**

I bolted upright in bed, an icy shiver running down my spine.

“Awooo!”

A howl in the distance. That’s what woke me.

“AWOOO!”

That one was much closer.

I threw the blankets off and ran down the stairs.

Jeremy was already up, standing at the living room window and looking toward the forest.

“What is it?” I asked.

“A huge group of warriors is moving in from the trees. I sent my guys to fight them off, but it might not be enough,” Jeremy said, not turning back from the window.

“What should we do?” I asked.

“We should get out of here,” Jeremy murmured. He grabbed my coat off a hook on the wall and handed it

to me.

“Run away?” I asked.

“I can’t protect you here,” Jeremy insisted.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me out the front door. We headed into the yard, in the opposite direction of where Helen’s wolves were gathering. They were already closing in on Jeremy’s wolves.

We sl*pped into the darkness.

“I don’t feel right about this,” I said as Jeremy pulled me into the woods.

“It’s okay. They won’t stay long if it seems they’ll get injured. My soldiers know not to jeopardize themselves,” he assured.

I kept looking behind me, even though I couldn’t see Jeremy’s wolves anymore. I couldn’t help it. Leaving made my stomach rumble, despite Jeremy’s assurances.

We pushed through some branches and came out into a clearing. I was still looking behind me, so I didn’t realize that Jeremy had stopped until I crashed into him.

“What the…”

Snarling and growling made me freeze.

I glanced around Jeremy to see Helen standing across the clearing with several wolves in front of her.

“I knew you’d try to sneak off.” Helen said, laughing.

“A few months as your bride-to-be, and I had you all figured out.”

“The other attack.”

“A diversion,” Helen smiled. “And you delivered that filthy traitor right to me.”

“Why are you after me, Helen?” I asked, finding my voice.

Her bright eyes snapped at me and she gave me an indifferent look. She lifted her hand and inspected her fingernails.

“Do I need a reason? You’re a rival. What more needs to be said?” she asked.

“You don’t have to do this, Helen. You have everything you want,” Jeremy said, jumping in.

“Sure, I have everything I want. But there is still so much more I can take from both of you.” she said, cackling loudly.

“Nora, get out of here. I’ll hold them off,” Jeremy said. He dropped my arm and pushed me away.

“I’m not leaving you, Jeremy,” I insisted.

“Nora go!” he cried.

Helen laughed again and snapped her fingers.

The wolves in the clearing all sprang at Jeremy.

“No!” I cried.

Helen kept laughing and pointing. “Get him. Rip his throat out!”

“Stop it!” I shouted. I raced forward and punched one of the wolves in the snout.

Whimpering, it backed off, running back to Helen and hiding behind her legs.

“You coward, she’s nothing! She has no wolf. You can take her.” Helen hissed, pointing right at me.

The wolves attacking Jeremy all looked up at me, eyes glowing in the darkness. They bared their teeth, snarling and stepping closer.

Jeremy groaned on the ground. I couldn’t see if he was badly injured, but he didn’t spring back up immediately.

I stepped back as the wolves stepped closer.

This was a bad. bad situation.

Suddenly, the bushes around us trembled and all of Jeremy’s warriors came into the clearing. They fought back Helen’s wolves through gnashing teeth and tearing fur.

“No! No!” Helen cried. “Don’t retreat!”

Her wolves stopped listening to her, running to safety. Helen growled and turned on her heel, running after them.

I dropped to the ground beside Jeremy.

“Jeremy, open your eyes. Are you okay?” I asked, searching his face.

Groaning, he opened his eves and met mine. “I… I’ll live.”