THE ALPHA'S FORGOTTEN MATE

as'

selves carried the weight of my unease. I stood by the window in my of

ia

intly in the back of my mind, a fragile thread that had once been unbreakabl

dacity of him speaking to her, getting close to her, was enough to se

n know who he was, let alo

door broke thro

called, my vo

e, her expression gri

back of my neck. "If

r. "She's restless, Lucas. Confused. And she's start

pposed to tell her? That I rejected her once? That I thought I was protecting her, only t

oiding the truth is going to help? She's not a child, Luca

rustration boiling over. "How can I lay all of this

er now. "But if you keep hiding things, she's going to find o

rse she was right. But knowi

inking into the chair behind my desk. "Sh

ou tell her?" E

ered. "I couldn't

a good Alpha. But this? This is about more than leadership. This is about

me like a storm cloud

I said after a long pause.

fened. "What

But whatever it was, it made her unea

th know Finn doesn't act without a purpose. If

greed. "I

was, what w

said firmly. "Discreet, but close enough to interv

t her memory?"

't know. Part of me wants to leave it buried. The things sh

this curse," she reminded me. "You can

to the window, watching as the first hi

ything, and no matter how much I wanted to

anym

#

I'd meant to come hours ago, but the weight of what I needed to say had kept me away. No

fter a moment, her voice

ed and her hands fidgeting in her lap. The sight of he

e said, her

side and closing the door be

, but she didn't

onfused," I said finally. "And I know you feel like everyone is keeping things from you. You

hing-hope?-crossing her face. "Then tell m

e my mate," I said, the words feeling heavier than they should. "We were

asked, her voice ba

hing through my mind like a dagger. The re

lly, my voice rough. "A mistake

n her lips. But before she could speak, the howl of

ward the window, m

ria asked, her voi

ordered, risi

cas

a," I repeated,

t the room, my heart pounding as I race

was, it coul