Chapter Fourteen

One Day Later

Jared had done a damn good job of discovering the most plausible bears up against Sonya, Dax Collingsworth being the worst. He was a vicious playboy from Australia who had made his way to Europe taking pack after pack. It was almost admirable – his laser focus showed that with size and confidence, anything was possible.

Alec walked into Varetec, the building far larger than anything he would be comfortable with. Something about heights threw him off. He spoke briefly to the pretty girl at the front counter and made his way to the top floor, his stomach turning the whole time.

Sonya would have to let him keep his office where it was. No fucking way he was driving downtown every day and working just below the clouds. Maybe she would consider letting the executive office be at his place and the corporate headquarters downtown.

He exited the elevator and made a sharp left turn, pausing at her door to glance over at Victor's nameplate. He needed to get back to the hospital to see the man. He had more questions than answers and wanted to understand why the older man was so interested in changing his future.

He started to knock as the door opened. Sonya stood before him, her cream-colored dress hugging the perfection of her lithe frame. He growled softly and moved toward her, unable to help himself. She reached out and pressed a hand to his chest.

"No. We talk business today and we can figure things out about us later."

"Are you not going mad, Sonya? I can barely think." He pushed her hand away from him and plowed her backward until she slammed into the wall. Pressing himself against her, he ran his nose up the column of her neck and stopped short.

Another Alpha.

He pulled back as his blood began to boil. "Who's touched you? Who have you been with?"

She moved out from in front of him and walked to the small table in the center of the room, sitting and pointing to the open chair. "Do you have the papers for Varetec or are you no longer interested?"

He stood still for a minute, his heart racing at the thought of her letting another man touch her. He wasn't a fool by any means. Someone had definitely been near her. His scent still lingered on her skin. This wasn't about them and yet he could feel the wave of her desire, the resounding scream of her need threatening to drown him. Her bear was giving a loud mating call and he wouldn't last long in the room with her. She was his true mate and he would fulfill that need within her whether she liked it or not.

He didn't have a choice.

He sat down across from her and nodded to her as he took a shallow breath. "You need to lower the lights in here? Why the sunglasses?"

She took the folder from him. "Show me where we need to sign and let's get this over with."

Something was wrong. Far more wrong than her wanting to fight against mating with him. Far more than her struggling for control over her crumbling world.

He would finish up the deal and then push her until she broke in front of him. He loved her too much not to get to the core issue. Something had happened and she was ignoring everything he did to figure out what.

"The blue highlights are for you to sign. Slide the paper toward me when you're done and I'll sign underneath you. If you want to read each page, feel free."

"No. I trust you to keep your word where this agreement is concerned." She leaned over, her hair cascading over her shoulder. He had to force himself not to reach out and touch it. The memory of it wrapped around his fingers caused him to groan softly.

He needed her. Now.

She glanced up, but he couldn't see her eyes. He couldn't determine what emotions had her trapped in fear. He could almost taste it and not doing something left him on edge.

Her words were clear. She trusted him with the business, but not with her or the pack.

"Finish signing this thing. I'm not going to be able to hold myself back for much longer and we need to talk."

She nodded and worked through the papers in front of her, sliding them to him as she finished each. He barely looked down, his complete attention focused on her. She signed the last one and pushed it over to him as he glanced down and quickly wrote his name on it. Something on her neck caused him to put the pen down and reach over, pushing her hair back.

She jerked back from him like she had been burnt.

A bruise.

"What the fuck is that?" He stood up and reached down, pulling her up as she let out a cry. He had never heard a sound like that come from her before. Someone had hurt her. Rage welled up inside of him as he moved her hair again. "Who did this? Is that what I smell on you?"

"Alec, this is my fight. I need to figure out how to fight in a way that helps me win, but don't step in and take this battle from me."

"Did he fuck you?"

"No." She slapped at his chest hard and walked away.

"Sonya. Turn around and take those glasses off."

"No." Her voice shook slightly. The sound of it broke his heart. She was strong, a pillar that he didn't believe anything could break down. "Tell me what's going on. You might not accept me as your mate yet, but I am a friend, your business partner, and your lover, baby."

He moved toward her and half expected her to turn and walk out, but she didn't. She let out a soft cry and he wrapped her in his arms, crushing her against him. Nothing would stop him from protecting her.

"Talk to me," he whispered, pressing his lips to her ear as he held her tightly. He didn't think her capable of crying or breaking down. A soft sob left her as she melted against him. Alec took full advantage of it, holding her tight to him and whispering that he would take care of her forever against her hair.

"My father's not going to make it much longer," she whispered.

"I know. I'm going to be right beside you, Sonya. Let me in and I can do everything for you. Let me step in front of you and swing at all that's coming your way. Let me protect you."

"No. It's not the way I was raised." She pulled from him and he let her for a moment. Tugging off the sunglasses, she wiped at her tears before flinching. He took her face in his hands and lifted it, the fading bruise around her eye causing the Alpha male to rise up in him.

"Who did this to you?" The room trembled with the roar of his voice.

"I would say I did. I should have known to be more stealthy in my attack." She sighed and pulled away, walking to the long row of windows and standing in front of them. He moved in behind her, sliding his hands on her shoulders.

"Sonya. I need to know who touched you. He's going to die."

"Yes, you're right. He is." She turned and looked up at Alec. She slid her hand around his face and pulled him toward her, kissing him roughly. He pressed her against the glass and made love to her mouth until she broke it.

"I need you," he whispered. "I can taste how bad you need me. Come home with me and let me take you all afternoon. We'll figure the rest out tonight together. Come be mine, Sonya. It's going to happen. Let it be now when you need me."

She kissed him again as her phone began to ring. He broke the kiss and nipped at her lips. "Get it and tell them to fuck off. You're coming home with me."

"Okay." She moved past him and picked up the phone, her voice changing to business. He was so taken with her that all he could do was watch. How dangerous was it for him to need someone so badly?

She would complete him. He had no doubt.

"Sonya Valsek."

He wanted to move toward her, to put his hands on her or drop to his knees and kiss his way up to the junction between her thighs. She was in heat and it would kill him if he didn't do something about it soon. Her voice changed to a softness that doused his arousal in cold water.

"Okay, Mark. I'm coming right now. Please try and bring him back long enough for me to say goodbye." She hung up the phone, strong and unbendable. She turned to him. Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"This is it. My dad's gone into cardiac arrest."