Sydney
I don’t miss the fact I just told Sarah something no one knows. Not even Kenna. Not even Ryan or Evander.
It doesn’t matter. At least, I tell myself that. I’m not going to ruin her night by dragging her down into the depths of my own despair over my choices, which I’ve practically written in blood and all but pledged to the Goddess.
I can’t deny how good it feels to have Sarah in my arms, though. She holds my hand as I softly spin us around the garden with the other couples. We’re probably the youngest pair on the dance floor. I spot my dad talking with a group of other Alphas. I don’t think he’s even noticed I’m here, but that’s probably for the best.
All we’ve had to talk about lately is business. Ever since Uncle Ryatt had to close the borders between the two kingdoms, there’s been nothing but stress weighing down my dad’s shoulders.
I catch a glimpse of Ryan from across the crowd though. He’s talking with our mom, and they both look at me and Sarah, mom’s eyes as bright as the moon.
Damnit.
She’s waving us over.
“We’re being summoned,” I say to Sarah, but I look down and notice the radiate smile on her face as I take her through a final twirl.
She looks absolutely stunning. I can’t put into words what seeing her for the first time tonight felt like, but it damn near took my breath away.
The more time I spend with her, the more difficult it’s becoming to ignore the fact that I do find her…. Attractive isn’t even the right word for it. She’s everything. Everything I think about. Everything I try not to think about when I close my eyes.
I also notice Sarah’s hesitation as I lead her up to Ryan and my mom. Ryan arches his brow at me, smirking around the rim of his glass of scotch, but Mom only has eyes for Sarah.
“Everyone is asking me about you, Sarah,” she says, taking my date’s hands. “You might be the busiest florist in the kingdom once this is all said and done. Do you have room in your schedule–”
“It’s a party, Mom. You already said no talking business,” Ryan cuts it.
Mom glares at him but softens her expression as she looks back at Sarah. “He’s right. I’ll call on you sometime this week, okay? I’d love to chat one on one. Sydney had such wonderful things to say about you.”
“Oh.” Sarah squeaks. Ryan and I exchange a glance, but I shrug off his attempt to mind-link, probably to ask me if I’ve seen what Sarah is wearing and how I landed someone like her.
“We actually need to be going,” I tell them, laying my hand flat on Sarah’s lower back. “It’s getting late.”
“Late?” Mom asks, looking at each of us in shock. “It’s not even ten, Sydney. What’s the hurry?”
“Sarah’s son is home with Cosette,” I tell her, since Sarah seems too nervous to say anything to my mother, which I understand, I continue, “He doesn’t like taking a bottle.”
Mom’s mouth drops open. Sarah winces. Ryan lifts a brow at me, once again trying to cut through the barriers I’ve built around the mind-link to keep him out when I need to.
“You have a baby?” Mom asks Sarah, looking her up and down.
“Yes. He’s only a few weeks old–”
“And you’ve had her on her feet, dancing? Let alone doing all of this?” Mom waves a hand around the party, at the flowers covering practically every surface. “Sydney!”
“Why are you mad at me?” I laugh, but mom has already swooped in on Sarah, taking her hands again and mumbling apologies for my behavior, like I kidnapped her or something and forced her to do this.
Sarah gives me a smirk.
I didn’t kidnap her. I saved her life.
I cross my arms over my chest while Sarah absolutely melts into my mom’s attention, but I clear my throat, tapping my watch. “Sarah, we do need to leave.”
“I know.” She smiles at my mom. “The honor is mine, truly.”
“When you’ve rested and are ready to work again, please let me know. I’d love to talk to you about the spring festival this year.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ryan says to me before he starts to turn away.
“What’s tomorrow?”
“Aren’t you going to see Dad and take all your evidence about Sasha’s death to him and his commanders?”
Sarah looks between us, a flash of concern behind her eyes, which fade to a deep amethyst at the mention of Sasha. I can’t imagine what it would have been like for Sarah having witnessed the burial of someone so young, someone her age.
“Right.” I nod to Ryan. “Tomorrow.”
I quickly usher Sarah out of the room, grabbing her coat and helping her into the sleeves before waiting for the valet.
She says nothing as we wait, but she’s toying with her nails and watching the snow fall in thick sheets.
Other people are leaving early as well. The weather is getting bad, and several Alphas and Betas drove sportscars to this event, of course, to show off their wealth and status like absolute idiots.
The valet pulls my truck around, and within a few seconds we’re driving down the winding road leading away from the botanical garden and the forest that hugs it.
“I’m sorry we brought up Sasha in front of you.”
“It’s fine,” Sarah replies, her eyes on the windshield. “I didn’t really know her, remember?”
“But you were there when she was buried. That must have been a shock to you, being a child and all.”
“Yeah,” she says after a moment. “Why do you need to confirm her death with your dad?”
I tilt my head from side to side as I debate telling her the truth. It’s a confidential mission, but who would Sarah tell? Hadley?
“Her cousin is a wanted fugitive from Eastonia, and we believe he’s looking for her.”
“So you were looking for her to keep her safe from him?”
“Partly,” I admit. “She’s said to have powers beyond explanation, which is why he wants her. He needs her for something. It was my job to find her and turn her into the Allied Kingdoms. It’s likely Alpha King Ryatt would have had her imprisoned until they could prove she wasn’t a threat and use her as bait to draw Gabriel out of hiding.”
Sarah’s silence is deafening. I glance at her, noticing the way her eyes are fixed on nothing and everything all at once as she looks out the window.
“It’s boring, I know. I won’t drag you down with it any further.”
“I’m just tired,” she says with a soft smile. “I did have fun tonight, you know.”
“I had fun too–”
An engine behind us roars, and suddenly a sports car dashes around us, scraping the passenger side. I lose control, my truck tires sliding sideways as the truck hits a guardrail and bounces back into the middle of the street.
“Hold on,” I say as calmly as possible as I try to regain control, but the road is slick, and the embankments on either side of the narrow highway leading into Crescent City are thick with snow.
In a split second, we’re totally backward, spinning in a circle before the truck comes to a rough, jolting stop with the front wheels lodged in the embankment.
I immediately reach for Sarah. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she replies breathlessly, her eyes a bit glassy. “Are we stuck?”
I look out the windshield, where the snow is so deep it covers part of the hood with ease. “We’re very, very stuck.”
We sit there for a moment in silence. My mind reels over what to do. I could mind-link with my parents and have them send a warrior down to pick us up, but the road conditions are awful, and I’m sure anyone else coming down the roadway is facing similar issues getting back to the city.
I look at Sarah. She looks at me. “You can’t shift yet.”
She shakes her head.
“It’s a good thing you have that coat,” I breathe, wrenching open my door and reaching for her hand.
“Where are we going?”
“There’s a small town just down the road. There’s a hotel less than a mile from here. You can stay there for a minute while I figure this out.”
It’s a good plan–until I realize how little of a chance I have of finding someone to tow the truck out of the ditch at this hour of night–and how full the hotel is when we get there after a twenty minute walk through the snow and ice.
The woman behind the check-in counter slides me a single room key with a wince. I gruffly take the key and steer a sopping wet Sarah toward the elevator. Neither of us speak a word. She’s half frozen and wet from the snow, and I’m wondering how the hell I’m going to get her home to her baby, let alone share a room with her tonight.
Matters are made worse when we step inside the room and find a single, full sized bed.
Sarah immediately closes herself into the bathroom with what might have been a sob.
Gutted, I shrug out of my wet tuxedo jacket and hang it on the back of a chair then call Cosette.
“We’re stuck on the Hillside,” I tell her. “Can you send a warrior to the Alpine Meadows Lodge to pick Sarah up, please?”
“I can’t send anyone out in this weather! Are you crazy? You’ll just have to stick it out.”
Sarah makes a whimpering sound from the bathroom, and I feel like shredding the room to pieces at the anguish in her cries. “Sarah needs to get home. Something’s wrong.”
“Let me talk to her.”
I knock on the bathroom door, and she opens it a crack, quickly taking the phone from me and locking the door behind her.
I use the hotel phone to call for some robes and extra clothes if they have any, which of course, they don’t.
The hotel is at full capacity tonight with travelers stuck because of the storm.
So, I wait, sitting on the edge of the bed in the sparse, modern room, while I listen to Sarah being talked down by Cosette, who is apparently promising that Blake will be fine for the night.
Finally, the bathroom door creaks open, and Sarah steps out, holding out my phone.
She sniffles as I take it but refuses to look at me as she says, “I need help getting out of my dress.”
“Are you–”
“If you ask if I’m okay, I’m going to lose it,” she whispers, then sniffs.
I roll my lower lip between my teeth and take her by the shoulders, turning her around so her back is to me.
The zipper on her dress is low and tight, and I struggle to get it open. The second the zipper gives way, she darts into the bathroom, closing herself inside with one of the robes.
I change out of my wet clothes and put on a matching fluffy, white robe.
This is not how I thought this night would go. I’m not sure I had an ending in mind, honestly, but Sarah whimpering in the bathroom wasn’t on my radar at all.
I can’t take it anymore, so I go to the door and knock. “Sarah, I’m sorry. I’m sorry we’re stuck here. I’m confident Blake is going to be fine. Cosette said she has plenty of milk.”
“I know he’s going to be okay.” She groans as if in pain, and every nerve in my body feels like it’s on fire. I try the doorknob, but it’s locked.
“What’s the matter? Will you open the door?”
“No!”
“Sarah!”
“Sydney, I can’t–I didn’t bring a–a breast pump and it’s–painful–I really need to nurse.”
I let out my breath. I honestly don’t know what to do to get her to open the door and just talk to me, so I lean my forehead on the door and ask, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
She sniffles. “How could you possibly help me right now?”
“I could…”
The door opens abruptly. She glares up at me, and I feel….
She’s in nothing but her robe and her breasts are slightly exposed and I’m… I’m just looking at her, looking into those beautiful eyes that have my whole body tightening as she meets my gaze.
“Let me help you,” I tell her. “Please.”
“I’m fine,” she says in a low growl, and tries to shut the door again, but I hold it open.
“Why won’t you let me help–”
“Why do you even care?”
“I hate when you ask me that,” I say sharply, meaning every word. And somewhere, deep down, I feel… a flicker. Something I’ve felt only once in my life with a woman I can’t even remember.
Before I can think about what I’m doing and the consequences that will follow, I step into the bathroom, caging her in against the door, and lower my head.
“As your Alpha, I command you to allow me to see to your… welfare.”
Her answering snarl sets fire to my blood.
Sarah needs to learn that she can trust me.
It’s something I’m going to have to show her.