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“See them? Who?”
He gestured, appearing frustrated with her ignorance. “Two of them were here last night. Ava isn’t a Guard, but I suspect she would have been assigned to you.”
“Look, this coffee hasn’t woke up my brain yet. Would you please explain what the hell you’re talking about?”
He set down a huge bowl of scrambled eggs on the table, far more than two or even three people could eat. “The alpha is surrounded by what is called The Guard. They are big. They are tough, and if anyone ever wants to get close to Sebastian, they have to go through The Guard. But that’s impossible because they are extremely loyal to him, like slaves. They don’t breathe without his say so, and if he orders it, they will slaughter anyone at the drop of a hat.”
She shivered.
“Now you understand a little of what you’re dealing with. And don’t doubt it, Sophia. Sebastian has given that order before, and he’ll do it again.”
She dipped her head and let the heat from the coffee warm her face. A chill raced through her body and wouldn’t be calmed. “I can’t deal with this.”
“I’m sorry.”
They were silent for some time. She tried not to replay Jack’s words in her head, but they stampeded through anyway. Her husband wasn’t just a shifter. He was a murderer. That was grounds for divorce, right? She almost laughed. No judge would think she was sane if she walked into his courtroom claiming her husband wasn’t human and that he had murdered people. Besides, she had no proof. Even as she thought of Sebastian, she imagined his gentle eyes when he looked at her. From day one, he was so attentive, so perfect. He spoiled her rotten, spending so much money on her, taking her anywhere she wanted to go.
So now I’m thinking of staying with a monster for material gain? Jeez!
She could live alone without him even if he refused to give her a divorce. The weight of the idea pressed down on her, making her stomach turn and a pain start in her head. Just the prospect of a life without him seemed too much to bear. Maybe it would get better with time, or this was just the stress of everything she had learned about her new husband. No one could blame her for the turmoil she felt.
“Jack, is it true? He said I’m bonded to him and that I can’t resist him.”
He looked at her and hesitated. “I’m not familiar with every detail of—”
“Jack, please.”
“Whether you’re bonded to him or not you can decide not to be with him. You have a desire for him, but it’s not a command to your body. Do you understand?”
She groaned. “Do these hips look like I regularly ignore my physical desires?”
He grinned. “You seem like a strong woman to me.”
They sat down to eat after Harper wandered into the kitchen looking like she hadn’t slept a wink. Sophia didn’t blame her what with all the activity the night before, including Sebastian ordering her out of her own house. Their conversation hadn’t lasted long, but it must be traumatizing. All of it was Sophia’s fault for falling for a sexy man with money. Everyone knew that crap was a red flag.
“I was thinking you could go back,” Jack said.
Her fork clattered to her plate, and she snatched it up quickly. Harper gazed at her boyfriend, but Sophia couldn’t read her expression. Sophia took a minute before responding because both panic and hope rose inside her. She was ashamed of the thrill that surfaced at the suggestion.
The l
ast thing Sebastian said last night as he held her face between gentle but firm hands was, “I love you, Sophia. I married you because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can’t insist that you trust me, but I want it more than anything. I want you more than anything.” After he left, she ran into the bathroom and sobbed into her hand. All she had wanted to do was chase after him. It took Herculean effort not to run behind his car like a lovesick fool.
I’m one of those stupid women. No! It’s the shifter poison or whatever it’s called.
“You’re not serious.” There. That sounded outraged enough without showing her confusion.
“Here me out.” He set his own fork down and folded his fingers together. “You can get us information and report back to me. Maybe you could even get Sebastian away from The Guard.”
“Never mind about my life, I guess.”
Harper came alert enough to speak. “He would never hurt his mate, and he would never let anyone else hurt you. That’s how wolf shifters are.”
“How can you be sure?”
Harper started to answer, but Jack held up his hand. She fell silent. “Sophia, a shifter’s mate is like the other half of him. You’ve heard the human stories like that. ‘My better half’ and so on. Humans joke, but it’s serious with shifters. It’s literally true.”
She smirked. “Not literally.”
