#Chapter 72: It Takes More Than a Cure


    While Alex is resting, Rita asks me to walk with her to exercise her leg. I know it is already healed, and assume it is because she anticipates needing to run on it


    soon.


    As long as we can get Alex up and moving; she may be better, but now he''s sick.


    Others are milling around the pack. I haven''t met anyone else yet, and they''re all curious about me. I catch nces and stares but try to ignore them. After all, I''ve been getting unwanted attention my whole life.


    Rita waits for a few moments before speaking. "They all want to know why you''re here."


    "Me too."


    Rita''s gaze is fixed straight ahead, but she can sense my trepidation. "You''re here because Alex put you in danger. It''s as simple as that."


    I don''t reply. I don''t know what to say—and I think I may start crying, I''m just so overwhelmed.


    "Alex cares for you deeply-he doesn''t exactly hide it."


    All I can think to say is, "Sssorry."


    "Why? It''s not your fault. We can''t help who we love."


    So, she knows??? ''But you and Alex..."


    "Don''t want each other."


    My step falters and Rita stops, looking me dead in the eyes.


    "You''re fated," I say in a t voice.


    I don''t know what she''s ying at, but I''m not stupid.


    She purses her lips. "Think of it as an arranged marriage in your world. We don''t really have a say. Except it''s our hormones dictating our sex life instead of our parents.''


    "What do you. Do then?"


    We continue walking as Rita continues talking. "Well, that''s not so easy. Most werewolves go through with the union because it saves them problems in the future-and they just deal with it. Others get lucky and learn to care for their mate. But that won''t happen with us. Alex and I talked after we got here-neither of us are interested in. pursuing anything."


    "Caaan you not? Mate, I mean?"


    "Technically we can do what we want if the Elders don''t object. But it can still be tricky. If he were sti human world then he would be able to avoid it until he returned home."


    the


    "But he did."


    "Avoid it? Hah! think he intended to. He wasn''t going toe back for a long time. Alex-he had ns and they didn''t involve living in the pack."


    "Isss that norm-mal?"


    "There are werewolves who live part of their life in the human world. But most


    don''t, and even fewer for very


    long."


    募


    #Chapter 72: It Takes More Than a Cure


    "He wasss...sent away, though."


    "Is that we told you?" Rita kicks a rock as we walk. We''ve passed several Malkeye pack members and every time we do, she lowers her voice. We pass by a group


    of them standing outside a convenient store and Rita smiles at them, saying hello. They return her greeting, eyeing me suspiciously.


    After we pass them by, she leans in. "We need to speak with discretion when


    we''re not in private. This isn''t exactly enemy territory, but..."


    I agree. "Okay." Only I''m pretty sure I''m more in danger here than she is.


    "So Alex was sent away because his parents didn''t want both sessors in one ce."


    "Really?"


    "I don''t know if that''s what they told him, but thest Alpha of the Malkeye pack, as you heard, was murdered. They didn''t want to risk having both their sons made targets. If one is gone and no one knows where he is, he may be safe. Staying in the pack can be dangerous. You see how that turned out for Michael..."


    "Isss Alex in danger?"


    Rita shrugs. "Maybe. Probably."


    "And the mating. Ritual?"


    "You ask a lot of questions-but I get it. Alex hasn''t exactly been forting, has he? I don''t know who did that to him. He didn''t get sick until we got here. I don''t know how long it takes to work, but it wouldn''t have even worked until he turned eighteen a few days ago. Logic says it either happened within our pack while he was at home...or here.


    She pauses. "Either option isn''t good."


    I think about this for a moment. We are in danger from rogue wolves, and Alex may even be in danger in his own pack-or from this one! "Nowhere is sssafe.”


    "It looks that way. That''s why we can''t be alone here. You and I have to stick together no matter what." Rita is quiet for a moment, and I notice we''ve made a loop and are returning to Ryan''s house. "Then there''s another option...but I don''t think it usible."


    "What?"


    "Well...Alex doesn''t want to mate with anyone right now-at least not another werewolf," she adds as she nces at me from the corners of her eyes.


    I get her meaning. Knowing Alex wants me is the one little ray of sunshine I have in this dark time.


    "That''s why he didn''t want toe home. It''s possible Alex did it to himself in hopes of breaking the bond."


    "Do you. Think he would. Do that?"


    "I hope not. But he''s desperate...nothing is going the way he wants."


    With Ryan''s house in sight, I know our conversation is basically over. "Thank you."


    Rita looks at me, puzzled. "For what?"


    "Answering. My quessstions."


    Her wry smile makes me wonder if we could be friends after all.


    #Chapter 73: ying the Waiting Game