Page 113 of Chasing The Alpha's Son
“Why did he bring you here?” I ask.
Mia locks eyes with me, her bottom lip quivers, and she shakes her head apologetically. “He’s going to make a deal with Alpha Jericho: our support in exchange for a courtship.”
I stare at her a little harder, wanting her to spell it out so there’s no confusion.
“He’s going to suggest an arranged mateship between me and Jasper.”
Mia bursts into tears, holding her forehead in both hands. Olivia runs a hand down her back.
“We won’t let him do that, guapa,” she says. “We’ll run away if we have to, we’ll—”
“We can’t run away!” Mia explodes. “He’s not just my alpha, he’s my father. What about the rest of my pack, my family, my friends? What about yours? We can’t just give all that up. Where would we go anyway? And what would we become? Do you want to be a rogue? Do you know how people treat rogues?!”
Mia’s head falls back into her hands and Olivia glances at me, most likely hoping for a suggestion.
I rack my brain, trying to think of something. In a lot of ways this is all too familiar. I think back to the Harvest Moon Celebration, when Jasper was ready to reject me to please his father.
But then I remember Jasper’s apology and his promise that he would never try to break our mate bond again. Sure, he doesn’t want to be seen with me in front of some rich wolves, but he meant what he said, right?
Even though there’s a specter of doubt in my mind, I think I have an idea.
“Jasper won’t agree to this,” I say. “Let me find him; I’m sure he can talk to Morven or Jericho and sort this out.”
“Really?” Mia says between sobs.
“I…think so.”
Olivia gives me a grave nod and I run back upstairs.
The first familiar face I see when I make it back out into the party is Katie. She’s wearing a figure-hugging, floor-length gown in this eye-catching pink. She looks like the most fully realized version of herself, a Pokémon in her final form. Todd and Simon are nearby, of course.
“Hey,” I say, sidling up to her, having to shout to be heard over the music.
“Hi,” she says, and then stares at me tight-lipped.
“Have you seen Jasper anywhere?”
“No, sorry.”
I wait a beat, expecting her to say more, but she only tilts her head and twists her lips in a vaguely apologetic way.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
She nods. “Mmhmm.”
“You’re acting kind of strange, and you haven’t really been answering my texts or calls.”
“I know, it’s just I sort of needed some space.”
“Okay.” I run a hand down my forehead. I don’t have time for whatever it is Katie is having trouble with right now. “Listen, I need to find Jasper.”
Her eyes move in a circle, avoiding meeting mine. “Can’t you just like…read his mind or whatever?”
“What? I…huh?” Is this what’s bugging Katie? The whole blood-wolf thing? “That’s not how it works… I… Katie…”
Her jaw moves and I can tell she’s thinking something over.
“I think,” she says, and tears spring to her eyes, “it’s just maybe a bit too much for me.”
