Alpha Alden

Chapter 27

~Kezziah

I’m not as frightened by this news as I thought I would be. Maybe it’s because I don’t believe him…

Alden is not my mate. There is no way. The moment he said that, the entirety of me felt the need to disagree. To hide what I’ve been feeling toward recently without any thought as to why. But that doesn’t mean he’s my mate. It doesn’t mean that because every time I look at him a flutter arises in my stomach he’s my mate.

Time would lie to me about that. He would change the dynamic between Alden and I to halt the process of us removing the bond. There is no reason why I should believe Time would tell me anything truthful.

He seems to notice my skeptical expression. “You don’t have to believe me.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” I say firmly, pushing the idea of this being a truth from my mind. “And I don’t believe you. At all. Do you think I was born yesterday?”

Time raises a dark eyebrow at me. I’ve heard that Immortals don’t like being spoken to as if they are foolish. I couldn’t care less that Time is one of the high tier Immortals used to getting his way in everything. If he thinks he can lie to me about who my true mate is, he can deal with my attitude.

I watch as he looks down at his fingertips. “Here I am being honest, and you’re treating me like this?”

“Why should I believe you?”

Time doesn’t answer right away. Finally, he stands from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed, moving away to pace the front of the room. I’m not getting out of this room now, even if it was an option previously. Time isn’t done with me yet. He hasn’t proved his entire point.

“Why would I lie?” he questions, that feline like smile pulling at his lips leaving me sick to the stomach. “I know how you feel when you look at him. And might I tell you, it’s not fair having my mate look at another man like that.”

My eyes narrow on him. “What are you trying to prove?”

“Who says I’m trying to prove anything?” he tells me with a shrug. “I thought I would remind you you’re my mate, no one else's.”

I may not know everything about Time yet, but I do know he doesn’t do anything without a motive. This lie is to falter the working relationship between myself and Alden, but little does this immortal know, I would never mention this to the Alpha.

If he was telling the truth, it would ruin everything. So to avoid any truth or lie coming to the surface, I just won’t say anything. I will comply to what Time has to say, but I will not share anything to Alden past this door. He isn’t my mate, and I’m not going to let the idea of him being so get to my head.

“Even if this was true, how would you know,” I question, folding my arms over my chest. He may be a powerful immortal, but I doubt he would know something like that. As far as I’m aware, all he can do is transport through time.

And brand people without their permission.

“Well, I do happen to have a twin brother who’s in anyone’s head that he wants to be. It’s not impossible for me to find this information out,” he says pointedly, that smile telling all.

I remember from one tale we heard in school that he is brothers with another powerful immortal named Thought. He isn’t someone I know very much about, however, the idea of someone coming into your thoughts, able to feed you any information they want to seems frightening. Especially when they are related to Time.

“I still don’t believe you,” I mutter, leaning back against the wall.

“Whether you do or not, I thought I would stop by to share some information,” Time tells me, approaching me on the bed again. My skin shivers at his proximity.

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

Ignoring my statement, he comes to sit on the bed again, expect this time, he sits right beside me, placing his hand on my leg. “This mate bond between us has been created for a reason. You could put people you love in grave danger if you do anymore to rid of it. I can promise you that much.”

My jaw clenches at his threat. I know who he is threatening, since there is no one else who loves me. He will kill Avia. I know he will. He’s fully capable of it.

“What do you want with me?” I question. “I just want this to be over.”

The look in his eyes is dark. It’s empty. Whoever is behind the mask of Time is dead. He’s so consumed in evil, in his own wants and needs, there doesn’t seem to be much of him left. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be his real mate. To drag him out of the depths of his own mind.

He reaches out, fingers brushing against my cheek. His skin is soft, but the fear of how quickly he could take my life ceases me. I want to cry, as his fingertips trace my cheekbone down to my jawbone.

“Maybe one day you’ll know,” he murmurs, before he swiftly stands.

There was other things I wanted to say to him, to ask him. A moment to question Time on what is truly going on his head, but in one instant, he vanished, leaving only a trace of him behind in the form of dark swirling shadows that eventually disappeared also.

My whole body relaxes as I take one last look around, making sure he isn’t lingering in the room still. That interaction was the last thing I needed.

The question is, do I tell Alden?

Do I tell him the lies Time shared with me in order to ruin our relationship. To make me feel hopeless and alone in my current bond the with immortal. No, I can’t share that with him. Alden has so much else to deal with right now, and surely he would think of me strangely if I proposed we might be mates.

For now, I just have to figure out how to save Avia. With her on the outside, she is vulnerable to Time. And I desperately need to get rid of this bond.

Before I’m Time’s forever.

***

The next morning, I was woken early to loud chatter outside my door.

Pulling on a robe left for me on the top of the dresser, I peak out, wanting to see what all the comotion is all about. It appears to be all the nurses readying themselves for their first shifts. None of them seem to notice me, as I push past them, moving into the bathroom to wash my face.

No one else seems to be in here, as I quickly splash cold water onto my face, waking myself up. Just as I put a towel to my face to dry it off, someone else walks into the room.

For a moment, I disregard them. Until I look at them.

It’s the green eyed nurse. She seems taken aback when her eyes meet mine. Before I can open my mouth, she dashes into one of the toilet stalls, locking it behind her. I’m bewildered at her desperation to get away from me. So much so, I know I can’t step out of here without answers.

“Why are you hiding from me?” I question, staring at myself in the mirror. The shadows under my eyes are so much the same as my eye colour, they seem to blend together.

She doesn’t answer.

“You’re protecting me. Why?” I ask, trying to coax something out of her. Anything would be helpful.

Again, no answer.

“If you are I want to know why. I desperately need protecting, and if that’s your job, I would like to tell you why,” I say smoothly, pulling the dark strands of my hair behind my ears. I don’t know how else to reason with her when she won’t say a word to me.

Miraculously, the stall door suddenly opens, and she steps out, expression impassive. We look at each other in the mirror.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

Her jaw is clenched beyond belief. “You can call me Emily. What do you need help with?”

I decide I can’t question any more out of her just yet. Not until she has received information as a trade. I’m scared I’ve gotten her to speak to me and she is going to turn around and run away again, leaving me with more questions. There has to be a reason why she poisoned those girls just for me.

“Time, the immortal, appeared in my room,” I tell her. She doesn’t seem surprised by that at all. “He threatened to hurt the only person who matters to me if I work with Alden anymore. I can’t have this person hurt.”

Emily nods, green eyes solemn. “I can help you. I can get a message to the outside.”

I whirl around to face her again. Did I hear her right? If she can get a message she can get a message out to Avia.

“Who are you?” I question.

She sighs through her nose. “If I’m honest, I’m friends with Avia. I’ve been looking out for you on her behalf. She sent me to protect you.”