Betrothed To The Alpha

CHAPTER SIXTY

ALEX

My heart wrenches in my chest as Alice's lips crash against mine, a searing, unwanted invasion. I quickly pull away, my eyes seeking out Hannah, just in time to see her fleeing, a broken sob echoing in her wake. The ache in my heart intensifies a physical pain that threatens to bring me to my knees. Every instinct scream at me to go after her, to comfort her, but as I move to do just that, Alice's fingers clamp down on my arm like a vice, and suddenly, all thoughts of Hannah evaporate like mist in the sun. My mind is filled with Alice, and only Alice, but my heart... something isn't adding up.

"I need a minute," I mutter, wrenching my arm from her grasp and striding away before she can protest. I make a beeline for my room, my mind reeling, my heart pounding a sickening rhythm against my ribs. Once inside, I head straight for the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face in a desperate attempt to clear my head. I take a deep, shuddering breath and stare at my reflection in the mirror, hardly recognizing the man looking back at me.

"Fuck!" I scream, slamming my fist against the glass, as the events of the last few minutes replay in my mind like a horror movie. My eyes widen, a dawning realization creeping over me. Why the hell did I say those words? Am I mad? What the fuck is wrong with me? I don't love Alice, so why would I say I do and hurt Hannah like that? I need to fix this. I need to fix this fast.

I lunge for the door, desperate to find Hannah, to explain, to beg for her forgiveness. But as my hand closes around the doorknob, Alice's scent wafts under the door, and I freeze, my muscles locking up, refusing to obey my commands. She's talking to someone just outside, her voice a low murmur, and no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to turn the knob, can't force my body to cooperate.

I stumble back from the door as if it had burned me, staring at it with wide, disbelieving eyes. What the fuck is happening? Does Alice's scent have anything to do with the bizarre things that have been occurring? And then it hits me like a ton of bricks - how I almost kissed her yesterday, how I suddenly declared us back together this morning. All these incidents happened as her scent changed. Even last night, when she came to me after Hannah left for her old pack, I couldn't drive her away, couldn't resist as she climbed into my bed. She wanted to have sex, but my wolf wouldn't let me, a small mercy in this nightmare. It didn't feel right, even then.

Alice's new scent has to be the cause, but how? That's the question I can't answer, but for now, I need to find a way to disable my sense of smell, to break her hold over me. With shaking hands, I pull out my phone and call the pack witch, asking her to come over immediately. Magic has to be involved, it's the only explanation for how someone could change their scent so drastically.

As I wait for the witch to arrive, I text Jason, asking him to come as well. They both arrive at the same time, and I waste no time in explaining the situation, the words tumbling from my lips in a desperate rush. Jason's anger is palpable when he first enters, no doubt a result of what happened with Hannah, but as I lay out the details of my predicament, his fury morphs into concern, his brow furrowed in thought.

"I've heard of something like this, but I will need to do more research and get back to you, Alpha," the pack witch, Jane, says, her voice grave.

"What about disabling my sense of smell for the time being? Can you give me something for that?" I ask, hope flaring in my chest.

"Yes, I can. I will prepare it soon and send it over," she replies, rising to her feet.

"Thank you, Jane," I say, shaking her hand and walking her to the door.

"I also need you to find out how Alice was able to get involved in magic," I add, turning back to Jason, who sits on the couch in my room.

"You got it, Alpha. And what are you going to do about Hannah?" he asks, concern etched into every line of his face.

"Once Jane delivers the potion to disable my sense of smell, I will head over and explain things to her. I don't want to do it before then to avoid causing her more pain," I say, my heart clenching at the thought of Hannah's tear-stained face.

"Good idea. I'll head out and find out the information you need. See you later," Jason says, patting my shoulder before walking out.

Jane is true to her word, and it's not long before someone arrives with the potion. I down it in one swing, my face scrunching up at the bitter taste. I wait a moment, then test it out, heading to my bathroom and sniffing my bathing products. Nothing. I can't smell a damn thing. Amazing. I knew I could count on Jane.

I waste no time, heading out of my room in search of Hannah. I don't bother trying her phone, knowing she won't pick up, and instead ask around for where she was last seen, following the trail.

But as I'm making my way through the pack house, someone calls my name from behind, and what happens next has my eyes widening in disbelief.

"Alex, baby," Alice calls, walking toward me. I freeze, my nostrils filling with her new scent the closer she gets. Why can I still smell her? I shouldn't be able to. Panicked, I put my nose to my armpit and inhale. Nothing. What the fuck?

"Where are you going?" she asks, stepping in front of me, her eyes boring into mine. Like I've been doing since she changed her scent, I find myself compelled to tell her the truth.

"I'm going to look for Hannah," I say, the words falling from my lips against my will.

"Is that so?" she says, moving closer, filling the space between us, her scent enveloping me, blinding me. "This should be the last time you ever go and look for her. Am I clear?" Her voice is deadly calm, a threat lurking beneath the surface.

My jaw clenches so hard it aches, every fiber of my being screaming at me to refuse her, to curse her, to ask her what gives her the damn right to think she can tell me what to do. But instead, I nod, a jerky, puppet-like motion.

"Good. Now come. We need to tell Lorenzo and Cameron the good news," she says, turning on her heel and walking toward their room, expecting me to follow.

And I do, trailing behind her like an obedient dog, even as rage boils in my veins, even as I fantasize about ripping her head from her shoulders. But I can't. I fucking can't. But I refuse to let this go on for long. I will find a way to deal with this, to break her hold over me, and soon. For Hannah. For us. For the love I know is real, no matter what lies Alice tries to force from my lips.