All Chapters of The Alpha's Mate: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

Startled, relieved, and wondering what could be so frightening that it would send Coello running like that, I spin around.Sterling is in the doorway, a jagged edged dagger in one hand, breathing heavy. His hair is coarser, his muscles thicker, and it’s clear that he’s an instant away from shifting entirely into his wolf form.“Sterling!” I cry, running into his arms. He holds me tight, careful to keep the dagger away from me. I can feel his body settle down and relax a bit, staying in his human form, but the sheer willpower and protectiveness of his energy haven’t dissipated.“Ayala! Are you alright?” Sterling looks down at me, worry creasing his brown. “What happened?”“The…” I stutter, then take a deep breath, trying to get the words out. “He…the one I’m hiding from.”“The Moon Rabbit?”I nod.“He was here? Where?”“On the balcony,” I say, pointing. The bloody corpse of the hawk is still there, in the shadow of the railing. “He tricked a hawk into carrying hi

After lunch, Sterling tells me that he’s going down to the beach to run the trainings. He tells me that there’s a squad of other shifters, mostly Betas, who come to do workout drills with him in the afternoons.“Are they from around here?” I ask.“Some of them,” Sterling tells me. “Others are here to do more intensive courses of training with me, but all of those are on a break right now, so we’re just doing our daily exercises.”“Why are your courses on break?” “I always leave time in between my training classes,” Sterling explains. “I just extended the break this time because I didn’t know how long you would be staying.”I feel my face redden. “I’m so sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to come here and interrupt your work like that.”“No, no, not at all,” Sterling says, taking my hand in his. “I wanted to be able to be there for you, to look out for you, at least until we understand the threat you’re facing.”“But you shouldn’t have to quit everything you’re doing ju

It’s a long, tough workout, made even longer and tougher by the fact that I can’t get my mind off thoughts of Sterling. Things get easier when he decides to be my sparring partner for the remainder of the workout. I shouldn’t have let him do that - after all, I need to be searching for my mate - but I’m just so glad to be close to him again.Every time he puts his hands on my hips to show me how to adjust my center of gravity, or grabs my arm to practice a grappling technique, my whole body lights up. Being close to Sterling makes me feel so good. I feel focused, grounded, and like I could take on anything. I love the way it feels. I can’t get enough of it. Which is why I’m disappointed when the workout ends and everyone gathers around the pile of towels and water bottles. We catch our breath, slap each other’s sweaty backs, and guzzle down fresh water. “That was a wild one, Sterling,” Piper says, raising her eyebrows. “If we’re going to have to run drills like that ever

“The guy with the tattoos on his arms,” I say. “He was here yesterday. Where is he?”“Martell?” Stefan asks. He looks over his shoulder. “He’s here somewhere, he never misses training.”“He’s not here,” Piper says, her voice grave. “Who is he?” I ask. “What are those tattoos?”“He’s a mercenary,” Piper explains. “Doesn’t belong to any particular pack. Hires out his skills in fighting, scouting, whatever.”“That would explain the tattoos,” I mutter. “I know someone with the same ones. Or, at least, I’ve seen them.”“Another mercenary,” Stefan nods. “I can’t believe Martell would do this,” Piper says. “He’s been training with us and Sterling for so long!”“Mercenaries all have a price,” I say. “If someone offered him something incredibly valuable to betray Sterling, perhaps he could have been bought off.”“But who would have something that Martell would want badly enough to do that?” Stefan asks.“I have some idea,” I say. I tell them a little bit about th

I hear Regan shout something in protest, and Finn starts to say something too, but Coello puts a hand up to silence them. “Agreed,” he says. “Ayala,” Piper cries, “you can’t do this!”But I can. If there’s no way out of this for me, at least I can set Sterling free. I walk down the steps toward Coello, ready to submit to an eternity of being his prisoner.Coello waves his hand and I see the love amulet come flying through the air, its chain broken, landing delicately in his hand. “Come on, lover boy,” Coello says, making a beckoning motion with his hand. Sterling comes walking down the lawn, his gait stiff and awkward, like he’s still in a trance. “Wait!” I cry. “You were supposed to let him go!”“Our deal, little wolf, was very specific: I was to release him from the captivity of this werewolf pack. I have done so. I can promise you that he will never spend another moment under their spell, let alone in their presence.”“But you need to set him free! You ca