Chapter 9 Natasha

That was why I chose Brent-or more truthfully, why my father pushed me toward him. He wanted to force a truce between his pack and Brent's. If I refused, my father threatened to destroy Brent's entire group, and the Cortez family along with them.

All I could think about was the horror of Garrett and his family dying because of me. I was terrified my father would follow through on his threat. Back then, I had no idea Brent's pack was just as deviant as my father's. I really believed I was helping Garrett and protecting innocent Alphas. I didn't even know Garrett was a Divine Alpha, someone who could actually protect himself and everyone he loved.

So I agreed to be the connection between both packs. I agreed to let Brent claim me, to let him make me his in front of everyone, sealing the truce between the two groups. And that was the moment I walked right into the trap Brent had set.

All he really wanted was to own me.

To possess the daughter of a rival Alpha. And, just as much, to take the woman his cousin secretly wanted. Brent had always resented Garrett's success, and maybe he was jealous, too-jealous because Garrett was a Divine Alpha.

Unless he has no idea about it at all.

I frowned, turning the thought over in my mind. Looking back, Brent never really seemed to know. More than once, I caught the bitterness in his voice, his jealousy over Garrett's success.

"What's so special about him? His powers are insignificant!"

The first time I heard him say something like that, I couldn't help letting out a loud, pointed sigh-because Garrett was a hundred times the man he would ever be. That night, Brent responded with fists and kicks, beating me as he ranted that his own twisted power was greater than anything Garrett possessed and that I should never forget it.

Garrett, unlike him, was full of compassion and empathy. He was a peacemaker who always tried to bring people together, even in the middle of conflict. Whenever there was tension in his pack or his family, Garrett did everything in his power to resolve it without violence.

Deviants like Brent saw that as weakness.

But to me, it was proof of Garrett's true strength. He never needed to fight. He ruled with natural authority and an unshakable charisma.

With Brent, nothing ever felt natural. Everything about him was forced. His alpha gene hadn't awakened through the blessing of a divine Alpha-it happened by way of forbidden rituals that everyone now condemned.

That made Brent a deviant Alpha, his mutation a ticking time bomb.

It was as if he could sense, even from a distance, when I harbored a single disloyal thought. The living tattoo on my neck began to itch and burn, scratching at my skin until the bitterness rose in my mouth.

My appetite vanished. I stood and excused myself from the table, making my way toward the restroom. As I passed by, Garrett looked up with concern, his eyes watching me carefully. He handed little Tiana back to his father and got up too, his chair scraping across the floor.

I hurried down the hall, determined to reach the ladies' room before he could catch up. Behind me, I heard Maleah Fowler calling Garrett's name just as he was about to follow.

"Garrett!"

"Maleah..." he replied, his voice full of longing as he watched me disappear through the restroom door, slipping away before he could reach me.

I couldn't let Garrett get close to me. Not while my mark burned and itched like this. It was a clear sign of mental intrusion-my Alpha reaching out.

I leaned over the sink, eyes shut tight. That old, sick feeling welled up inside me, the nausea that always came just before Brent forced a telepathic connection through the bond between Alpha and Consort.

I had to get Garrett out of my mind. I needed to bury every feeling I had for him, lock it all away deep inside, never giving Brent the satisfaction of finding it and using it against me.

As I fought the call of my Alpha, my head started to pound, growing heavier with every second, like someone was trying to crush my skull from the inside.

I turned the cold water on and splashed my face, hoping to ease the pain just a little.

The moment I looked up, I heard Brent's voice slide into my mind: "What's going on, darling? Are you trying to block me?" His tone was mocking. I could feel his contempt, like he always thought I was foolish to believe I could ever keep him out, even after all these years.

Mylah entered the bathroom just then, giving me the perfect excuse. "I'm not alone, Brent! Later, please!"

Mylah barely glanced my way. She hurried straight into a stall, obviously in a rush.

"Oh? Who's there with you? No one. Because you're nothing but a filthy liar, you little whore! Listen to me, Natasha Cortez- I don't care about those pathetic looks my cousin kept throwing your way at breakfast, or how wet you got before running off to hide and probably cry again about how miserable your life is with me. If I ever find out you slept with my cousin while you were in Ireland, I'll show you what real pain is. You'll find out there's suffering far worse than being apart from that so-called Alpha you think you were meant for! Not that I believe in that crap."

My heart thundered in my chest. He knew. He always seemed to know. Everything I did, everything I felt. Everywhere I went, everyone I spoke with. Brent had managed to plant a spy in Garrett's circle of friends, though I still had no idea who it was. But one thing was certain- whoever it was, they were right here in Ireland, reporting every move I made straight back to him.

Yes, because our telepathic bond worked only for direct communication. Brent couldn't actually read my mind. Still, he could sense my emotions-especially when they were strong. He must have picked up on what I felt at the table this morning, the same storm of feeling that always came over me whenever Garrett was near. That was probably enough for him to start asking his spy questions.

Did that person see Garrett and me slip out of the main room together last night?

"If I let you stay around my cousin and his pack, it wasn't so you could sit there making doe eyes at him, wishing you could be with him in front of everyone! Don't test me! Your only purpose-besides spying for me-is to spread your legs for me, and only for me! Don't forget your place!" Brent screamed in my mind, his fury ringing in my ears before he abruptly cut the connection.

He broke the mental link with such force that I doubled over, nauseous, clutching the sink to steady myself. It took me several moments to gather myself, shaken and exhausted.

Spying on Garrett and the pack he built with his friends- that was the real reason Brent ever let me work for his cousin. It was why he allowed me to join Maleah's group of submissives, and why he agreed to let me attend the "munches" she organized. It was also the only reason I was allowed to travel to Ireland when Arlene and Cameron sent their invitation.

But I didn't want to keep doing this. I was tired of being forced to obey Brent. The trouble was, breaking the bond between an Alpha and his Consort was nearly impossible. When Brent was near and gave an order, flooding me with his dark energy, I had no way to resist. Only when there was distance between us could I push back, even a little. There were drugs that could block the supernatural bond- I'd used them before-but their effects faded with overuse, and that was my situation. Worse, those drugs led to long-term infertility, which probably explained why I could never have children.

Maybe there was one last hope.

The traditional native healer.

Suddenly, it all came rushing back to me- a story I overheard last year at university. Two classmates from my nutrition biochemistry course were chatting about it.

They talked about a traditional native healer whom one of them had met in the Fiji Islands. The night before, she and her friends had been partying on vacation, and she ended up sleeping with an Alpha who marked her against her will. This traditional native healer managed to erase the mark with just a touch. Not like what Garrett did for me last night-he blocked it, but only for a while. In her case, the healer's touch made it vanish for good.

I hadn't believed that story until last night. I'd always thought that erasing an Alpha's mark from a Consort was impossible. It just didn't happen. But after seeing how Garrett managed to block my mark so easily, even if it was only temporary, I realized it really might be possible.

If only I could make it to the Fiji Islands without one of Brent's men tracking me down before I even left the country.

Then maybe, just maybe, I could find that traditional native healer.

Suddenly, a hand settled on my shoulder, jolting me back to the present.

"Hey, Natasha! Are you alright?" Mylah asked, her voice filled with concern.

Mylah. Of course. She was the one who'd managed to escape Tobias Oliver when she was young, staying off their radar for years thanks to her skills as a hacker. If anyone could help me slip away and get a new identity, it was Mylah.

I grabbed a paper towel, wiping my face and hands, then tossed it into the trash. Forcing a small smile, I told her it was just my stomach acting up-typical after a night out.

Mylah rubbed my back, gently suggesting I go lie down and rest, assuring me the other girls would understand. After all, we were all supposed to pitch in with the last wedding preparations.

Her hand still steady and warm on my back, I felt her genuine concern. Folding my hands nervously over my stomach, I looked at her and tried to steady my voice.

"Mylah... I need to ask you for a favor..."