Page 81 of The Alpha's Fake Mate

Holland would not leave my side. He followed me everywhere, his mood curt but polite, quiet. He seemed almost his normal self, but I knew he was as tangled up inside as I was. Probably more so. He was the one who would suffer at the hand of a madman.

I still wanted to run, hide, leave this place forever. He refused.

By noon we were down to hours before we had to meet with Saben.

I turned to Holland. “I’ll go to the meeting by myself. I’ll hide you. Tell them all you’re my bond-mate and that my ultimatum as such is that Bosk will never see you again.”

“That might work. Until he demands a public blood test and finds out the truth.”

“The truth is, he doesn’t have a true bond with you!”

Holland gazed at me. “I know.”

“Why can’t they all see that? Why would anyone force you to go off with a maniac?”

Suddenly, the look on Holland’s face hardened. “Welcome to my world.”

“Damn it, I’ve been in your world since I met you. That’s why I can’t let this happen!”

I reached out and put my arms around him. He went stiff, but allowed it.

“Please,” I begged. “Let me hide you! Let’s both hide.”

“Forever?”

“Yes!”

How could I everevergive him up?

He leaned back in my arms to again look at me, his dark blue gaze unwavering. “Too many people depend on you. The servants you employ. The experts you hire. And all the Omegas at Zilly’s. For them, we can’t hide. You can’t hide. You have to be here to make things better. For everyone.”

His words made sense, of course, but not to me. Not to my heart.

“I cannot, will not see you turned over to him!”

I pulled back, blind with my emotion, and found myself rushing down the long hall.

“Orion! Where are you going?”

I couldn’t think anymore. I just need to move. To go somewhere. And then I knew.

“Alston,” I called.

He was at my side in seconds. “Sir?”

“Call the driver. I’m going out!”

“Yes, sir.”

“Orion!” Holland came up to me. “Where are you going?”

I would not allow myself to look at him. I turned away and flung the front door open.

The world met my gaze, a normal day with the skies clear blue and a soft breeze waving through the oleanders and the tops of the trees. All the colors of my yard: green grass, silver-green trees, blue horizon, pink flagstone drive seemed brighter, brilliant and yet none of it mattered. It could all collapse to ash right now for all I cared.

As I strode down the path, I heard Holland following.

“Orion!” He raised his voice just enough to make my heart jolt.