Linked
Chapter 21

Not even the car’s air conditioning was able to quell the stifling, tense atmosphere inside. They were halfway through the journey and hadn’t spoken to each other.

Cristián’s knuckles were white knuckled from clenching the steering wheel and he gritted his teeth in annoyance, he was getting tired of his partner’s tycoon airs and no matter how much she was his fated partner, there was a limit to everything and his was bordering on the edge. Alisha for her part was watching the scenery scroll by the window, though she was barely paying attention to it.

He had yelled at her, for the first time he had acted like an annoying alpha male. So that mask of a nice person who didn’t give a damn wasn’t the only thing he had.

He closed his eyes. His head was spinning again even though the car was going slow, he was annoyed but at least he still had her in mind. She knew she was being selfish, Cristian had told her that he had waited for her for over 200 years, the supposed wolf inside her wanted to bond with his destined mate, and she just wanted to keep at least the human part that was fading more and more.

The darkness immediately engulfed her. It felt good not to think about anything, not to hear anything, just to look at the…

White wolf in front of her. Her she-wolf.

-Alisha, we need to talk.

She blinked several times. It must have been a dream. Everything around her was dark except for the animal like a white snowflake on a moonless night and her naked body. There was no car, no man.

The voice in his head was loud and clear, with an authority equal to Serguie’s, even greater.

Being in front of the beast inside her had her completely bewildered.

-Who are you? Why are you inside me?

-Don’t you remember anything, Alisha?

The girl shook her head, trying to push away the intensifying pain.

-No, I don’t remember anything,” she touched her temple.

-She’s sure, I’ve been with you since you were a baby, you can’t hide anything from me.

She took a step back as the webs of her memories crossed each other.

-Enough, I don’t want to see it,” she waved her hand in the air, “Why don’t you just disappear and let me live my life in peace, it was fine until you showed up,” she said.

I know what’s best for you,” the she-wolf sat up on her hind legs, even so she was huge.

-You mean for you, all the times I’ve lost control of my body, you either go where you please or you just melt into Christian’s arms.

-And you’re going to deny that you like that?

Alisha had no argument to deny that, the man wasn’t all bad and she had been without a partner for too long.

-There’s s****l tension between us, that’s all, and it’s partly your fault.

-You’re wrong Alisha, I only stimulate your most primitive part and that tells you who’s right for you.

-No one is right for me. If you’ve been with me this long you know what I mean, I won’t give myself to anyone to make me suffer again.

-Nothing gives you a guarantee that he’ll hurt you…

-Nothing gives me a guarantee that he won’t hurt me.

There was a minute of silence. F**k if she was an ancient wolf and all, who was she to tell him what was right or wrong.

She heard a sigh in her head.

-My genes have affected you so much that you’re just as stubborn as I was when I was a pup. I’m 1600 years old Alisha, I know what I’m talking about.

The woman looked at her with an expression of astonishment ideal for a meme.

-You said 1600 years old.

-Yes…

-1600 years ago, I wasn’t planning on being born, you know.

-Yes, I know, at that time I had my own body.

-And then how did you end up inside me?

Another silence.

-Do you really want to know? Everything you don’t remember can be very hard for you- -What do you mean?

-A shudder ran through her, it didn’t look good.

-That your memories have more to do with the past of us wolves than you imagine, specifically, with the disappearance of the she-wolves.

Alisha tensed. She had hidden her whole life full of secrets, no one knew where she came from, not even herself, nor who her parents were, her mind was in the bank before she was 12 years old when she appeared in an orphanage, but that wolf knew more about her than she thought and it was time to know the truth, after all her life was not normal, but it would make more sense.

She nodded in agreement.

-But I want something in return.” The animal was not going to be merciful.

-It’s not what I’m thinking, is it?

-Yes, link up with Christian, if you do, I’ll show you your past.

-You’re playing dirty.

-If I show you everything now you won’t stand it, even if it doesn’t look like it, we’re both weak. You can barely contain me and I can’t refuse to come out, it’s in my nature. If we bond with Christian, his wolf can help us. You know I’m not lying.

She bit her l*p, deep down she knew it was true.

When I bond with him, what will happen to both of us?

-Well, our minds will be fused and awakened as a complete wolf, that’s what will happen when our mate finishes the ritual,” she said.

-And that’s when I will know my past, when we merge.

The she-wolf nodded in agreement. Yet another reason she was given for joining Christian, it was as if they all agreed to bring them together, but now, there was another purpose. Her past was linked to the rest of the packs, through her they would know what had happened to the other women.

Guilt washed over her. It was no longer a question of being selfish.

-All right, I’ll link up with Cristián,” she sighed exhaustedly, “I don’t even have a way out, this isn’t just about me anymore.

-It’s good that you understand. I leave the end of the ritual in your hands, I’ll take care of the rest. If you need help, lean on the alpha of your partner, your memories will be the trigger for new events- -The words faded away.

The words faded into a haze as all the darkness consumed her again and her image became distorted. What was it that she had dreamt.