“What?” she said again, her irritation growing.

“Do you have any idea what you just did?” Willow crossed her arms and deigned not to answer that. He scowled at her.

“If you don’t choose to mate with me, then you’ll have to fight her in front of the whole pack.” Willow flinched, her gut tightening in panic, but on the outside she kept her face calm and cool.

“And?” God, was she really going to push this?

“And if you lose, I’ll never be able to mate with you.” It suddenly became difficult to breathe. Her chest tightened around her lungs until she was sucking in gasps of air. He was there for her though. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pushed her head down between her knees.

“Take slow breaths. In and out. Gently, there you go.” Eventually the feeling stopped and allowed her to breathe, but the vise around her heart hadn’t loosened an inch.

“If I lose then you have to mate with her.”

He nodded gravely.

“Unless you choose to mate with me before the challenge, then her challenge is void.” Panic set in fast.

“I can’t. I can’t mate with you.” Willow hid her face in her hands, not because she was going to cry but because she couldn’t stand to meet his eyes. Sure she’d admitted that before...but that was before. God, had things really changed in such a short amount of time?

When she heard no response, Willow slowly lifted her head to find herself alone in the alley. Hot pain seared through her chest like a lance. She’d already been warned. If she wouldn’t be his mate, then he’d never feel like this again, even in a forced mating. She was supposed to be his. What would happen to him if she didn’t accept his proposal? How could he live with a woman whom he knew wasn’t his real mate?

It took her several minutes before she had herself under control. Wetness pushed against her eyes, threatening to make her embarrass herself. And for what? A man she didn’t want. Fuck. Willow slapped her hand against the cold brick. That was a lie. He wasn’t who she thought he was. He was kind, funny, loyal, and smart. And if she didn’t choose him then she wouldn’t just be hurting him...but the whole pack.

Willow had never run from a responsibility before. Okay, well she ran at the news that she was being given to an Alpha, but that doesn’t count. After all, who wouldn’t?

Sudden shouts tore through the town. Willow took off on a run, her mind envisioning that horrible bitch hurting Lyonis—or worse, the demon stomping into town. She raced up the alley and found the crowd even bigger. People smiled and cheered, hugging each other and talking over one another.

“What’s going on?” No one answered her or heard her, so she started pushing her way through the crowd, squeezing between the bodies until she finally broke through the front.

She blinked at what she saw and soon her heart was soaring like everyone else’s. Stephanie was back!

The surprised teenager was pulled into the arms of everyone around her. She laughed with them but soon everything quieted down as Lyonis approached her. He drew her into a tight hug before stepping away as the McLannahan parents came rushing in with tears of joy in their eyes.

“Stephanie! Oh God, it’s really you,” her mother said. Stephanie squeezed each of her parents tight with a smile and, oddly, confusion in her eyes.

“Where have you been?” her father commanded. The crowd grew deathly silent.

Stephanie’s face pinched in confusion as she looked from one parent to the other, then the crowd around them. A slow expression of horror crossed her face.

“What do you mean? I went out for a run. I told I was going.” She crossed her arms defensively. Her parents looked at each other then at Lyonis.

“But honey, that was days ago. We’ve all been looking for you,” her mother said.

Stephanie laughed nervously. “Mom, I just left today. That’s why I’m back.”

Willow, like everyone else, didn’t know what to make of it. The girl still wore the same clothes her parents said she left in. A white t-shirt and black and white striped running pants. But she’d been gone for over five days now.

“That’s enough!” shouted her father. “Did you go into town and party? Why didn’t come back sooner? We’ve all been worried to death over you.”

The girl flinched at her father’s voice. “Daddy, I swear I didn’t. I don’t even know anyone in town. I just went for a run, I swear.” Tears wobbled in her eyes before falling fast down her cheeks.

Her mother pulled her into her arms as she cried too. “Honey, it’s been days. We’ve had search parties looking for you. Jackie and Thane couldn’t even find you and you know they are our best trackers. Please baby, try to think and remember, tell us what happened. I don’t care if you have a secret boyfriend that you went to. I’m just glad you’re home, but you have to tell us.” Her mother choked on a sob as grief took over her.

Lyonis spoke and everyone’s attention turned to him. “Obviously something else has happened here. I believe her that she doesn’t remember where she was. The good news is she’s back. Let’s celebrate that for now, as we learn what really happened.”

The air seemed colder than it had a moment ago. Willow shivered and tightened her arms around her stomach. Her stomach didn’t feel good. It rolled and swished as if too much fluid was in there. Willow gagged as bile rose in her throat. Lyonis turned to her in an instant, concern hit his eyes and then he was marching for her.

“What’s wrong?”

Willow’s head felt lighter than a floating balloon. Her breaths grew shallow and fast and her stomach continued to tighten and spasm.

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

Even as her cheeks flared in embarrassment, Lyonis picked her up and carried her back down the alley. Willow didn’t waste any time before she dropped to her knees and spilled her guts onto the ground. Cheeks hot with embarrassment, Willow kept her back towards him as she regained her composure. What was with her and always being weak around him? Now she couldn’t even keep her own stomach under control.

“Are you all right?” He sounded so concerned that Willow couldn’t summon any comeback. Relief coursed through her as he picked her back up and carried her away. She hid her face in his jacket as they passed through the crowd. She wasn’t sure she could muster the courage to face anyone after that.

Some of the tension left her as he led her away from the pack. “How long have you been feeling sick?” She sighed; the Alpha was back in his voice.

“Oh about five minutes, I’d say.” She would have chuckled at her own joke but her throat felt raw like she’d drank bleach.

“Is this a succubus thing?” Willow frowned as she heard the worry in his voice. She couldn’t lie; it felt good. Good to know someone besides her sisters cared about her like that. Or at all.

“No, throwing up isn’t a succubus thing.” This time she did laugh, but the action made her throat feel like it was being rubbed with sandpaper so she quickly stopped.

They came up to his parked truck and he set her in it before getting in the driver’s side. He started it and turned the heat on full blast. Willow closed her eyes in ecstasy. God she could kiss him for that. Judging by her breath right now, that wouldn’t be a good idea. She almost laughed again—damn, something must be wrong with her.

He drove in silence to the cabin. He helped her inside and started the fire in the front room. Willow pulled off her jacket like a drunken woman then plopped down on the couch.

“I think we need to talk,” he said.

“Huh? Why?” She tossed an arm across her eyes and tried to remember a time she’d ever been so comfy.

“Willow.” He hesitated so long it got her attention. She lifted her arm enough to peak at him.

“Yeees?” He stared into the fire and it was hard to tell whether he was blushing or the glow of the fireplace colored him that way. Either way he looked gorgeous.