Mated To An Enemy-Chapter 466 I Know The Cost

��No, no. That wasn't my intention at all,�� Peter defended himself immediately.

��But that's what you did,�� Alice replied coldly. ��You didn't ask. You didn't listen. You took what you wanted, and you ignored his wishes.��

��I stopped!��

��And how many times did he have to ask you to!�� Alice growled.

Peter clenched his jaw and looked away.

��Too many,�� he whispered.

��At least you know that,�� she replied quietly.

Bell sat silently, taking a shaky breath.

Alice took a deep breath, slowly blowing it out to calm her anger.

��I'm sorry,�� Peter whispered.

��Not to me.�� Alice smiled.

��I know,�� he said.

Alice sighed, pushing away the fire in her frustration.

��You are a good man, Peter. You just did a stupid thing out of anger,�� she said.

��That doesn't make it all right,�� he replied.

��Of course not,�� Alice said. ��But maybe it will help you understand. Because Myka is a good man too, and he did a stupid thing out of fear.��

Peter looked up at her with furrowed brows.

Alice shook her head.

��It is not my story to tell,�� she replied. ��But the way I see it, you owe each other at least an honest conversation. About both the past and the present.��

Peter nodded.

��You're right,�� he sighed. ��Honestly, I never asked him to explain his reasoning. I just sort of shut down when he told me that committing to me was the end of his journey.��

��To be fair,�� Bell interjected, ��I can't imagine anyone would take something like that with a lot of grace.��

Peter chuckled.

��I guess not,�� Peter said. He looked up at Alice. ��No matter what happened between us five years ago, what I did yesterday was wrong. I will apologize to him, I promise.��

��Good,�� Alice smiled. ��Let's go.��

��What? Now?�� Peter asked with surprise and just a hint of panic in his eyes.

Alice got up from her chair and nodded.

��From what I have learned about you, taking a day off is rare. So, if I don't make you go now, you will likely work through the remainder of his time here.��

��She has a point,�� Bell chimed in.

��Whose side are you on?�� Peter replied.

��The side that gets you what you really want.�� Bell smiled. Peter lowered his eyes. ��I may not know Myka or what exactly is keeping you both from embracing your bond. But I can see that you care about him, Peter.��

��There is more to life than romance.�� Peter sighed.

��True, but that doesn't mean you need to cut yourself off from it either,�� Bell said with a gentle grin.

***

Peter and Alice took a car and headed South.

��You know you really shouldn't be driving,�� Peter said.

��Bell said I was fine for a short trip.��

��Bell's not the one in the car,�� he replied quietly.

��Don't worry, Dr. Petey. I won't let you die before you and Myka resolve the issues between you.��

��How kind of you,�� Peter sighed with annoyance. ��Could you please stop calling me a�?Petey'? You know I don't like it.��

Alice smiled.

��I'll stop if you tell me the real reason you don't like it,�� she said.

Peter took a deep breath and closed his eyes, laying his head back against the headrest of his chair.

From the darkness of his memory, a pair of cold green eyes stared lifelessly at him. He opened his eyes and shook the image away.

��It reminds me of something I don't enjoy remembering,�� he said gently.

��Ok,�� Alice replied simply.

��Ok?�� he questioned. ��Just like that?��

Alice nodded.

��I asked you for days to stop, and you wouldn't!��

��You never told me the reason before, just that you preferred a�?Peter'.��

��I didn't tell you anything specific just now,�� Peter replied with slight curiosity.

��No, but what you did say was enough,�� Alice replied. ��I don't want to encourage the ghosts that haunt you.��

Peter didn't know exactly what she meant or what she knew. But he was all too happy to let the subject fall.

The nomads had several small encampments, a few within Winter and several just outside the border. But Myka had his own campsite at least three miles away from the nearest wolf.

��Shouldn't he be closer to the others?�� Peter asked. ��So they can discuss the treaty and make a decision?��

��That would be the smart and logical thing to do,�� she replied. ��But Myka is one of the more extreme nomads. If he can avoid it, he will never share a camp with others.��

Peter furrowed his brow.

��Why not?��

��He doesn't trust anyone,�� she replied.

Peter looked at her.

��When did that start?�� he asked.

Alice took a deep breath and smiled.

��Suspicion and mistrust are the birthrights of every Spring wolf.�� 𝘧𝓇𝒆𝗲𝓌𝙚𝙗𝓷o𝘷𝒆𝘭.𝐜𝚘𝒎

Peter swallowed.

��He was a Spring wolf?��

Alice nodded.

��He never told me that,�� Peter whispered.

Alice let out a gentle scoff.

��It doesn't seem like the two of you actually spent much time getting to know each other in those three weeks you shared.��

Peter clenched his jaw.

��He's the one that closed himself off from me,�� he growled.

��And did you tell him where you came from?�� she asked.

Peter's eyes widened, and he looked at her with surprise.

��I know a little bit about a lot of things,�� Alice replied to his unasked question. ��I haven't shared it, and I won't. But you should. Just like he should share with you.��

Peter turned away.

��You probably have more secrets than anyone in Winter,�� he sighed. ��Do you really think you have room to judge?��

Alice laughed.

��You're right, I do.�� She nodded and then turned to look at him. ��But not from Axel. You two had three weeks, but Axel and I had less than three days.��

Peter swallowed.

��In those three days, we held nothing back from each other. The good, bad, and worse,�� Alice continued. ��So many people believe every word from my mouth is a lie. And for most of my life, that was the truest thing about me. But I know the cost of those lies.��

Alice paused, swallowed, and looked out the window into the distance.

��He is not a price I am willing to pay. Axel is the only person I trust with all my secrets.��

Peter didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.

The rest of the drive was quiet between them, but inside Peter's mind, the ghosts were restless.