Chapter 082
HANNAH
"Come on. Come on," I urged Willa.
She tried to pull her arm out of my grip. I refused to let her go. I walked faster, pulling her with me.
"Wait. Hannah. We have a test later today, remember? Do you want to fail? Let's get back to class and read. Whatever this is can wait."
"No, it can't," I said. "You'll understand when I tell you what's wrong."
The librarian gave me a stern look from under her glasses as I dragged Willa through the doors of the library.
"Sorry," I mouthed.
Seeing I was serious, Willa stopped resisting. I took her to the most isolated section of the library I could find. The library was usually the worst place to gossip, but I had no other choice.
There, seated between very tall shelves filled with a lot of musty hardcover books, it felt like we were the only people in the place. I looked around to make sure we were alone.
"So what is this emergency that couldn't wait?" Willa grumbled.
"Asher," I sighed.
"Wait. What?"
She looked around like she half expected Asher to jump at us from one of the bookshelves.
"He's not here," I said. "It's about what he said to me this morning."
I told her all about my talk with Asher and watched her eyes grow wider with every sentence.
"I'm scared of telling your brothers," I continued. "I don't know what they would do. I feel like they would start a fight with Asher if they knew about this. Plus, it's totally the wrong time for Asher to pop back into my life." I lowered my voice some more and leaned forward. "It's not a good idea to call Alpha Dawson's attention to me after- after what happened in the woods the other day."
"Yeah, I agree. I won't say a word to them, but whoa, girl! This is really something." She gave me a sympathetic look, and I didn't even blame her.
"I guess... My first thought was that he was lying, but I don't think so now."
"Neither do I," Willa said. "What he said happened is surprising but not uncommon."
"Wait a minute. You know something about this?" I asked, and she nodded. "Come on, don't keep me in suspense. Spill!"
"I once read something a long time in the old library about a bond tie."
"Bond tie," I repeated slowly.
Already, I didn't like the sound of the word. It brought up an image of a creeper wrapping itself around a plant, choking the life out of it.
"Yes." Willa took the book I had dumped on the table, quickly flipped open a page and drew sketches of wolves on it as she talked. "A bond tie usually happens between a powerful wolf and a weak wolf or..." She tapped the pen on her chin as she thought. "between two powerful wolves. What happens is that the weak wolf clings to the powerful wolf even after a proper rejection like the one you did."
"So you're saying a strong wolf like um-"
"You," she said. "Definitely you. I don't think there's any doubt that you're the strong one in this situation."
"Okay. But the bottom line is Asher and I are still mated to each other?"
"In a lot of ways. Yes," Willa answered. "It's not as strong as a mate bond, but it's still something."
With a groan, I buried my face in my hands.
These days, it seems my life has gone from one complication to another. It felt like my life was one long, tangled thread. As soon as I straightened it out or tried to, it got messed up again.
A few days ago, it was the 'white wolf' thing, and now this!
"Why?" I groaned. "Of all the people, why did this bond tie thing have to happen to me? And it's not even common! I mean, what are the odds that I would have to deal with this shit!"
"Shh. Remember, we're in a library. We don't want Mrs. Pierce to kick us out." Willa slipped her hand into mine.
I sighed. "Okay, fine. It's already happened. Is there a way to stop it? Tell me there is. I mean, what if Asher figures out this is a two-way street? I don't want to be in pain whenever Asher is banging someone. Gosh, what is wrong with me?"
"Yes, there is a way to stop it," Willa said slowly, hesitating on every word. "But most people never do it because of the consequences involved."
I gripped her hand tightly. "Please, Willa," I pleaded. "Tell me what I have to do. I would do anything to stop this."
She exhaled in a rush. "In a situation where the tie is between a strong wolf and a weak wolf when the bond tie is destroyed, the weak wolf dies."