19. Intriguing

“Oh dear. I haven’t read that yet.”
Sona handed Taos the crumpled letter, realizing too late that it revealed far too much about her life. “No—”
Taos easily lifted it out of her reach. Sona glared at him through a film of tears, hating his eyebrows raised with curiosity, his voice void of emotion. “You have a son.”
Terror was like a tangible thing squeezing sense out of her. “Let me write back,” she rasped, hoping that if she ignored the question he would move on. 
“What would you say?” he wondered flatly, scanning the letter, turning it different ways. “Is there some secret message written within this that only you would understand? Maybe you’re plotting something together? Can’t be too careful—”
Sona brought up her knee and rammed it between his legs as hard as she could. Taos grunted and doubled over, allowing her to snatch back the letter, rip it into shreds, and let the pieces flutter to the ground, all before the Epsilon could restrain her. As Taos rose, his face warped in the most vicious snarl she’d ever seen, she spat, “He wants nothing to do with me. I want nothing to do with him. So do not accuse me of any sort of plotting. Let me write back so I can tell him to fuck off.”
Taos straightened to his full height and gestured for his Epsilon to release her—only for him to take her jaw in one hand. Though she tried to pull away, even his light pressure held fast. “You are feistier than an obstinate youth, Sona Mai,” he said darkly. “My patience is thin as it is. If you test it any more than you already have, I will have no choice but to start using force with you.”
She looked away. “Fine. Just don’t hurt Arden.”
Suddenly he snarled and released her with a shove.“Selflessness is infuriating, you know that?”
“I’m surprised you know what that is.”
Glancing at him, Sona saw veins straining Taos’ neck. He looked so angry he didn’t know how to release it—as if he could combust with rage. She went taut with fear, beginning to back up slowly, prepared to run if he lunged at her.
Too many seconds of nothing passed before Taos closed his eyes and released a long breath. When he opened them, any trace of that anger was replaced with flippant amusement. “I will refrain from my violent nature to excuse your insolence. I will allow a letter—under my personal surveillance. Before that, you will familiarize yourself with the healer’s shop and request any supplies you may need to cure my packmates of wolfsbane.”
“But—”
“Any more than ten words of resistance equals one less word you may write down.”
Sona clenched her jaw closed. B*ehave, Sona Mai, and you can work up to getting what you want. Just pen up your feelings to deal with later. You’re a healer, and you are now tasked with healing, so do it*. “Fine.”
“Excellent. Come with me.”
Though his wicked grin had returned, it was a mask, and his demeanor had tangibly shifted. She really did narrow his patience. Some part of her somehow had a feeling that he wouldn’t hurt her—what a sudden, unnerving intuition—but she knew with absolute certainty that Taos Redbone could never fully control his savage tendencies.
The Alpha took her to a nearby shop in much disrepair. Without a word from either of them, Sona padded inside to assess what she would have to work with, adopting her healer’s mindset, forcing herself to act as if this was her own future shop, as if she was simply restocking everything she would need. 
There was no cure for wolfsbane poison, but if she could help those desperate werewolves out on those streets, she would do whatever it took to save them—from death, and from their uncaring Alpha.
As she went through severely lacking cabinets, Taos said from the doorway, surprisingly seriously, “We had two healers. They died only two weeks ago. As they were both old in age, the pack figured they’d lived through everything this long, they’d be fine. Obviously, they weren’t.”
 Sona looked over her shoulder. “Were they close to solving what the issue was?”
Taos shrugged.
“You’re useless,” she told him through gritted teeth.
Quick as a blink, his smile was dazzling. “No one has ever spoken to me like this before, especially knowing each other maybe half a day. I find it…enchanting? Attractive? Intriguing.” 
Sona returned to searching, but matched his purr, though with much more sarcasm, “Flirt all you want, Alpha, but the last male I would be attracted to is *you*.” 
Taos sidled closer, and this time she could pinpoint the pleasant scent underneath the purely male stench—honey. Sweet and calming. It still makes her still. “Because you’re attracted to that bore of a Beta? I’m much more fun.” 
“He’s not a bore.”
“Hm, so he’s a master of sex? I can test him myself. I don’t have a preference.” 
Sona’s brows rose in surprise, but said, “I doubt he would agree.”
She glanced over to see Taos place a hand over his heart. “You wound me, trinket. How dare you assume *his* preference.”
He was very good at provocation. Every word made her want to snap back—but she wouldn’t allow herself to be drawn into the scheme. Amidst the events—the falling-ins and outs—the last thing she had energy for was flirting.
“I don’t want to do this,” Sona told him.
Taos sucked on his fanged teeth. She couldn’t tell if he was irritated or disappointed. “Hm. Banter usually cheers any of my packmates up. This is also a new experience. How you confound me, Sona Mai.”
“Maybe I’m just not fun enough for you.”
“Oh,” he purred, “that is yet to be seen.”
“You are disgusting.”
“So you’ve said. Here.”
When he handed her a piece of paper and quill ready to be dipped in an inkwell held by the Epsilon, Sona’s heart jumped, words she planned to tell Conri coming to the forefront of her mind. But Taos stopped her with a hand over hers. “Supplies first, trinket.”
She scribbled herbs, tools, and small resources on the paper and thrust it at the Alpha. He luxuriously handed it to his guard. “Collect these things quickly.” When the male started to protest, a growl rumbled in his chest. “A little Omega isn’t going to do any damage to me.”