In Love Through War - Book 3

Part 123(7)

"Trust me buddy, if he gets back, not even I will be able to put you back together."

"Sounds like a pretty big shadow," he adds, subtly prodding Hannah to continue talking about his former self.

"The man was colossal. After Canyon Valley, he could probably snap his fingers and have three packs behind him in an instant, if not more by now."

"Ouch! That's a pretty big responsibility with all that power behind him."

"Yeah. He was rather clueless about anything pertaining to the mate bond. How he couldn't appreciate this gorgeous woman by your side I will never know. I swear if I wasn't mated already to a wonderfully sweet man, I'd do her in a heartbeat!"

"Hannah!" Jena admonishes.

"What? I'm just trying to gouge his reaction."

"OUCH! Watch it!"

"See, like that! Good reaction!"

"You just poked me in the wound! And about Jena, your jibe doesn't bother me. You're a woman. Feel free to approach her whenever I've had my fill!"

"Oh? And when do you suppose that'll be?"

"Considering how I feel right now, probably in about 200 years."

"I don't think weres live that long. Ah, I see now!" Hannah says with a smile and Alain grins wildly at her. "Well, at least you seem to appreciate her properly. Unlike the last guy, who don't get me wrong, was great an all, but such an idiot! If he comes back, I'll hide you!"

"Lucky for me, that won't be happening."

"Oh? You sound awfully sure about it."

"Yeah. I don't do competition for the woman I want. Al'Aeen's presence has been rendered irrelevant. Like you said, he was an idiot."

"You even know his name. How interesting! Anyway, I'm done. Nothing threatening. Take it easy for a couple of days. Come for a check-up tomorrow morning."

"Sure. Jena, perhaps we should have that conversation now?"

"Yes. Let's go to my office."

"Not to your house?"

"I have more chairs in the office, and I'm looking forward to our talk."

The Alpha's office seems to be a bit impersonal, and if Alain had to guess he would have assumed a man used it.

Jena takes her seat behind the large, dark wooden desk, leaving Alain the option to pick one of the two chairs on the other side or the couch even further away on a sidewall.

"I'd rather you joined me on the couch."

"I'd rather not. At least not yet."

"You were never this skittish before!"

"And you were never this bold before! Hence the problem. I know you, but I don't know you. You say the right words; you obviously know of my past interactions with Al'Aeen, but you act differently enough to stand out as a completely new person."

"You really have no idea how right you are! I do have my own questions though."

"Would you mind answering mine first? Please?"

"Of course! Ask away!"

"Can I start on the premises that you are Al'Aeen?"

"I was Al'Aeen. I'm Alain now. And I'm also Edrik."

Jena's eyes glaze over for a bit, as Lana stirs at the mention of Alain's wolf.

"OK. Start with that. How did you change or transform from Al'Aeen to Alain."

"Faulty manufacturing. Luckily, I kept the warranty."

"Not the best time for an Earth joke. In clear terms, please!"

'Should we call the witch?' Alain asks inwardly

'Like you kept your Earth memories, I kept some of mine. Only those related to our story of course. Focus on it and you'll know what I mean.'