by Lyra Winters
His jaw ticked. I could hear his molars grinding together once again. I knew he was pissed and that this bothered him. He hated how I was treated like a child. But I was their child. Plus, keeping the peace in a situation like this, that could go one of two ways, was necessary.
I dragged my gaze toward Ivy. "He came here to tell me you were pregnant. He told me he fucked up and that he wished it was me carrying his child. He said he wanted to put his mark over Blaine's and for me to mark over yours." I paused and shuddered. "Do you have any idea how sick that is?"
I glanced over at Blaine, when I felt him become stiff beside me. His anger leaked into our matebond. My palm stayed on his back as I moved it across the fabric of his shirt, but it did little to relieve the tension.
"He smelled Blaine on me, figured out that we fully mated, and got pissed. The bastard broke my hand." I held it up, throbbing worse than ever. "I kneed him in the groin just before Blaine came in. He's an Alpha male who caught another male trying to fuck with his mate. That should explain Blaine's involvement."
Dad stiffened. "Are you alright, Sophia?"
I nodded. "Thanks to Blaine."
"You liar!" Tears streamed down Ivy's cheeks. She cradled Nolan in her lap and shook her head. "He wouldn't have done that."
I glared. "I have security cameras set up in here. I can show you."
I fought the urge to scream at her. She had always been senseless and disconnected from reality, but this was taking it too far. The truth of the matter was, in fact, that Nolan's a piece of shit. Something I had known first hand since my eighteenth birthday. I wished she would open her eyes and see it.
She sobbed. "This is all your fault! I mean, look at what you're wearing. Fates knows what's underneath that robe. You were practically throwing yourself at him."
Blaine growled beside me. He was close to losing his shit. "She's wearing that for me. Nolan shouldn't have come here."
Her sobbing ceased and she glared at him. "That's rich! You're defending the bitch when she's trying to take my husband from me."
"I don't want him!" I felt my claws rip through the flesh of my fingertips, then reside back in, stinging as I fought to control the shift. "He's a piece of shit who couldn't handle knocking you up, so he came and tried to get with me. I have my mate. Why the hell would I want your worthless husband?"
"Blaine's not your first mate," she said, squeezing her arms around Nolan, holding him tighter.
I moved out of Blaine's grasp and stepped toward her. "I love Blaine no less."
She pointed at him. "He'll leave you. Just like Nolan."
Dad's shoulders shook in rage. "Ivy!"
My gaze shifted down, and I bit my tongue. The urge to rip her throat out almost erased any concern I had for her unborn baby, the only thing saving her at this point.
"She's ruining my life!" she cried.
"She's your Alpha. You will respect her just as you respect me. She won't hesitate to put you in your place." He paused. "And I won't stop her."
"Enough!" Mom walked over to Ivy. "Take Nolan and go home."
Ivy sniffled. "I'm pregnant. I need help to carry him."
"I got him," Dad said as he walked over to her. "Sophia, I'm sorry she keeps involving us." He lifted Nolan over his shoulder and walked toward the door.
Ivy gave me one last glare before walking behind them.
"Stop." I used my Alpha voice.
Ivy turned around and her canines poked out behind her lips. "What do you want now?"
I approached her. "Nolan is not going home with you. I hereby sentence him to the cellar for a week for him disrespecting and causing harm to his Alpha. He's gotten away with too much concerning me. So have you."
"Hasn't he been through enough? Your so-called-mate beat the shit out of him! I'm your sister."
My eyes narrowed into slits. "I don't care that you're my sister, the attitude and disrespect can only be tolerated so much. I am your Alpha. Either he can go to the cellars or Blaine can rip his heart out."
Her eyes widened, and she looked at our parents. "I just found out I was pregnant. Don't let her take him away."
"Sophia, don't you think the cellars are a little too much?" Mom asked softly, her concerned eyes not leaving Ivy.
"No, she doesn't. Your daughter has been rejected, disrespected, insulted and just had her hand broken by the same mutt. He deliberately came at his Alpha and will face the proper punishment for it." Blaine walked up beside me. "I'm sickened by the fact that you don't seem the least bit concerned for Sophia's wellbeing."
"He's right, Sage." Dad acknowledged. "I'll take him there. You take Ivy home. Then we need to talk."
Mom frowned. I knew she disagreed heavily with this, but she had to see that Nolan was in the wrong. Ivy shouldn't get her way all the time. To be honest, it hurt that she always took Ivy's side. She never seemed to agree with me. "Alright. Let's go, sweetheart." Her arm wrapped around Ivy's shaking frame as they walked out behind Dad. I'm the one with the broken hand, and yet, she's catering to Ivy, once again.
Blaine shut and locked the door behind them. I sighed, walked into the living room and collapsed on the comfortable couch. Suddenly, I just wanted to sleep. I lifted my hand and inspected it. The bones were crushed, and loose within the skin. I poked my hand, feeling the bone fragments cutting against my flesh. I winced and wondered why it was taking longer to heal than usual.
Blaine kneeled in front of me with a first aid kit. He pulled out a bandage and took my hand, gently. "I'm so in love with you." He caught me off guard.
My heart flipped, and the corners of my lips curled into a smile. "You are?"
"Of course. Your sister is selfish, conceited and an attention whore. Don't listen to her. I'm not going anywhere." He started wrapping my hand in the bandage. "You're my soulmate."
My cheeks warmed. I melted on the inside with every word he spoke. I literally was the luckiest woman on the planet. "I love you." I paused realizing how good it felt to say that out loud.
I squeezed my eyes shut as he tightened and clasped the bandage in place.
"I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. As mates should, but I've been waiting for you to say it first. With everything that happened in your past, I didn't want to rush you." He put the leftover bandages in the first aid kit and set it on the floor before cupping my face and pressing his soft lips to mine.
I smiled against his lips. "Thank you."
"Stop thanking me. I'm sorry I wasn't here when he showed up." He pulled back and sat next to me.
I glanced down at my hand and played with the bandage. "Don't be sorry. It was good for me to face him."
He took my bandaged hand in his. "Does it still hurt?"
"The bandage helps. I can't feel the fragments moving around anymore. It should heal up by tomorrow."
"I can't believe that bastard wanted to mark you." He let my hand go, put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. His lips brushed against his mark.
I shivered and goosebumps started to spread across my arms at the tingling sensation his lips brought. "Honestly, it was my fault he got the upper hand. When he told me that Ivy was pregnant, I was surprised, and I let my guard down."
"It wasn't your fault."
I leaned my head against his chest and closed my eyes. "I love you," I whispered. The sound of his heartbeat lulled me into a dreamless sleep.
"One more time," I murmured against Blaine's naked torso.
The bed was a mess and I loved it. The twisted comforter hung off the sides and the fitted sheet bunched at our feet. The fabric smelled of us, and the animal inside me couldn't get enough.
"We've already done it three times this morning." He leaned back against the pillow and chuckled.
I planted a kiss above his heart. "Are you complaining?"
His lips quivered, his hands gripped my hips and flipped me over. He hovered inches above me, his minty breath fanning over my face. "I'll never complain about this."
<
br /> I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck. I pulled myself up, brushing my lips against his. "I love kissing you."
A loud ringing made me groan, and we broke apart. I glanced over at the end table. My phone lit with Xavier's name.
Blaine let out a low growl.
I snatched it up, sliding my thumb over the screen. "This better be important. I told you, Blaine and I are taking the day off."
"It is. Can you and Alpha Blaine meet Liv and me in your office?" Xavier's panicked voice came through the receiver.
I sat upright, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "What's going on?"
"It's about the Lockhart pack. Liv knows some things... Just meet us there as soon as possible."
"Be there in five." I ended the call. "I knew there was something up with that girl."
"She knows about Lockhart. That's not a coincidence," Blaine said, pulling himself out of bed.
I stepped into a cotton dress while Blaine put on his clothes. "I know."
"Since she's more than likely a traitor, what are you going to do?"
I paused. I hoped, for Xavier's sake, she wasn't. "I'm not sure yet. She's still Xavier's mate."
Mates were sacred, two halves of one soul. When one mate caused trouble, the other suffered too. It's just how it worked, and I knew Xavier needed her.
"Let's go." Blaine came up beside me, kissed my forehead and lead me out the door.
We drove to the pack house in less than two minutes, a benefit of living so close. As we walked down the hallway toward the office, we bumped into my mom.
"Sophia, honey!" She smiled and grabbed my hands.
I winced, pulling my wounded hand back and let it fall to my side. "Hi, Mom. Sorry, we have some pack business that needs our immediate attention."
"Okay, but really quick... Ivy's been distressed, and I'm worried about the baby. Is there any way you could lift Nolan's sentence early?" she asked, not breaking my gaze. I bristled. She was still defending them. It would always be them before me.
I pressed my lips into a thin line. It had only been three days, barely long enough for my hand to heal. "No. He's getting what he deserves. He'll be out in four days."
She nodded. "I thought you'd say that. Can you just go down there and tell him Ivy and the baby are doing good? Ivy wanted to make sure he was still alive."
"She's not going anywhere near him." Blaine knitted his eyebrows into a frown. "Sophia is your daughter too, shouldn't her safety matter as well?"
"It does. I love all my girls equally. But Sophia is an Alpha. She'll be fine." She waved him off. "I know you won't do it for Ivy, but could you do it for me?"
"Are you even going to ask how her hand is?" Blaine stepped between Mom and I, a protective stance Alphas took when their mate was in danger. "You came up and grabbed it with no hesitation."
Her eyes widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I forgot about that, with everything going on. It should be healed by now, shouldn't it?"
"It should, but it's taking her longer to heal than usual," he said.
I sighed and put my other hand on his shoulder. "I'll go down to the cellars and interrupt his torture to let him know that his wife and baby are okay." I turned toward my mother. "I can assure you, he's alive—just suffering."
Blaine snorted.
Mom gave a small smile. "Thank you, sweetheart, I appreciate that."
The woman didn't understand sarcasm, at all, but she knew I would do what she asked, anyway.
"Excuse us, we have matters that need our attention," Blaine said as he put an arm around my shoulders and maneuvered me toward the office. "You don't have to talk to him. You don't have to do anything your family says, Darlin'." He paused with a defeated sigh. "I wish you'd understand that."
I shrugged off his arm and faced him. "I know, but they're my family. Before Nolan, we were all close."
"That's a toxic thought. Family shouldn't walk all over you. You're an Alpha. I'm sure your wolf gets pissed every time they try to order you to do something. There's a reason for that, it goes against our nature to be bossed around." He reached for me and cupped my face.
"I'm not being bossed around. I'm just doing my mom a favor." I leaned up on my toes and kissed him.
He groaned. "We'll talk about this more later. But, if you must go down to the cellars, I'm coming with you."
"Of course," I said as we reached the door to the office. I smiled at him and placed my hand on the knob.
Xavier and Olivia sat in the chairs facing the desk. She was shaking, and I could smell the fear all over her. Xavier's hand rested on her thigh.
"What's this about?" I asked as Blaine and I sat across from them.
"Liv told me everything about her past and why she came here. Sophia, it's not her fault. Just hear her out, please." His fingers drummed against the desk which was something he rarely did.
I gave a terse nod and set my attention on his mate. "Olivia, please explain yourself." I folded my hands in front of me to keep a semblance of control. "Because from what I gather, you seem to be a traitor to our pack. I sentence traitors to death by torture in our cellars. However, since you are Xavier's mate, I'll hear you out and then decide."
Blaine grunted beside me. "She's a lot more generous than I am."
Olivia's lips quivered. "A-Alpha's, I am so sorry. Alpha Lockhart sent me here. My orders were to infiltrate the Maxwell pack and befriend the Alpha."
I sucked in a sharp breath. I knew it.
"What were you supposed to do after you befriended her?" Blaine asked. His eyes darkened and his hands clenched into fists. He looked murderous.
She shifted her gaze to the desk. "K-Kill her a-at any opportunity."
Blaine growled. His body shook with rage. "You would kill my mate?"
I turned towards my mate who was about ready to rip her head clear off. "Baby, it's okay. Blaine, look at me." I grabbed his face and got so close that our noses touched. "I'm okay. She's not trying to kill me."
He released a heavy breath. "No one will get the chance to kill you," he said through gritted teeth.
"Nobody will kill me. Let's let her finish, okay?" I kissed his forehead and felt his body deflate.
We turned to face them again. She looked petrified and Xavier's hold on her tightened. They knew how territorial Alphas were. Any threat to harm a hair on their mate's head and they would be dead.
"Tell us everything and leave nothing out."
"Alpha L-Lockhart wants you out of the way. He's been gaining more and more members from taking over small rogue packs around the state. He feels entitled to the land in between your territories and as he gains even more members, he wants your land too. He said he would take over your pack to do so. Your death is a way for your pack to be thrown into chaos and for him to take advantage of that." She paused and caught her breath. "B-But I don't want to kill you. You're so nice and you're my mate's best friend." She sniffled. "I told you everything I know about his plan."
I placed my chin on my hands and hummed. "What did you say your last name was?"
"I-I didn't." Her eye contact wavered.
My eyes narrowed. "Olivia Lockhart, I presume?"
She let out a sob. "Y-Yes, Alpha Maxwell."
"I'm not surprised." I shook my head. "Alpha Lockhart would only send someone he trusts for a task so big. Why not his sister?"
She glanced up at me with tears in her eyes. "I promise I'm no threat to you. I love Xavier. I wouldn't cause harm to him, you, or this pack. I promise. I'll do whatever you want."
I stared at her hard. Lockhart's plan sounded reasonable, smart, and vindictive. It was everything I would've expected from him. I could tell she wasn't lying to me; she had been doing what she thought she had to. Meeting her mate changed her viewpoint, and I understood that—but I still didn't trust her.
"My main concern is what your brother will do once he figures out you betrayed him," I said.
"He'll try to kill her." Blaine rubbed his head.
Xavie
r growled. "I won't let him."
"He wouldn't kill me. He'd be pissed, but he's still my brother. He's not as cruel as you'd think." She nibbled on her thumb.
"Oh?" I arched an eyebrow.
"I know it's hard to believe, but he wasn't always so cold. His mate rejected him, and he was never the same. Anger took hold of him."
"I see." I stood up, leading them to do the same.
Olivia froze, and Xavier stepped in front of her.
"I think you coming forward puts you in a good place, considering. Though, you still tried to deceive us." I frowned. "Olivia, you must pay for the crimes you intended to commit."
Xavier's growl rumbled deep in his throat as he held my gaze.
"Stand down." I snarled back at him. "I said, stand down, Gamma." I took a step forward, and he broke eye contact with me, stepping to the side.
"Olivia, you are to do the job of an Omega for the next two weeks. Nothing too terrible because I'm thankful that you came forward. I know that was difficult for you."
Xavier's shoulders slumped and he let out a big breath of air.
"Thank you for showing me mercy," she said.
"Sorry, Sophia." Xavier said. "I didn't mean to growl." He scratched his head and avoided eye contact.
"You are free to go now. If anything happens or if your brother tries to contact you, notify me. We will watch you from this point on."
"Absolutely Alpha." Her head bowed as she interlaced fingers with Xavier.
They left and shut the door behind them.
"You were very lenient with her." Blaine stood up and approached me from behind. He traced the crescent moon tattooed on my neck.
"Without her, we wouldn't have known what Lockhart was planning. Plus, she's Xavier's mate—and she seemed remorseful." I shivered under his touch.
"You always see the good in others. It's not a common trait for an Alpha, but it's one I respect." He placed a kiss on my neck and continued to my collarbone.
"Someone has to. I think we balance each other out well." I turned around to face him and placed my arms around his neck.
"You bet we do." He leaned in and kissed me on the lips. His kiss was something I'd never grow tired of.