Chapter 141
Fiona POV
As we made our way back to the grounds, I knew that I looked a sight, my dress torn and ripped, wearing my mate’s so- called shirt. As he called me his mate, I looked at him sharply, his arm around my waist. I felt tingles run down my spine. I wanted to deny that it was true, but part of me longed for him to be speaking the truth. He was the most handsome man I had ever met and even touching him brought forth a reaction inside of me that I couldn’t explain. But even if it was the truth, how could he want a mate like me who was wolfless and helpless?
“Nothing?” he peered at me.
A shout had me turning my head to look at my father as he ran towards me, his eyes filled with concern. Regan and Xavier were right behind him. I saw them look at my disheveled hair, the bruises on my body, and the paleness of my pallor.
“What happened?” Father spoke quickly, sounding worried.
He glared at Alpha Liam as though it was his fault, his hands clenching into fists. I stared at him, taken aback by the concern he was exhibiting. I shook my head at him, my mate refusing to let go of me.
“It wasn’t Alpha Liam, he saved me” I blurted out before they got the wrong idea.
“You’re covered in bruises and your dress is torn” Regan spoke, narrowing her eyes. “If it wasn’t Alpha Liam” she nodded respectfully at my mate who merely shrugged. “Then who was it? Tell us so that we can appropriately punish them for laying hands on you.”
I laughed. I couldn’t‘ help it. It was so hypocritical of them to pretend to care. None of them had come out to see me or speak to me at the bonfire but now that I had been injured suddenly they were all worried about me. My tone is bitter as I
answer.
“Graham.”
“Graham?” my father frowned, ignoring the way I had laughed at them. “He’s normally such a good guy” he added and once again, I felt disappointment flood through me.
Was he taking Graham’s side without knowing the truth? I wanted to lash out, but my mate took hold of my hand, lifting it to his lips and softly kissing it. He looked at me sympathetically and then drew his shoulders back to address them all.
“I can attest she’s telling the truth,” he said slightly snippily “and that she was struggling beneath him when I came to her rescue. The boy is not as you just said,” he said tightly, glaring at my father “a good guy as you just claimed. Nobody attempting to rape a woman is by any means good intentioned.”
“Rape.” Regan sounded shocked. “Oh my god, honey are you okay?” she began to move towards me but I turned and buried my nose against my mate’s chest, causing him to wrap his arms tightly around me in a protective gesture.
All three of my family looked at my mate with raised brows.
“Alpha Liam, I know that Fiona is meant to be transferring to your pack, but you seem to be showing an awfully possessive side to her.”
“Of course,” my mate said agreeably, shaking his head at them all. “What kind of mate would I be if I didn’t show concern and care for her after such a terrible ordeal?”
“Mate?” stammered Regan, her voice rising and causing several pack members to stop their conversations and look at her in surprise. “Are you saying that Fiona is your mate?” she asked stunned.
“Yes,” Alpha Liam said, raising a brow and regarding her steadily. “Is that a problem?”
“No” Father spoke hastily, turning to glare at Regan and Xavier. “I think it’s a good thing, providing you accept her” he added.
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Chapter 141
“Where is Graham now?” he asked, although there was a glint in his eye as though he already knew the answer.
“Dead.”
My mate didn’t mince words. My family stared at him. Alpha Liam’s lips curved. “He was attempting to rape your daughter. Alpha’s daughter or not, the punishment would have been the same or are you implying that 1 overstepped?” he growled
“No,” Regan said hastily, “but we’ll have to retrieve his body,”
Xavier was already mind–linking several of his warriors to do it. I said nothing. Regan’s eyes swung to me. “Fiona, are you okay?”
“I’m ne. Alpha Liam” I coughed as my mate let out a low growl of anger at the use of his title, “my mate got here just in time to save me. He didn’t manage to…” I trailed off.
My mate gripped me tighter, sensing my distress. Father looked as though he wanted to murder somebody. “We should never have left you alone. Especially considering…” he trailed off at the stricken expression on my face.
“Considering she has no wolf?” my mate supplied. “I concur. I would never have left a defenseless woman, one who is my own flesh and blood at a party with alcohol alone. Where were all of you?” he demanded frostily.
Bowed heads. “We were taking care of the party from inside the pack house. There is no excuse, you are correct Alpha Liam Xavier shot me a glance “we should have been with Fiona instead.”
It was too late for regrets now, I thought sourly. They had plenty of opportunities to come out and spend time with me. My mate looked unimpressed. He put a hand on my shoulder, allowing me some freedom of movement.
“Well, it’s done now. As for that boy…” he glanced at the forest “is there going to be repercussions? I will of course inform the elders” he began and Regan shook her head.
“No, thank god the elders will see sense when it comes to this. I will give our version of events as well. We have no reason to distrust what you and Fiona have told us” she explained quietly.
She made it sound as though she thought there might be a slight possibility that I was lying. I stared at her, feeling outraged but then decided to let it go. What did it matter? It wasn’t as though I was begging for her affection. I was leaving this pack, that is, providing…
“Alpha Liam with all due respect,” my father spoke heavily, a small smile curving on his lips as he took in how my mate continued to protect me. “You didn’t answer my question” he added darkly.
“What question?” my mate looked genuinely perplexed. “Are you talking about whether I’m going to accept Fiona as my mate, because to me that is no question. Of course I will, why wouldn’t I?” he asked flabbergasted.
“Because” Regan said tentatively “she has no wolf. We were under the impression that you might not want a mate that is unable to…” she trailed off at the vicious look on my mate’s face.
“Unable to what? She can still fight. She has two legs and two arms. Besides, I don’t require my Luna to be able to do much besides help with pack business. I intend to do all the fighting” he snarled “not her. She can be herself without prejudice. A mate is a gift from the moon goddess, something that I thought the whole lot of you would know and respect.”
“I like the way you talk.”
My father’s voice was solemn but he eyes me. “Fiona, are you happy to accept this man as your mate? I don’t believe anybody has thought to ask you what your thoughts are on this. You have a choice you know. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. I know you want the transfer but if you don’t want to be this man’s mate, we can look into another pack. This doesnt‘ have to be your decision simply because you want to leave this pack so badly” he finished.
My mate stiffened. He looked at me. He raised a brow. “Well love?” he asked softly as though were were the only two people there and ignoring my family completely. “What do you say? Do you want me as your mate?” he asked and although he was showing bravado, I could sense an underlying tension beneath his words.
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08:30 Fri, 7 Mar
Chapter 141
This man, was fearful that I would reject him. I couldn’t believe it. I stared at him in awe and then reached over, touching his check gently with one finger and slowly shaking my head as he began to grin, his body relaxing.
“I want you” I said thickly “as my mate. You saved my life and without you, I would be dead or worse by now. I owe you.”
“You owe me nothing” he said fiercely, pinning me with a gaze. “I just want to know if this is what you want” he demanded.
I took a deep breathe and looked deeply into his eyes. “I do.”
