Chapter 20 #2
Her eyes snapped open, and I saw something shift in them.
“A marking should never be about obligations and responsibilities,” she whispered, pulling away slightly.
“I'm sorry, Aiden. Once I’ve turned, I’ll leave.
I won’t trouble you anymore. If I had never come back, none of this would have happened, and you wouldn’t be forced to—to…
” She stuttered before taking in a shaky breath.
“Stop,” I said forcefully. “Stop right there. You’re a wonderful person. You saved my sister, my family loves you…you’re…” I swallowed hard before pushing through. “I’d like to think you’re my friend…”
It was true. Somewhere between study sessions, dinners at my house, and trying to collectively figure out a way to break this mate bond…we had become friends.
“Werewolves don’t mark friends out of a sense of moral obligation,” she said bitterly.
“They do it if they want to help their friends,” I countered, trying to coax her into understanding.
She let out a small huff, crossing her arms.
“I’ll see you later, Princess. Dr. Danvers said you’ll be out of here in a few days.” I smiled and turned to leave.
“Alpha Aiden,” she called.
I turned back, giving her a sad smile.
“You can call me Aiden, Princess.”
“Alpha,” she said stubbornly.
She still hasn't forgiven me for yelling at her to call me Alpha nearly two years ago. The regret hit me hard. I’d been an idiot.
“They said they had a boss,” she spoke hesitantly.
“Ray, the one that hit me…he said he was hired.” She took a deep breath.
“No one’s been asking me anything since Dad tried, but…
” She paused, gathering herself. “I’ve had time to process things.
I mean… It was horrible. I just…needed time to process through it,” she finished.
“But the man who tried to…tried to…” She shuddered, unable to say it.
My fists clenched. My only solace was that the bastard was dead.
“His name was Bobbin. The other guy’s name was Ray, and they had a boss who was a werewolf.
He was the one who kidnapped me. I remember a werewolf lunging toward me and biting my leg.
I fell, and he started to drag me away. After that, I woke up in that shack.
They were waiting for ‘Boss’ to come back. ”
My heart sank. So it was just as I had suspected. This hadn’t just been an attempted assault. It had primarily been a kidnapping.
“Do you know what their boss wanted with you?” I asked quietly.
“They said their boss told them not to touch me,” she said. “I don’t know why he kidnapped me.”
She shuddered again.
“You should have told me if Ezra thought you were being followed,” I added gently.
“I thought Dad was just being paranoid,” she replied evenly. “He always worries for no reason and, well…I had made it this far without anything happening to me… I didn’t think.” She put a hand to her forehead. “I was so stupid. I just didn’t think anything bad would happen to me.”
Her voice was small, like a child realizing for the first time how cruel the world could be.
“We almost lost you when you were a baby,” I said tightly.
“We’re not going to lose you now. Ezra was right to worry.
I’ll talk with you later; I have a meeting with the Council of Elders to discuss…
all of this.” I gestured broadly, indicating everything she had been through.
“I’ll update them with what you’ve told me so we can start our own investigation. ”
She gave me a weary smile.
“I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me. Tell your warriors to be careful.”
“Only you would be more worried about other people than yourself,” I said, shaking my head as I turned to leave.
But her words stuck with me as I walked out of the room. Rose always worried about everyone else. It was time someone worried about her.
Aiden’s POV
“Am I doing the right thing?” I asked, sitting in the kitchen with Mom late at night.
We both held cups of steaming green-tea in our hands.
“Son, you’re doing what you should have done all along. You know this is the only way to protect her. She is the chosen one of our pack,” Mom explained kindly.
I expelled a breath, running a hand through my hair. “What about my promises to Lexia? Mom, she was always there for me. I owe it to her to keep my end of our agreement. We’re supposed to be chosen mates. This is going to crush her.”
Mom was quiet for a moment before finally speaking.
“Sweetie, you don’t love someone because you owe them. Or because you feel obligated to be with them. You love them because you can’t help but love them. If you’re with someone…just because you feel beholden to stay in a relationship…is that really love?”
I grit my teeth together.
“How can I lead my pack when I can’t even be right about the person I want to commit to?”
“Aiden, you’ve grown into a strong and just leader. Being a leader doesn’t mean you’re always right. You will make mistakes. Learn from them,” Mom cajoled gently.
“Dad was never wrong,” I retorted.
Mom’s lips quivered in a fond smile. “Your father was wrong quite a lot. He just hated to admit it.” She let out a poignant laugh. “But he knew when it was time to acknowledge the error of his decisions. He didn’t let his ego get in the way,” she ended meaningfully.
“If I don’t stay with Lexia…she’ll spiral into depression, Mom. You know I’m her everything. How could I do that to her?”
Mom let out a heavy sigh. “Son, you’re not responsible for her emotional well-being.
Neither am I, for that matter. I want to see you happy.
You need to decide where your happiness truly lies.
Only then can you truly lead our pack. An alpha who is true to his heart, will be true to the pack.
I will always love you regardless of who you choose as your mate.
But will you continue to love yourself?”
I didn’t reply, merely taking another sip of my green tea. My eyes flickered to the clock. In about five more hours, it would be time to bring Rose home. The thought sent a wave of calmness slithering through my being. My wolf chuffed in satisfaction, clearly excited about the prospect.
My eyes hardened with resolve. I had to protect Rose. Because I’d hate myself if I didn’t.