Chapter 30
Nyah
At this point, I wasn’t going to let Ramona being here put a damper on the good mood everyone is having today but when the driver goes to the other side and opens the door, that shit went out the window as Megan steps out. How dare Ramona bring this woman to my Pack lands. The only thing that keeps me from attacking the two of them is Kenia grasping my wrist, keeping me in my seat.
I look over at daddy who now has Crown in one arm and lowering a basket of battered fish into the grease. He peers at me, using hand signals I decipher as, An Alpha knows when to pick and choose their battles. I get what he was saying but I choose the one he probably wasn’t thinking of.
“Now is not the time, little sister. I know you and your wolf want to tear them limb from limb but let them dig their own graves, so you be vindicated for doing so,” Kenia implores.
Her words flow through me but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to unleash my wolf on them. My wolf connects with me, ready to do damage. I snarl, displaying my wolf’s teeth. Kenia’s attempt to hold me back almost fails until Elder Nelah places her hands on my shoulders. Her soothing touch comforts me as her positive energy flows through, finally putting me and my wolf at ease.
Elder Nelah massages my shoulders before saying, “Your quick response is what they want you to do, so they can show Alpha Braxton, Alpha Lightfeather, and the others you are not a suitable mate for Braxton.” She applies more pressure to my right shoulder.
“Under the Gods and us as witnesses, say that you will not strike against them unless it is necessary?”
I grit my teeth, baring through the pain to reply, “I won’t.” I might have said it, but given the opportune time, I’m going to put a hurting on Megan. Although I wanted to do the same with Ramona, she is still Braxton’s mother. Hell from what I saw, Braxton is closer to Bryant than her. Maybe he wouldn’t look negatively on me for sending his mother to the Gods before they called her home.
Taking my word, Elder Nelah taps my shoulders, then takes a step back.
Keeping my emotions in check, I question Ramona. “Why are you here?”
She flicks her blonde hair extensions over her shoulder. I’m sorry, but I’ve seen better fake hair on my dolls growing up.
Ramona feigns a worried face, responding, “I’ve been trying to get in contact with Bryant and Braxton since last night. I thought something might have been wrong, so I had the driver bring me here to check on them.”
“And your assistant?” I question, pointing at Megan.
Ramona glances at Megan, then waves her over before replying, “I know things started out on the wrong foot, but Megan is deeply sorry for the things that she said and the way she acted.”
“Really, I am,” Megan interjects. She tries to move closer to me, but I hold up my hand stopping her. “I understand how you must feel about me. I should not have disrespected you like that. I do apologize. I never wanted to accept that one day Braxton would find his potential mate but now that he has, I hope that the two of you have a blessed mating ceremony.” She pauses, then adds, “I hope we can let bygones be bygones and I get an invite to the ceremony. Despite what Braxton and I had going on, I do still consider him to be one of my closest friends and I would love to be there to celebrate your union.”
Who the Hell does she think she’s fooling? Her apology is about as empty as a bucket in the Sahara Desert. And if Braxton hadn’t already officially claimed me, did this witch really think I would invite her to our ceremony. Knowing her and Ramona’s deceitful asses, they probably already conducted a plan to fuck up the ceremony. Well, I got news for them. Call me petty, but I’m about to lay the hard truth on their asses.
I address Ramona first, “Bryant and Braxton are fine. My father wanted everyone to stay here last night. As to why they did answer your calls, you’ll have to ask them.” I then focus on Megan. “Thank you for your apology, but there is no need for Braxton and I to invite you to our mating ceremony because he has already claimed me.”
My stomach muscles tighten as I hold in my laughter. If Ramona and Megan’s heads could have twisted around like the little girl in the Exorcist, they probably would have.
“What, what do you mean?” Ramona asks.
Standing from my seat without Kenia or Elder Lelah stopping me, I move in front of her with the two of them standing behind me.
“I thought I said what I meant, but if I have to break it down for you in layman’s terms; Braxton and I are mated. So, there is no one or nothing to come between the bond that we have created.”
Ramona’s face flushes red as she reaches for Megan’s hand.
“So, the bond is official?” she asks as if she’s not fully grasping what I just told her.
“It is,” I return with a smirk.
“But...” she starts, but I hold up my hand, stopping her.
“There’s no but’s, Ramona. The bond is complete,” I tell her, knowing I just Trumped her ass.
She studies me before letting out a crazed cackle like a witch. “You might think that the bond is complete but as Braxton’s mother, I have the right to contest it. If his father and I cannot equally agree on a mate for our son, then whatever bond you think you might have is null and void.”
Not believing her, I look at daddy. His back is facing me, tossing fresh fried fish in a foil pan. I know he heard what Ramona said, but I guess he’s waiting to see how I’m going to handle it.
Ramona thinks she has the upper hand, declaring, “And since I do, I will be the first to say that I don’t think you are the suitable mate for my Braxton. With the help of her mother and I, Megan has been groomed to be the perfect mate for Braxton.”
Furious, I exploded, “But why? Braxton has already made it known that he doesn’t want anything to do with Megan. He and I are destined mates.” I can’t hide the pettiness in me as I ask,” Tell me Ramona, are you doing this because of the history between you and Bryant? He never claimed you, so is this your way to get back at him?”
Ramona with hatred in her eyes, stares me down. “You know not what you speak of.”
I grip my knees leaning over with laughter. “Oh, I think I know a lot more than what you think I know.”
As the words leave my lips, Braxton, Levi, Bryant, and James come out of the cabin.
“Mother, what are you doing here?” Braxton asks, coming to my side while Bryant looks annoyed by her presence.
“Well, since you and your father were ignoring my calls, I decided to come here to make sure the natives hadn’t disemboweled the two of you,” she laughs, but her laughter does not match the coldness in her eyes.
“We’re fine, mother,” Braxton says, then notices Megan. “You shouldn’t fucking be here,” he adamantly opposes.
“Watch your mouth, young man,” Ramona tries to scold him.
Braxton’s face shows his displeasure as I use my body as a barrier to keep him from advancing towards his mother.
Patting his chest, I whisper in Braxton’s ear, “Baby, there is nothing that the two of them can do to harm us because our bond is complete. For some reason, she thinks that she has the power to contest our bond.”
Braxton snarls which has Bryant coming to his side as Levi and James go stand behind Ramona and Megan like vultures.
Braxton faces his mother, getting straight to the point. “Why did you bring her here?”
“Is there somewhere the three of us and your father can have a private conversation?” Ramona asks, attempting to take a step closer to him, but Braxton shakes his head, stopping her.
“Whatever the two of you have to say, you can say it in front of my mate and the Midnight Pack!” He booms with his eyes wildly fixated on his mother.
Ramona jumps a little from Braxton’s tone which I’m sure she’s never received before.
Ramona quickly changes her demeanor to one that some would resemble that of a Queen.
“Megan is here because I want her to be here. She is my assistant, and your father sent her away before we could work things out.”
Bryant makes his presence known, declaring, “I did send her away, but I’m trying to understand how you would think overriding my decision would be conducive to the both of you. I gave an order, and you’ve blatantly ignored it.”
Ramona shakes off her embarrassment, saying, “Bryant, I didn’t ignore your decision, I just thought the punishment was too severe for the action. Megan now sees the errors of her ways and is here to try and rectify them. Seriously, you can’t let one indiscretion turn her into a bad person. Plus, after she called me in hysterics, I had to fly her back out.”
Not falling for his mother’s bullshit, Braxton interjects, “And why was she in hysterics, mother? If it were something serious, you could have gone back to Texas, not brought her here to my mate’s home! You’re lucky Nyah didn’t attack her ass for showing up here. If she would have killed Megan, her death would have been on your hands.”
Ramona smirks, shifting her eyes to me then back to Braxton. “I don’t think she would have done that.”
“And why not, she had every right to,” Braxton throws back.
Instead of Ramona answering, Megan does it for her. “Because I’m pregnant with your child.”
What the fuck? I know this bitch has got to be lying. I close my eyes, inhaling deeply before asking, “What did you say?”
Now it’s Megan’s turn to put on a shit-eating grin. “You heard me. I’m pregnant with Braxton’s child. My coming back was to inform him before the two of you got officially mated, but I guess you must have put some backwoods voodoo on him to make him mate with you before time. No worries though, since I will be the mother of his first offspring, it looks like I will have a permanent part in his life.” She narrows her eyes at me, then winks. “Looks like we’re going to be sister wives.”
The howl that resonates from me is so strong, the ground trembles under our feet. Ramona and Megan’s victorious expressions fall as they wonder what the Hell is going on.
My wolf is just below the surface of my skin, ready to break free. Braxton grabs my wrist, then lets it go when I snap my jaws at him.
“Nyah,” he calmly says. “If Megan is pregnant, it’s not by me. I haven’t slept with her in months and when I did, I always protected myself.”
“Condoms aren’t one hundred percent effective, Braxton,” Megan chimes in. “Also, you were the only person I was sleeping with. This child,” she places her palm against her stomach, “is yours.”
Seething, I regard Braxton. The shit has caught me so off guard, I don’t know who to believe. My heart and my wolf are telling me to stand with my mate, but what if Megan is pregnant with Braxton’s first child? I will never be a sister wife to her ass or any other woman. Braxton knows I’m not sharing him with anyone else. And knowing Megan, after being around Ramona for so long, I wouldn’t put it past her to something to my future children just to have hers be the only heir.
Tears of frustration and anger I hold inside as my body begins to tremble. This was not the life I saw for Braxton and I.
“Nyah, baby, please don’t believe the shit she is saying,” Braxton whispers as I finally let him pull me into his arms.
“Why are you comforting her?” Ramona questions. “Megan is pregnant with your baby. You should be making sure she’s okay.”
She’s lucky Braxton has his arms around me as I try to launch out his arms to get at her.
“Shut the fuck up,” I yell, unsuccessfully trying to get out of Braxton’s grip.
Ramona points at me, screeching, “You see that? How can you be okay with being mated with someone who would try to attack your mother? Megan would never do anything like that which is why I’m contesting your mating. You need to be with the mother of your child,” she turns her nose up at me, “not this wildling who was raised without a mother and whose family is below ours.”
Braxton might have had me secured, but no one was holding Kenia back. Before we knew it, the loud smack of Kenia’s palm connecting with Ramona’s face echoed around us.