Chapter 4 #2
I stared at her, another wave of shock passing through me. I understood now why they refused to let anyone come and photograph the bears. They wouldn’t want humans running around with cameras if they were all werewolves.
“We had a peace treaty with them for many years, but it was broken a decade ago and we’ve been at war ever since.
My son has tried many times to mend fences but they’ve always refused.
They’ve been circling for years, waiting for Kole to grow weak enough to pick off.
So far, they’ve held off from a full blown attack.
He’s still a fearsome opponent and his father, my other sons, and our strong guard are a force to be reckoned with.
But still, the ever present threat has a chokehold on our pack.
If we lose him, the Gulfs will take over and my family will lose everything.
” Her eyes held the cold fear she was trying to hide.
My mind spun with this new information. I tried to wrap my head around the mad world I’d been thrown into. “What do they want?”
“Our land, our wealth. Less competition. More power. Their Alpha is greedy.” I tried not to roll my eyes again.
Greed and power. A tale as old as time. “I know this is a huge burden on you, but we don’t have a choice.
If you don’t do this, my son will disappear into his wolf and we, his family, will be killed. ”
“No pressure,” I muttered and sorrow passed over her face. “What’s the mating ceremony?” I asked, even though I was certain I wasn’t going to like the answer.
“The mating ceremony is much like your human weddings. We exchange vows, we kiss, but we mark and mate too.”
“Mark?” The word felt dangerous on my tongue.
“A bite, usually on the neck or shoulder.” Dinah lifted her hair and I saw two faint semi circles on her neck.
“We are excellent healers, and the only thing that leaves a scar on our skin is an injury from a mate. A mate mark is a signal to others that you are taken. It acts like a tracker, too. If my Jonah was hurt, I would be able to find him no matter where he was.”
Fear clenched in my gut. Not of the pain of being bitten like that, but of being bound so permanently.
“And mating…does that mean what I think it means?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Although usually that part is done in private.”
“Was yours?”
“I didn’t have a mating ceremony.” I raised my brows, wondering how she’d gotten out of it. “We had a celebration with the pack of course, but mating ceremonies are actually quite rare. Most pairs don’t need them.”
Lucky me. I got to be the exception.
“You said ‘usually.’ Usually that part is done in private.” I hadn’t liked the way she’d said that, nor did I like the way she was pausing now, gearing herself up to tell me something she knew I wouldn’t want to hear.
“Yes. In your case, the marking and mating will be done in front of the pack.”
Kole had said as much during my hearing, somehow, I hadn’t truly understood the gravity of what he meant until now. My fists clenched, my nails digging into my palms.
“Why?” I asked, forcing myself to sound calm.
“The council demands it. They believe the pack needs to see proof that the mate bond is complete. The Gulfs will need to know it too. Knowing you and Kole are solid will ward them off. An Alpha with a new Luna, especially a pregnant one, is at full strength to protect you. They’d be idiots to take him on. ”
“Pregnant?” My mouth ran dry.
“Yes. You won’t be on birth control and your body is designed to carry his young. You might not take the first time, but the second or third? I’d be surprised if you didn’t.” She said it so matter of factly, but the sadness behind her eyes told me a different story. I felt bile rising in my throat.
“You’re telling me that in two weeks, your son is going to bite me and rape me in the hopes of getting me pregnant, and you and your pack are all going to watch and celebrate. Did I get that right?” This was insane.
“I’m sorry that this has been put on your shoulders, but please try to come to terms with it. We want you to go to him willingly.”
“And if I don’t?” I wondered how far they would go with this. I needed to know how violent it could get.
“If you don’t, his wolf will compel him to claim you by force, and I know my son. He will never forgive himself for that. I’m sor?—”
“Please go.” I cut her off. She had given me too much to think about and right now I had no more use for her.
“For what it’s worth, I and the rest of the pack wish we could change this for you. None of us want a reluctant Luna.” She stood, sighing as I refused to respond. “You only have to eat out of his hand once to be let out of here. Please consider it, Iona. You’re better than this.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“You’ve been selected to lead this pack. As I was. I might not know who you are, but I do know what you are, and you can do this.” She held my gaze for a moment before gathering up her chair and leaving me alone.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to trash my cell, but there was nothing to break.
I refused to cry. I refused. With trembling limbs weak from hunger, I got down onto the floor and counted push ups again, green eyes at the forefront of my mind.
Haunting me. Taunting me. I pushed him away and played over my conversation with Dinah.
I studied it objectively, refusing to let fear and anger creep in.
She’d told me many things that were going to play against me, but she’d also shown me weakness.
One – her son’s mental state was unstable. I could use that to my advantage if I could figure out a way to prevent it from blowing back on me.
Two – she’d said the council demanded this be public, not that she or her family wanted that. Remembering the Elders in Kole’s ear yesterday only solidified what I’d already suspected. There was a divide between the Alpha’s family and the council. That was good to know.
My next step was getting the fuck out of this cell. I slumped to the floor and rolled to my back. My stomach cramped, desperate for food. I groaned, thinking about what I was going to have to do.
This was going to suck.