Chapter 7
FAR TOO FUCKING FAR
LUKE
“We didn’t think she’d blackout.” Cole splutters another defense of his wolf, and neither I nor Lawson are prepared to accept it. “She just dangled there like a wet rag until there was no more left to wring out of her.”
My eyes narrow and my Beta shifts, aware he’s treading on thin ice.
“I released her as soon as I realized her wolf wasn’t going to emerge.”
I tap my fingers on my desk, beating out the same rhythm that Cole uses when he’s fuming.
I’m beyond livid.
He could have killed the girl.
He almost seriously injured her.
He sure as fuck didn’t have my permission to touch her.
I’ve got no idea why it became necessary for my best friend to need my permission to touch a girl.
Let alone one who’s as pathetic as Nia. But sometime between this morning and this afternoon, it became an absolute requirement that he and every other male keep their filthy fucking paws off her and now we’re dealing with the consequences of it.
I’m so territorial and it’s unbelievable.
I’ve never been so possessive in all my goddamn life.
The thought of him even laying one single finger on that girl—of touching a single strand of her hair—has me so riled that I’m on the verge of tearing him limb from goddamn limb.
And Lawson’s even worse.
The only reason he hasn’t made his presence known is because I’m doing such a splendid job of terrorizing my best friend on my own. It appears I don’t need my wolf to strike terror into the hearts of lesser werewolves, and Cole is floundering as my anger shows absolutely no sign of cooling down.
“You can check the videos, Luke.”
My eyebrow arches and Cole shrinks away.
“I’ve checked them.” My finger taps several times in quick succession like a drum roll before an execution.
“Several times, Cole. Elias had all the information he needed. Nia didn’t fight him, didn’t try to lie to him.
” I stop and the color drains from Cole’s face.
“You went far too fucking far and you damn well know it.”
He drops his shoulders and my wolf demands his wolf submits. The quiet whimper and turn of the head that offers me his neck is a clear and immediate sign of his acquiescence and I wave my fingers, dismissively.
“I’m not fucking done.”
Cole stares at me like I’ve lost my goddamn mind. He’s never seen me lose my shit like this, especially not over a girl. We’ve been friends long enough to let most things slide but this isn’t going to be one of them and he’s got a lot more to do if he wants my forgiveness.
Even Lawson’s surprised by my refusal to move on.
“You don’t even like her.”
I grind my teeth and Cole waits, aware I’m having a conversation with my wolf.
“You had the chance to claim her and you passed, Luke. Cole wouldn’t have gone near Nia if you’d followed my advice.”
“I don’t like her,” I reply, trying to figure out why I’m this territorial over a girl who means absolutely nothing to me. “She’s important. She’ll give us strong offspring. The pack needs it. The Elders demand it.”
Lawson laughs and chases his tail as he plays with me, stoking my anger in retaliation for the stunt I pulled this morning.
“Stop lying to yourself. Stop lying to me. I know you, Luke. I know all of your thoughts and I know you want to march down to Nia’s room and fuck her senseless.”
I sit back in my chair and watch Cole, wondering if he knows what I’m thinking. My second usually does and he has an uncanny knack of interrupting me when I’m about to make an error.
But not this time.
This time, he’s going to keep his goddamn mouth shut because it’s too risky for him not to. I’m on my own, and whatever happens next will be entirely my responsibility and fault.
“Nia might appreciate the attention. I’m sure she’d like something to distract her from what happened earlier.
She’ll feel better for it. We could make her feel good, Luke.
She’d be more compliant. More willing.” Lawson stops fucking around and eyes me with the hardened gaze of a predator.
“Just think how perfect her cunt would feel wrapped around your cock.”
“I’m not doing it, Lawson. She needs time.”
“She needs a damn good fucking.”
“I promised her a day.”
He snarls. “Events were taken out of our control. She needs some comfort, Luke. Fucking comfort her.”
I snarl back and Cole shifts his weight.
“Luke…”
“WHAT IS IT?”
My voice is loud enough to make the glasses in my drinks cabinet rattle. The hum of crystal rings long after my roar dies down and my Beta stares at me, confused as to why I’m still so goddamn angry.
“You said the Elders were wrong, Luke.”
I swivel my chair away and stare out the window, avoiding his gaze.
“The priest too.”
Cole’s not letting up and he’s going to land himself in an even bigger pile of shit than he was in earlier unless he backs off. And fast.
“Are you feeling the pull of a mate bond?”
I seethe. It’s hot and heavy, containing an inferno that could burn through hell. It’s a goddamn warning that almost everyone runs away from, but my best friend just sits there, waiting expectantly and refusing to let me get away with any shit.
“No.”
“Then why are you acting like this?” He dares to lean forward and I refuse to turn around. “You’re possessive. You’re worked up. Your wolf is defensive over her and neither of you can keep your hands off of her.”
I scoff and Cole doesn’t flinch.
“She’s pretty, Luke. A little underdeveloped but we both know that we can fix that with a bit of work and some proper food. She’s strong, for a she-wolf. Resilient too.”
The chair pivots back and I swear it’s moving of its own accord.
“It’s alright to want her, Luke. She’s protected her pack and you know she’ll protect this one if you just give her the chance…”
My fist slams onto the desk and every ornament jumps into the air.
“SHE. DOESN’T. DESERVE. IT.”
My best friend stares back at me and there’s no point trying to deny the emotions ripping through me. Cole can see the sheer damn terror that I’m experiencing and he recognizes the self-loathing and disgust I feel for even being attracted to the girl.
Guilt hangs around my neck like a millstone and I don’t know if I’ll ever be free of it. Especially not now she’s here. Especially not now Silas has everyone else convinced the Moon Goddess wants us to sire children together.
I can’t even bring myself to say what she ought to be to me.
The term’s too disgusting to consider when it’s her.
It’s too horrific, too atrocious. The thought of even thinking about calling Nia that has me so appalled that I’d rather tear my balls off and shove than down my own throat than let those words spill from my lips.
He’s heard it all before.
He’s seen it all before.
He’s been there to help me through it every time before.
And now Cole's just sitting there, refusing to help me. He’s even looking at me with pity. Like I’m a moron or worthy of his goddamn compassion because of some fundamental failing on my part.
“She’s your mate, Luke.”
“NIA’S. NOT. MY. MATE.”
He slumps back in his seat and grins, delighted that he’s finally got me to say her name and the word mate in the same sentence. I’ve resisted for so long that it makes the taste even more repugnant, and the words contaminate my mouth like the filth they are.
“She’s safe, Luke.”
My eyes narrow.
“I’ll take control if you need me to. I’ll tear his throat out if even thinks about suggesting the bitch becomes our Luna.”
My fingers tighten as my nails come out and pierce the skin of my goddamn palm.
“You don’t have to make any decisions now. She’s here and she’s safe, as long as you don’t harm her.” His deep brown hair falls as he slants his head. “As long as Lawson doesn’t hurt her.”
I draw a deep breath and hiss, somehow managing to stop myself from shouting at him for daring to suggest I’d fucking hurt the girl. I breathe hard, staring into Cole’s almost black eyes, certain he knows exactly what I was about to declare.
This has got to end.
It’s fucking madness.
I’m oscillating wildly, rotating like I’m in a tailspin and I’m going to crash if it doesn’t stop. My emotions swing from hate and loathing to something kinder than I refuse to admit, and the only thing I see when I close my goddamn eyes is the girl I’m trying to escape.
She’s an obsession.
A consuming, dangerous obsession. The definition of an infatuation and there’s no end to its foolishness.
My cock won’t stop begging for her and the only relief it’s been granted is short-lived and it’s a far from perfect solution. I’ve showered twice today and come in my hand, spewing ropes of hot come while trying not to scream her name in desperation.
She isn’t my mate.
She can’t be my mate.
She doesn’t deserve to be my mate.
“She is NOT our mate.”
I exhale and the tension washes out my chest with the air that was trapped inside my ribcage.
“Are you sure, Lawson?”
He smirks and it’s unbecoming. “Her wolf would come to me, Luke. She would show herself, even if she were pathetically weak because it would help cement the bond. The girl doesn’t smell right.
She doesn’t taste right. She responds, but not in the way a mate should.
” He snarls and slithers through my consciousness.
“She’s attractive and you’re allowing yourself to become preoccupied by someone beneath you.
Nia is a fun plaything, but she’s no more deserving than any of the other sluts we’ve fucked. ”
The final pockets of trapped air release and my chest decompresses.
I’m soothed, reassured that Lawson’s absolutely certain Nia isn’t anything more to me than a mistake I’m going to have to endure.
I might come to like the girl and I’ll learn to accept that I have some empathy for her, but I’ll never have to love her and it’s a goddamn relief.
She can give me the pups that the Elders demand and if they’re strong then they’ll strengthen my grip on the pack. I’ll be able to blame any weakness on her, or if I’m really lucky I’ll be able to weaken Silas’s position and remove his influence over the Elders.
Either way, I’m guaranteed a victory, and that’s all that matters in the end.
“Promise me you won’t hurt her, Luke.” Cole looks me dead in the eye and refuses to show me any leeway.
“Lawson too.” He waits until I nod. “I mean it, Luke. There’s something wrong.
Really fucking wrong. With Nia.” He finally looks away, letting something on the horizon draw his attention. “With her wolf.”
I watch my Beta as his wolf lurks beneath his calm exterior, prowling along the boundary between him and his paired soul. Elias has something he wants Cole to say, and he’s going to make damn sure that Cole tells me, whether he likes it or not.
“Tell me, Cole.”
His dark eyes track the ridges of the mountains, following their lines as they descend toward the grasslands underneath.
Cole and I know every tree in the surrounding forests and every rock that lines the paths that cut through them.
This is my land, my territory and we guard it fiercely, protecting every inch of it because it’s mine.
It’s beautiful and the freedom afforded by the mountain ranges and grasslands in Montana are a rare and precious gift.
One Cole is currently paying attention to as a means of avoiding another confrontation. He’s trying to find the words to make this easier for me while suppressing whatever urge Elias is trying to push into him. My best friend is torn and he’s damn sure this will hurt like a goddamn bitch.
“There’s something wrong with her wolf, Luke.”
He’s repeated what he said a few minutes ago and he’s pushing his goddamn luck. Cole’s eyes darken and Elias takes control, and for a second time today, my best friend’s wolf has gone far too fucking far.
“Elias.”
“Luke.” His jaw clenches and the sharpened features that hint at the wolf beneath Cole’s exterior turn to meet my gaze.
“I pushed her for you, Alpha. Nia’s wolf should have shown herself, even though I’m not her mate.
Her life was threatened and no wolf would fail to take control.
You know it’s not in our nature, especially not when the wolf is an Alpha’s daughter. ”
I wait and Lawson rises, more than interested in what Elias has to say for himself.
“I needed to know what her wolf was capable of, I needed to make sure you and the pack were safe. You made me swear to stand guard, even against you and Lawson if it was needed, Luke. I kept my word and took no pleasure from testing the girl.”
“You did a bit more than test her.”
His eyebrow arches and he smirks like the cocky asshole that he’s always been. “I did what was necessary. There’s no way Nia kept control over her wolf. It’s not possible when you’re being suffocated. Her wolf is either out of her goddamn mind or something is seriously wrong.”
I stare at my Beta and slip into the shadows, letting Lawson take the reins. He’s much better at dealing with Elias’s arrogance than I am, and I’m content to let the wolves handle this among themselves.
“She doesn’t seem unwell,” Lawson snarls, offended at the suggestion he’s missed something. “She’s underweight but she’s perfectly fine.”
“Nia’s not fine. She’s in a lot of trouble,” Elias says. “I don’t know what’s wrong with your mate, but it isn’t good and we’re about to find out how fucking bad it is. I’ll make damn sure the medics take another look at her.”
“How fucking wrong, Elias?”
Lawson bares his teeth, flashing his fangs as a warning that the girl is off limits. My wolf doesn’t think she’s his mate but he’s damn sure that she belongs to him and Lawson isn’t going to let anyone, or anything, take one of his toys away from him.
“Badly.” Elias doesn’t shy away. “We know her wolf isn’t weak but it’s acting like it’s a pup.
It’s like it’s too tired to do anything more than make itself known from time to time, and that makes fuck all sense.
” His eyes darken. “She’s an Alpha’s daughter, Lawson.
Her wolf should be strong but it’s barely even present.
I know she’s got teeth but she’s too timid to even try to show me them.
It makes no sense. Not unless whatever this is going on is so bad that we’ve not heard of it before.
Either Nia is sick, or her wolf is prepared to risk dying to get what she wants, or whatever’s going on with her is so awful that it’s going to make us realize exactly how wicked evil can be. ”
We turn and stare out the window, the four of us coming together as we try to figure out what the hell any of this means. Nia’s a fucking nuisance, and my wolf and I sit here, admiring my territory while we wonder what to do about the girl who keeps hijacking all of my goddamn waking moments.