Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
Thane
I watch Raidon take Leo outside. Charles curses under his breath as he peers at them through the kitchen window. Turning to face him, I lean on the counter. “What were you two fighting about?” I ask, just as Elaine walks in and sets the empty glass on the counter.
“It’s nothing, Thane,” Elaine murmurs, rinsing the glass.
“You aren’t betraying her!” Charles snaps, and I growl at him. He shakes his head, folds his arms across his chest, and leans against the fridge.
“Betraying who? Tell me what the fuck is going on. Is this about Leo?” I demand. Charles clenches his teeth before he sighs. Elaine shoots him a worried glance.
“I have known Leo for years. I know he’s done some unspeakable things, Thane, but he had his reasons,” Charles says, defending him. I nod my head. I know Corbin ordered him to kill my mother, but he also saved my mate and daughter.
“I can’t mark him,” I tell them, feeling guilty but knowing it won’t work.
“We aren’t asking you to,” Charles grumbles. My eyes flick to him before I look at Elaine. She turns her gaze to the window, watching Raidon, Leo, and Emily outside. Her lip quivers.
“I loved your mother,” Elaine whispers. “She was like my sister,” she says, fiddling with her bracelet. The same one Harlow wears that once belonged to my mother.
“I never lost contact with Leo. I didn’t know he was responsible for your mother’s death at the time, Thane, but he has helped me a lot over the years.
We emailed multiple times, and I’d ask his advice whenever I needed help on my surgeries.
He is a good surgeon, and despite what he’s done, he’s still a good man,” Charles tells me.
“I know. I see that now. But I—”
Charles lifts his hand, cutting me off.
“We want you to look past what he has done,” he says.
“The fact I brought him back here proves I have done that, Charles,” I remind him.
“Enough to let me mark him for Emily and Elaine?” Charles asks.
I blink at him. My eyes flick to Elaine, who can’t meet my gaze. Now I understand why they were fighting. Elaine thinks she’s betraying my mother and me by asking to save Leo.
“And you can accept him?” I ask Charles. His eyes darken.
“To save him? Yes,” he answers, looking at Elaine. I know Charles is a possessive man. He’s refused Alpha Packs in the past because he won’t share Elaine. By marking Leo, he won’t have a choice.
“Elaine?” I ask.
“I’ll understand if you say no,” she says, nodding her head and swallowing. I can tell her guilt is eating away at her. She is torn between her love for my mother and saving Leo, knowing she holds the power, if she agrees.
I scrub a hand down my face. They are asking me to allow my mother’s killer to live. A person I vowed to end. Who Elaine wanted dead just as much as I did. Arms wrap around my waist, and I jump, looking down to see Harlow’s huge doe eyes peering up at me.
I lean down to kiss her head when she notices Charles.
“Morning,” she chirps. She moves to him, standing on tippy toes to peck Charles’s cheek before moving to Elaine. She also gives Elaine a peck on the cheek before realizing she’s been crying, and that she just walked into a tense situation her groggy mind hasn’t picked up on yet.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asks Elaine, reaching for the coffee pot. Charles opens the fridge, handing her sterilized water for Scarlett’s bottle.
“Fine, dear. Here, I’ll make that while you make your coffee,” Elaine tells her, reaching for the bottle in her hand. Harlow’s brows furrow, and her eyes flick to us. She holds up the coffee pot and we all nod as she tries to read the room.
“Is everything alright?” she asks, her eyes moving to mine.
“Elaine and Charles want to mark Leo in order to save him,” I explain. Her shock hits me, but so does a sliver of excitement before she masks it.
I know what Leo had to do to save her. He touched my Omega, my mate.
He laid out every detail on the flight home, as if trying to make it easier for me to kill him when the time came.
He didn’t try to hide how he touched her, and I can tell Harlow didn’t feel violated by it, once she realized he was doing it to keep up appearances.
She understands why he did it, and so do I.
I’m not happy about it, knowing his paws were fondling and touching her, but I accept it.
“Thane?” Harlow murmurs, noticing Raidon outside the window with Leo and Emily. Her eyes darken, turning clouded.
“Maybe it's time we let go of the past and let the dead rest,” I murmur. Everyone’s heads turn to me. Elaine's mouth opens and closes as she looks at Charles.
“But—”
I wave her off.
“Mom would accept this, Elaine. You aren’t betraying her. She would do the same, knowing he saved Harlow and Scarlett. Mark him. He deserves a second chance,” I tell them, looking at Harlow. I’ve certainly gotten my fair share with her, and she’s always found a way to forgive me.
“Son?” Charles asks, and my eyes move to his.
“You have my blessing, but you don’t need it,” I tell him, and Elaine slams against me. Her arms wrap around me as she squeezes tightly.
“Thank you,” she whispers, and I nod, rubbing her back.
I help Harlow make coffee for everyone, and we carry the tray outside. Raidon looks up as we set it on the steps.
“Son?” Charles nods for Raidon to come inside. He points to Leo, but his father waves for him to come in anyway, and Elaine takes his place to prop Leo up. I know this will be a huge thing for Raidon to accept.
They return moments later, and Raidon seems okay.
He grabs Harlow, setting her on his lap.
He rubs her arms, trying to warm them. Leon comes out with Scarlett, feeding her the bottle Elaine made.
He leans against the door, holding her tiny body.
She slurps away at her bottle, bundled up in her pink blanket.
Charles taps Elaine on the shoulder. She looks up and nods. Charles takes her place and Leo groans.
“Always gotta ruin things, Charles. She was much comfier to lean on,” he chuckles before coughing.
“Shut it. You’ll have to get used to me touching you, anyway,” Charles snaps at him.
“Yeah, I can put up with ya for a few more days,” Leo laughs. He is deathly pale, his veins dark beneath his skin, and his eyes are sunken deep into his skull.
“Or maybe longer,” Charles tells him. Emily lifts her head up to look at Charles and Elaine.
“You found something?” she asks, hope flaring to life in her eyes. Leo goes to wave her off.
“We have,” Elaine says, looking down at her. Her eyes move to Raidon. He nods once to her, and she smiles sadly down at Leo. Leo tilts his head back to stare at her.
“You’re gonna let me mark you, Leo,” Charles tells him, not giving him the option of choice.
“You want to mark me?” Leo scoffs, looking at Charles over his shoulder.
Charles's eyes remain forward. I know how hard this must be for him. Leo looks at Elaine in confusion when Charles doesn’t answer him.
“You want this?” Leo asks her.
“Let us save you,” Elaine whispers, looking at Charles. Leo looks at his daughter. His brows furrow.
“You’ll mark him?” Emily asks Elaine, and she nods her head. Emily rises to her feet, slamming against Elaine, making her stagger back as she clutches her.
“Thank you,” she says, squeezing her. Elaine brushes her fingers through her hair before Emily lets go, dropping back onto the step next to her father.
“But after what I’ve done, I—” Leo starts, but I cut him off.
“I’ll take care of it,” I tell him. He peers up at me, and I suck in a breath, knowing I just promised him no repercussions for killing my mother.
“Please, Dad?” Emily begs, glancing at Elaine and Charles. Leo sighs, looking conflicted.
“And you’re sure?” he asks Charles.
“Just shut up before I change my mind,” Charles tells him.
“You were always a tough prick,” Leo chuckles.
“And now I’m yours. Now give me your neck,” Charles orders. “I’m not going to be your bitch, Leo. You agree, and you submit to me,” Charles tells him, and Leo swallows.
“Please,” Emily begs her father, clutching his hands.
“Submit!” Charles orders, smashing Leo with his aura.
After losing his mate bond, Leo’s aura is practically nonexistent.
He’s too weak to fight Charles’s. It will kill him if he tries.
So, Leo must choose: submit and live or refuse and die.
Leo growls but bares his neck. Charles doesn’t hesitate, sinking his teeth in.
I swallow as Charles orders Leo to mark him back.
He does before he turns to look at Elaine.
Leo’s color has already returned. It always amazes me how tying our lives to our mates’ is a cure for most things.
Emily breaks down crying, knowing she won’t lose her father anytime soon.
Leo sits up, now having enough strength to do it himself.
Charles moves toward Elaine, no doubt knowing Leo will knock her out when he marks her.
Elaine drops to her knees before Leo, sinking her teeth into his neck.
Leo marks her back, and as expected, his bite overwhelms her system.
She sways, but Charles is there, waiting to catch her.
Leo holds her for a few seconds before looking at Charles.
Charles nods once. This will be an adjustment for them. It certainly is for me.
“Thank you,” Leo says, staring at Elaine with concern. Charles scoops her up, and Leo lets him. I watch as Charles kisses her cheek, before walking back inside to lay her down. Emily crashes against her father, clutching onto him.
“I’m not going anywhere now,” he breathes. His eyes flick to me, and I nod to him before getting up.
“Where are you going?” Harlow asks, her hand gripping mine. I give hers a soft squeeze.
“I need to go take care of a few things,” I tell her, leaning down and brushing my lips against hers before walking inside to change.