Chapter 8

Connor

“WHERE did he go?” I growled at my Delta.

“He’s inside the house, Alpha.”

As soon as I heard that, I went straight to the packhouse and sniffed the air. Following my mate’s smell, I stalked along the corridor into the room at the end. I entered and saw my mate facing two people, Thomas and his mate.

I immediately gripped Thomas’ shoulder and pulled him to face me. Growling, I moved my hand to his neck and lifted him off the ground.

My wolf was telling me to slash his throat and end his life. I was too angry when Thomas appeared out of nowhere and demanded to see his mate. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he then made a threat towards my own mate and my wolf just lost it there.

I growled when Thomas held on to my arm and twisted it, making me lose my grip on him. I threw a punch at him with my other arm, but he easily deflected it. I saw his claws extend and were about to swipe at me but I blocked it by gripping his arm before it hit my chest. His left hand clawed on my right arm, but I didn’t flinch at the contact.

“Stop!”

Both of us did not bother to look who said that. Thomas was able to pull his arm away from my grip and bared his canines at me making me even angrier. How dare he show disrespect to me on my land!

I extended my claws and swiped at their chest; this time he was not that fast to avoid it. My claws left cuts on his shirt and blood immediately seeped through it. He stumbled back a bit. I hear him give out an animalistic growl. I can see his wolf fighting to get out and be the one to fight.

Thomas threw a punch at me using his right hand but I caught his fist and pushed it back making him stumble back, knocking Diana to the floor. His focus immediately went to her and he rushed to help her get up.

I stepped closer to them but stopped when I saw Tara on the side of the room looking at me with fear in her eyes. My wolf whined at this. He never wanted our mate to be scared of us.

Thomas pushed me back, sending me crashing on the wall. I snarled at him and advanced to give him another punch when I heard my mate scream.

We both turned to look at her and saw Diana leaning down on my mate who was sitting on one of the armchairs. Her bandaged arm was once again covered in blood.

“You two stop! She’s in pain!” Diana yelled at us.

I immediately walked towards her ignoring my cousin. I kneeled down at the side of the chair and took my mate’s wounded arm to my hands.

“What’s happening to her?” Diana asked, looking at me.

Thomas was now beside his mate. He still had an angry look on his face but that faded when Diana laid her hand on his chest that had my claw mark on.

I carefully removed the bandage on her arm and saw that the wound was bleeding again. I heard a gasp from behind me. They probably saw the mark and were confused with it.

“It’s burning again,” my mate murmured to me.

I closed my eyes as I could feel her pain through the mate bond. I thought that all this would be gone by now. The wound was getting better earlier but now it looked like what it used to be when she first got here.

I sighed and moved my head to her neck. My lips gently brushed her mark and without saying anything, I plunged my canine into her skin again.

For the second time since we met, Tara screamed because of my bite and thrashed to get away from me. But unlike the first time, her fighting didn’t last too long. Her scream became a moan; I then retracted my canines and moved to look at her eyes. They were dark black and I could strongly feel her wolf on the surface.

“Come back to me,” I said gently.

Tara closed her eyes and after a few minutes, she opened them again letting me see her eyes back to normal.

“It’s gone,” she said and looked at her arm.

My gaze followed hers and I saw that her arms now stopped bleeding. The wound has closed and the mark has now become a scar.

“What just happened?”

I and my mate both looked in the direction of the voice. My cousin was looking at us with a frown on his face while his mate looked like she didn’t want to be there.

I moved to carry my mate up from the chair. My left arm went under her legs while the other supported her back. Standing up with my mate in my arms, I walked towards the door to exit the room.

I felt my cousin and his mate follow us. I walked to the back of the packhouse using the exit there.

After arriving at my own house, I saw Luke waiting for us at the entrance. I mind linked him to tell Thomas to wait in my office. He simply nodded and opened the door for me and Tara.

Climbing the stairs to the second floor to my bedroom, I noticed that my mate has grown quiet. I looked down to see her sleeping. She must have been very tired especially after the immense pain she just felt earlier.

I entered my room and walked towards the huge bed that was directly under a huge window that had the curtain drawn close. I leaned down and gently laid my mate into it. But as soon as she made contact with the bed, her eyes fluttered open. Wide eyes looked at me and she immediately scrambled away from my arms. I growled at this and leaned forward hovering above her lying body.

I saw her gulp and my eyes went down to look at her lips. Frowning, I immediately moved away from her and sat on the side of the bed. Tara sighed and got up to a sitting position. I looked at her to see her looking at the wound she had. There were still traces of blood but the wound has completely healed.

She raised her head and I followed her movement. She was looking around the room.

“This is my room,” I informed her.

She only nodded at that. I raised an eyebrow at her reaction and inched closer to her. I was about to touch her cheek when a voice rang on the mind link.

“What’s wrong?” Tara asked me.

She must have noticed the worried look on my face. I touched her cheek and warmth spread throughout my body. I also see her lean to my hand.

“We need to go,” I said to her.

“Why?”

“My mother’s back.”

---

MY mate had a small smile on her face and I followed her gaze only to find out that she was looking at my cousin. I growled and pulled her closer to me. Her head immediately turned to look at me and then to the arm on her hip.

We were in my office. I and my mate were sitting on the couch flanked by Charles and Leo standing on each side. Thomas and Diana were sitting on the couch in front of us while we waited for Luke and my mother.

My Beta mind linked me earlier to say that some border patrols told him my mother was trying to enter the territory. It must have been important as Luke’s voice held an urgency he only used when someone was in danger. He fetched her from the border and we now wait for their arrival.

“What were you two thinking earlier, fighting like that?” Diana asked, first looking at her mate and then lifting her eyebrows at me.

“Your mate thought it would be fun to threaten my mate’s life,” I answered with a rough voice.

The wound on my arm was starting to heal but the wound has not fully closed. I looked at Thomas to see that he had changed his shirt, but I knew my claw marks on his chest were still fresh as well. Wounds inflicted by Alphas took longer to heal.

“Thomas, how dare you!” Diana said looking incredulously at her mate.

“I knew he had you!” Thomas replied, throwing a murderous look in my direction.

I heard my mate gasp on my side; she must have been scared by the look on my cousin’s face. I growled at Thomas because of that.

“Enough of that!” Diana said in a stern voice.

I noticed her Luna command has improved from the last time we have seen each other.

“I didn’t even know Diana was in my territory,” I said to Thomas.

“Obviously your border patrols need help,” Thomas answered with a smirk.

Angered by his statement, I was about to stand up and lunge at him again. He really does not know how to respect the Alpha of the pack he is in.

“Please stop.”

I looked to my right from where the voice came from. My mate was gnawing at her lower lip looking extremely nervous being in the room with us.

“You’re both scaring her. Look, Thomas, I went here on my own. And it was your fault because you wouldn’t take me with you. You were going to lock me up in your house!” Diana said facing her mate.

“You’re the Luna of Old Oak. You need to be protected!”

“Don’t you understand? I’m safest when I’m with you!”

That response from Diana made Thomas stop. I saw him stiffen and then his shoulders slumped down. He lowered his head to his mate’s neck and I faintly heard an apology from him.

“I’m not the only one you should be apologizing to,” Diana said and pushed Thomas away.

He faced me and my mate with a black expression. I waited for him to say sorry but I could see the battle he was having with his wolf. I smirked at that. It was never easy for Alpha wolves to admit they are wrong.

“Your apology is accepted, cousin,” I said, making it easier for him.

He sighed and then looked at my mate. I felt Tara shift a little closer to me. My cousin was very tall and very muscular. He looked like a mountain man with his beard and long hair. Tara must be scared by his looks.

“I’m sorry I scared you, Luna,” Thomas said in a gentle voice.

I frowned at his tone. Looking down I see my mate give him a small smile. She never directed any of her smiles to me. I growled lowly earning a satisfied look from Thomas. He was starting to get under my skin.

“It’s fine,” my mate answered.

“She’s really from South Forest?” Thomas asked, looking at me.

I scowled at his question. His letter stated that he knew a woman from South Forest was residing in my territory, but he never explained where he got that information. We were not able to talk about his actual business because he immediately went on a rampage once he arrived at my house. He was livid looking for his mate.

I looked at Diana and shook my head. She used to be a member of Dark Mountains until Thomas met her and took her to his pack making her the Luna of Old Oak. She has always been a little out of hand when she was my pack member. It didn’t surprise me that she was able to go past the patrol guards without being noticed.

“What made you say that?” I asked him back.

“She told me,” Diana butted in.

My eyes immediately went to my mate. She bit her lower lip and bowed her head. We were not supposed to discuss South Forest with anyone. Not until my mother would arrive and tell us what Alpha Kane’s plan was.

“You wouldn’t tell anyone, right? You’re Alpha Connor’s cousin. We can’t have people know about my pack until everything is settled,” my mate answered looking at Thomas.

My cousin looked at me with scrunched eyebrows. He lifted his arm and laid it on his mate’s shoulder drawing her closer to him.

“Family is family,” he responded to Tara.

I heard Tara heave a breath and she placed her left hand on my thigh. I looked at her hand and then at her. She didn’t seem to have noticed her small movement. The mate bond was creeping into her.

A knock sounded on the door and all of us looked in that direction. It opened revealing Luke followed by my mother. Tara gasped beside me as we all saw my mother clutching her left arm that was all too bloody.

I stood up and was about to suggest she see a healer first when she looked directly into me with piercing eyes.

“Alpha Kane is dead.”