Chapter 291
Landon
What a fucking asshole. Guys like Stellan make me glad that I’m not an Alpha. Thankfully, I know plenty of Alphas who are good people and the ones in this seating area who are all here to support Striker, Aphrodite, and Lila are perfect examples of that.
“How the fuck did that guy not realize he’d be caught? They have it recorded.” Nickname asks quietly, leaning over to me.
“Agreed, what a douchebag. He’s not worthy of his Alpha title.”
I watch as Aphrodite stands in front of the council and makes her statement. I’m really impressed with her. She’s come a long way in a few months. She’s gained so much confidence in herself. She’s another Alpha who is worthy of the title.
We’d walked in with Lila and Striker’s family. She and Piper have talked before and I saw her at the pack when we sparred with them, but I’ve never spent any time with her. The poor woman’s heart is going to give out if it doesn’t slow down.
I’m really glad when Aphrodite stands with her in front of the council. Even from here I can see her hands shaking. I feel for her. The mate bond is sacred, it shouldn’t be taken for granted or used the way Alpha Asshole used it against her.
I watch as Stellan continues to try and use it against her, telling her he won’t accept her rejection. There is some low–level growling in our area of seating, myself included. He doesn’t deserve Lila or anyone after what he’s done to her.
When she says her part of the rejection, I get a whiff of my favorite flavor, strawberries and bananas. I don’t mind them separately, but when you put them together, fucking delicious.
My wolf, Osman, stands up and begins prowling in my head.
‘Buddy, what’s up?‘
‘I’m not sure. Something is about to happen.’
Well, yeah. This asshole is about to lose the gift that the Moon Goddess gave him because he didn’t take care of her like he should have.
When Alpha Asshole still refuses to accept the rejection, Councilman Edward’s aura pushes out across the entire courtroom. Unlike the others in here, I’m not an Alpha, so his heavy aura affects me more than the others. I feel held captive by the aura. I know Lila feels it too because she yelps and Aphrodite wraps her arms around her. When that doesn’t seem like enough, Striker leaps up to hold her in his arms.
Osman begins fighting against the restraint, not liking being held down.
‘Hold on, Osman, this is temporary,” I say, trying to console him.
He ignores me, snarling against the restraint of the councilman’s aura. A moment later, Stellan accepts Lila’s rejection, and the scent of strawberries and bananas fills my nose.
Osman practically goes wild in my head, snarling against the restraint that is keeping him from her, our mate.
The moment the restraint releases, he blasts forward, leaping out of our seat and snarling viciously, wanting to get to our mate.
He lifts his nose in the air and takes a deep whiff of her scent. Then he looks right at Lila, still in Striker’s arms, and I feel the connection.
“Mate!” he growls before I can stop him.
I watch as her eyes go wide, a look of shock on her face.
“Mate,” her wolf says, but with enough of Lila still forward that is comes out as a question.
Thear Stellan scream from behind her, and he begins thrashing, trying to get to her. I’m not sure how he breaks away from Raptor’s team, but he does,
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Chapter 291
lunging for my mate.
Osman steps past Striker and lila, snarling and pulling our fist back before smashing it into Stellan’s face and seriding him flying backward Into Raptor who slaps cuffs on him this time.
“You gave up your right to her the moment you betrayed the gift that the Moon Goddess gave you. She is mine now and I won’t make the same mistake you did,” I snarl at him.”
“Get him out of here!” the councilman says as Raptor
and
This team drag a screaming and bleeding Stellan from the room.
“I’m her Alpha, Osman. I was just protecting her. You know I’m mated to Rina,” Thad tells him, setting Lila
on
her feet.
I turn back around to see Lila still staring at me with wide eyes. She’s still in Striker’s arms and Osman growls at him to let her go.
Osman pulls her to us, burying his face in her neck. “Mine!” he growls loudly.
“LANDON!” Striker’s voice is sharp. “You saw what just happened here. Get hold of your wolf and go talk to your mate.”
He’s right. While Osman only cares that we finally found our mate,
I know that
Lila has been through a lot and we need to take this slowly.
I pull him back and look at her, brushing the hair out of her face. She still looks like a deer in headlights.
“Will you come talk with me?” I ask her softly.
She nods and I smile happily. She’s at least willing to talk. I tuck her under my arm and begin leading her out of the courtroom.
“Nice punch, Just Landon,” Alpha Quirin says, grinning as we pass.
“He threatened my mate, Alpha,” I say to him.
“And we definitely don’t allow that,” he agrees with a growl.
“You know Alpha Quirin?” she asks as we walk out of the courtroom. It’s the first thing she’s said since her wolf called mine mate.
“Yes. We sparred with him when he was in Striker and Aphrodite’s pack,” I tell her.
“Whose pack?”
“Oh, sorry, that’s right. You wouldn’t know them by those names. They’re nicknames that our friend Zach gave Yorick and Cyra. Well, Striker is a codename given by Raptor and Steel, two elite fighters,” I tell her as I lead her out of the courthouse. Then, I turn to look at her. “But I don’t want to talk about them. I want to talk about you.”
She looks down, clasping her hands together. “You were in there. You know what he did, You don’t want me.”
“I absolutely do want you. I’m ready to put my mark on your
this minute.”
“You don’t mean that,” she whispers.
I pull my phone out of my back pocket and without looking away from her I hold it out between us.
“Siri, where is the nearest hotel to my location?” I ask, watching her
go wide again. “You have beautiful eyes,” Lmurmur.
“The nearest hotel is one point two miles from your current location.” Siri responds.
“Perfect, we could walk there.”
“Any hotel around here is going to be expensive,” she says.
“I don’t care, you’re worth it. We can get to know each other, order room service for lunch and dinner, and when you’re ready to accept me, I’ll leave my
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Chapter 291
mark, right here,” I say, running a finger over her marking spot. Her body shivers in response.
“Hey Hercules, they called an end to today’s trial because of that mess. Are you and Lila returning to the Academy?” Nickname calls out
“I’m going wherever you’re going.” I say to her.
“But you have school.”
“I’ll call them and let them know I’ll miss tomorrow. They already weren’t expecting me today. You are more important and after everything you’ve been through, I don’t want there to be any miscommunication about how much I want you. I want my mark on you. I want you to be mine.”
She looks at me a moment and I hold her gaze. Then, she smiles a soft smile.
“A hotel sounds good,” she says. “But I don’t have any clothes.”
“If everything goes the way I’m hoping it does, you won’t be needing them,” I growl softly, watching her body shiver in response.
“We’re staying in town. I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” I call out to my friends.
“She didn’t eat this morning, Landon. Make sure you feed her,” Alpha Warren calls out.
“I’ll take care of her, Alpha,” I say, finally looking away from her to my phone, hitting the walking directions to the hotel.
“Ready, beautiful?” I ask her, holding out my arm to her.
“Ready.”
