Chapter 20
Chapter 20
*CAHIR*
... I – I reject you!
I slammed my fists against the desk and pushed away from it. Those words – Those unsure words spoken with fear and hatred made my heart feel funny I rubbed a fist across my chest in annoyance and against my better judgement, I moved to the room where my mate was curled up in bed.
My mate.
At twenty-seven, I had already given up the idea of a woman tying me down. She-wolves were a hassle ver wanted to take on but this one –
She had tears staining her face as she slept. Her brows furrowed and her trembling bottom lip stuck out. I brushed her hair back and pulled the covers over her.
“Please, let her go –“ She choked, her eyes tightening as she whimpered. “Rena is innocent –“ She turned and a choked sob escaped her lips. Then tears wet her lashes as she grew more distressed. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
Fuck.
What was it about this woman that made me want to shoulder her burdens? Looking at her so small in the bed, curled up and crying, I ached to find every and anyone who had ever made her shed a tear. A surge of violence overwhelmed me. I saw red for a brief minute and clenched my fists so tight my nails drew blood from my palms.
“I’m sorry –“ She cried in her sleep, a light sheen of sweat dotting her forehead despite the air conditioner on full blast.
Silver Moon, you erred for ill. How dare you put your hands on what belongs to me?
My teeth gnashed as I fought the urge to slam my fist into a wall. My hands shook by my side as I confronted the sudden violent urge to destroy something.
This – This was not good.
The last time I felt like this was during the battle for Alpha Blood pack. The urge to destroy, to lay waste to everything that stood in my way, to make sure those that hurt me and mocked me, the men that chained me and tortured me while they laughed, were punished.
It made no sense for me to feel this protective over a woman I just met. A woman who may or may not be useful to me.
“What are you talking about? She is our mate!” Perseus growled.
Even my wolf was affected by this woman who was still a stranger to us.
“Perseus, we still don’t know this woman,” I reminded my wolf.
“The goddess has given us a lifetime to get to know her.” I shut out my wolf before he started his long tirade about this woman.
While she slept, I watched her. Whatever nightmare plaguing her dream had subsided and she fell into a quiet sleep. Her long lashes fanned out over the top of her cheeks, her pouty red lips half open as she breathed out.
This woman was beautiful. No man would look at her without looking twice and that realization made something tighten inside me. She was mine – no one else had the right to look at her except me.
I wanted to – I wanted to wrap her in a blanket and hide her from the world. A part of me demanded to be the only one who ever set eyes on her – The only one who ever had access to her. The
possessive urge to hold, protect and shield slammed into me and I growled.
“Fuck this.” The longer I looked at her, the more her beauty enthralled me. I didn’t want a mate. A woman had no place in my life now. There was no need for a Luna so I could not –
I snarled as I slammed the door shut, walking out of the room.
Despite knowing I did not need a mate, I knew without a doubt that I would not be able to resist her for long. Just breathing in her scent had me semi-hard all the time. Perseus was riding me hard – wanting more. Her scent was not enough, looking was not enough. I wanted to touch, to taste and to mark.
“Control yourself!” I hissed as I walked into the elevator going down. The people in the elevator went stock still as I entered and I preferred it that way. Goddess only knows what I would have done if I had to listen to some mindless chatter.
I got out of the elevator and found my legs taking me to the clinic. I arrived at the doctor’s office in no time and then I walked it, my brain too occupied to knock.
“Are all of you this bad at your job?” I snarled when I caught him flirting with a nurse sitting on him with his hand around her waist and his head on her bosom.
“Alpha Cahir –“
“Get out,” I said to the nurse who scurried away without a backwards glance at her lover. This bastard had to be at least forty years old. He most definitely had a mate or a wife at home but here he was using a twenty-year-old’s tits as a pillow.
“The results for my mate’s tests?” I demanded, settling into a crunchy leather seat opposite him.
“Oh, the omega!” He pushed his round glasses closer to his face as he clicked through his system. “I collected all the test results and filed them away for when you want them. The omega has no medical report so I assumed you may want to take these –“
“She has a name.” I drummed my fingers on his desk, my nails scratching the thin coat of paint on it.
“What –“ He raised his head in surprise and pushed his glasses further up his face. “Oh, the omega –“ He blinked in surprise. “It’s a force of habit.” He gave me a sheepish smile, his expression lacking any regret or remorse.
“Disrespecting my mate is disrespecting me,” I forced my voice to be soft, backing a growling Perseus to the corner.
“Ah – I am sorry.” The doctor flushed beet red. “It's just – We heard you rejected her so I –“
“Is gossiping a part of your job description?” He blanched at my question before shaking his head with pronounced vigour.
Rejected Sihana Asena? Perseus would throw a fit, go rogue and then try to kill me – us. I did not want a mate but I first had to find a way to convince my wolf that we did not need one.
“The results?” I asked.
“Oh, yes.” He clicked away at his computer. “The lady seems to be in better shape than I expected. Although her skin looked tender, there was no physical injury. There were injuries on her ribs from –“ He trailed off with a sharp glance at me.
Did they make a sport of her in this dratted pack? I knew what sore ribs meant. I had them for eight years. Fractured ribs and injuries that got infected and healed in the wrong way. It was the goddess’
wish for me to survive, else, I would have died from one of the many kicks to my ribs or blows to my face in the past.
“Her ribs may have been broken recently but there is no cause for alarm. Surprisingly, they are healing quite well.” The doctor continued. He seemed to shrink into himself the longer he spoke as if he wanted to disappear into his crisp black dress shirt.
“As for the hot water, it did not cause any damage, thankfully. Her recovery is quite phenomenal and –“ He continued for a long time, filling me in on the damage done to my mate.
Despite her healing abilities, there were obvious damages done to her body that she could not correct. Either that or the injuries were inflicted before she got her power.
When did she get the gift of healing? Who were the bastards that put their hands on her? I had a thousand questions eded to ask her but I would not ask them. I had to maintain a safe distance from this woman who had the power to render me weak with a look. Weakness had no place in my book.
I exited the doctor’s office in a worse mood than I entered. He tried to hand me the results of her tests but I left them, unable to stand him for much longer.
The last pack that hurt me and mine was now under my control, free for me to do with it as I pleased. Silver Moon had to pay for her crimes. I would not let them go.
“Did you have to do that?” Aristo fell in step beside me as I walked back to the pack house. He reeked of sex and the smell made me want to throw him into a river. “That was a major assholey thing to do to your mate.”
“Take ten steps back.” He fell behind ten steps but continued to follow me until I stopped. “Being my Beta does not give you the right to question me.” I turned to him.
“Being your Beta means I want the best for you. Selling your mate off in her presence is a major douchebag move.” He continued to follow me as I started to leave. “She may hate you now.” Sharp pain in my chest made me stop.
“I did not sell her off,” I reminded my Beta.
“Does she know that?” He countered.
“Why does she have to know? All that matters is that I will have her back.” She would thank me for saving her from the cruel clutches of this pack.
“Goddess, Cahir!” Aristo pinched his nostrils. “I know you only pretended to trade her to trick Kade into agreeing to our terms, but she doesn’t know that. She must be feeling hurt and betrayed and you even plan on leaving her behind while she is hurting.”
“Telling her my plans is a risk not worth taking.” She could tell someone else. “She may be hurt for a while but not for long. And she must – If I am to have her, she must understand the kind of man I am.”