The Alpha’s Forced Mate
Chapter 25

Blake

One week—that was how long it had been since I’d bitten Veronica’s neck and made her my mate. The mansion felt different than usual, with even more activity than during the mate trials. Pack members freely walked into the foyer and wandered the grounds, something that hadn’t happened since my father passed away.

It made me smile to see so many happy faces.

What once had seemed like prison was now my refuge. So much laughter echoed across the marble halls and rose up the spiral staircase. Comforting energy lurked around every corner. Safety grew in numbers as people utilized the library, played in the pool rooms, and created memories with me.

The rear den exploded with light from the windows overlooking the gardens. Members wandered through the maze, worked on the flowerbeds, and foraged in the woods and fields beyond the yard. The place actually felt like home. And I knew I had Veronica to thank for that.

I saw her fiery hair first. How could I not? The campfire flames hung in long wavy tresses that k!ssed her glorious skin. A pink hue sat on her cheeks as she bowed over a rather large volume that sat on her knees. The tip of her tongue poked between her l!ps as the expression on her face shifted from heated interest to intense fascination.

She held out her hand to me. I took it without hesitation.

“Aren’t you supposed to be looking at baby shower stuff?” I teased. I sat next to her and pressed her palm to my chest. “Are you distracted again?”

“Maybe. Kinda,” she whispered. “One more chapter.”

I chuckled and k!ssed her knuckles. “I’m glad you’re enjoying that one.”

“It’s so beautiful.” She turned the page reverently. “I never thought I would like period romances. But wow.”

“I know, right?”

She shook her head, draping a red ribbon onto the pale white page. When she looked at me, her smile expanded so wide that I thought it would spread right off her face. But it didn’t. Not quite. “I still have a whole library to dig through.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re never going to have time for me?”

“Because I won’t ever want to stop reading.”

I smirked. “If that’s what you want…”

She tugged my hand to her cheek. “I mean, you can read next to me. Right? Would you like to do that?” She suddenly looked self-conscious. “Is that stupid?”

“Why would that be stupid?”

“I don’t know. Melvin never liked reading.”

Her eyes went wide as she turned to the window. Light poured over her face, illuminating the sorrow that lurked beyond her calm demeanor. She was trying to hide it from me. She knew better than that.

But I allowed it anyway. “Nica.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I’m allowed to feel sad.”

“It’s true.”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes while exhaling. “It’s just weird without him around. It’s weird without any of them around.”

“They weren’t good for you.”

“I can see that now.” She squeezed my hand. “No teenager should be training to be a killer when they just lost their parents.”

I pulled her gently into my arms. She didn’t fight the embrace, choosing to nestle into the crook of my arm as I reclined on the couch. “You’re right.”

“I just feel—” She swallowed audibly. “—guilty about settling into a new, happy life without those people.”

“They chose to side with Raymond Gilbert. They deserve what they get.”

She sat up abruptly and pierced me with a critical stare. “That’s just the thing, Blake. I don’t think they deserve to suffer like that.”

A frown turned down my l!ps. I wasn’t accustomed to opposition like this, but I was willing to listen to her.

She was my mate. I wouldn’t deny her words. Not even if I was bothered.

I nodded for her to proceed. She sat back for a second and chewed the inside of her l!p, quietly going over what was in her mind. Though I couldn’t see what she was truly thinking, I could feel the roller coaster of emotions rattling through her.

Guilt, shame, fury, indignation—it was all a righteous explosion.

She sighed shakily as she met my gaze. “I feel like I’ve abandoned them. And not because I owe them anything. But because I think they deserve to be with a good leader, Blake.” She stroked my cheek. “A leader like you. An alpha like you.”

A smile slowly spread over my mouth. “Yeah?”

“Maybe we could absorb them someday.”

“That’s a big goal to have, sweet rose.”

She shrugged. “We’re all about big goals, aren’t we?”

“What makes you say that?”

“You were set on winning me as your mate when it seemed like it wasn’t possible at all, right?”

I smiled. “Yeah, I’m guilty of that.”

“So, we can make more big goals. And we can achieve them together.”

“You really want to rescue an entire pack and incorporate them here?”

She grinned, tugging me into a sitting position. She pressed her l!ps sloppily to mine as she crawled into my lap, her heart beating to the rhythm of her breath. Just like that, my thoughts were of her and only her.

I broke the k!ss. “You’re being sneaky.”

“Is it working?”

“Maybe. Sorta. Kinda.”

She grinned while sliding from my lap. “It’s just an idea. I don’t think he’s going to be happy that I mated with you. I don’t think he’s going to stop.”

I stood up and ran my fingers through my hair.

She was right. Raymond wouldn’t take kindly to losing. He would probably come back for more in the future. There was only so much stunning my pack members could do without causing serious brain damage.

I hummed thoughtfully. “What do you think we should do?”

She stared at me. “Are you really asking me?”

“Yeah, why not? You know him better than anyone. I want your counsel here.”

She smiled weakly as she closed the space between us. Seconds later, her l!ps were plastered to mine again. It was impossible to stop k!ssing when we weren’t speaking. I had to guess that the servants were getting sick of hearing us doing much more than that all over the mansion.

When she drifted back, I was left breathless.

I hoped she never stopped impressing me like that.

“You’re right. I need to be planning the baby shower,” she said. “I’ll grab the tablet and start looking through decorations.”

“Nope,” a familiar voice argued from the doorway. “That’s my job.”

Grandma sidled into the room with a tray of tea.

I smiled gratefully. “Mamaw, you don’t have to do all that.”

“I know,” she snorted. “But I want to.”

Veronica laughed while accepting the tray of tea. Mamaw touched her forehead and then k!ssed her crown as was customary for grandparents to do with new mates. Watching them interact, I felt a sense of accomplishment that my family had been pieced back together.

And all it had taken was the love of a sweet and humble woman like Veronica.

Grandma guided Veronica to the couch. My mother wandered into the room eventually and sat next to them, the three of them chattering excitedly about the shower.

“Purple,” Veronica suggested. “I do love purple.”

“And green?” Mom asked. “You know, to be inclusive about the gender and all.”

I rolled my eyes as I took a seat nearby. “Mom.”

“What? You told me I had to be mindful,” she argued while waving her hand. “So, I’m being mindful. Green is good, right?”

Veronica beamed. “Green is gender neutral, yes.”

“What about yellow?” Grandma asked. “I was always fond of yellow.” She looked troubled suddenly. “Well, not that this is about me. This is about you, dear.”

Veronica smiled warmly and took Grandma’s hands. “I want all the help I can get. I’ve never had this kind of help. It’s…” She trailed off as tears appeared.

While my wolf urged me to rush to her aid, I didn’t. Because I didn’t have to at this moment.

Mom patted her back. “It’s alright, dear. We’ll be glad to help.”

“I have all sorts of old baby things in the attic,” Grandma said. “Bassinets and cribs and all those clothes.”

I shook my head. “My kid is not wearing fashions from the eighteen hundreds.”

Mamaw scoffed while Mom gave me a horrified look. The only person who cackled was Veronica.

A knock echoed from the doorway. I turned to see Jermaine and Tanner patiently waiting for me to welcome them.

I waved them in.

Jermaine sat next to me as the three women across from me chattered on about the baby shower. Tanner leaned against the armrest and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“I see they’re all getting along,” he observed. “That’s good.”

I nodded. “It’s very good.” I grinned playfully. “If only the two of you could get along with your mates.”

Tanner laughed dryly. “I don’t have a mate, you twat.”

Jermaine fumed. “Elva isn’t a mate. She’s a pain in my a*s.”

I chuckled and shrugged. “Could have fooled me.”

“You know what? I’m getting Neil,” Jermaine claimed. “I was going to update you on the whole situation, but at least Neil has the foresight not to be a huge grumpy jerk about Elva.”

Tanner scoffed. “Neil? Not be grumpy? You must be high.”

“Actually, I have to agree with Tanner on this one,” I said, patting Jermaine’s arm. “Don’t run off so fast. I need a report.”

Jermaine shrugged into the seat next to me. “The grounds are secure. We haven’t seen any unauthorized vehicles or tracks in the surrounding area. Everything is quiet.”

Tanner sighed. “For the time being.”

“Veronica and I were just discussing that,” I whispered. I watched the women across from me light up with joy. It was good to see my mate and my family happy. I wanted it to stay that way. “What precautions should we take?”

“The usual,” Jermaine replied. “Secure the perimeter, keep security running at all hours, inform the pack of the risks.”

I nodded. “I trust you to oversee the whole process, Jermaine.”

“Thank you, Alpha.”

Tanner flashed his famously dashing smile. “While you fight with Elva. What’s she mad about this week?”

“She’s not—” Jermaine’s face practically turned purple with anger. “I haven’t seen her for three days and I have no idea where she’s—”

“Did she ever go back to that Brian guy?” Tanner teased. “I heard she was going in and out of town recently. Must be seeing that bear shifter again.”

Jermaine jumped to his feet. “She’s seeing that jerk again?”

Tanner cracked up while I waved for Jermaine to calm down.

“Alright,” I said, trying not to chuckle, “don’t get yourself worked up, okay? She’s probably just doing supply runs for medicine.”

“I’ll replace out for myself,” Jermaine claimed. “I’ll go to her house and—”

“At ease, soldier,” I ordered.

While Tanner continued to cackle next to me, I reached for my head of security, planting a confident hand on his shoulder. He visibly calmed the longer I left my hand there. Another hand appeared, a delicate and slender hand that reminded me of powdered roses and saltwater taffy.

Veronica smiled down at Jermaine. “It sounds like you’re jealous.”

Jermaine coughed nervously. “No, not jealous. Just protective. She’s part of my pack and I swore I would protect everyone from—erm—the dangers of—of doing—”

Tanner fell to the ground and kicked his legs. “He’s jealous!”

“Well, at least she’s nearby,” Jermaine claimed. “Where did Leah disappear to again?”

Tanner sobered up in about three seconds flat. He sprang to his feet to glare at Jermaine. “She didn’t disappear.”

“Ah, but she left you for another man, right?” Jermaine puffed up. “A human, if I recall correctly.”

I held my hands between my pack members. “Alright, time out. The both of you.”

Veronica bit her lower !ip, a giggle making her chest shake. Though the guys were mostly joking, it wouldn’t be the first time they had gotten into a fight over a joke gone bad.

I didn’t want to clean up two battles in the same week.

Tanner held up his hands, his easy grin returning.

He chuckled lightly. “It’s all good, baby.”

Jermaine crossed his arms over his chest. “Better be.”

“Gods, they’re like toddlers,” Veronica jabbed. “Is this what you have to deal with all the time?”

Laughter exploded from my right while huffing erupted from my left. The two couldn’t have been more opposite in their reaction to my mate. Tanner’s amusement doubled when Jermaine marched to the door.

“I think I hear the doorbell,” Jermaine called over Tanner’s laughter. “I’ll be back!”

Veronica blinked in confusion. “There’s a doorbell? This place is so huge. How would you even hear it?”

I shrugged and then chuckled. “I think he just needs a break from Tanner.”

Tanner flashed his dashing smile and looped an arm around my neck. “I’m the best joker in the pack.”

“I can see that,” Veronica teased. “Even when you held me hostage, you still managed to make the whole thing a joke.”

He raised a finger to make a point. “We were ordered to put you in the panic room. That wasn’t a hostage situation. That was safety first.”

I clapped him on the back. “And I appreciate the hell out of it.”

Veronica turned around. “Where did your mother and grandmother go?”

I frowned and searched the room. It seemed our loud banter had chased them off. I shrugged off the question. “Knowing Mamaw, she probably wanted to get to the attic and check out the baby stuff collecting dust up there.”

Veronica nodded. “That makes sense.”

Jermaine reappeared with a small brown box. It was no bigger than a book—and it might have even contained a book.

He set it on a nearby table. “It’s addressed to you, Alpha.”

I c0cked my right brow at him. “When did it get here?”

“Just now. One of the members brought it from the edge of the estate.”

“That’s weird,” I commented while checking the tattered paper covering the box. “It doesn’t have a return address either.”

Jermaine checked the package, sniffed it, and then procured a box cutter. “It’s not a bomb. But it might be something else. Hang tight.”

I held Veronica by the waist, guiding her away from the table. Once Jermaine checked the contents of the packaging, he waved me over.

It was a hollowed-out book. Inside sat a small note.

I lifted the paper and read out loud, “We won’t stop until the right alpha is in place.”

Veronica clutched my shoulder. “I know that handwriting.”

I crumbled the note in my hand. “Raymond Gilbert.”

“He’s going to come back. I knew it,” she whimpered. “We won’t be safe. You won’t be safe.”

I turned to Jermaine and Tanner, dishing out instructions for them to double-check cameras and the perimeter, and to get emergency teams together. Once they were gone, I turned to my mate and held her loosely, keeping her gaze steady with mine.

“Don’t panic,” I whispered. “We can handle it. We’re mates now, remember?”

Her wide eyes stared back at me. Though terror reigned there, something else swirled in those hazel-yellow pools, something unique to our connection.

Trust. Faith. Love.

Her lower l!p quivered. “I love you, Blake.”

I smiled gently and embraced her, keeping her close to my chest where she belonged—where she would always belong.

“I love you, Nica,” I whispered. “I’ll never let anything happen to you ever again. That’s a promise to you and our child.”

THE END