His Deadly Mate: Book 2 of The 'His' Series

This is the second book of the 'His' series. The first book is "His Plump Mate". Aiden is the first born son of Austin and Rebel Willis. He is 32 years old and still hasn't found his mate. Meanwhile, his twin, sister and one of his younger brother's all found their mates. After ten years of searching, Aiden gave up and threw all his energy into improving the pack. Reid wants to cheer his brother up and takes him to the coastline. When they get there, Aiden meets his fated mate, Thalia. Thalia is a trained hitman for survival. Thalia's life is a mess. She is princess of the Moreno Crime Family and her father Diego, a no rank wolf is the head of the family in the human world. He is forcing his daughter to enter into a marriage alliance to a man she detests. Aiden is furious and Thalia is trying to protect her sister from having the same fate as her. Thalia flees with her sister to her uncle's pack. Will Aiden be able to help Thalia and will Thalia be able to trust Aiden after she has suffered years of trauma? Chapter 1: I Refuse!  Thalia POV “I’m not doing it, Papa! I will not marry that asshole!” I argued. “Asshole or not, you ARE marrying him, Thalia!” My father screamed back. “GOOD LUCK, GETTING ME TO SAY, ‘I DO’ THEN! BECAUSE THAT IS NOT HAPPENING IN THIS LIFETIME!” I screamed before running out of that fucking prison of a house. I needed air. I needed to breathe. I am the princess of the Moreno Crime family. My father, Diego Moreno, is the head of the family. He has never looked at me or my sister Mia as worthy of being in charge or making our own lives. For him, we are a commodity to be used to strengthen the family. For him, my brother, Rodrigo, is the only one worthy of leading the family and choosing who he wants as a bride. Now, I feel suffocated by his latest demand from me. He wants me to marry Armando Reyes, heir of the Reyes Crime Family. That guy creeps me out. Every time he is around, he tries to get handsy. He is a complete and utter pervert. Because I was trained early on to be a hitman, getting him to leave me alone has been easy. I could probably do the same if we were married, but who wants to have that kind of married life? Who wants a life without love and respect? Armando is no better than my father, in that he doesn’t value women. For him, women are a toy for his release. It would be better for all women if he either got a blow-up doll or got his dick chopped off. Personally, I would prefer the latter. I ran down to the private beach at the back of our estate. I need the ocean waves to calm me. I need to feel paradise under my feet with every grain of sand between my toes. I want to feel the cold water of the ocean brush against my ankles and retreat before making its way back, making my feet sink into the sand. I need to see the ocean wind, sway the palms, and birds flying in the sky. I need to feel their peace since my spirit is in turmoil. I don’t know how long I sat there in the sand, but after a while I heard the soft footsteps of my sister. Being trained to be a hitman for the majority of my life, you learn certain skills to survive. Hearing and recognizing footsteps are one of them. My sister Mia is only seventeen years old. She is smart and wants to study medicine. She has a good head for it, and she isn’t squeamish about blood and hospitals. I’m not squeamish about blood, but I am when it comes to hospitals. The last time I was in one, my grandfather was rolled out in front of me attached to various machines. He died shortly after. Since then, I haven’t been able to shake the despair I feel when I’m inside one of those places. “Everything okay, Mia?” “Yes hermana, but I heard the argument. I figured you’d come here to calm down. Do you want to talk about it?” She asked. “If you heard it, then there is nothing to talk about. My life has been dictated enough. I will not let papa, dictate it further. I’m not marrying Armando. He just wants to put his dick in me and quite frankly, I find him disgusting.” I said. She chuckled, “Sis, hermana, you always did have a way with words.” When I turn to look at her, I see sadness in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” “Papa said he wasn’t going to spend money to send me to medical school. He said that he wants me to work in the mail room of the family business until he finds a suitable husband for me. In other words, a suitable alliance to strengthen the family.” I feel my blood pressure rising once again. We mean nothing to him except to trade off for more power. I can’t let him get away with what he wants. We are people. We have feelings and hearts. Has he even looked at us like his daughters once in his life, instead of a bargaining chip to play, ‘Let’s Make A Deal’? My sister sits beside me, and I wrap my arm around her. “I am going to figure this out. You know I won’t let anything happen to you or your future.” “If only we had our wolves, Thalia. Maybe then we could be strong enough to leave.” Mia said wistfully. Did I mention the Moreno Family is also a family of werewolves? My mother Blanca is a wolf-less omega. She met and married my dad; who is another wolf. He isn’t ranked by any means, but we live in the human world. In our town, we have power because we are naturally stronger. No one knows what we are, and it’s best it stays that way, or they may hunt us down. However, if we lived in a pack with other wolves, my father would be seen as weak. No rank and a weak wolf compared to an Alpha, Beta, Gamma or warrior; he wouldn’t have any power or control. He knew that too and that’s why we live in the human world. I don’t have a wolf. My mother told us that wolves usually come by the time a person turns eighteen. I’m twenty-four and still wolf-less, even though I am still stronger than a normal human person. My brother, Rodrigo did get his wolf, but on a dare, he drank wolfsbane right after getting his wolf and his wolf died. So now he is wolf-less and angry about it four years later. Mia is seventeen, so we won’t know if she has a wolf for another two months. I hugged my sister and got up. “Come, let’s get you inside. Papa won’t do anything with you for a while, so don’t worry about talking to him. I will figure things out for us, okay?” She held the hug and sighed, “Okay.” “Once you are inside, I am going to handle a job, and I will be back late tonight. Stay out of sight and out of mind, understand?” “Yeah, I understand. Be careful tonight, Thalia.” “I will.” I say as I take off. I’ve been hired for another hit. Some sleazy businessman that has been dealing in arms while betraying his business partners. He’s been taking money from both sides and one of them found out and ordered the hit. I put my training to good use, and I started making money on the side for myself. I’ve been saving, trying to make a clean break from my father. I need to rethink my strategy to include my sister now. I can’t leave her there. As I read the information from my encrypted phone, I see my target’s picture. Then the phone rings. “Kabar speaking.” I say. Kabar is my codename. It’s my weapon of choice, and I have several variations of my knives. “Kabar, we have intel that your target is staying in the Night Coast Hotel. According to his intel, he will be having drinks around seven tonight. It’s supposed to last an hour and then you will need to make your move.” “Understood.” “The first half of your payment has been deposited. The second half will be sent once you have completed the job.” “First payment confirmed received.” I hung up and started getting ready. I have two hours to become a different person. Chapter 2: Talking to Mom Thalia POV That last job paid me enough to get out of this area. That businessman was grotesque. I don’t know what made him think I was going to open my legs to him, but he was sweaty, fat, bald with a really sad comb over, and smelled of alcohol and cheap cigars. He thought that I was a pretty young thing selling my body. No, cupcake, I’m a pretty young thing sent to off your pathetic ass for backstabbing your partner. I made sure to tell him that before I slit his throat too. Once the job was done and I sent my proof, the second half of my payment was deposited. When I checked my private account, I saw almost seven figures staring back at me. That’s enough to give Mia and I a new start. I need to figure out where to go lay low before making my permanent exit with Mia. That’s my plan. We will start in one place and then pivot and move in the night and disappear. I will change our names, and we will live our lives for ourselves. Not for any man, trying to control what we do and don’t do in our lives. I get back home and when I enter, my mom is waiting for me in the kitchen. “Mi hija, I was starting to worry. How was your evening?” “It was long mama.” “I heard about your argument with your father. Do you want to talk about it?” “Why? I’m not marrying Armando. He is a creep and doesn’t respect women. You know, like papa.” My mother knows I’m right. My father doesn’t even respect my mom. I think at one point he was in love with her, but his greed made him forget how he started and who was there for him in the beginning…my mom. My mom is a beautiful woman too. Even though she is older, I look like her. Dark curly and wavy hair and dark eyes, olive complexion, full lips, and eyebrows. She is a beautiful woman. I wish she would have left my dad years ago, but she stayed because of me. Then Rodrigo and Mia came along and by then, she felt trapped. Sometimes I wonder if she regretted having me, instead of leaving my dad. She could have had a different life if not for me. “Thalia, I know you and your father don’t get along. You both have very strong personalities. But he does love you. He loves all three of his kids.” “You don’t force your eldest daughter to marry a man simply because you want to control the man’s business. You know don’t force your youngest daughter to work for the company until a suitable husband can be found to strengthen the family business and make your daughter give up her dream of becoming a doctor. That’s not love mama.” “What?” She said. “You didn’t know?” I asked. “No. What are you talking about?” My mother asks me. She looks horrified. This tells me that once again, my father is only giving her half-truths. “Ma, papa told me he wants the Reyes ports. He wants me to marry Armando to infiltrate their business and take it over. Then the Moreno Family controls all the ports.” I begin, “Then Mia told papa about going to medical school and he said he wasn’t going to pay for medical school for her to become a doctor. He said she would work in the mailroom of the business until he finds her a suitable husband. That means, a husband that will help the family business grow. I won’t let that happen. Mia and I deserve to have a loving and peaceful life.” “Mi hija, I didn’t know. He just said he wanted you girls to marry into stability.” My mom said. “No, you won’t be marrying Armando. Your dad is putting you in danger with the way he is thinking.” I grab my mom’s hands and whisper to her. “I’m leaving with Mia, mama. You could come with us. We could get out of here. I’ve been saving money. I can hold us a float until we get something permanent.” “No, mi hija, I cannot go with you. I chose this life for myself, but it doesn’t need to be your life or your sister’s life. Where do you think you want to go?” “I’m not sure, ma. Somewhere they can’t get to us easily. Until I can get our names changed and start over somewhere new.” “I have an idea. Your father is leaving in a little while for a meeting. Once he leaves, let’s call your uncle Raul. He is in a pack, plus he is a doctor, perhaps Mia can get a letter of recommendation from him for a medical school.” “Okay, mama.” I left for my room. I showered and changed into my sweatpants and T-shirt. I waited until I heard my dad left. My mother knocks on the door, and I see her face. He has hit her again. Her cheek is bruised. “What happened, ma?” “Shh…I bought us time. Now let’s call your uncle. We have about an hour, and we will need to cover a lot in that time.” She grabs a tracker phone. I didn’t even know she had one of those. She dials his number and after two rings the phone answers, “Dr. Moreno, how can I help you?” “Raul, it’s Blanca. I need your help.” “Blanca, what’s wrong?” He asks. He sounds concerned. I don’t know if he knows about the abuse or not. “Diego is trying to marry off Thalia and Mia to bad men. He is doing it for greed and not for their well-being. Thalia has saved money, but she needs somewhere to go. I know you went to a pack. Can they come to you?” “I can’t make that decision, Blanca. Pack life is different, you know that. I need to ask the Alpha about letting my nieces, who don’t belong to a pack currently, come into the pack to live. The Alpha here is kind, but he is no pushover. Plus, the girls don't know anything about pack life. I need time to prepare. It’s late right now. I will talk to the Alpha first thing in the morning. If he agrees, then how long do you think it’ll take to get here?” I speak up, “a month, Tio.” “Thalia, my sweet niece, when you get here, you and Mia need to have learned pack hierarchy and pack culture. Can you both do that for me?” “Si Tio, we will know it. Mama will help us.” I say as my mom nods her head. “Okay, wait for my text message tomorrow, Blanca. If he says yes, don’t worry, I will take care of them both, like they were my own.” “Thank you, Raul.” We said our goodbyes and then hung up. Now we wait. Chapter 3: Fine, I’ll Go Aiden POV “Bro, come on!” My twin pleads with me, “You don’t have your mate yet, but it’s not like you are actively trying to find her either.” “Reid, dad and mom found each other.” I said. “Yeah, but one of them had to leave their pack. It was mom. Maybe this time, you need to leave the pack. Come on. One weekend, we will go to the coast in the southeastern region. You never know, maybe you will meet her. If not, you still got to see the ocean.” Reid said, negotiating with me. I’m thirty-two years old. I took over for my dad as Alpha, fourteen years ago. Reid took over as Alpha at Blue Moon, since it was originally my mom’s pack, even though she only went there quarterly, otherwise her uncle managed the pack since he was closer. Unlike Reid and Rory, my kid sister, I haven’t found my mate. Reid was mated to Navy, and Rory was mated to Jonah, which practically destroyed my dad. She was and remains the apple of his eyes, but he had to accept her growing up. Then Nala and Julian were mated when they turned eighteen. The only two not mated are Isaiah and me. Isaiah is twenty though. He still has time. Adrian found his mate at Blue Moon and went to be Reid’s beta there. Me, I’m desperate to find my mate. Somehow, I don’t think she exists. I used to visit all the packs in the area, and each time, I came back home disappointed. Lately, I’ve been considering choosing a mate. No matter how hard I try to accept the idea though, I just can’t bring myself to do it. I know there is one woman that has been hanging on me for a while now. Tina Clark. She is twenty-five years old. She could be Luna, just not my Luna. She’s pretty and has a gentle disposition about her, but Leon, my wolf, and I don’t trust her. I’m not sure what it is, but there is something about her that screams ‘red flag’. Now Reid wants me to waste more time; going to the coast and having some fun, when I have a pack to run. He is relentless though. Mr. Party Til The Sun Comes Up, is not going to let this go. In my life, I have learned it’s easier just to give into him. “Goddess, you are relentless, Reid. Fine. We will go this weekend. If nothing happens, promise me you will drop the whole conversation.” “Fine. But at the very least we are going to have some fun. You’ve always been too serious bro. I hope you find your mate and she drives you crazy.” He said laughing. “Get the fuck out of here. I have work to do.” I said shaking my head. If I find my mate, I hope she doesn’t mind that I work a lot. After the first ten years of not finding my mate, I’ve done nothing but work. I know mom is worried about me, but honestly, I can at least leave a good pack for Isaiah to take over if something happens to me. I don’t have an heir, so the pack would go to him. He is responsible like all of us Willis kids. ‘I know we have a mate, Aiden. Mood Goddess has blessed everyone around us with mates. We have one too, I know it.’ Leon said. ‘I’m not holding my breath anymore, Leon. I doubt we will ever find her, if she even exists.’ ‘She exists Aiden. She has too. I bet she is beautiful too.’ I allow myself to daydream for just a second. If I had a mate, what would she look like? I bet she’d be curvy. Well, it would be nice if she were at least. Hair is not too long, but curly. I have always been attracted to women with big hair. Plus, if she is fearless like my mother was in her youth, I would love it. It would also be nice if she wasn’t an only child. Maybe the eldest, but not the only child. I just think it would be nice to have additional family. I hope she will want a big family with me too. I also hope she is smart. Not trying to act smart or intelligent, but actually smart. I mean, I could list every attribute I can think of, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t think she exists at this point. ‘Excuse me, Alpha?’ Dr. Moreno reaches out in the mind link. ‘Hey doc.’ ‘Do you have a minute?’ ‘Sure. Do you want me to swing by the hospital?’ ‘I’m in the pack house. Do you mind if we meet in your office?’ ‘Sure.’ When I get there, I can see that Dr. Moreno looks worried, even though he is trying to hide it. “What’s going on, doc?” “My nieces are looking for a place to stay. They are having difficulties at home, and they reached out to me. They are good girls and won’t be any trouble.” Dr. Moreno says, as he gets to the point very quickly. “What pack are they from?” “They live in the human world on the coast, Alpha. They don’t have a pack.” Interesting. No pack. They live in the human world, what kind of difficulties would they have there? Wolves are stronger than humans. “I see, how old are they?” “The eldest is twenty-four years old and the youngest is seventeen and will be eighteen in the next couple of months. Their mother, Blanca asked me if I could take them in and I told her I needed to clear it through you first.” Well, with no pack, I don’t have to do transfer paperwork. Technically, they are rogues. But Dr. Moreno has always been an upright pack member. If he says they are good girls, then I believe him. “Okay. But I would like to meet them when they get here. How long before they arrive?” “Thank you, Alpha! They can be here in a month.” “Alright, I will meet them when they get here. You can let their mother know.” Chapter 4: She’s MINE! Aiden POV Reid has worked on every damn nerve I have this week. He won’t shut up about the trip. Thank the Goddess, we leave in a couple of hours. Then I'm sure he will grate my patience about something else. All week, he has been asking me about things I’d like to do on the coast. What clothes am I bringing? What SPF do I need for the tropical climate? If he wasn’t my brother, I would have thrown him in a cell by now. I just finished my day in the mines. I was busy making a clearing for some new security to get installed next week. When I took over the pack, I thought of a lot of different ways to bump up security around and in the pack. It costs the pack some money, but we are wealthy, so it’s not an issue. Plus, it gives everyone a better sense of security in the pack. I think it’s worth it and so does everyone else. My father was proud of me for making changes, of course. He looked at the whole technology thing and told me back when he was younger; he wanted the latest and greatest available too. Then he told me to wait until I’m older. Technology will continue growing and our brains eventually don’t keep up. I laughed of course, but I know what he is saying will come to pass, just like everything else he has ever told me. Now that I’m back in my room, I go to the bathroom to shower. Then I will pack a carry-on luggage, since we are only staying the weekend. I am not looking forward to this trip, but my brother is, and we haven’t spent time like this together in a long time. It’s probably been close to five years. I know one thing is for sure though, I will not get a moment’s rest once we land. Thank the Goddess for separate rooms. After showering, I get dressed. I look at my closet, half-filled, and the other half empty. Another one of the things my dad used to tell me. Before he met mom, he always kept her half empty but cleaned. It was his way of acknowledging that he has a mate somewhere, and the Moon Goddess wasn’t ready for them to meet yet. I adopted the same behavior, though, after fourteen long years, I should probably just give up on the idea. It’s something to think about. Meanwhile, I pulled out the linen pants and tropical shirt my brother told me I had to wear when we fly out. I think I look ridiculous. I much prefer a pair of jeans and a solid button-up shirt. Once again, my brother, being the loud one of us, I give in to his craziness. I make my way downstairs with my carry-on and meet my brother at the bottom. “Bout fucking time princess. Took you long enough.” “Fuck you, bro. I worked all day and had to shower.” “Big surprise there. You are working all day.” Reid rolled his eyes, “If a hitman ever needed to figure out your schedule, it wouldn’t be hard to figure out. You keep the same damn schedule.” I flip him off and say, “Are we going, or are you going to continue to complain like a little bitch, dude?” He chuckles, “Let’s get out of here. Palm trees and ocean air awaits!” *** We finally landed in Coast City. It’s a human town and we have to keep a low profile. We can’t let our wolves out to run, so we are going to be in human form the entire trip. Leon isn’t happy about it, because he wants to feel the sand beneath his paws. This is our first time coming near the ocean and that part intrigues me. I told Reid to allow a few hours during the day for me to rest. If this is a vacation, then I want to relax a little. Some time on the beach sounds like a great afternoon, even though I will probably only get three hours if I’m lucky, with Reid around. “Come on Aiden. You are dragging your feet!” Reid calls out. “Hey, this is a vacation for me, and I have never seen palm trees in person. Allow me a minute to soak up the scene, will you?” “Minute is up, move your ass. We have dinner in an outdoor restaurant and its live music tonight.” I sigh. I knew I wasn’t getting any rest. “Alright, let’s go.” After we got to the hotel and got to our rooms, we both freshened up and then met in the lobby. As we make our way two blocks to the restaurant, Leon perks up. He starts grunting and pacing back and forth in my head. He’s agitated. ‘Leon, are you sensing danger?’ ‘In a human town, not likely. Something does feel off though, Aiden.’ ‘Okay, let me know if I need to act fast.’ Reid seems oblivious to everything. “Hey is Chase sensing anything?” “Nope. He’s quiet, why?” “Leon is pacing back and forth. He says something feels off.” “Well, isn’t that interesting?” My twin says with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “Chase did that when we found out Navy was our mate.” I stopped. No fucking way. “Are you serious, right now?” “I would never joke about this topic with you, bro. I know it’s sensitive for you. Yes, I’m very serious. How else do you explain that Leon is pacing like something is wrong, but Chase isn’t?” Shit, I don’t even think I’m dressed to meet anyone, let alone my mate. If my brother is right, then my mate is close by, and we haven’t caught her scent yet. We walk into the restaurant and Reid is keeping a close eye on me. Our wolves go crazy when we find our mate. The first thing we want to do is claim and mark our mates. It is instinctual. Reid being here is a good thing. He is going to have to keep me in check. I’m looking around and Leon is getting frustrated. “Reid, how the hell do you control the agitation?” “Bro, I don’t know. I’m in an unknown territory with you right now. I felt the bond with Navy and we were marked and mated by morning. I didn’t have to control any urges. You are going to have to reign in Leon.” Suddenly, the host for the evening steps to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, Damas y Caballeros, welcome to “El Rincon”! Everyone is clapping, and I see a band on the stage. All the tables have couples. Each table has a glass of water with plumerias floating and releasing a tropical floral scent. There is also a candle lit and giving an ambience to the room. It’s an outdoor restaurant, so there is a slight breeze, and you can hear the slight rustle of the palms. It’s a romantic setting to meet my mate. I suddenly have an urge to get up and go searching for her. “Cool your jets, Aiden. You cannot start barging through the area. We are in a human town. You can’t give away our kind.” “I’m sorry, Leon is making me anxious.” I whisper. The host continues speaking and then announces the first singer, “Now tonight, we have a special treat. We haven’t had this singer grace us with her presence in over two months. She is here with her family tonight. Let’s give a warm welcome to, Thalia Moreno!” As soon as she steps onto the stage, her scent hits me. She smells like lime, mint, and rum. She smells sweet, exotic, and strong. I hit Reid on the arm. “Ow, bro.” “MATE!” I whisper yelled at him. “The singer?” He whispers. “Yes.” I stared at her mesmerized. Her voice is beautiful, though I have no idea what she is saying. She is everything I dreamed of in a mate. Big curly hair, a curvy body, and singing on stage in front of everyone would be considered brave to many. She looks exotic with an olive complexion, dark hair, and dark eyes. She has a red hibiscus flower in her hair and a red dress that hugs every part of her tempting body. ‘She’s perfect!’ Leon said. ‘Yes, she is. She sings beautifully, too.’ As soon as she is done singing, another man gets on stage. “Isn’t my daughter a beautiful singer? Let’s give her another round of applause!” After everyone quieted down, her father continued speaking, “I wanted to take this moment to invite Armando Reyes on stage for a very special announcement.” I see another man get on stage and stand beside my mate. Leon is growling in my head, and my eyes are darkening with rage. She’s mine. What is that asshole doing on stage with my mate? “I wanted to formally announce my daughter Thalia’s engagement to Armando Reyes. I hope you all will join us in celebrating this joyous occasion!” The crowd erupts and starts cheering. I can’t take it anymore. I stand up and snarl, “MINE!” Chapter 5: Trauma Thalia POV What the fuck is my father thinking? If he thinks making an announcement is going to make me agree to marrying this fuck boy, he is out of his damn mind. I won’t be taken advantage of again in my life. Not by my dad or anyone. Just as I’m about to announce that no proposal has been made and call my father out for his bullshit in front of this crowd, I hear someone snarl, “MINE!” I see a tall, gorgeous man walk towards us. Black hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. Walking with him is another man that looks just like him but has light brown hair and green eyes. The resemblance and differences are working against each other in my brain. They are both good looking men. As he approaches us, I start catching a scent of black cedar wood and leather. It smells manly and rustic, and cozy. The kind of scent I would want wrapped around me. It feels like home. It’s strange, but it’s true. It’s the first word I thought of as soon as it hit me. I don’t know what that means, but I’m attracted to his smell. Maybe it’s the cologne he is wearing. It smells delicious. As he gets closer, I can see the anger in his eyes and the other man is trying to keep him from exploding in front of the crowd. Somehow, I feel like I will be able to calm him, so I step towards him. “Hello.” I said quietly. He grabs me gently and looks at me intensely with those piercing blue eyes. “Mate.” He whispered, “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you.” Mate? This gorgeous man is my mate? Well, hell. I didn’t see that coming. Between the intensity behind his eyes and hearing him say he has been waiting for me for a long time, I forgot everyone and everything around me. His voice sounds southern and velvety. He definitely isn’t from around here. I see the man beside him smiling. It looks like a loving smile. I don’t understand their relationship, but I don’t have time to worry about that at the moment. “Thalia, your fiancé is on this stage. Get up here.” My father whispers harshly to me. I decided to throw dear old dad a curve ball. “Papa, I have no fiancé. But I do have a mate.” I smirked. I hear an approving growl softly behind me. “I don’t approve of this man. I’ve never met him or heard of him before. I approved Armando for you.” “I didn’t ask for your permission papa. I told you; I’m not marrying Armando.” Then Armando turned red. “THALIA, GET UP HERE NOW! STOP EMBARRASSING THE FAMILIES!” Before I could react, Mr. Black Hair and Blue Eyes had Armando by the neck. “I dare you to raise your voice at her again.” He snarled. “Aiden.” His companion said gently, “Reign it in.” Aiden. That’s different. I don’t think I’ve ever met an Aiden before. The name suits him. I need to break this up. I see Armando turning a light shade of purple. I get on stage, “Aiden.” I say gently, “Let him go, please.” Aiden whips his head to me and tosses Armando to the side like a rag doll. I see him start gasping for air while the color in his face goes back to normal. Aiden grabs me and puts his nose to my neck and I stiffen. He’s inhaling. Like he is smelling me. Weird. Is this normal in wolf culture? “You’re beautiful.” He whispered. “ENOUGH!” My father snarled and yanked me away from Aiden. The sudden loss of his embrace gives me an instant sadness that I don’t understand. “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” “Let’s take this off the stage.” I suggest. My father starts dragging me away and Aiden looks ready to shred my father into pieces.. I personally wouldn’t mind if he did, but I don’t want him to go to jail over it either. Once again, his companion is trying to calm him down. Once he does, we all walk to a nearby office. I noticed Armando is close by. My father, however, stops him. “Armando, allow me a few minutes before I call you in, please.” “I will not be embarrassed, Diego!” He said angrily, “You better fix this now!” “Everyone inside!” My father snarled. Aiden and his plus one come into the room. “Names.” My father demanded. “Alpha Aiden and my twin brother Alpha Reid.” Aiden said. Okay, first, that explains the behavior and while they look alike but don’t look alike. Second, they are alphas? How the hell am I mated to an alpha? I see my dad’s eyes tighten for a second, but then he shook it off and got defensive, “What the hell is going on? How do you know my daughter?” “I don’t. Moon Goddess paired me with her. She is my fated mate. She isn’t marrying the asshole outside. She’s mine.” “There is no way she is your fated mate. She doesn’t have a wolf.” My father said and I closed my eyes. Shit. My mom told me that in the wolf community, if you don’t have a wolf, no one wants you. “She most certainly has a wolf, or I wouldn’t be able to scent her.” He growled. “Then you will need to reject her. Because she is betrothed to the man outside as part of a marriage alliance.” He began, “Besides, she’s not even pure. Why would you want her?” Tears begin to form in my eyes. My father is painting me in the worst light to this man, so he won’t want me. I lost my innocence brutally and not only is he making me relive that memory but then exploited the fact I don’t have a wolf either. “YOU WOULD TALK DOWN ABOUT YOUR OWN DAUGHTER?!” Aiden roared. Reid steps forward, “Aiden, you have got to get Leon under control, bro.” “It’s the truth, Alpha Aiden. We are packless because of her disgrace.” My father said, knowing full well that what he is saying is a lie. “She is no longer packless.” He says, as he steps up, and I feel his aura radiating from him. It’s completely directed at my father, and it has him on his knees. I’m glad. I don’t want to help him. Let him feel it. “THA-LI-A,” My father called out in syllables from the pain he was feeling. “Promise me, you will not force Mia or me to marry Armando or any other man we don’t choose for ourselves.” “Fine. I promise.” I look at Aiden and touch his arm, “Thank you, Aiden.” He lets go and wraps his arms around me. “No one hurts you, Thalia.” I don’t know this man, but it’s hard not to want to be with someone who is protecting me this fiercely without even knowing me. Or only knowing the worst parts of me; a damaged and wolf-less woman. He looks at me with nothing but pure love in his eyes. I have no idea what that is about either, but I guess I will need to spend time with him to calm him down. Armando then enters the room and pulls me out of Aiden’s grasp, “GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY FIANCE!” He yelled. “I AM NOT YOUR FIANCE ARMANDO! THAT WOULD REQUIRE A PROPOSAL, TO WHICH I WOULD TELL YOU, ‘NO’!” I yelled at him. “I’M NOT MARRYING YOU, ARMANDO!” I push him off hard and against the wall and run out of the room. I need air. I’m feeling suffocated again. Too much. It’s all too much. A forced proposal, someone else claiming me, being told I have a wolf when I have never had a wolf, my trauma being put on display, the yelling, the embarrassment, then finding out I have a mate, and he is no less than an Alpha. My head is spinning. I need the ocean. It’s the only thing that will calm me. I keep running until I get to the coastline. I run straight into the water. It’s cold, but I don’t care. I need to be numbed by the events of this evening. As soon as I plunge myself into the water and come back up for air, I scream. Loud and guttural, releasing all of my frustrations. Why? Why does my life have to be a complicated and fucked up place? I’m crying and I hate crying. I stopped crying a long time ago, but tonight, I can’t help it. I don’t know how long I was crying for, but when I finally calmed down, I started hearing footsteps. I don’t recognize them, so I crouch in the freezing water. “Thalia?” His southern and velvety voice called out to me. “Do you want to talk?”