Chapter 106

Carol’s POV

My eyes narrowed as Katrina made her way over ot us and took her seat right beside Luna Cruz. As usual, Katrina looked gorgeous and Aiden’s mother, Miranda Cruz, lit up at the sight of her.

“Nonsense,” Miranda said, patting Katrina’s hand affectionately. “You aren’t all that late. We haven’t even gotten our food yet. I’ll have the waiter bring you some coffee.”

Miranda flagged over the waiter, and he brought Katrina coffee right away.

“Mom, what’s going on? Why is Katrina here?” Aiden asked, sounding as annoyed as I felt.

He placed a protective hand over my leg and kept it from shaking too badly; I hadn’t even realized that it was shaking until he put his hand on me.

“Why wouldn’t she be here? Katrina is basically a part of our family, and these matters concern her as well,” Miranda said simply. “However, I’m not exactly sure why you brought… her… with you.” She added, her eyes flickering to me.

My entire body stilled, and I felt hot all over from her words. I looked at Aiden expectantly and saw that his jaw was tense. His hold on my leg tightened.

“She’s my mate, Mom. You know this. She’s a part of my life whether you like it or not,” Aiden reminded her through his gritted teeth.

“Honestly, Aiden. She’s a human girl. Do you really think she would make a fit Luna to the strongest werewolf pack in the world? Let’s be real here…” Miranda said, her eyes narrowing.

“Now, Miranda, that’s not fair. I’m sure Carol has her own strengths,” Katrina provoked, feigning innocence. “I mean, she’s great at selling houses. That’s something.”

My lips formed a thin line at her backhanded compliment.

“She isn’t Luna material,” Miranda said simply, leaving no room for arguments.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Mom. But there’s no changing the fact that she is my mate and she’s going to be the Luna of this pack one day. Now, can we just get the rest of this brunch over with and discuss what we came here to discuss.”

Miranda pursed her lips as she stared at her son, and then she leaned back in her seat.

“Your father’s condition is bad, and the doctors don’t think he will ever be the same again, even if he does recover from this,” Miranda surprised us by saying. “Which means you are going to need to start taking on the responsibility as Alpha.”

Aiden ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath.

“Is it that bad?” He finally asked, his voice coming out heavy.

“There was a lethal amount of poison in his system,” his mother reminded him. “Yes, it’s that bad.”

“I’m still not understanding why Katrina is here,” Aiden said through his teeth, aggravation evident on his face.

Miranda sighed and looked at her son pointedly.

“Allow me to explain,” Katrina said, leaning forward in her seat. “If you become the Alpha soon, Aiden, will become the Luna and rule this pack by your side. My uncle, the Alpha of a strong pack, has agreed to align with the Capital as long as we marry. He has better recourses than the Capital and strong warriors. We need all the protection we can get now that there is a target on the Alpha’s back. My uncle could find out who tried to kill your father in a heartbeat. He might also be able to find out other things… like who tried to kidnap your darling mate.”

My blood went cold from her words; I suddenly understood what this brunch was all about. They were planning on giving Aiden an ultimatum. They were trying to force his hand in marrying Katrina.

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

I expected Aiden to tell them off and say that wasn’t happening, but he didn’t. He remained completely still and quiet as their words processed in his mind. His hand on my leg loosened until it disappeared altogether, and I suddenly felt cold and alone without his touch.

I looked at him to see his face and I saw a dark cloud hovering over his features.

My chest constricted while I wondered what it was he was thinking.

He couldn’t possibly be thinking about taking them up on their offer… could he?

“We aren’t saying you should give up your fated mate,” his mother shocked me by adding. “A fated mate is proven to make Alpha’s stronger. Mates also breed a lot easier and are known to produce strong heirs. However, you also need a strong Luna on your side. So, we are proposing a deal. Marry Katrina and make her your Luna. Align with her uncle's pack and get as many resources and help as he can give. And keep your mate as your little plaything and breeder. It’s a win-win situation.”

I thought I was going to throw up. Before anyone could say anything, the waiter returned with platters of pastries. They were all so beautifully decorated and they smelled delicious, but my appetite was completely gone.

Miranda thanked him before he turned and walked away.

Katrina grabbed a blueberry scone, her eyes never leaving Aiden’s as she took a seductive bite of her pastry.

I stared at her with unshed tears and then looked at Aiden who was also glaring at her. His entire body was tense.

It killed me that he wasn’t saying anything. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

“It’s worth thinking about, don’t you think?” Miranda asked while she buttered her pastry. “You need to start thinking about what’s best for the pack. As future Alpha, it’s your responsibility to take care of them. This is what your father would want.”

“And I’m okay with sharing you, Aiden,” Katrina added, winking at him which made my blood boil. “As long as you return to my bed at night. I don’t care what you do in your free time.”

I had enough of this conversation. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I stood up quickly, almost knocking over my coffee in the process. My sudden movement seemed to snap Aiden out of whatever trance he was in because he snapped at look at me, confusion evident on his face.

“I’m not going to sit here and listen to this any further,” I said, trying desperately not to shed any tears in front of them. “If you’ll excuse me.”

I turned and without saying another word, I stormed away.

….

Aiden’s POV

I watched as Carol left the room and then I turned my stare back at Katrina. If I opened my mouth to speak, I would say some choice words that weren’t appropriate for my mother’s ears. I understood the game Katrina was playing and I wasn’t buying into it.

Over my dead body would I ever use Carol as my side piece and breeder and marry Katrina. I don’t care who her uncle was and what kind of benefits I would get from it, Carol was my mate and she was the one I wanted to stand by my side. She was the one who I would marry.

I was so angry that I couldn’t even speak. All I could do was stare at Katrina while she smugly ate her blueberry scone as if she had already won.

I had half the mind to banish her from this pack.

I wasn’t expecting Carol to get up and walk away though. She should know that I would never take them up on this offer. It was ridiculous to even think about it. But the hurt look on Carol’s expression before she left told me she thought I was actually considering it.

Did I do something to make her not trust me?

The thought bubbled in my mind and my chest felt tight.

I stood up once Carol had left the room; my legs felt numb, and my body was on autopilot.

“Where do you think you are going? We aren’t done with this conversation?” My mother said, folding her arms across her chest.

“It seems you have said all you needed to say,” I said in a low and threatening tone. My wolf was threatening to tear their throats out, even if one of them was my own mother. He was furious that they upset our mate, and he wasn’t handling this lightly.

“We should discuss marriage preparations,” Katrina suggested, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“If you think for a second that I would even consider marrying you, you are gravely mistaken,” I said, my tone deepening as anger took over. “Let me make one thing clear, Katrina. You will never stand by my side as Luna.”

Her mouth fell open in shock; I didn’t stick around to hear what more they had to say. I turned and left quickly after Carol.

I found her outside, tears streaming down her face as she wrapped her arms around her bare shoulders. It was a little cold outside she was wearing a thin strapped dress. Her body was shaking and it wasn’t sure if t was because of the cold, or because of her crying. Either or, my chest ached at the thought of her feeling any kind of discomfort.

The anger I once felt quickly left me as I approached my mate; her scent wrapping around me like a warm blanket and pulling me closer.

I took my coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders, making her spin around to look at me. Her body relaxed when she saw me, but her eyes were still red with unshed tears and filled with anger.

“None of this was supposed to happen,” I whispered, running my fingers down the nape of her neck.

She flinched away from me, causing a heavy ache in my chest. My hands fell to my sides, and I stared at her in defeat.

“I’m sorry…” I murmured, lowering my gaze and unsure of what to say. I was sorry that my mother and Katrina blindsided us with that nonsense. I was sorry I put Carol in this position in the first place. I was sorry that I couldn’t protect her from that pain.

I was just so sorry; words couldn’t express how I felt.

She opened her mouth to say something; her eyes blazing with fury, but we were interrupted by my mother’s voice.

“Aiden, we need to get to the hospital. Your father’s condition worsened!”