Mated To The Beastly Alpha
Chapter 31

After Liam threatened her in the forest, after slaughtering rogues, Nicole made a firm decision to let him go. She was tired of the back and forth, the hot and cold treatment she received from him. She needed to focus on her secret job with Garrett, being a witch-bane and her mental health. Garrett was right, Alpha Liam was incapable of compassion for her. He saw her as a means to fulfil an end. It hurt to think about it because she ached for his acknowledgement. But she couldn't let what happened with Shane repeat itself. She had enough mental scars to deal with.

Plus, after seeing him going crazy as he murdered those wolves and screamed at her, she began to develop a fear of him. It was Shane happening all over, and she was ready to stop it by all means. However, fate had other plans in store for her. Because he left the pack for a week and came back differently. She could see it from the way he behaved, and she wondered if it was another tactic. She had just finished training with James, Asha, and Rose when she sensed him. She felt a mix of emotions - surprise, anger, and most of all, confusion.

Nicole tried to keep her cold affront while she was fighting her attraction for him. Her fear for him also multiplied. It was like she could see Shane in him.

It scared her, and she ran away from him on two occasions. Since her encounter with him and the rogues, her nightmares about Shane had begun again. It plagued her mind and made her touchy and fidgety.

What was worse was that she couldn't speak to anyone about it. She felt like it would bother them, and she also felt stupid for playing into Shane's hands. He used her as a fake Luna for a long time while assaulting her sexually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Her nightmares were a reminder that she wasn't free. As long as she was bound to him and under his protection, she was a slave, it didn't matter if she was a powerful witch-bane. She battled with the feelings the mark gave her because she couldn't let herself get hurt again either.

Days turned into weeks, and Nicole tried to focus on her duties within the pack. She trained hard, worked on the powers she was supposed to have tirelessly, and even helped out with training sessions. She could feel herself becoming stronger. She was also proud of the money she was saving up for her freedom.

Just when she thought things were finally settling down, Alpha Liam's sister, Lilian, a powerful Luna in another pack, came to visit.

"Nicole, Luna Lilian, my sister," Alpha Liam said, introducing the two of them.

Lilian looked Nicole up and down, her eyes filled with disdain. "So you're the one who's been causing my brother so much trouble," she sneered.

Nicole tried to keep her composure despite feeling insulted by Lilian's words. "I don't know what you're talking about, Luna Lilian," she replied, addressing her with the respect that was due to her rank.

Lilian scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me, girl. I know all about your little fling with my brother. And I must say, I'm not impressed."

Alpha Liam stepped in before the situation could escalate any further. "That's enough, Lilian. Get back to training witch-bane," he commanded, whisking Lilian away.

A sense of premonition tingled her nerves. She knew at once that Luna Lillian was trouble. Nicole was uncomfortable around Lilian. She heard stories from Asha and Rose about the Luna's temper and how she could make life miserable for those who crossed her. It didn't take long before she figured out the purpose of the Luna's visit. She had heard her brother's dilemma and came to help him get rid of the mark. Nicole felt a pang of jealousy, but she pushed it aside and tried to be objective.

Luna Lillian introduced her brother to countless women, but none of them caught Liam's interest. Nicole tried to hide that seeing Liam with other women annoyed her. She ranted her frustration out to Asha and Garrett.

Alpha Liam didn't seem interested in any of the recommended women. It made her a bit happy.

Lilian, on the other hand, was getting more and more agitated. She was nagging Liam daily. Nicole had been in the pack kitchen when they came in arguing.

"Why don't you like any of them, Liam?" she demanded. "Are you still hung up on this one?" She pointed at Nicole.

"Lilian," Liam growled, "you know we're fighting against a mark, right? It takes time."

"You need to hurry up and get over her," Lilian snapped. "The pack needs you. You have a battle to fight."

Nicole felt a knot forming in her stomach. She knew where this was going. Lilian was going to try to make it look like it was her fault that Liam marked her. She wondered what she had done to her.

As she was trying to make her way out of the kitchen, Lilian turned to her with a sneer. "You know, Nicole, I heard about you and how gullible you are. You're a lone wolf and do not belong here. Maybe it's time for you to move on. You can save both of you the stress and leave Dark Moon."

"Lilian!" Liam barked, his dominance taking hold of both of them. Fear crawled up Nicole's spine as she began to suffocate. "Stop this instant."

After a while, Nicole could breathe better.

"I'm sorry, Nicole," Liam apologized, avoiding her gaze.

Lilian growled, "You apologized to that thing? This is serious."

Nicole felt her blood boil. How dare she? "I'm not going anywhere, Luna Lilian," she said, her voice firm. "And never refer to me as a thing again."

Lilian just laughed. "You think you're so tough, don't you?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But let me tell you something, little girl. You don't stand a chance against me. I have more power and influence than you could ever dream of having." Nicole gritted her teeth, trying to control her anger. Lilian had more power than she did. But that didn't mean she had to take her bullying lying down. Alpha Liam stepped in once again. "That's enough, Lilian," he said firmly, "let's go."

Lilian rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said, turning on her heel.

With that, she stalked off, leaving Nicole feeling shaken and angry. She couldn't believe the nerve of that woman. But as angry as she was, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness as well. She had always hoped that Alpha Liam would choose her, but now it seemed like that was never going to happen.

Lilian's bullying continued. She would make snide comments whenever she saw Nicole, and she would try to sabotage her work whenever she could. Nicole tried to ignore her, but it was getting harder and harder to do so.

One day, as she was getting ready to go on patrol with some pack members, Lilian appeared out of nowhere. "You know, Nicole, you really should leave Liam alone," she said, her voice low and menacing. "He doesn't need a weakling like you dragging him down." Nicole felt her heart sink. She was getting tired of this constant bullying. Maybe it was time for her to leave.

But before she could even think about it more, Alpha Liam appeared behind Lilian. "What's going on here?" he demanded, his eyes flashing with anger.

Lilian tried to play it off. "Oh, nothing, Liam," she said, trying to put on a smile. "Just giving Nicole some friendly advice."

Alpha Liam didn't buy it. "That doesn't sound like a friendly advice to me," he said, his voice cold. "What's going on, Lilian? Why are you treating Nicole like this?"

Lilian's smile faltered, and for a moment, she looked caught off guard. But then she regained her composure. "I'm just concerned about the pack, Liam," she said smoothly. "I want what's best for you and the pack. And I don't think Nicole is the best choice for you. She's not worth it, witch-bane or not."

Alpha Liam's eyes narrowed, and his voice was laced with anger and power. "That's not for you to decide, Lilian," he said firmly.

Lilian looked like she wanted to argue more, but Alpha Liam's tone permitted no argument. She sighed dramatically. "Fine, Liam," she said, rolling her eyes. "Remember that discussion we had earlier about you sending her away? Have you made your decision yet?" Nicole's heart skipped a beat. They were discussing sending her away. She didn't know how to feel.

Liam shook his head and clenched his jaw.

Lilian looked at him with a sense of determination. "Liam, you can't keep living like this. You need to make a decision. You can't keep stringing Isabella along, and you can't keep holding onto your feelings for Nicole. They are not even real. It's time to be strong and do what's best for our pack."

With that, she turned and stormed off, leaving Alpha Liam and Nicole alone. Nicole could feel her heart racing in her chest. She couldn't believe the type of person Lilian was.

Alpha Liam turned to her, his expression softening. "I'm sorry about that, Nicole," he said, taking a step closer to her. "She's been difficult lately. I don't know what's gotten into her."

Nicole was stunned, and Alpha Liam was apologizing a lot lately. She tried to keep her cold disposition up, but it was getting harder and harder to do so. She could feel her resolve crumbling.

"It's fine, Alpha Liam," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "I'm used to it by now."

Alpha Liam looked at her intently, his gaze searching. "No, it's not fine," he said, his voice low. "You don't deserve to be treated that way."

Nicole's heart skipped a beat at his words. Was he actually defending her?

Alpha Liam seemed to sense her hesitation, and he took another step closer to her. "I know we've had our differences, Nicole," he said, his voice gentle. "But I don't want to fight with you anymore. I want to start afresh. What do you say?"

Nicole's mind was racing. She knew that she should keep her guard up, that she should be cautious of his advances. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a flutter of hope in her chest. Could it be possible that he actually wanted to sort out their issues? But before she could even respond, the sound of a howl cut through the air, signalling that the patrol was about to start. Alpha Liam's expression changed, and he took a step back from her. "We'll talk more about this later, Nicole," he said, his tone serious. "For now, we have a job to do."

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Nicole standing there, her mind reeling.

The patrol was long and uneventful, but Nicole couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She kept thinking about Alpha Liam's words about his offer to start fresh. Was it genuine? Or was he just playing games with her?

She was certain that his sister had come to help him get rid of the mark. He also told her that another way to get rid of it was to agree that they weren't compatible after getting to know each other.

They ended up in one of their cabins in the woods because it was too late to go back to the pack house. Nicole was exhausted. She headed straight to her cabin, hoping to get some rest. But as she was about to close the door, she heard a knock.

She opened the door, and to her surprise, Alpha Liam was standing there, a determined look on his face. "We need to talk, Nicole," he said, his voice low.

Nicole felt a flutter of nervousness in her chest. This was it. This was the moment of truth.