Saving His Feral Mate
Chapter 64: An unannounced visit

Knox POV

I woke up with Chloe snuggled into my chest. She was still asleep, but by the creases between her eyebrows and how her jaw was clenching repeatedly, I knew she wasn’t sleeping peacefully. I rubbed soothing circles on her back and it seemed to help her relax a little.

I definitely didn’t sleep well. Chloe had nightmares throughout the night and I can only assume that what happened brought back some of her own traumatic memories. I had woken up a couple times to her screaming, but each time I managed to calm her down without having to wake her.

I was definitely overwhelmed with emotions. It almost felt like I was missing a part of me, like there was a void in my soul. Kyle and I never really got along and we certainly weren’t close, but I guess we still shared a family bond. That must be the void I was feeling.

On top of his death, I was worried about my best friend, Jo. I needed to keep my word and do everything I could to protect his mate. I had to try and convince the council today not to lock her up. I’m hoping that with all the witnesses they will take that into consideration. I’m really not sure though, they can definitely be unpredictable and a bit petty.

I gave Kyle’s phone to Bert last night. Hopefully he replaces something useful that might help our case. I doubt Kyle was dumb enough to keep evidence on his phone, but who knows, I also didn’t think he was a rapist. I wouldn’t be surprised by anything anymore.

I was also concerned about my mother, she was definitely upset when she found out about Kyle. I wasn’t sure what upset her the most. Was it the loss of her son? What he did to Sheryl and Max? Or was it my father’s infidelity and bad influence on Kyle? Something told me that she was more upset with what Kyle did, than the fact that he was dead. Either way, I needed to check on her later and make sure she was coping with everything.

So much had happened lately and I knew it was just the beginning. More was coming and we needed to be prepared. The air around me was suffocating and the only thing keeping me sane, was my beautiful mate. She was my motivation to keep fighting. The light at the end of the tunnel. I needed her as much as I needed air.

I was brought out of my thoughts when I felt Chloe stir. I watched as her eyes fluttered opened and immediately met with mine. They still looked red and swollen from all the crying she had done.

“Good morning, How do you feel?” I said, before gently kissing her forehead.

“Morni…” She started, but it was like a switch turn on and all her memories flooded back to her. She shot up in bed with a panicked expression on her face.

“Where’s Max?” She asked in a panicked tone.

“She’s ok, I spoke to Jo before coming to bed. He took care of her.” I replied and saw her visibly relax.

I pulled her back down and was pleased when she didn’t resist. She simply curled back up against me and enjoyed the warmth.

“How are you holding up?” She asked after a few moments of silence.

“I’m fine, just worried about you guys.” I replied and it wasn’t a complete lie. I was definitely worried about her, Max, Jo, Sheryl, my mom and every other member of my pack for that matter. I just downplayed my own emotions so she wouldn’t have to worry about me.

“You know, I can tell when your lying, right?” She challenged and I tried to look down at her face, but she had it buried into my chest.

“It’s not a lie, I’ll be fine.” I replied with a sigh.

“That’s a different answer. I’m fine and I will be fine, have two separate meanings.” She retorted and I wasn’t surprised that she had picked up on my little play on words. She was a smart one after all.

“Don’t worry about me, yes I’m stressed, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’m more worried about keeping you and my pack safe.” I replied and she finally pulled her head back so that she could look at me. I tried giving her a reassuring smile, but knew she could see right through me.

“I’m sorry, Knox. Not because Kyle’s dead, but because you lost a family member last night. I know that can’t be easy on you.” She said sincerely and I appreciate her words.

“Thank you.” I replied and brought my lips down on hers. It was a gentle, loving k**s and it instantly soothed some of my stress.

“I have some important things I need to take care of today, are you going to be ok on your own?” I asked, as I pulled away from the k**s. I couldn’t help but worry about her. She’s strong and all, but everyone has a break point and lately she seemed to be enduring blow after blow.

“I’ll be fine, I want to check on Sheryl and Max anyway.” She replied and offered me a reassuring smile.

“I’ll try and be quick, mind-link me if you need anything, ok?” I said as I got out of bed.

“Ok.” She replied before I disappeared into the bathroom.

I quickly did my business before making my way into the walk-in closet.

I got dressed in a pair of black slacks and a green button up shirt. I wanted to be dressed appropriately incase the council decided to show up after I contacted them.

I walked over to the bed where Chloe was still laying down.

“I love you, Chloe. Don’t ever forget that.” I said before leaning down and giving her another k**s.

“I love you too.” She replied, when I finally broke the k**s.

I left the room and made my way down to my office. It was already 10:00am and I had a lot to take care of today. I should have gotten up earlier, but given the fact I didn’t make it to bed until 3:00am, I think the late start was justified.

Once I reached my office, I took a seat behind my desk. I grabbed my cellphone and quickly sent a text to Bert. I want to replace out if anything was on Kyle’s cellphone before I contact the council.

I was about to start on some paperwork when I got a mind-link.

‘Knox! The council is here.’ Jag’s panicked voice came through the link.

What the f**k? Why were they here? Who contact them?

The first person that came to mind was my father. I slammed my fist down on the desk out of anger and heard the wood splinter on impact. I wasn’t ready for this, I needed more time.

‘Bring them to my office.’ I replied, before ending the link.

‘Jo, the council is here. My father must have contacted them.’ I linked Jo.

‘f**k. What do I do?’ He asked, the concern was clear in his tone.

‘Just lay low, but be ready to leave out the back if this doesn’t go well. I’ll link you when I can.’ I replied before ending the link.

I was about to call the twins when there was a knock at the door. s**t, they’re already here.

“Come in.” I announced, making sure to keep my voice clear of all emotions.

The door opened and a concerned looking Jag stood off to the side, before motioning for the councilmen to enter. There were three of them, Brett, Zeus and Troy.

“Good morning, have a seat.” I greeted calmly and motioned to the chairs across from my desk.

Jag had grabbed a third chair and placed in beside the other two, before coming to stand at my side.

“Thank you, Alpha Knox.” Brett replied as they each took a seat.

“I take it you’re here because of what happened to my brother, Kyle?” I asked, getting straight to the point.

“We received information that you let a rogue kill him and not only that, but that it was the same rogue wanted for murdering Alpha Alec’s old Beta, Seth?” Zeus answered, with a look of disapproval on his face.

“It’s true.” I replied and all three sets of eyes widened. I guess they weren’t expecting me to be so blunt about it.

“Kyle attempted to kidnap his ex-mate and threatened to kill her and their unborn pup.” I started to explain.

“A group of rogues came across Kyle and Sheryl just outside my border, they immediately contacted me.” I continued and now I could see the curiosity on all of their faces, probably at the mention of rogue contacting me. It definitely wasn’t a common occurrence for rogues to have any communication with a pack, they’ll likely have questions about my relationship with them. I didn’t care, I had nothing to hide.

“Max, she’s the rogue you’re referring too, the one who’s accused of murdering her first mate. She was the one that tried to reason with Kyle and get him to release Sheryl. But instead, Kyle started taunting Max about her past.” I said and they remained silent, waiting for me to continue.

“He told Max, that he was disappointed when he found out she had killed, Seth. Because it wasn’t everyday that a man was willing to share his mate with others.” I explained and saw their eyebrows furrow in confusion. That’s when I decided to spell it out for them.

“He raped her and her supposed mate, Seth, let him.” I said in a disgusted tone. Brett’s face showed disgust for a few seconds before he quickly hid it. The others had bland, unreadable expressions.

“She’s probably lying.” Zeus scoffed.

“I witnessed him say it and so did my Beta, Joseph, Sheryl and about 8 other rogues.” I quickly replied.

“You let her kill him?” Troy asked in disbelief.

“Yes.” I replied pointedly.

“If she hadn’t killed him, I would have done it myself. I warned him to stay away from his ex after the last time he hurt her and he didn’t listen. This time he assaulted her with a knife and threatened to kill not only her, but their unborn pup. He was dead either way and I think Max deserved the honour of killing him after what he admitted doing to her.” I added firmly, while making eye contact with all three of them. I wanted them to see that I had no regrets.

I noticed they all seemed taken aback by my blunt response. I was hoping that my honest approach would work in our favour.

“Where is this rogue? We heard that she’s staying on your territory. She’s still wanted on charges of murder, you know.” Zeus stated in the same disapproving tone as earlier.

“DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? SHE WAS RAPED AND HER MATE ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN.” I seethed and slammed my first down on my desk, making all three men flinch. My wolf was trying to take over and it took everything in me to hold him back.

“Alpha, calm down. We are merely doing our job.” Brett stated, while putting his hands up in front of him. I took a few calming breathes before speaking.

“Don’t you think that if her mate let others hurt her, he was likely doing it himself?” I asked, while trying to remain calm.

“It’s possible, but our job is to conduct an investigation. We don’t just assume anything.” Troy replied.

“Fine. Conduct your investigation, but she will remain on my territory while you do so.” I said pointedly.

“Alpha, that’s not up to you. We outrank you and if you fail to cooperate with us, you will be dealt…” Zeus started to reply, but was cut off by Brett.

“Alpha, can you give us a moment to discuss?” Brett asked calmly and I saw Zeus glare at him for interrupting.

“Of course.” I replied, before stand from my seat and making my way to the door. Jag followed close behind.

Once we were out of the room, I started to pace the hallway. I was angry and confused. I knew my request was a long shot, but I had to try. I made a promise to Jo and I planned on keeping it. I wasn’t really expecting to win this battle, but I also wasn’t going down without a fight. If Max wasn’t a rogue, this wouldn’t even be an issue. They were definitely being bias because of her status.

“What do you think that was about?” Jag asked.

“I have no clue, but I’m sure we’re about to replace out.” I replied.

They were only in the office for a few minutes before the door opened and they called us back in. Zeus looked irritated, but the other two had calm expressions. I took my seat at the desk, while Jag stood at my side.

“Alpha Knox, are you willing to take full responsibility for the rogue she-wolf while we conduct our investigation? This means if anything happens under your care, you would be held responsible. If she flees, you would also be held responsible. Are you willing to put your title on the line for her?” Brett asked.

“Yes.” I replied without even having to think about it. I saw disbelief on Zeus and Troy’s faces, while Brett simply looked curious.

“Alright, Alpha. We will grant your request. The she-wolf will be placed on house arrest, with a GPS monitored ankle bracelet. She won’t be allowed to leave the pack house or shift until we conclude our investigation. Do you agree to the terms?” Brett asked.

“Yes, I agree.” I replied and was complete shocked that they were allowing this. Now I was really curious why Brett asked us to leave the room. He must have thought of something that swayed the others. Especially, Zeus.

“Max will also need to agree to these terms and we will need her full cooperation in this matter.” He added.

“Of course. You have my word, she’ll cooperate.” I quickly replied. I wanted to asked why the change of heart, but didn’t want to push my luck.

“You realize, by protecting this rogue you’re putting your entire pack at risk?” Troy asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“That’s how confident I am in her innocence.” I replied firmly. All three eyes watched me curiously, but Zeus still has a hint of apprehension in his.

“Ok, Alpha. I think it’s time we meet this she-wolf. We need to make sure she agrees to our terms and we also need her to provide us with a statement.” Brett said and I nodded.

“I’ll mind-link Joseph, he’ll bring her down.” I replied.

‘Jo, the council agreed to let Max stay here while they conduct an investigation. Their conditions are, that she remains in the pack house, wears a GPS bracelet and cooperates with them. Can you bring her down? They want to speak with her.’ I linked Jo.

‘That’s good news, are you sure they aren’t just saying that to get her down there?’ Jo asked skeptically. I mean it was possible, but that wasn’t the feeling I was getting.

‘I don’t think so. I do think they’re our best shot at clearing Max’s name, so I think we should cooperate.’ I replied and there was a long pause before he said anything.

‘Ok, but it might take us a few minutes to get down there. Max isn’t going to be happy about any of this.’ He said with a heavy sigh before breaking the link.

I felt bad, especially after what they just went through. This was the worst possible timing, but it happening whether we liked it or not. I knew Max wasn’t going to be happy, but hopefully she sees reason and agrees to the terms. It was time for her to stop running and finally face her past. That was the only way she would ever be able to move on.