Saving His Feral Mate
Chapter 65: A statement

Max POV

I nearly lost myself again. I was ready to shut everyone out and walk away from my new life. My whole world was crashing down and it felt like I was being sucked into a dark hole. The only thing preventing me from being completely engulfed by darkness was Jo.

If he hadn’t been so persistent and stubborn, I definitely wouldn’t be here. He refused to give up on me, even when I was ready to throw in the towel.

I was finally realizing how much I needed him in my life. He was the rock that grounded me, the one person who knew exactly what I needed without me having to tell him.

I marked him in a moment of passion, but I didn’t regret it. I had finally accept him as mine. I actually wouldn’t have been upset if he had marked me back, but I understood why he didn’t. I wasn’t exactly in a good mindset and I have been known to turn a little violent when things don’t go my way.

I woke up this morning feeling different, not bad different, just different. I wasn’t sad or mad anymore, I felt content and maybe even a little at peace. One thing was for sure, I finally felt loved.

I was brought out of my thoughts, when Jo started to stir awake. He rolled over towards me and his eyes blinked open. He let out a yawn and stretched his arms above his head.

“You’re awake. How do you feel?” He asked in a raspy morning voice, while wrapping his arms around my body.

“Better, thanks.” I replied awkwardly. I knew I should thank him and maybe even apologize, but I had no clue how to start that. I was never good with the sappy stuff.

“Do you remember that time?” He asked and a mischievous grin spread across his face.

“What time?” I replied with a confused frown. What the hell was talking about?

“The time you marked me.” He said and his grin grew wider. I couldn’t help but laugh and smack his chest.

“You got issues.” I shot back.

“There’s no getting away from me now. This Greek god is all yours, you practically own me.” He continued, while motioning down his body with his hands.

“I must have been drugged, what was I thinking?” I g*****d and it was his turn to laugh.

“Give me the address of whoever drugged you. I need to send them a thank you card.” He continued, with the same grin on his face.

I couldn’t help but appreciate what he was doing. He knew I wasn’t one to talk about feelings and emotions, so this was his way of letting me know we were good.

“I marked you less then 12 hours ago and I already regret it. I’m going for a shower.” I teased and got out of bed before making my way into the bathroom.

“Don’t you dare lock that door, I’m coming to show you exactly why you marked me.” He shot back and I chuckled before turning on the water. The guy certainly knew how to put a smile on my face.

I stripped out of my clothes and quickly hopped in the shower. I expected Jo to join me, but he never did. I even waited a few extra minutes to see if he would eventually come in, but he didn’t.

After awhile, I got out and grabbed a towel to dry myself off. I was a little surprised and definitely disappointed that he didn’t join me.

I walked back into the bedroom and found Jo fully dressed. His mood seemed different, his fun and playful demeanour was no replaced with a serious one.

“What’s going on?” I asked with a concerned frown.

“Nothing, get dressed.” He replied and I crossed my arms over my chest and remained where I stood.

“Not until you tell me what’s going on.” I argued.

“Max, please. I’ll tell you, but I need you to get dressed first.” He replied with a heavy sigh. I decided not to argue and walked into the closet.

I grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a black tank top before quickly getting dressed. I still refused to wear a bra and panties, those things only served one purpose and it was to make you extremely uncomfortable. It’s not like anyone even sees your underwear, so what’s the point in wearing them?

As soon as I was dressed, I walked back into the bedroom. Jo was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands, looking beyond stressed.

“What is it Jo?” I asked, while walking towards him.

Before he could reply, I saw his eyes glaze over and knew he was being mind-linked.

His body tensed before his eyes returned back to normal.

He quickly shot up from the bed and took a few steps away from me. What the hell was his problem?

“I need you to hear me out, Max.” He said firmly, but there was a nervous edge in his tone.

“Spit it out, Jo.” I said, while crossing my arms over my chest.

“The council’s downstairs, they want to speak with you.” He blurted out before getting into a fighting stance. I didn’t move and waited for him to explain. It was clear he had more to say.

“They know you’re here. Knox told them everything.” He quickly added and I wasn’t sure what to think. Did Knox call them? Was he turning me in? Jo must of understood what I was thinking because his next words pretty much answered my questions.

“Knox thinks his father contact them, but he’s fighting for you, Max. The council agreed to let you stay here while they investigate your case. They have a couple conditions, but nothing crazy.” He added.

“Ok, let’s go talk to them.” I replied calmly and he furrowed his eyebrows.

“Did you hear what I said?” He asked suspiciously.

“I did, let’s go.” I replied and started to make way to the door.

“Are you going to kill them?” He asked skeptically and I chuckled.

“No, i’m not going to kill them. I’m just done running.” I replied and he finally started to relax a little.

“This could be a trap. There’s no guarantee that they won’t arrest you and take you away.” He warned.

“I know, but I have to face them at some point.”

I replied and he still didn’t look completely convinced, but he didn’t argue any further.

We left our room and headed down to Knox’s office. I was dreading this meeting, but knew it had to happen. This would be the first time I told my story and I’m hoping it would be the last. They weren’t exactly memories I wanted to share or even remember for that matter.

“We can leave out the back door if you’re not ready for this, Max.” Jo offered when we got close to Knox’s office. I glanced over at him and saw the concerned look on his face.

“I’m not leaving. It’s going to be ok, Jo.” I tried to reassure him, but it didn’t help much. He still looked worried.

I took in a deep breath when we reached the office door and Jo knocked.

“Come in” I heard Knox announce, before Jo opened the door.

When the door opened, I saw three older men standing in front of Knox’s desk, while Knox stood on the other side next to Jag.

“You must be, Max. I’m Brett, this is Troy and that’s Zeus.” One of the elders greeted and pointed to the other men when he introduced them.

Brett had a genuine smile, while Troy’s face remained impassive and Zeus watched me with scrutinizing eyes.

“It’s nice to meet you.” I replied awkwardly.

“Have a seat Max, they have a few things to discuss with you.” Knox said and motioned towards the couch. I quickly took a seat and Jo sat down next to me before taking my hand in his. All three of the men eyed our hands curiously.

“Mates?” Brett asked.

“Yes, I’m her second chance mate.” Jo replied proudly.

“Fated or chosen?” Troy asked with furrowed brows.

“Fated.” Jo replied and I could hear the irritation in his tone.

“Well, congratulations.” Brett said after clearing his throat.

“Thank you.” I replied with a forced smile.

“Now, Max. You understand why we’re here, right?” Brett asked.

“I do.” I replied with a nod.

“Good. The allegations against you are serious and need to be properly investigated. Knox vouched for you and is willing to put his title on the line in order for you to stay on his territory while we conduct our investigation. I hope you realize what that means and the risk he’s taking for you.” Brett explained and my eyes shot to Knox. I had no idea that he had done that for me, I was beyond shocked. That was a big risk for him to take, especially since he’s only known me for a few weeks.

“I understand.” I replied without taking my eyes off Knox. He didn’t seem one bit concerned with the risk he was taking.

“We have agree to let you stay here, but under a few conditions. One, you must remain in the pack house at all times. Two, you will be fitted with a GPS ankle bracelet and be required to wear it 24/7. And three, you must cooperate with us during the investigation.” He continued and I nodded.

“Do you agree to these conditions?” He asked.

“I do.” I replied.

“Good, we need to start by taking a statement from you. Knox, if you and Jag could leave the room, only her mate can be present while we take the statement.” Brett said and turned his attention towards Knox’s.

“Ummm… I would actually prefer to be alone when I give my statement.” I said and immediately glanced over at Jo, who looked both hurt and disappointed.

“Max, I want to be here for you. Please let me.” Jo pleaded and I shook my head.

“No Jo, you already know enough about my past to understand what I went through. To hear all the small details will only torture your mind.” I told him and he let out a frustrated sigh. I had made up my mind and I wasn’t going to change it.

“If that’s what you want, Max. Gentlemen, please leave the office we we can start.” Brett said.

Knox and Jag made their way to the door, while Jo lingered beside me for a few extra minutes. He was pleading with his for me to reconsider, but it wasn’t going to happen. When he realized that I wasn’t going to change my mind, he reluctantly got up and followed Knox and Jag into the hallway before closing the door behind him.

“Alright Max, we will be recording this conversation for evidence purposes. We expect you to be truthful throughout the statement. Do you understand?” Brett asked and showed me the audio recorder he was holding in his hand.

“Yes.” I replied.

I was nervous, Brett was the only one that didn’t seem to be judging me right off the bat. Troy had a cold expression on his face, while Zeus switched between scrutinizing looks and disgusted ones.

“Max, start from the beginning and tell us everything. Please don’t leave anything out, not even the little details that might seem irrelevant to you.” Brett said and I nodded.

I told them the entire story, starting from when I first met Seth, to everything he did to me and finally how I killed him. I explained everything in detail and didn’t leave anything out.

I had to pause a few times, it definitely wasn’t an easy story to tell and I hated the feeling of being judged. I was relieved that Jo wasn’t in the room. His reaction would have probably made me breakdown and cry. I really didn’t want to do that. I already wasted enough tears because of Seth. I wasn’t going to shed anymore.

Brett appeared to be the most compassionate one out of the three. But on the odd occasion, I also saw compassion in Troy’s eyes. Zeus on the other hand, remained cold the entire time and didn’t seem to believe a word coming out of my mouth.

“Thank you for telling us your side, Max. Now we have a few questions to ask you.” Brett said and I nodded for him to continue.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone what was going on when you were being abused?” Brett asked.

“I was naive, I thought he would change but he didn’t. When the abuse got worse, he threatened me. He said that if I told anyone, he would kill me.” I replied truthfully and he nodded in satisfaction.

“Why didn’t you contact the council after you killed him?” Troy asked.

“I was scared. I didn’t think anyone would believe me over the Beta of my pack.” I replied and he nodded.

“If he was asleep and drunk, why not just leave?”Zeus asked, but didn’t let me answer before throwing out his next question.

“Why did you feel the need to cut off his manhood and kill him? Don’t you think that was unnecessary?” Zeus asked in a condescending tone.

My wolf was pushing forward, she didn’t like the way this old fart was talking to us. I was also trying to bite my tongue and not snap back at him. My usual way of dealing with assholes like him would have been violence, but I couldn’t do that today. Especially now that I knew Knox put everything on the line for me. I needed to behave and keep calm.

“Do you have any daughters?” I asked instead of answering his question.

“I don’t think that’s relevant.” He spat back.

“For the purpose of my next question, I’m going to assume you do, maybe even granddaughters based on your age?” I said and paused for a second before continuing.

“If someone abused and raped one of your loved ones. Would you be proud of them for killing their abuser or would still think it was unnecessary?” I asked and my voice was oddly calm considering the tornado of emotions flowing through me.

I wanted my words to be personal for him, that seemed to be the only way he would understand the extent what I went through.

“I’m not going to answer that. I’m not the one accused of murder, you are.” He replied, but now there were so many emotions swirling in his eyes, including irritation and maybe even a little regret. I knew I had struck a nerve.

“You don’t have to, I already know what your answer would be.” I replied confidently and maintained eye contact so he knew I wasn’t backing down. He tried intimidating me, but that wasn’t going to work. He was like 90, he would probably end up breaking a h*p if he even stood up too fast.

I swear I saw a flash of respect in his eyes before he quickly hid it. I couldn’t be sure, it was gone almost as fast as it appeared.

“Thank you, Max. I think that’s all we need for today, if we have any further questions we will be in touch.” Brett said.

“Absolutely, you know where to replace me.” I said sarcastically. It slipped out before I could stop myself. Whoops.

“Let’s get that ankle bracelet fitted and we will get out of your hair.” He added and I nodded.

I was relieved to be done with that statement, I never want to tell that story ever again.

Once the ankle bracelet was put on, the elders were about to leave. Brett stopped by the door and turned to face me.

“One more thing, Max.” He said with a thoughtful look on his face.

“When you were with Seth, did you ever call our office anonymously and ask for a meeting to discuss your situation with him?” He asked and my eyebrows furrowed together. That was a strange, yet specific question. I wonder what that was all about.

“No, why?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“It was just a question.” He replied with a shrug, but by the thoughtful look on his face, I knew there was more to it. It was obvious that someone must have called them about Seth, I wonder who it could have been?