Saving His Feral Mate
Chapter 70: Family dinner

Xander POV

I had a lot of time to think while I was locked up in the council’s dungeon. A lot of that time was spent thinking about Chloe. I really felt a connection with her when we first met and I even felt overwhelmingly protective of her. That’s why when Cameron started talking trash about her at the Alpha meeting, I snapped and attacked him.

I had decided then, that when I got released I was going to tell her everything. I didn’t care what my father thought, I was doing it with or without his approval. It wasn’t right for us to keep this secret from her or uncle Vincent. They deserved to know the truth.

Once I was released, the first thing I did was have a chat with my father. I was a little surprised when he didn’t argue with me. He pretty much agreed right away and even looked relieved with my decision. I think he must have been feeling the same way I was.

Of course I wanted the Alpha title, but family should always come first. Chloe was more important to me than a stupid title. Not to mention, maybe her existence might give my uncle a new meaning in life. He gave up everything the moment his mate died. Maybe Chloe could become his reason to live? I actually never knew my uncle at his full potential, I only knew the broken and angry version. My father had told me stories of the good days, but it was hard for me to picture. All I ever knew was his broody, sad and angry side.

I had come to terms that if she wanted the Alpha title, I would stand down and let her have it. After all, she was the rightful heir and I would support her no matter what. Even if that meant giving up on my dreams.

If I was being completely honest, at this point, I was more worried about her forgiving us than anything else.

It was my idea to invite her and Knox over for dinner. I thought it would be much easier to introduce Vincent and Chloe in person, than try and explain everything to them individually.

I could tell Chloe and Knox were on edge when they first arrive. They knew something was up and were probably preparing for the worst.

When my father finally lead Chloe to my uncle’s room, they met for the first time. It actually broke my heart and I felt even more guilty for keeping them apart. Vincent was extremely emotional when the realization hit him and Chloe looked overwhelmed. I was seriously starting to worry that she wouldn’t be able to forgive me. She had already been through so much and then we kept this from her. I actually wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t want anything to do with us.

Then there was my uncle. How was he going to react when he found out we’ve known for a while and kept it from him? Goddess, what a mess we created. I still don’t regret telling her though. I will deal with the consequences of my actions, even if it means losing part of my family. It was all in her hands now.

Chloe and my uncle had been outside for over an hour, I was starting to get anxious. I wanted a chance to explain myself to her, but also knew her time with Vincent was far more important.

I looked over at Knox, he looked even more stressed than I was. He was pacing around the living room looking like he was about to have a mental breakdown. I actually felt bad for the guy. I could only imagine how worried he was about his mate. I haven’t found mine yet, but I’ve seen how intense the mate bond could be.

After what felt like forever, my uncle came back inside, but he was alone. My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, why was he alone? Where was Chloe? Was she ok?

“She wants a word with you.” He said in a serious tone. It was clear that his statement was directed at me. I didn’t know what to think. My uncle was doing a good job at masking his emotions. Was she going to tell me off? I guess I deserved it if she did.

I headed towards the door and before I opened it, I took in a deep breath. I was nervous. This could go one of two ways. She could either forgive me or lose her s**t and tell me off.

Once I was outside, I found her sitting on a wooden bench. I knew she could feel my presence, but her eyes remained focused on the darkness ahead. It was clear that she had been crying, her cheeks were still tear stained and her eyes were red and puffy.

I cautiously moved closer to where she was sitting.

“Can I sit down?” I asked and she nodded so I quickly took a seat next to her.

I remained quiet for a few minutes until I couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted to know what she was thinking.

“I’m sorry, we should have told you.” I blurted out and as I did, a single tear ran down her cheek.

“Why didn’t you tell me when we first met? You knew I lost my mother, I thought I didn’t have any family left.” She replied without looking at me.

“We were selfish. I don’t even have a good excuse for what we did.” I said truthfully before a deep sigh left my lips.

“My father was worried you might take the Alpha title from him. You might not know this yet, but you’re the rightful heir to this pack. He wanted to learn more about you before putting the pack in jeopardy. It was wrong and we both realize that now. If I could go back in time, I would and would be completely honest with you.” I admitted and now my heart was beating fast. This was the moment she would likely go off on me. I was shocked when she didn’t. She sat there staring straight ahead, looking completely unfazed by my words.

“What if I did take the Alpha title? Would you fight me for it?” She asked calmly.

“No… You would have my full support if you wanted it. It was never suppose to be mine. If you want the title I’ll step down and pledge my allegiance to you.” I replied truthfully and she finally turned her head to look at me. Her eyes bore into mine and I felt like she was looking straight into my soul. She remained quiet for a moment, it was clear she was trying to tell if I was being deceitful. After a few minutes, she exhaled deeply and turned her head to look into the darkness again.

“I’m not interested in the Alpha title. I’m Knox’s mate and I have full intentions of becoming his Luna. I just wanted to see how you would respond.” She said and I let out a deep breath, not because she didn’t want the title, but because she didn’t snap at me. She was way calmer than I was expecting.

“I’m hurt that you guys kept me from my father, but I can somewhat understand why you did.” She added.

“I promise, I’ll never keep anything from you again and I won’t ever lie to you.” I replied truthfully, feeling slightly hopeful that maybe she would eventually forgive me.

“Good. I don’t think I could handle another betrayal.” She admitted and glanced over at me with stern eyes.

“You have my word. I really want us to have a relationship. I’m your cousin, let me prove to you that I’m worthy of that title.” I pleaded.

“I have no doubt you’ll prove it to me and I want a relationship with you too. I’m not mad at you, just a little hurt. It’s nothing a little time won’t heal.” She replied and this time offered me a small, reassuring smile.

“Oh my goddess, Chloe, you have no idea what it means to hear you say that. I was so worried you wouldn’t be able to forgive me.” I admitted.

“You’re family, it would take a lot more than this for me to turn my back on you.” She replied.

“Plus, I heard you kicked my first mate’s a*s at the Alpha meeting. That definitely counts for something.” She joked and it was my turn to smile.

“That a*****e deserved it. I wouldn’t have stopped if the council’s goons didn’t pull me off him.” I replied and she actually chuckled lightly.

“I never did thank you for that. You have no idea what it meant to me. No one has ever stood up for me like that.” She said truthfully and leaned over to give me a hug. I took the opportunity to hug her back. I was starting to feel hopeful that she was going to give me a chance to redeem myself. And that was exactly what I planned on doing, prove to her that I was worthy.

“You’re welcome, but there’s no need to thank me. I would do it all over again in a heart beat.” I replied and she had a genuine smile on her face.

“I want to have a word with your dad, do you mind asking him to come out here?” She asked and I nodded,

“Absolutely. I’ll go get him.” I replied and got up before making my way to the door. I paused before going inside.

“I know this is overwhelming for you and we threw a lot of information your way tonight, but just know, I’m really happy we found you.” I said truthfully.

“I’m happy too.” She replied with a soft smile before I made my way inside.

That went better than I had ever imagined. She would have been an incredible Alpha if she wanted the title.

————

Chloe POV

Tonight definitely wasn’t what I expected. Finding out I had a father was a shocker, he seemed like such a nice guy and I was really looking forward to spending more time with him.

It hurt knowing that Victor and Xander had intentionally kept him from me, but I wasn’t mad. Running a pack wasn’t easy and sometimes an Alpha needed to think of his people before himself. Victor and Xander knew nothing about me other than the fact I was a rogue. I don’t blame them for wanting more information before risking their entire pack.

Tatiana was also on the same page. She felt like Xander was being truthful when we spoke to him and the regret in his eyes was clear to both of us.

“Can I join you?” I heard a familiar voice ask and turned my head to replace Victor standing by the door.

“Sure.” I replied with a small smile. He walked over to where I was sitting and sat down beside me.

“I want to start by saying I’m very sorry, Chloe.” He said and I could see the sincerity in his eyes.

“Thank you, but I understand why you did it.” I replied, offering him a small smile.

“It was selfish. I wasn’t thinking of what was best for you and Vincent, only what was best for me, Xander and the pack.” He added and lowered his head in shame.

“I forgive you.” I said truthfully.

“Thank you. I really do hope we can have a relationship after all this.” He stated with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Me too.” I replied.

“I plan on talking to Knox after dinner, I think it’s time we bring our packs together and form an alliance.” He said and my eyes widened. I hadn’t even thought about that after all the excitement tonight.

“You’re part of the family now, we would do anything to make sure you stay safe. If Alpha Alec or Alpha Cameron attack your pack, my pack will fight with you.” He stated firmly.

“Wow, Victor, I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” I said softly.

“No need to thank me, I just wish we would have known about you sooner. We could have protected you and your mom.” He said with a sigh.

“It’s pointless to dwell on the past. Let tonight be a fresh start for all of us.” I replied and he nodded.

“I like the sound of that.” He said and I smiled.

“How about we go have dinner? I think your mate is missing you. He’s currently wearing out my carpet with all his pacing.” Victor joked and we both chuckled.

I believed it, Knox was probably going out of his mind. He could probably sense my emotions through the bond and I bet it was driving his wolf crazy. Having said that, I was grateful that he realized I needed to have these conversations with Vincent, Xander and Victor. He gave me the time I needed without interrupting us.

“Sounds good.” I replied, before we both stood up.

Victor surprised me by pulling me in for a hug.

“I’m happy we found you, Chloe. I can already tell you’re going to be a huge part of this family.” He stated before releasing me from the hug.

“I look forward to spending more time with you guys.” I replied and he smiled before turning towards the door and leading us inside.

As soon as I walked into the living room, Knox’s concerned eyes met mine.

I made my way over to him and gave him a soft k**s on the cheek.

“I’m ok, everything’s good.” I reassured him and watched as he visibly relaxed.

“How about dinner? It might be a bit cold by now, but I’m sure it will still be delicious.” Victor asked and we both nodded.

We followed Victor into the dining room where a long rectangular table was waiting. There were candles illuminating the room and several vases filled with colourful flowers lining the middle of the table.

Vincent pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit down. I smiled at him before accepting his kind gesture. He sat next to me and Knox sat on my other side.

Xander sat across from me, while Victor sat at the head of the table with his mate beside him. Ron and Liane, sat beside Xander.

The warriors had been escorted to another room by Victor’s men, so that we would have a bit of privacy.

We all ate dinner while making small talk. I had never laughed so much in my entire life. Xander kept taking playful jabs at Knox and he was actually quite funny. For the first time in my life, I felt that I belonged here. These people were my family and I could already tell they had accepted me.

After dinner, they escorted us to the front doors of the pack house. I didn’t want to leave, I wanted to stay and get to know everyone better. But at the same time, I was exhausted. Tonight had been overwhelming and I needed time to myself so I could process everything.

“Knox, let’s meet in the near future. I would like to discuss our alliance and put something on paper.” Victor said and Knox’s eyes immediately widened.

“Really? That sounds great.” He replied enthusiastically.

“Of course. If my niece is going to be staying on your territory, we need to make sure she’s safe.” Victor stated matter of factly.

“Thank you, I’ll be in touch.” Knox replied before shaking Victor’s hand.

We said our goodbyes and I gave everyone hugs.

“Don’t worry, I’ll come back for a visit real soon.” I said to my father when I noticed the sad expression on his face.

“And you are always welcome on our territory. You can visit Chloe whenever you want.” Knox added.

“Thank you. I’ll definitely be taking you up on that.” My father replied with a smile.

Knox and I made our way to one of vehicles, while our warriors went to other one. My father helped me into the passenger seat, while Knox got in on the driver side.

We waved goodbye before taking off down the long driveway. We drove in silence for a few minutes before Knox spoke up.

“Are you ok?” He asked and there was a hint of concern in his tone.

“Yes, I’m better than ok.” I replied truthfully and he smiled.

“Good, tonight was definitely a lot for you to take in. I have to admit, I had my suspicions that something was up after the lunch we had with them. I just didn’t want to get your hopes up incase I was wrong.” He admitted and I wasn’t mad. It made sense why he didn’t want to get my hopes up based on a suspicion alone.

I still couldn’t believe it, I had a family. I always wanted a big family and now my dreams were coming true. I couldn’t wait to spend more time with them. I felt like I was floating on cloud 9 and nothing could ruin the mood I was in.