Warring Mates
14

I knocked on the door of my dad’s office and took a couple deep breaths. What they did was over the line. If I had won like that, it wouldn’t have felt like a victory. It would feel as if I hadn’t earned my spot on the team.

“Come in,” my dad called from the other side of the door.

I strode inside with a slight hesitation. Yesterday I didn't want to confront them yet as my main goal was to rest and spent some time with Lachlan. I hadn't thought it would be that exhausting.

My mom sat on the small couch that stood on the right side. She had a book in her hand, and I smiled as I read the title. It was one of my favourites. “Can we talk?” I asked as I turned to my dad. He sat behind his desk, writing a letter of some sorts.

He laid down his pen, leaning back. “We did what we thought was best,” he said, referring to his order from yesterday.

“I get that.” My mom’s eyes widened, her mouth ajar as my dad raised his brows in surprise. “But you can’t do that again. I want to make it on my own.”

“It can be deadly, Lexi,” he warned. Though I could still hear his approval. He was proud of me.

“Mom?” She almost forcefully shifted, and I would love to hear her thoughts.

“As long as you stay with Lachlan, I don’t have a problem, but...” she added hurriedly when a bright grin crept on my face, “if he disappears again while you forcefully shift, I want you to replace Collin.”

I grinded my teeth. I would never seek comfort from him. Besides, why would he help me. He hated my guts.

“This is not up to debate.” My mom narrowed her eyes at me. “Are we clear?”

“Yes,” I forced out. Even though I did not like it, I understood. Collin was still my mate and always would be. Now it only begged the question if he was willing to help me.

“Now go and enjoy the Spirit Fest,” she urged with a chuckle. “We will join soon too.”

I groaned when I saw the look in my mom’s eyes. I may have interrupted them when I knocked on their door. She was biting her lower lip, batting her eyelashes at my dad, who looked as if he had great trouble controlling himself. Something told me that soon would turn into a while.

I shuddered and hasted out of the room. Enjoying the festival sounded like a great way to relax. The food was always delicious, and as a participant everyone stared at you with big eyes. Especially the children. They would squeal and talk your ears off. It was my favourite part. The feeling of delight when you knew you were their role model.

I sauntered over the streets with my hands in my pocket. Lachlan and I would meet each other just outside the city for some peace and quiet after I had that talk with my parents.

Goosebumps rose on my arms, and my eyes skimmed over the street. I was being watched. I just didn't know by who. Though I didn't have to guess for long. Collin stalked over to me, a storm brewing in his eyes.

I ducked into an alleyway in the hope to lose him. But it was nothing more than wishful thinking. He was the king of werewolves, and also my mate. He would still replace me when I was covered with dog crap.

A yelp left my mouth. He had pushed me to the wall, his elbows by my head as his breath fanned my face. If I leant in, our lips would touch. A thought my beast enjoyed.

“You’re quitting with the festival.”

His words brought me back to reality. “I’m what,” I clipped. He couldn’t make that decision for me. “That’s none of your business.”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous it is,” he spat, his eyes glowing golden. “You’re my mate and I won’t have you participate.”

I pushed him away, my voice breaking. “You don’t want me. You’re just a jackass who is jealous because I’m finally moving on.” By now, angry tears rolled down my cheeks. "You don't get a say."

He closed his eyes briefly and then did something I never expected to happen.

He kissed me.

It started out tentatively, but turned heated and demanding within seconds as he caged my wrists above my head with his hand. His other hands slipped underneath my shirt, scraping over the sensitive skin under my breast. The sparks that travelled through my body were incomparable to the ones I felt with Lachlan. These made my knees weak. Made my heart beat so fast, I thought it could stop at any moment. And the time... It didn’t just stand still. It was nonexistent.

No.

I couldn’t do this. He had his chance. I pushed him away. “Stop,” I forced out, my voice barely a whisper. “I am together with Lachlan.”

“He is not your mate,” he breathed, still not letting go of me. His fingers stroked over my ribs, our breaths mingling.

“He is.” My heart broke when I saw the pain in his eyes as he realized what this meant. “He’s my second chance.”

“Good.” He let go of me, his eyes turning hard again. “Now you can mate with someone you love.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t feel sorry for him. He just wanted me now because his wolf wouldn’t let him mate with anyone else. That’s the only reason. He didn’t want to die.

I watched him leave with clenched fists. For some reason, he seemed different. Almost as if he regretted rejecting me. I scoffed. That was a ridiculous thought. He hated shifters and hated the fact he was mated to one even more.

With tears in my eyes, I strode to the spot where Lachlan was already waiting for me. The thought of facing him had me cross my arms over my chest as I shrunk. Not that I didn't love him, but everything seemed magnified when I was with Collin. The sparks were so strong it had me writhing in pleasure, and even with Lachlan as my second chance, my beast still wanted Collin. It wasn't fair.

"There you are." Lachlan smiled upon seeing me, but it quickly died when he saw the distraught look on my face. "What happened?" He held me in his arms, and I flinched as tingles danced across my skin. They weren't as pleasurable anymore.

"I bumped into Collin," I muttered as I closed my eyes, basking in his scent.

His arms tightened their grip around me. "What did he do?" he gritted out, and I was sure he would fight with him if we didn't have the peace treaty.

"He..." I took a deep breath. "He just wasn't happy with the fact I was competing while having a high risk of shifting." Goddess, it felt awful to lie to him, but I couldn't tell him about the kiss. It would devastate him.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Is that all?"

I nibbled at my lower lip and nodded my head. Hopefully, he bought my lie.

"Okay." He placed his chin on top of my head, his hand rubbing my back. "Do you want to take a walk through the woods?"

I pulled back from him, furrowing my brows. "I'm not allowed to go into the woods at the moment. You know that."

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not like we will go too deep."

I wormed myself out of his arms. This wasn't like him. "I would rather stay here." The slight twitch in his jaw didn't go unnoticed by me, and it wasn't until now that I saw the soft orange hue in his eyes. It was barely noticeable since he had amber eyes, but it was there. The same colour as those creatures.

Blood drained from my face as reality hit me. I wasn't safe here. Those creatures had him under control, and I was sure he was having another black out.

"I guess we're gonna have to do this the hard way." His voice was deeper, with a rough edge to it.

I stalked backwards, my eyes searching for a way out. "I should get back."

Lachlan chuckled darkly. "They're waiting for you."

My breathing quickened. "What do they want from me?" Scared didn't even come close to what I was feeling. Lachlan and I were evenly matched, but even then he held back. He wouldn't do it now.

"To save their kind and yours." He dashed forward as I still processed the news. It wasn't until he stood right in front of me, I realized what was happening.

I ducked beneath his arms and sprinted back to the city. A coldness seeped into my bones. Those creatures wanted to save their kind, and I didn't even want to think how they would do that.

I stormed to my parents, and in my haste I didn't see Collin as I bumped into him—hard. He reached for my arm, but I evaded it, pivoting around him.

"Lexi," he yelled.

In the distance, I saw my parents talk. My mom looked at me with shock. “Lexi?”

I jumped into my her arms, unable to stop the wrenching sobs that came from my mouth. Only when her arms held me tightly to her, they diminished to silent—but still convulsive—ones.

A warm hand touched my back, and I looked up to see my dad stare at me, unspoken pain hidden in his eyes. “What happened?” he asked softly.

I shook my head as more tears shed from my eyes. Even thinking about it hurt too much, let alone speaking. “I can’t.”

“Okay.” My dad kissed my head. “Then we’ll just focus on your breathing.”

My muscles tensed as my beast and I felt another pair of eyes. Collin must have followed me. A pained groan left my mouth. My fingers... Goddess, they hurt.

“Nikai.” The worry in my mom’s voice didn’t go unnoticed by me, even in my state of agony.

“I’ll replace him.”

No, they couldn't get Lachlan. He wasn't himself.

A growl vibrated in my mom’s chest. “It’s not necessary, he’s already coming to us.”

I wanted to warn them about Lachlan, but the pain became too much for me. A whimper slipped past my lips. My ribs were twisting as a fire spread through my veins. It almost made me scream.

“Let me help her.” The rich and somewhat husky voice had my beast calm down, and when I felt his body heat against my back, unbearable and toe-curling tingles replaced the wildfire of pain.

Reluctantly, my mom let me go, and I didn’t have to open my eyes to see who was holding me. After all, the hot-blooded kiss we shared not too long ago was still fresh on my mind. The way his hand grabbed my hips—gentle yet demanding. The rush of electric sparks only he could give me.

Thoughts of him drowned out the pain, the noise, the smells—everything. I hadn’t even noticed he was carrying me until a door opened. “Where are we going?” I mumbled, whimpering when I felt something wet dripping down my hand. My brain hoped it was water, but I knew better.

“My room.”

I stilled. He was going where.

“You are still shifting.”

“I’m fine,” I pressed, wiggling in his arms. The pain was practically gone.

He held on tighter to me, a growl resonating from deep within his throat. “As soon as I let you go, the pain will worsen.”

I knew what he said was true, but the logical side of my brain didn’t cooperate with me. “And I said I am fine. So let me go.”

For a moment he stopped in his steps, and I opened my eyes to see him glaring at me with an emotion I could not place. My heart quickened, my core clenching. Heat crept from my neck to my cheeks and ears as his nostrils flared, desire flashing in his eyes. He must have smelled my arousal. I could really curse my beast right now. That horny bitch.

His fingers digged into my skin before he continued walking. I couldn’t read his face as he kept it straight ahead. It showed me that only his wolf desired me. For himself it didn’t matter if I was dead or not. He would never love me.

My claws digged into his arms as my hip dislocated, and I bit in his shoulder to keep myself from screaming my lungs out. He hissed in pain, hurtling into the first room he could replace.

I murmured a pained sorry, my claws still deep in his arms. The anger must have accelerated the shifting process. Tears pricked my eyes, my mouth open in a silent scream as another rib cracked. The pain didn’t last for long, though.

A moan left my mouth as he sucked on a very sensitive spot on my neck, his hands pushing up my shirt. My beast retreated, her purring the only thing that remained. I bucked my hips when he kissed his way down to my stomach. His tongue trailed around my navel, and my resolve broke.

“Collin, please.” He was edging me to the point that I wanted to claw my eyes out. “Please,” I begged when he pulled back. Goddess, I should have never said something.

“Who do you want,” he whispered in my ear.

Scared of facing the truth, my voice disappeared. He didn't just ask me that. That son of a bitch.

“Well...” he pressed on, a dark chuckle leaving his mouth before he kissed that sensitive spot again. He knew exactly what he was doing.

I slumped against the bed, my eyes burning with unshed tears. It was always him, and I hated myself for it. Lachlan loved me to the point he would die to save my life. And yet, for some ridiculous reason, my heart just couldn’t let go.

A tear rolled down my cheek as I answered his question, “You.”