You Rejected Me. Remember?
The Warrior’s Abused Mate Chapter 21

They went back to the packhouse and secured the witch to a chair in the basement. They tied her hands and legs together and covered her mouth using duct tape. They didn’t want to take chances. She might escape or cause trouble with a flick of her wrist if they didn’t tie her up.

Elijah couldn’t ignore the strange sensation he felt each time his fingers brushed against her skin. They were faint at first, yet he noticed how it intensified each time he touched her. His wolf, who doesn’t speak much, started to stir in his mind. He gaped at her face. He found her long eyelashes, rosy cheeks and soft pink lips appealing.

“She looks very young….” He blurted out before he could stop himself from forming the words.

Rolling his eyes, Baron shook his head.

“Look lad, I know you are young and women are interesting, but not now and especially, not her,” he responded solemnly.

Elijah gulped and nodded. He believed that his alpha wouldn’t be wrong…..

“What are we going to do?” Elijah asked Baron. His eyes darted from the tied up witch to his alpha. Ever since they found her in the woods, he had been feeling strange. However, he ignored the new emotions and tried to focus on his alpha’s orders.

“We wait for her to wake up. Then we force her into submission,” Baron’s reply made Elijah uneasy. He didn’t like the idea of forcing her into submission. He couldn’t pinpoint why, however, he was feeling protective of her.

“Umm, alpha? May I suggest something?” Baron glanced at Elijah.

“What?” Baron’s reply wasn’t very friendly and it made Elijah hesitate. He faced his alpha nonetheless and spoke with confidence.

“Why can’t we try to talk to her? Maybe she will agree to help without being forced to do it.” He suggested hopefully.

Baron made a face. “What? Talk?” He bellowed. His voice thundered in the blocked basement and the tied up witch started to stir.

She was regaining her consciousness. Elijah couldn’t help but inhale deeply.

The scent he had been trying to ignore just intensified in the blocked compartment. He found it strange that a witch who was supposed to smell like fire and smoke smelt like freshly cut grass to him. He simply adored that fragrance.

“Oh she is waking up,” Baron gleefully rubbed his hands together as she g*****d and stirred. Elijah too kept his eyes focused on her. His heart thudded like crazy and his wolf was on the edge. He was staring at her without blinking when her eyes fluttered open. Every muscle in his body stiffened when their gazes met. His wolf started to jump with much enthusiasm screaming out the words he wasn’t hoping to hear anytime soon.

“Mate! Mate!” His wolf chanted.

He blinked and sucked on a huge breath.

“She is my mate,” he breathed out before Baron said or did anything.

Baron froze. His gaze slowly shifted towards the young beta who stood beside him. With wide eyes, he scanned Elijah’s demeanour. Baron noticed that his muscles were stiff, eyes dilated and fists were clenched…. It could only mean one thing. They were mates and Elijah wasn’t making it up.

“You got to be kidding me.” He mumbled.

Anxiously wiping his mouth, he glanced at Baron.

“Alpha,” Elijah gestured to Baron to step aside. They walked towards the exit which was a good distance away. It was a bit too far for a witch to hear them who wouldn’t have enhanced senses like the werewolves.

“I’d like to speak with her…alone. I might be able to talk her into this.”

Baron glanced at the witch and then at Elijah.

“Fine. And you better succeed. I don’t want our efforts to be wasted.” Baron responded sternly before exiting the basement, leaving the two youngsters alone.

Her wide eyes peered at the handsome young man who sauntered over to her. She found him attractive, however, she wasn’t the type of person who cared about looks. She was more worried about being held captive. She couldn’t comprehend why she was being tied up. She hadn’t disturbed anyone. At least she didn’t think she had. Her eyes didn’t leave the man who crouched in front of her and sighed deeply.

“Can we talk?” He asked, looking straight into her eyes. She nodded.

“Promise me that you wouldn’t cast a spell or do anything weird once I remove the tape off your lips.” His voice was soft. He couldn’t believe that he was speaking like that. He had never treated anyone, especially a female with kindness. He knew it was the effect of the mate bond and he didn’t have any complaints against it.

He removed the tape when she nodded in assurance. His eyes focused on her lips. He started to feel bad for tying his mate up. His heart skipped a beat when his eyes rested on her deep orbs. He couldn’t speak for a while. As though his body had a mind of its own, he cupped her face and involuntarily traced her lips.

“I thought we were going to talk,” she whispered, her heart also racing. The mate bond was affecting her as well, though not as much as it affected Elijah.

Elijah felt the palpitations of his heart increase. Her voice was as gorgeous as she was.

“You are my mate. Are you aware of the mate bond?”

Her lips parted. “Well, I’ve heard about it. But I never thought I’d have one…. And I never anticipated that I would be kidnapped from the middle of the wilderness like this.” She added.

“What were you doing there anyway?” Elijah asked.

Shrugging her shoulders, “I was told that I would meet my fate in the woods. So I had left my home and walked in the forest, calling the spirits for help. I was enjoying the peace of the forest…well until you decided it was a good idea to abduct me,” she spoke.

Elijah scratched the back of his head as he smiled sheepishly.

“What were you up to?” She asked him.

“Uh… we hoped you would help….” He trailed off.

“You needed help? Then why did you kidnap me and tie me up?”

Elijah stared into her wide eyes. All he could see was innocence in her chocolate orbs.

“We were worried that you might cast a spell on us.” He sighed. To his surprise, she started to laugh.

“I always knew that you wolves were crazy. Why would I cast a spell on someone just because he asked for help?” She wiggled against the rope that bound her.

“Can you untie me. These ropes are too tight. I think they are cutting through my skin.”

Elijah hastened to set her free. He effortlessly cut the ropes using his claw. When he saw the reddened skin on her arms his wolf whimpered.

“Mate is hurt.”

Elijah started to k**s her hands, and she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“You are so weird. First you kidnap me, tie me up and now you are kissing my hands?”

“I would never hurt my mate…” Elijah mumbled.

“Mate.” She stated pursing her lips. “Look, I don’t know what’s with you wolves, but I’m not one and if you want me to be in a serious relationship with you, you will have to earn it!” She demanded, making Elijah’s wolf whimper in his head.

“But since a higher authority has paired us up, I am willing to give you a chance. But seriously though, if I feel that you aren’t worthy of my time, I’ll leave. So prove to me that you are decent and will take good care of me. If you do, I’ll stay for sure.”

Elijah nodded in enthusiasm.

Smiling in satisfaction, she leaned in her seat. “Good. Now what kind of help were you going to ask for?”

Elijah looked at her. There was no way he could tell her the truth. He feared that she might leave him. But at the same time, he wanted to impress Baron.

He ran his tongue over his lips, thinking of a good way make her stay and be in Baron’s favour.

“Umm… we need to strengthen our army. It’s a long story. Our pack used to be one of the most prestigious packs. But then, we lost everything because of some people who wronged us. Now we need to strengthen our army so that we can get our revenge.” He paused, hoping that he sounded reasonable.

“For that we need to recruit lone vampires, but they are hard to train. Still, if we could offer a potion that would make them tolerate sunlight they might agree to make a deal with us.” Elijah proceeded.

“And you need me to make that potion.” She smiled. “Now saying that wasn’t too hard was it? I think that was easier that plucking me from where you found me.” She stood up and stretched her hand out.

“Hi, my name is Amelia. I’m a witch as you already know and I’ll help you. What is your name?” She smiled sweetly, making Elijah’s heart flutter.

“Umm… I am Elijah. Beta of this pack.” He took her outstretched hand. The sparks of the mate bond exploded as their skin touched.

“And we are mates.” He added.

She simply rolled her eyes.

“I hear you. But listen to me wolf boy. I refuse to fall for this mate bond. You have to prove yourself to me. That’s the only way you can have me.” She removed her hand. “Now, where is your alpha?”

Elijah took her outside where Baron was waiting for them.

“I’m ready to help you because I believe that you deserve it. I need a couple of things you can easily get from the woods and a separate room where I can make my potion….and oh, a cauldron too. Now, show me a place to stay. I need to take a bath and get some sleep. Before anything else.” She didn’t wait for Baron to say anything.

He looked at Elijah who gave him a small nod.

“Uh… there are several empty rooms in the pack house. Elijah, take her to a room,” Baron said. He was amazed by her zeal, yet remained silent.

Elijah took her to a room and quickly came back, as he knew Baron would have a lot of questions to ask him.

“What did you tell her?” He asked.

Chuckling anxiously, he faced his alpha.

“That we were wronged and we needed a potion to help recruit the vampires.” He replied as shortly as he could.

“That’s good,” Baron snickered.

Elijah looked at his alpha’s face. The contentment that reflected on his face made him feel relieved.

“Alpha, may I ask you a question? It is something personal.” Elijah asked.

Smirking, “ask away. I’m in a good mood at the moment,” Baron replied.

“Why did you punish Monica like that? Everyone knows that it wasn’t her fault that the luna died….” Elijah trailed off.

Baron’s face instantly darkened. A moment of silence passed when Elijah regretted even thinking about asking it.

“I… I mean… she was a bastard wolf…. And no one liked her….” He stammered.

“Exactly. I just hate her and her mother.” Baron replied as he gritted his teeth.