Marry me

Crossing the room, I sat in a chair instead of trying to fit in the child–sized bed. I didn’t think I would get much sleep anyway. Being back in this room reminded me of my father, and I was more inspired than ever to find the truth about his betrayal.

I must have nodded off a little, however, because I woke with a jolt when I heard footsteps outside my room. They stopped, and the person just breathed into the near–silence on the other side of the door.

Then I heard the quick padding of another set of feet.

“Alpha!” came a sotto whisper, so loud she may as well have shouted to him through the quiet.

Hale gave a very masculine sigh.

I turned in my chair toward the sound, straining to hear. I didn’t want them to know I was awake.

“Alpha, are you alright?” Giselle panted. “I came to check on you and-”

“Giselle,” Hale hissed, his voice much lower than hers. “Stop.”

“Alpha?” Giselle replied.

Just stop. You know what I mean,” Hale said.

“But Alpha, someone has to look out for-

“Gi–selle No.” Hale’s voice was firm.

There was a shrill hiccup that hurt my straining ears.

“B–But Alpha, why are you even here? Why did you order this room locked up and unchanged fourteen years ago? You can’t possibly–your reputation.”

“Giselle, what I do and do not do is none of your business. And it never will be. Go. Away. And stay gone,” Hale seethed, Giselle burst into tears, and I could hear her running back down the hall.

Hale gave another heavy sigh, then slowly walked away from my door as well.

I sat back in my chair, shaking my head. This made absolutely no sense. On the one hand, Hale seemed determined to torture me with memories of better times. And had every intention of exiling me after the rejection ceremony. On the other..

My contemplations went from silly to ludicrous–very quickly, and 1 pushed all thoughts of Hale out of my head. But I did not sleep another wink the entire night.

I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since I’d rejected Kora Monroe. Now, I was pacing by her door like some lost puppy. The Moon Goddess must have laughed when she created the mate bond.

At least I’d staved off Giselle, hopefully for good this time.

With nothing better to do, I decided to go tend to pack business in my study. The work was always there. Insomnia at least helped me get things done.

I turned the hall corner and saw my mother standing in the hall in her dressing gown. She had her arms folded and was glaring through the darkness at me.

“Mother,” I greeted, stepping past her and into the study. I invited her in with a gesture, then closed the door behind her. “I don’t like seeing you so obsessed with Kora Monroe,” Ariadne Hale said without preamble.

I raised an eyebrow. “Obsessed?”

Taking her to THAT room, pacing outside her door. You know what I’m talking about,” my mother admonished me. “Did you tell her how moony–eyed you were over her all those years ago, so much so that you couldn’t bear for any of the staff to

touch her room?”

“I just told her no one would touch a traitor’s room, if you must know, Mother,” I gritted out, settling myself behind my desk.

If I thought that small reminder of my status was going to keep my mother off her high horse, I was wrong. “You rejected her. It’s done. She belongs back in the traitors‘ cave with the others.”

“T’d rather not anger the Moon Goddess while we’re at war with the Moon Shadow pack, Mother.” I felt a throbbing in my temples, but it wasn’t as though I could send my mother away as I had Giselle. My mother commanded more of my respect than that.

“How is keeping a traitor where a traitor belongs going to anger the Moon Goddess?” my mother asked.

“Kora’s been trying to kill herself since I rejected her,” I sighed. “I’m not going to let her. Not before the rejection ceremony

is over.

That threw my mother. She sat down across from me as though the strength had drained from her legs. “Suicide? Kora?”

“Yes. I’ve caught her at it twice. It was her father who was the traitor, Mother. She’s lived a very hard life because of it. Honestly, I’m surprised she didn’t try sooner,” I said.

“What a silly girl…” my mother mumbled, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Then she squared her shoulders. “Regardless, her father killed your father. My husband. That is not something we can just sweep away as if nothing happened.

“We?” I inquired.

Mother ground her teeth. “You. You know what I mean

“I’m not sweeping anything under the rug,” I said. “I’m just pointing out facts. If keeping her close until the day is what it’s going to take to keep her alive, then so be it.”

“Then you send her out on a spearhead team and be done with it. I know it must have been difficult for her, thinking you were still her friend and then being rejected like that,” my mother went on. “But things cannot continue this way.”

“I’m exiling her,” I corrected her.

My mother blinked. “You’re what?”

“I’m exiling her, not sending her off to be killed on a spearhead team,” I repeated. “Then she can be her own problem. I won’t have the pack thinking I sent her off to die just because I rejected her.”

My mother groaned and gave me a stern look. “You can’t have the pack thinking you’re weak, Mason.”

A growl rumbled from my throat. “You think I’m weak?”

“I believe you’re not thinking clearly where she is concerned,” my mother said. “I don’t think you ever have.”

“I think it’s time for you to retire to your room, Mother,” I replied icily.

“Mason, you just can’t-”

“NOW,” I ordered.

My mother sighed and stood. “Mason, you know I love you. But with how bad things have gotten between the Blackfoot Pack and the Moon Shadow Pack, you can’t afford to be so sofl

“I am sending out a spearhead team tomorrow,” I said. “I’m sending twenty traitors to their deaths, I don’t think that’s ‘soft.” My mother frowned. “Before the rejection ceremony?”

“Kora won’t be on it,” I informed her.

With a sound of frustration, my mother threw up her hands. “On your head be it.” She stalked, but of my office,

I sat back in my chair. My mother was, as a rule, a very wise counselor with a sharp tongue.

Was I being unreasonable where Kora was concerned?

I thought I heard rustling outside my door, but I didn’t go to check what it was. I was too busy trying to figure out how to fight this exile business. needed more time to find the truth about my father.

Half an hour later, there was a knock on my door.

No closer to a solution, I rose with a sound of frustration and went to answer it.

Hale was standing on the other side, staring at a breakfast tray on the floor with a frown. “You didn’t eat?”

I didn’t know it was there. Sorry, Alpha,” I replied, also looking down at what had caused the earlier noise.

“No one told you?” Hale asked.

“No, Alpha.” I probably wouldn’t have eaten anyway. Something as trivial as breakfast would not have stopped the one–week countdown to my official rejection and exile. My stomach was knotting more every day.

“Hmph,” Hale grunts, looking annoyed. “Eat. While you come with me.”

Ihod and kneel to retrieve the plate of food from the floor, placing the bacon and fried egg between two slices of bread as I

stand,

When my hand reaches for the door to close it behind me, I somehow come into a contact with Hale, his fingers brushing against mine as he too moves to close the door. I’m sure we both felt the electricity of the mate bond.

Hale grimaced and began walking quickly down the hall.

I followed with my sandwich, nibbling at it delicately until Hale turned to scowl at me. I had no idea how he knew I hadn’t eaten any of the food, but his look had me gulping it down. If I was going to have to throw myself at his mercy later, it wouldn’t do to make him unhappy now.

We walked past the dormitories to the traitors‘ training center. I didn’t ask any questions, but Hale favored me with an explanation anyway.

“We need to choose a spearhead team,” he said to me.

My stomach dropped. Some of my companions were going to be selected to go out and die. And Hale wanted ME to help choose who they would be. “Oh.”

Hale looked expectantly at me, and I realized my mistake. “Yes, of course, Alpha,” I said quickly.

He nodded and scanned the room, looking for our leader, no doubt

Shawn came out of nowhere and barreled right into me, wrapping me in a hug. “Thank the Moon Goddess! When you didn’t show up this morning-”

Hale caught sight of Shawn wrapped around me, and I heard a low growl rumble from his chest. I patted Shawn’s shoulder in an affectionate, yet “we’re just friends” manner and took a step back. “Alpha, would you mind terribly if I had a word with my friend in private?” I asked.

A low grunt was the only response Hale gave as he stalked off toward our leader.

Shawn took me off to the side, away from the others. “What happened last night?”

I shrugged and gave a short explanation.

“…he still thinks you’re suicidal,” Shawn inferred.

“Yes,” I said. I looked away.

“That’s not all,” Shawn said

I swallowed. “He intends to exile me after the rejection ceremony

“He… but you’re not actually suicidal, Shawn replied in frustration. He raked his hand through his longish black hair. “Shit. This is all my fault. I’m the one who got your finger cut, and I’m the one who sent you off on a break, knowing full well you’d probably go to your favorite spot.”

“It never occurred to me he’d take this mate business so seriously,” I said.

“And exile? Really? If you weren’t suicidal before. Shawn nuttered. “Goddess, I’m sorry. I know how that’s going to ruin everything you’ve been trying to do-”

A thought bubble finally rose off the back burner in my brain.

Grabbing Shawn’s wrist, I blurted, “Marry me!”