Page 16 of Arranged Bullied Mate
My mom just snorts. “No chance. You won’t see or hear from that brat until Ronan is dead. You gotta hold up your end of the bargain first.”
I freeze, the phone clamped so tightly to my ear that my fingertips go numb. “Please, just let me hear her voice. I need to know she’s…”
“She’s fine. She is with us.” My mother’s voice is laced with a strangely cold certainty. “You know what you have to do. If we don’t hear that the new alpha is dead by the next full moon, you can forget about her.”
My mouth goes dry. “I can’t just…he’s an alpha, Mom. He would kill me in a second if he even suspected…”
“Enough,” her voice barks out, more wolf than woman. “Don’t call here unless he’s dead. And don’t try to run. You think we don’t have our own eyes on that town? On you?”
For a second, I think maybe I hear Sophie in the background, cut off by a closing door or a hand pressed over her mouth. But it’s probably just a trick of my own desperation. I nearly drop the phone, my hands are shaking so much. “Please, I—”
The line goes dead, and I stand there simply holding the phone until it finally slips from my hand and clatters onto the hard floor. Dissolving into sobs, I try to ignore the cramps and wave of my impending heat as my emotions completely overwhelm me.
Chapter 11 - Ronan
The knowledge that Maddox went to my property, cornered my omega, and did so alone…he’s really pushing his luck. The fact that he defended his actions by saying he was looking for my sister just burns even more. I have tried to keep my cool where Maddox is concerned. I know the hopes and dreams my father had for him. Hell, I loved Maddox’s father, too. As my father’s beta, he was a constant in my life. The whole Starcreek was devastated when he died.
All of this influences me when it comes to Maddox. I so desperately want him to toe the line, be grateful for the love the pack wants to show him.Stop pushing.
The fact that Maddox has always been a complete jerk is not lost on me. Despite our fathers constantly trying to push us together, we were never going to be close. He thinks too highly of himself to conform to the standards of a beta, but lacks the leadership qualities to be an alpha, though I don’t think that stops his ambitions.
He thinks having a strong wolf is all it takes to be an alpha, but deep down, he must know I’d take him if he challenged. A leadership challenge calls for a fight to the death. Knowing that I could finish him is one thing, but doing it is another. I can’t shake the responsibility I feel toward our father’s legacy.
Killing Maddox would feel like a betrayal of my father’s wishes. However, clearly, our conversation has done nothing to quell his meddling.
I turn and glance back toward the beginning of the trail I’m on when I hear footsteps. Jacob emerges around the bend,sweating from exertion…and late. “Took your time.” I laugh as he comes to a stop, catching his breath.
“Let’s just call this a pre-workout,” he laughs. “Got held up doing repairs on the new lodge.”
“I can round up some guys and help you get finished over the weekend,” I tell him, handing him some water. “You know the pack will always help.”
Jacob’s been working non-stop to finish his new lodge, and he seems to find it difficult to accept help. This time, though, he nods once. “I’d appreciate that, gonna need some help with the beams.”
“You’ve got it,” I tell him, knowing damn well there’s plenty willing to help. “At least you’ve arrived already warmed up. Let’s get to it.”
Jacob nods, and we set off at a quick pace along the trail. Although we stay in human form, our wolves compete as if we had shifted. The natural competitiveness we’ve shared since we were pups shines through as we jostle for first place on the trail. I’m bigger and use that to my advantage as I attempt to elbow him out of the way, but Jacob always won at track, and it shows.
We break off the main trail without slowing, peeling down a narrower path that winds toward the old quarry lake. The air here is cooler, with a sharp, mineral tang of fresh water. We hit the last downhill, both of us at a dead sprint, and Jacob edges me out at the landing, boots skidding to a halt on the flat shale shore.
He whoops, arms up, then immediately doubles over, hands braced on his knees, gasping. “Still got it,” he wheezes.
I let him have his moment, then thump him on the back so hard he nearly faceplants into the rocks. He straightens,grinning, and we settle onto the thick grass at the water’s edge, legs stretched out, both of us sweating, chests heaving.
Jacob reaches for the water bottle and takes a long pull before he speaks. “Have you thought anymore about Maddox?”
I don’t answer right away. I uncap my own bottle and stare out at the rough blue water, letting the silence stretch until my pulse slows and my head clears.
“I have.” My voice is flat, and I can feel Jacob’s eyes on me, waiting for the rest. “He’s not going to back off. Not unless I force him to.”
Jacob considers this for a moment, tossing a pebble into the lake. It skips twice, then sinks. “He’s not your problem, Ronan. Not really. If he wants to go down fighting, that’s his call.” He shrugs, but there’s an edge in the set of his jaw that says he’s thought about this, too.
“He’s my problem the second he makes a challenge.” I pick up a rock and roll it between my palms. “If he does, he dies. He has to know that. I don’t want to be the one to…I mean, his father was practically family.”
Jacob’s smile is sad but certain. “Family or not, he’s old enough to make his own choices. If he wants to die over pride, that’s not on you.”
I shake my head, jaw working. “Doesn’t make it easier.” I toss a rock into the water, watching it arc and splash. “My father would have hated to see it come to this. He spent half his life trying to keep Maddox’s family close, even after everything.”
Jacob grunts. “Your father was a good man. But you’re not him.”