Talons

Chapter 145: The Toilets

Colton's POV

Lissette has since stopped eating and has been staring between myself and Jessica, which doesn't surprise me.

If I were in her shoes I would also be confused, but her confusion isn't my main concern.

If Rhea leaves, and she has already implied that she will, she can call for another rejection hearing, and with all that's gone on between us, she may be successful this time.

"So, you have two mates?" The woman questions.

"No, Rhea is my fated mate and the only woman I want."

"Then… who's she?" Lissette points to Jessica with a raised brow and I start to feel sick with the words I'm about to say.

"Before I found my fated partner, she was promised the title."

"And… What does that make my niece?"

"She is the future Luna."

"But you already have a Luna. Maybe I should just make things easier for you and take her back with me."

"Kidnapping an alphas mate is a sentence punishable by death."

"Not if she voluntarily leaves," Lissette reminds, and my heart starts to race because the woman knows her stuff.

Rhea's parents are bound by an oath which prevents her from leaving but only for a brief period. When that time elapses, she can freely leave without the intention of coming back, and while I don't want to resort to keeping her locked up, I will.

"As a guest, you should be more respectful."

"As an alpha, you should already be able to handle your pack members." I ignore the woman, who I know is purposefully antagonizing me.

Dolton told me to expect someone similar in personality to Miracle, but her mother is far worse. She has nothing to lose as she’s already stepped down from her position, and being that she's from another country, the only pack I can start a war with if she tries anything is the Claw pack.

I know how my mate feels about her family, and I wouldn’t want to do that to her, but I’m not going to allow anyone to take her away from me; not even her aunt.

Not wanting to respond to the clear provocation, I turn my attention back to Jessica and her parents, who have awkwardly taken seats at the table.

"Mr. and Mrs. Latrine." I deliberately used their real last name just to make them angry. "I have found my mate. Jessica is no longer in line for the Luna title."

"With all due respect Colt;" the man purposefully dropped my title in retaliation. "You are only acting as alpha, which means you do not have the authority to release the true alpha from his commitments."

"While that is true-" Lissette abruptly gets up from the table and yawns loudly, drawing my attention back to her. "Where are you going?" I snarl. Knowing that the woman has already offered to kill my mate as a means of escape, I don't want to take any chances.

"To check on my niece,” the woman replies coolly. “I’m not my sister, Azul. I can see the bond for what it is." Lissette kept her words intentionally vague to prevent herself from having them used against her if a complaint is ever brought to the council, but I know what she means. “Luna Jessica, my niece hasn’t given your alpha any, show up at his room naked and I’m sure you'll get what you want.”

That thought nauseates me, but I learned in goddess studies that it has happened. In one of the stories we are told, a male whose fated partner wanted assurances before being marked ended up dying from infidelity sickness when her mate was seduced by another she-wolf.

“If you try anything like that, I will immediately report your actions to the council.”

“And say what?” Lisette added with a smile. “That your promised luna crawled into your bed and you accepted her advance?” I look to Dolton for help, but it's clear that my brother has no intention of saying anything, and the way Miracle is staring him down lets me know that he shouldn’t. “Somebody show me where to find Gordita, I didn’t like how thin she looked.”

I start to search my memory of my mate when she came versus now, and while I can’t be certain, I think she may have lost some weight. I stand, wanting to go check on her as well, but Jessica physically grabs me.

“Please Colt. She doesn’t want you, and her family is a disgrace.”

“Disgrace?” Miracle shouts, and just like that the girl leaps over the table. It's only after she's calmed that I realize I was tricked because Lissette is gone.

Rhea’s POV

I’m so embarrassed right now that I can barely close my eyes without feeling like a complete failure. Of all the times for Colton’s girlfriend to show up, she chose to do it in front of my aunt, who I know will keep bringing it up until she leaves.

The best thing for me to do in that situation was to excuse myself, and while I genuinely meant to sleep, I ended up at the garden instead.

Tyson was there, but he wasn’t angry, or crying, he was just lounging in the shade while reading a book, which shocks me because school is out for the summer.

I find myself giggling when I realize that it's not just any book, it’s a how-to guide for muscle building, so I snatch it from him in mock irritation.

“Wow, you don’t trust me?” Tyson’s mouth hangs open, and while I know he wants to speak, he doesn’t. “Well, I guess I can’t blame you when you haven’t heard about how I saved the future alpha of the Claw Pack from four rogues.” I know I have the boy’s attention because he likes hero stories, so I start telling him what happened.

I tell him that I was once an omega and had only just started training seriously. Then I describe some of the terrible things that happened to me before getting to the good, which was when I successfully saved my nephew.

I'm not sure what shocks him more, the fact that I was once an omega or the fact that I’m an alpha's daughter.

“Is that a true story?” I spin around to see Mandy standing near the gateway that leads to the garden.

I really hate not being able to smell because anyone trying can sneak up on me if I’m not paying attention.

Since my hearing is so acute, I learned how to ignore certain noises, otherwise I would have gone crazy, but I'll have to start listening to my surroundings again.

“Of course,” I reply.

It would be very irresponsible for me to lie about something like that, especially when children can get the wrong idea and try something silly. I don't think Tyson would do anything, but he is still a child, and I wouldn’t want him to get hurt because he was trying to emulate me in any way.

“This is not where I expected to find you,” Mandy says, but I know she probably meant ‘how.’

My cousin probably went to Colton's suite looking for me before she came to the garden, and while I was a little sad, reminding myself of how far I’ve come successfully took my mind off my emotions.

“I decided that lying in bed probably isn't the most therapeutic way to get over my embarrassment.”

“Are you sure that's all it is?” Mandy questions, and I have the strong urge to lie, but I don't.

I tell her that I don't know what I’m feeling, but I do know that I don't want to deal with my aunt and Colton's girlfriend at the same time.

I explain to Mandy that Miracle's character is not unique to her alone. Titi Beautiful also has the same personality, in fact she might be worse.

Mandy chuckles because I'm sure she does not believe that there can be anyone worse than Miracle. However, as far as I know she has only just met my aunt today.

“Well, I just wanted to check on you. That girl is crazy if she thinks Colt still wants her, especially when he has you.” Not wanting to talk in front of a child, I link arms with my cousin and leave the garden.

“Mandy, between you and I; I really don’t care about any of this. I simply want to get through my time in this pack and be done with it.”

“B… Colt really-”

“Messed me up…” I add as a continuation of my cousin’s sentence. “Mandy, do you know that Colton was already eighteen when he forced me into a premature shift? That meant he was feeling a pull toward me, and violence was his reaction.”

“B, I…”

“I know… he is your alpha and friend, and he has changed but I can’t take the chance that he will go back to the same person he was before we were fated.”

“Fine, I get your point, but I feel like I have to add this.” Mandy tells me that she has never been friends with Jessica and why. “The one time I tried to be friendly with her, she turned it into a competition between my mate and her whatever Colt was to her at the time.” I shrug because truthfully, I don't want to hear it.

“Honestly Mandy, I would rather not talk about Colton or any woman that he has been with or has right now. I just want to be at peace in my heart and with my wolf.” I didn’t mean to mention my heart, but it was a slip of truth that Mandy didn’t actually pick up on.

“But how can you be at peace if you don't address the issue at hand?”

“There’s no issue. That girl was given a promise and at least half of a commitment while I was given bruises and a broken rib.”

“B, I didn’t want to tell you this because it might affect you, but Colt literally slept with other women while Jessica was sitting in the next room. He never treated her fairly and all that woman wants is his title.”

“Well, she has more claim to him than me, and I’m not the type to fight for someone who only wants me to get out of being with a woman he believes will be unfaithful.”

“Are you sure you don't want it because your behavior right now alludes to the fact that you might.” I shake my head at my cousin who either doesn't realize that she's annoying me or doesn't care.

"And how long will it be before I'm sitting there and he takes someone else to bed?”