The Cursed Alpha King's Mate

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Tristan

"Oh, I am so excited to meet her." I held the phone to my ear while my mother spoke with enthusiasm. I sat in Alpha Hartwood's office talking to my mother on the phone, while Gabe looked at paperwork on the desk, a slight smirk on his face.

"I don't know mum," I said, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice, "It's more complicated than that."

"What could possibly be complicated about finding your fated mate?" my mother scoffed.

"I don't know," I sighed, preparing myself for the next part. "She's human." There was a brief pause. I glanced up at Gabe and despite him acting like he wasn’t, I could tell that he was waiting for my mother's response as much as I was.

"Human?" she finally asked.

"Yes, human," I repeated, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know how it's possible, but she's human."

"Well, that's certainly unusual," my mother said, "But not impossible. The moon goddess has her reasons for all of her choices. Including her fated pairs."

"I know," I said, "But it's still not ideal."

"Why not?" my mother asked.

"Because humans are weak," I said, "How is this fragile thing supposed to give me the heir I need?"

"Oh Tristan, my dear son," my mum said with clear amusement in her tone. "You really do need to learn that there is a plan for everything."

"Maybe if I spoke to Madame Sylvie," I started, thinking of the seer who had told me that I would find my fated mate in one of my own packs. She had said that I would need to keep an open mind, but this… well this was more than a little open than I expected.

"Tristan," my mother said, "You can't let your fear control you. If she's your fated mate, then she's the one for you. You have to accept that."

"I know," I sighed, "But it's hard."

"It will be okay," my mother said, "Just give it time. And I for one look forward to meeting her."

"I will," I said, "Thanks, mum."

I hung up the phone and turned to Gabe, who was still looking at the paperwork on the desk. I sighed in frustration and noticed that he had a smirk on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "Just thinking about how complicated your life is about to get."

"Tell me about it," I said, sighing. "I don't even know how I'm going to tell the pack about this."

"You'll figure it out," Gabe said. "And if your mother can be happy about it, maybe you should start being happy about finding your fated mate." I looked at him in surprise. "You think I should be happy about this?"

"Why not?" Gabe asked. "She's your fated mate. The one person in the world who is meant to be with you. You should be grateful." I shook my head.

"But she's human."

"So?" Gabe said. "What does that matter?"

"It matters because humans are weak," I said. "They're fragile. They can't protect themselves. Plus the one thing that I need her for will likely kill her."

"She's not like other humans," Gabe said. "There is something different about her, I know it. She's strong. She's brave. And she's loyal. She's everything you could ever want in a mate." I scoffed at his words. Gabe was my oldest friend, and I trusted him with my life, but I couldn't understand his optimism.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I've been watching her," Gabe said. "And I've seen the way she interacts with the pack. She's not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She's not afraid to fight for what she wants. And the way she reacted to Bianca in the dining room was bloody fabulous." Gabe laughed. "Even some of our fiercest warriors back down around that bitch." I thought about what Gabe said. He was right. Isla did seem different from other humans that I had met. She was strong, she was brave, and she was loyal. She was everything I could ever want in a mate. Everything except being a werewolf. Although I was happy to agree with Gabe about how she refused to let Bianca intimidate her. And that sweet scent of her arousal as I dealt with Bianca. I could feel the inner stirring of my wolf just thinking about it again. Gabe's smirk grew, and he gave me a sideways look.

"Tell you what," he said with a glint in his eyes. "If you don't want her, I'll happily take her off your hands. I mean with a rack like that I could think of all sorts of-" He didn't have time to finish his sentence before I was hit with rage and I slammed him against the wall with my hand around his throat. I growled low in my throat as I glared at him.

I snarled at Gabe, my wolf raging at his disrespectful comments about Isla. How dare he speak of her in such a crass way? The thought of his hands on her, of him claiming her, filled me with an irrational fury.

"You'll keep your filthy paws off her," I growled, tightening my grip on his throat. Gabe didn't even flinch, that infuriating smirk still plastered across his face. He met my blazing gaze steadily.

"Bloody hell, Alpha," he choked out. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a tad possessive." His words hit me like a bucket of ice water. Possessive? Of a human? The realisation shocked me enough that my grip slackened. Gabe took advantage, pushing me off him with a bark of laughter.

"You should see your face," he grinned, rubbing his throat. "Gets you riled up just thinking about another bloke sniffing around your little mate, doesn't it?"

"She's not my mate," I snarled, pacing away from him.

"Keep telling yourself that," Gabe scoffed. "I saw the way you looked at her in the dining hall. The way her scent affected you." He was right. The sweetness of Isla's arousal had damn near driven me feral, but at the same time, when needed, it calmed me down. Just the memory of it made my wolf stir again, made my muscles tense with the urge to chase her down, to claim her...

"You want her," Gabe stated bluntly. "Whether you'll admit it or not, she's already gotten under your skin. The sooner you accept she's your mate, the better for everyone." I opened my mouth, some biting retort on my lips, but Gabe held up a hand.

"Don't try denying it, Tristan. I know you too bloody well." As much as I hated to admit it, even to myself, some primal part of me was drawn to the girl. The mate bond was already getting its claws into me and it seemed my body had already decided, despite my mind's protests. Isla was mine. I took a deep breath and turned back to Gabe, my eyes meeting his.

"You're right," I admitted, my voice low. "I have to figure this out. The woman is my mate, whether I like it or not." The words felt foreign on my tongue, but there was no denying the truth in them. Gabe's smirk grew wider, and I could see the amusement in his eyes.

"That's my boy," he said, clapping me on the back. "But better late than never, I suppose."

Just as Gabe spoke, there was a sharp knock on the door. Lucas came into the room with a nod. He looked around the room at the papers all over the floor. He quirked an eyebrow and Gabe grinned.

"Just proving a point," he said and Lucas shook his head.

"And what point is that?" he asked.

"That Isla is my fated mate and I can't do anything about it," I said flatly. Lucas nodded, his eyes cold. I could tell his response was less optimistic than Gabe's.

"Good, we do what needs to be done to protect the pack," he said, "Whatever the sacrifice." I knew that he was talking about Isla being the sacrifice. He had already made his feelings clear about how disposable he thought she was. A growl slipped from my lips and his eyes widened slightly.

"Calm down fella," Gabe said quickly. "It won't come to that." I looked over at him and he grinned. "I told you, that girl has something special."

"As long as she gives you an heir," Lucas muttered, "That's all that matters." Another growl slipped out and Gabe rushed to interject.

"Lucas, my old buddy, read the room," he said. "Anyway, how is our beloved Bianca fairing?"

"The b***h is on her way back to the pack as we speak," Lucas said. "I have instructed for her to be put on lockdown until we return." I nodded my approval. I knew I had to deal with Bianca, and the last thing I wanted was for her to go rushing to my brother to tell him that I had found my mate.

"Good," I said. "There is ten minutes left before I can collect what is mine and we can leave this place." I was ready to go home. I still needed to deal with Alpha Ewan about him breaking the rules on humans in the pack, but I couldn't deny that if he hadn't, then I might not have found Isla. I could probably use that to go a little easy on him.

My thoughts were interrupted by the office door slamming open. I narrowed my eyes as a young warrior burst into the room without so much as a knock. His chest heaved as if he'd been running, and his eyes were wide with urgency.

"Alpha," he panted. "I've just seen Alpha Ewan and his family fleeing into the woods." My body went rigid with fury at his words. How dare that bastard defy me? After I was just thinking about sparing his pathetic little pack. A rumbling growl built in my chest as rage coursed through me.

"What?" I snarled, rounding on the trembling warrior. "Explain yourself, now." The young man swallowed hard but held my blazing gaze. "I was patrolling the perimeter when I spotted them slipping out the back entrance and into the tree line. The human girl was with them." Isla. My wolf stirred at the thought of her, equal parts possessive fury and forbidden longing warring within me. So the coward was trying to keep her from me, was he? I clenched my fists, fighting back the urge to shift right then and give chase. Gabe's expression was grim, but Lucas looked utterly unsurprised. The cold bastard had probably suspected Ewan of something all along.

"Send out search parties," I ordered, struggling to keep my fury in check. "I want that entire forest combed until they're found and dragged back here in chains if need be." Lucas inclined his head.

"Of course, Alpha. And the girl?"

"I want her unharmed," I growled. "I think it is time that I showed my little mate exactly who is in charge around here." I nodded at Lucas and the warrior to get to it and they both left the room.

The fury that she dared to even defy me coursed through my body. I would have the entire pack killed for this. And my mate? Well, she would spend her life in chains if she didn't learn her place.

"Tris, maybe you should take a minute," Gabe offered, his expression uneasy, "There could be a reasonable explanation."

"I think we are done with reason for now," I snarled. I was the Alpha King, and if she thought that she could fool me then she would learn the hard way. My wolf was bursting inside me to go and look for my mate, to claim her so that she knew she couldn't escape me. I couldn't sit and wait here. I had to be out there. I moved towards the door and Gabe was in front of me in a flash.

"Whoa," he said, holding his hands up. "Just breathe."

"Move out of my way Beta," I growled. "Before I move you." Gabe wisely stepped back from my path and I grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, ready to storm out into the night. But I stopped short as the scent of candy apples hit me full force. My eyes widened in surprise as I saw the one person I was ready to chase down standing in front of me. She met my eyes with a defiant strength and resolved all over her face.

"I'm not running," she said. There was an edge of fear despite the strength she put in her tone. "I will go with you, willingly. But only if you agree to my conditions first."