Their Mate And Luna

CHAPTER 43

NICOLE

I regret asking to come to help my aunt today. Maybe if I had kept my mouth shut and stayed in bed, I wouldn’t be in this mess. Loads of mess, actually.

My mates…ex-mates, seem to think they have the right to tell the alphas to stay away from me. What do they mean? Haven’t they done enough harm already?

Not just that, they turned all eyes on me.

Vance had to dig his nails into my waist, almost crushing my entire reproductive organs and now I am bleeding. Vince is kneeling in front of me, calmly dabbing at my wound like a heart surgeon carrying out a heart transplant surgery while Vance looks on with eyes so full of remorse and fear, I want to tear them out.

Both of their eyes, actually.

I try not to show how their body heat is affecting me. Or the feel of Vince’s fingers on my skin. Or even his breath on my stomach.

I cover my face with both hands, sighing deeply. The one thought on my mind is to bolt out of this room, away from them. Something I can’t do because Alpha Drake asked me to wait for him in his office.

“Nicole?” Vince breaks into my thoughts.

Haven’t they figured it out yet? Thanks to them, I am just a normal human being now. I don’t have a wolf to help me heal, smell, hear…do everything my wolf ought to help me with.

More like I am just a useless wolf.

“Nicole?” Vance’s voice also breaks into my thoughts.

“I don’t know.” Uncovering my face.

“You’re not healing like you should.”

“Hmm.” I grunt out as the image of their hard grey eyes peer down at me as they rejected me.

“Nicole…”

“I don’t know. Okay!” I snap at them, hating that they are back to showing concern for me. “Can you hurry up. Please.”

Vance gives Vince a roll of bandage.

“I don’t think I will need that…”

“You will,” Vince says as he starts to roll the bandage round my waist.

I squeeze my eyes shut behind my palms, trying hard not to squirm as his fingers slide over my skin. His breath fanning my half-exposed stomach, his hair grazing my skin as his arms move around me. I hear him take a deep breath and his palms come to rest on both sides of my waist, releasing a huge amount of warmth all over my body. His thumbs drawing circles on my skin wasn’t helping as well.

Why am I having these feelings?

A deep silence envelope the room, save for my wildly beating heart. Like it is about to fly out of my chest. My ears are throbbing with the heavy beating. An embarrassing intensity that further makes me regret ever asking to come out today.

Yes, I should have remained indoors.

“Nicole, open your eyes and look at us,” Vance’s voice comes out softly.

Slowly, I drop my hands down to my sides, avoiding their eyes. When all I want to do is to touch their hair, to feel their softness and run my fingers through them.

“Thank you,” I whisper as I pull out of his hold, putting as much distance as I need between me and them.

Another deep silence reigns between us. I can feel their eyes on me.

“How’s the wound on your side?” Vince asks as he stands and starts to arrange the first aid kit.

“Fine.”

“Are you eating well?”

“Yes, I am,” what the hell is wrong with them?

“Have you…”

“Just stop! Enough with the questions!” I can’t help but to bark at them. “Why are you asking all these questions?” I ask giving them an incredulous look.

“Maybe because we care about you.” Vance says in a firm voice.

“You care about me? Why?”

“Maybe…” Vance starts but I cut him short.

“Don’t say it!” my heart beat races high at the word I now he is about to say. “I am not your mate. You both rejected me, remember? On my 18th birthday, while I was shifting. Do you know how painful it was for me?

“Nicole…” Vince starts when the door swings open and Alpha Drake walks in

“Sorry to keep you all waiting.” He says as he walks to his chair, stopping as he takes in the tension in the room. “Everything okay?”

I nod at him, seeing his eyes flick to my bloody shirt.

“What happened to you?” his voice turns hard and I can see the gears moving in his head. He darts his eyes over his sons.

“I did it.” Vance owns up, scratching the back of his head when his father growls at him.

“Why?” Alpha Drake walks over to me and lifts my shirt up. “This is deep.

“I am fine, Alpha Drake. Alpha Vince already helped me clean it.” I tell him, ignoring he growl from Vince.

“It’s Vince, Nicole.”

“Why did you hurt her?” Alpha Drake persists.

I notice their eyes glazing over and know they are having a private discussion. About me most likely.

Alpha Drake lets out a huge sigh, puts my shirt down, smiles at me before and walking to his chair. “Sorry about that, Nicole. I am sure your wolf will heal you soon.”

“She’s not healing,” Vance says with the same sober look in his eyes as he looks at me.

“Why?” Their father’s brows meet swiftly together.

Shit! Just what I was trying to avoid. Besides, where is this damn wolf of mine. I felt her coming on my birthday. She came when that witch came for me. Or is she only going to show up when I am in danger? Is that the type of wolf I have? What did the witch mean about me being the Firewolf?

“Nicole,” fingers snap in my face as my name is called. “Where are you?” I hear Vince’s voice near me and take in his closeness.

“I am sorry, what were you saying, Alpha?” I ask shuffling away from Vince, hating the loss of his closeness. Why? Why these damn conflicting emotions?!

“Didn’t you get your wolf on your birthday?” Alpha asks.

“No.” there’s no way I can lie to him. He can use his alpha command on me. Wait, will his command work on me now that I don’t have a wolf? Why didn’t I think of that before I answered him?

“So, you haven’t shifted since then?”

“No,”

“Your wolf senses?”

I glare briefly at the two grey-eyed devils before replying him. “All gone.” I whisper.

Alpha stands up and comes to me. “Mindlink?”

I shake my head.

He sighs heavily again. “I need you to tell me who your mate is. So, I can deal with him according to our laws.”

“It doesn’t matter, Alpha. The deeds done already. I just want to move with my life.”

I notice the look he gives his sons. Hopeful.

“What are your plans?”

“Not much. Maybe start training and…” this could be a great plan for my life. “…leave the pack and hope to find my second chance mate.”

Two heavy growls come from my left.

“You’re not leaving the pack!” Vince growls at me.

“It’s my life and none of your business!” I yell at him. How dare he tell me what I can do with my life?

“It’s our business, Nicole,” Vance adds. Walking close as well.

“Because?” I dare them to say the word in front of their father. If there’s one thing I have noticed since this whole rejection thing, it is that their father doesn’t know what they did.

“Because…” Vance starts. Joining his brother, making me look from one to another.

“You’re young and have never been outside of this pack.” Vince says. Getting in my face. His grey eyes breathing fire that my brown ones equally breath.

“Outside there, you are prey for anyone. Just like those two knuckle heads you were talking to earlier on,” Vance adds again. His grey eyes just like his brother’s.

“At least they don’t hate me. Unlike you two!” I spit out, my anger ready to explode.

“Okay, okay, kids,” Alpha Drake chuckles as he comes between us. “No one is leaving the pack.”

“You can’t stop me!” I growl at them in a voice I don’t recognize as mine, feeling anger explode into my veins.