Chapter 152 I'll Be Home For Christmas
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I stared down at my mate as she remained snuggled in my arms. I saw the wheels turning in her head, and the pain lurking in her eyes. I knew she was struggling to piece together the next words she was about to say. She didn't have to admit it because I already knew I wouldn't like whatever it was. I placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Whatever it is—we're in this together, baby girl," I told her. Her nervous energy seemed to dissipate, even if only for a minute or two.
I watched her chest rise and fall until she finally lifted her head gently and turned to face me. "Look, Jax, Sophia mentioned something this morning..." she said, her eyes drifting to the tree line behind us. My jaw clenched at the mere mention of my sister, but I quickly concealed any emotion from escaping. "Did he hurt her?" I gritted out. He didn't need a name; Adeline knew exactly who I meant.
She shook her head and placed a hand on her chest. I was sure she could feel my heart thundering inside mine. "He doesn't want a mate in the technical sense," she blurted, gnawing at the inside of her cheek. My eyebrow shot up at the strange omission. "Doesn't want a mate? He never mentioned that to me. He wants to take her as a mate," I explained as I pulled Adeline closer onto my lap. I saw her cheeks begin to redden as her bare chest rubbed against mine.
Adeline wrapped her arms loosely around my neck, but the worry in her eyes didn't fade. "Jaxon... listen to me. He's a liar. He told Sophia that while he would take her as his mate, he plans to have others," she said. I felt my breathing pick up as the words registered in my mind. "That's absurd, Adeline. The mate bond—" I started before she cut me off.
"Augh!" Adeline screamed, dropping her arms from my neck and moving off my lap. "You still don't get it, Jaxon! He thinks he's entitled to anyone he pleases while keeping Sophia on the side. He doesn't care about the Moon Goddess; he only cares about himself! He even said that, as an Alpha, different rules should apply to him."
She stood and began walking back toward the forest line. She was livid with me—I knew this. Adeline turned to face me, and that's when I caught the water pooling in her eyes. My heart cracked as she continued, "W-what kind of life is that? Being mated to someone who can't put you first?"
I heaved a sigh. "Adeline, I can't stop a mate bond. You know that. It's against pack law. No Alpha can stand between two fated mates. If Sophia chooses to become his Luna, there is nothing I can do."
I ran my fingers through my hair, ruffling it as I approached my mate. It wasn't that I agreed with it—Alpha Christian may have been my friend for all these years, but deep down, I knew Sophia didn't deserve a scumbag as a mate. I gripped Adeline's waist and felt relieved when she didn't fight me. Instead, she turned to me, and I felt my heart shatter into tiny shards inside my chest. Tears streamed down Adeline's face, and the sight was gut-wrenching. She struggled through choked whimpers. Titus growled inside; he too was livid with me for upsetting our mate. I reached out and wiped her tears with the pads of my thumbs. "Tell me, Addie, what do you want me to do?" I said softly.
Adeline buried her head in my chest as more choked sobs escaped her. "I'll deal with it, alright? Just please calm down, little wolf," I whispered into her ear. I had never seen my mate so fragile, so damn vulnerable. She reminded me of when we first met—so delicate, so dainty. I couldn't help but think she was scared of something, or maybe scared of someone.
I reached for her thighs and picked her up in one swift move. I felt her legs tighten around my torso as she locked her ankles securely. I didn't bother to shift, knowing how much Adeline needed me right now. I carried her through the forest toward the packhouse. Neither of us said a word, allowing silence to settle between us. There was a strange comfort in the silence—I couldn't help but feel it was the calm before the storm.
"Where is he?" I screeched through the mind link. Beta Don replied, confusion in his voice, "Who, Alpha? Who are you looking for?" I didn't stop the growl from echoing through the link, "Alpha Christian. Send him to my office before the presentation."
A chilling silence filled the space between us, but I was thankful to the Moon Goddess that my mate didn't notice as she clung to me like a koala bear. "There's no one... no one from his pack has arrived yet," he stuttered. "We're an hour away from the presentation, and you mean to tell me that my sister's fucking mate isn't here yet?" I gritted out.
