Unloved Mate (Wolves Of Night Shade Pack)

11

Kane

I turned off the engine of the vehicle and climbed down without bothering to shut the door. Glancing over at the setting sun, I bolted toward the entrance. I had spent the entire day driving from my pack to this godforsaken place to find my mate. If Zeke hurts Valor, I will tear his flesh from his skin and feed them to him. I moved up the flight of stairs and kicked the door—the impact sending the wooden frame down into the foyer. With the house open, I saw Zeke standing just mere inches from where the door fell, and I growled at him, my eyes glowing crimson. I stepped into the house and reached for my alpha spark, using it to propel him against the stairs. “Where is he?”

“Is that the best you've got? After what happened between us.”

“You tried to kill me.”

“Because you betrayed our cause.”

He was getting back on his feet when I curled my fist into his face, sending him back to the floor.

“No, that's not true. You’re just so fucking full of shit, Zeke. Greedy and jealous. Nothing is ever enough for you. I can't have you stealing a pure soul like Valor away.”

“Instead you stole him from me?”

he barked. “Does he know the things you've done to survive? The people you've killed. See we are not so different. You just hide behind a veil of lies.”

He declared and wiped off the crimson on his lips.

“He doesn't belong to you.”

“What would happen when Valor learns that you wanted to kill him to get back at me? Eh?”

“He knows.”

I said and kicked him to the stairs.

“Or that you knew he was an Omega, and you wanted to trap him with the fucking mate bond.”

“Our bond is real,”

I barked at him. “Unlike what you have for him—a dark, twisted lie that you've been trying to keep hidden for years. It ends now!”

I barked and moved to him, seizing his neck and twisting it until it cracked. “No one touches my mate and lives to tell the tale.”

Zeke’s body rolled down the stairs and dropped.

I looked over at him and cursed under my breath, moving through the entire house until I found Valor, chained and locked up in the fucking basement. He was half-conscious, barely knowing what was happening around him and sustaining injuries. That bastard must have been torturing him and possibly tried manipulating his memories. “Ezekiel, please let me go!”

“Valor. It's me. Sh, sh,”

I comforted. “I'm here. Valor, I won't let anything happen to you.”

I cooed and hurried toward him, falling on my knees and trying to touch him. He recoiled with fear in his eyes, the chains around his wrist, tearing his flesh and drawing blood.

“Oh, it hurts so much. Please go away from me. I just need Kane.”

He stuttered, overpowered by pain. Tears rolled down my cheeks, seeing my mate in a position where even my words couldn't help him. Heaven knows what Zeke had done to him. I got him out of the chains and carried his frail body back to the car, regardless of his struggles. I put him in the passenger’s seat and navigated my way back to Midnight Shadow.

***

Valor

I stirred back to reality and groaned as I stretched on the bed. I was sure that the last place I saw myself was in the basement. At first, the thought of Zeke taking me to the room in the mansion crossed my mind, but I was in a different place, and it took me some time to recognize it. I was back in the Midnight Shadow Pack. I gently pushed up from the bed and rose to my feet, walking toward the door. Before I could reach the exit, it pulled open and a dark-skinned man walked right through. It took me sometime to recall who he was and the scintillating scent that came with his presence, my wolf confirming my suspicions with one word. “Mate.”

He hummed.

“Valor. You need to get back to bed. You've been unconscious for over a week and a half. At some point I thought you wouldn't make it back,”

with concern etched on his face, he led me back to the bed and helped me in, covering me with the sheets. He crossed over to the other side of the bed and climbed in, pulled me closer to himself, nuzzling against my cheeks. “Leda has been watching over you since I brought you back. She did a spell to clear your head from Zeke’s memory manipulation. He really messed up your head and it'll take you some time to remember everything.”

“What happened to him? Zeke?”

“He’s the least of our problems now, little wolf,”

he brushed his hands through the strands of my hair. “All you need to do now is rest.”

“No. He said you're a liar and that I'm an Omega. Is it true?”

The scenes flashed back in my head sending a shiver of fear through my spine.

“Valor, I'll answer all your questions when you rest.”

“No, I want to know. Did you know I was an Omega? It's not really hard to tell apart.”

“Yes, I did, Valor, and I'm very certain your family knew, but they refrained from sharing that part of your life with you.”

“They were supposed to tell me the truth. Why does this keep happening to me? I didn't do wrong to Zeke. I'm not even from a fucking Delta bloodline. The entire Night Shade Pack must have known, but they couldn't speak because I'm a ranked wolf.”

Resentment seeped through my voice as I stuttered each word.

“Valor, you're panicking.”

He cooed, and I pulled away from him and got on my feet.

“I have a right to fucking panic. It's my life. You only walked into it like a week ago. I shouldn't have come out here. Fuck, I was so stupid,”

I bawled, tears rolling down my eyes. “Everyone just secretly hates me. I mean, my best friend did, and he wanted me dead. How could I have been this stupid?”

I was saying when he tried to hold me, but I stepped back. “No. You used me as a pawn in your selfish game with Ezekiel. You speak of betrayal and manipulation, but you're just the same. Both of you.”

“Valor, please listen to me. You're hurt, and that's ok. Please come here.”

“I just want to go home.”

“Fine, then I'll take you home.”

He reassured and stepped closer to embrace me.

“I don't need you! I don't need anyone because the only thing I've gotten from giving all my heart is betrayal. Zeke did it. Aiden did it. I just can't deal with this pain anymore. It hurts so much,”

I barked, an expression of pain etching on my features. Before I could register what was happening, he pulled me into an embrace. “I was so stupid for believing in Zeke.”

My voice broke as tears rolled down my cheeks, and he clutched his hands around me.

“It’s okay now. Everything’s fine.”

“I don't know what to do.”

I couldn't even tell what was happening to me: all the emotions of betrayal, secrecy and pain blending into one thing—frustration. Maybe I just needed to get some rest, like Kane had said. Maybe I just had to stop worrying and let him take care of me.

He helped me back into the bed and covered my body with the sheets, laying his lips gently on mine.

“I’m hungry.”

“I’ll make you something to eat, ok. Just sit here and wait for me. When you're rested well. I'll tell you everything you need to know, little wolf.”

He smiled with sadness in his beautiful eyes and regained his stance about to leave, but I pulled him back.

“Please don't leave me.”

I sniffled and curled my hand around his wrist. He sighed and bent over, carrying me from the bed and taking me to the kitchen downstairs.

“You have a beautiful home.”

I told him as we entered the kitchen, my body still carefully wrapped around his arms.

“You said that the first time.”

“What did he do to me? Zeke?”

“He tried to implant memories into your head. When I brought you back, you couldn't even recognize me. Leda had to put you to sleep until your wolf fought back to the surface. Your lie detection ability gives you a greater fighting chance than others,”

he said with a glint of happiness in his eyes, making me frown like he was trying to keep something from me. Maybe it's good news. Except there was nothing exciting about burning holes into my memories. “Why do you look so happy?”

He set me back on my feet in front of the door, still holding my hand.

“I can't tell you now. I'll tell you, eventually.”

He gave a toothed grin, leaving me to wonder.

“I’ll cook you something.”

We stepped into the warm glow of lights above the center island of the kitchen. The lights casted over the polished surfaces, the dark oak flooring beneath my feet. Elegant hardware, white cabinets, drawers, a stainless steel refrigerator, microwave, farmhouse style sink, and a built in coffee maker adorned the expansive space making it look aesthetically pleasing. He led me to the dining table and pulled out a seat for me. I sat down. He returned to the kitchen and worked his magic while I just watched him, reveling in the silence between us and turning over what had happened in my head. Some of my memories returned to me occasionally and it left me in my thoughts. Still in my head, the aroma of the food and the domineering aura of his presence pulled me back to reality. I smiled at him as he poured me a glass of juice, then he slid into the seat and gestured for me to eat. “I will answer all your questions truthfully.”

“You know, from what I recall, I wonder why he hates me so much. Why did you come for me, Kane?”

“Because I wanted to get back at Ezekiel for what he did to me. But when I saw you with your family, your dad, your Alpha. You were different, and my beast felt something about you. It made me second guess my revenge. I mean, Zeke shouldn't have that much power over me.”

“I knew you were stalking me,”

he let out the words, his expression holding immense amusement. I rolled my eyes at his words, pulling myself away from any form of argument. He was happy, and I wouldn't ruin his mood. “Would you have changed your mind if I weren't your fated mate? If it was a different person.”

He quizzed.

“I think at some point I would have realized that he wasn't worth my time. I got a second chance at life just like you, and I'd rather spend it on something worthwhile than hunting him down. I'd rather spend it loving you.”

He grinned at me, the highlights of his eyes glinting.

“Now he's after me?”

“I’d kill him without a second thought. Whoever comes after what's mine won't live to tell the story,”

he asserted without a doubt. “Come on, eat more.”

He said, pouring me another glass of juice. I gave him a nod and continued with the food.

“You need to tell me what happened between you and Zeke in the past. I need to know.”

“You will. I'll tell you everything. I promise.”