Page 30 of The Alpha's Forced Bullied Mate

That admission caught us both off guard.

Cliff stepped in. “Hey, I can always head to the old place and grab some things for you, Faye Bay.”

Faye cringed. “Please, don’t start with that nickname again.”

“Faye Bay,” I whispered with a chuckle. “Now that’s cute.”

She shook her head and held up her hands at us like she was about to shove our faces away, and stepped into the yard. Before I knew it, she was approaching her parents with her shoulders back and her head high. Internally, I was howling madly at the sky. Confidence like that was exactly what I wanted to see her wear. And that was precisely why she would make the perfect mate.

She didn’t let it get to her. She stood up to the bullies. She stood up tome.

Cliff and I trailed after her. My eyes swept over each face around me, reading the energy in the area as utterly tense.

I took Faye’s hand. “Sara, why don’t you walk your daughter through the ritual?”

Sara gave me a pleading look that spoke of fear, but she put on her polite grin the second I started growling. She fixedher professional bun and dabbed the corners of her mouth to perfect her already meticulously applied maroon lipstick. After tugging on her vest, she nodded.

“You’ll be given a doe mask and sent in that direction,” Sara pointed behind her at the thick woods, “and you’ll follow the light.”

Faye squeezed my hand. “You want me to act like a doe when I’m a wolf?”

“The doe mask is a mythical representation of prey,” Simon explained, “but it’s not by any means indicative of weakness. She stands for gentleness and motherhood. Artemis herself presides over deer among many other animals.”

I gave a light, supportive squeeze back to Faye. “We’ll both be dressed in earthy robes. Once you get ahead of me, I’ll shift into my wolf form and pursue you.”

She raised her eyebrows at me. “So, we’re playing tag?”

“No, we’re playingfetch,” I retorted playfully. “You’re my goal. I must catch you and bite your neck.”

Her hand flew to her throat, where I had been inches away from ruining this very ritual the other night. How many times would she torment me with the possibility of doing it? I guessed I would have to find out.

Sara smiled tightly. “It doesn’t require a witch or any magic.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “Not sure why we’re involving a witch at all.”

Tension bristled in the air as Faye squared her shoulders. “If only you hadn’t passed your genes down to me, Sara.”

“My name isMotherto you,” Sara shot back.

Faye snorted. “Funny. You don’t act like one.”

A growl rattled my chest, forcing everyone to stiffen around me. That sound was enough to put everyone in their place, if only for just a moment. I was getting tired of the bickering, the strain, and the agitation. It wasn’t healthy for anyone. If the Spears wouldn’t accept their daughter as a hybrid, then how would the rest of the pack do it, evenwithmy support?

While I fought against an outburst, Simon cleared his throat.Wonderful. Now, we were going to hear from her father about his opinion on the situation. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep this conversation from spiraling. We had a ritual to plan before these demons got ballsy again.

I didn’t have the time. None of us had time.

“Sara, she might be right,” Simon explained gently. “We’ve been hard on her since she got back.”

My shoulders fell as Faye clutched my hand with a whimper. Even Cliff looked shocked. His mother wasn’t sure how to react, so her face remained blank, a template on which anything could be written.

Perhaps even the slightest bit of understanding could be etched there.

Simon took his wife’s hand. “You weren’t cursed with powers. Faye got the brunt of that weight. It’s not fair to keep taking it out on her.”

Sara observed her daughter quietly, the blank slate remaining. “Right, well…”

“She belongs to the alpha now,” Simon continued, “and that means she’s his problem.”

I rolled my eyes.Well, that’s better than rejection, I guess.

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