Page 13 of Rejected Bullied Mate

"Say the word, and I'll back off."

"The word," I hissed.

He smirked, but for a brief second, I thought I saw disappointment on his face, too. His scent was making me crawl out of my skin, an unwelcome throb coming to life between my legs. Finally, just as I was sure my will wouldn't hold much longer, Samson stepped back. I was grateful to have the space to breathe and to push the bond down again.

There were a million things I wanted to say, but with Samson so close, I knew that I needed to be alone. He only watched me as I bolted across the hall to my room, slamming the door behind me before sliding down it till I was on the floor with my head in my hands.

How in the world was I supposed to get out of this situation? Even more important, how the hell was I supposed to get out of this situation without ending up in my worst enemy’s bed?

Chapter 6 - Samson

It had been three days since I brought Kiera and Kit home, and it was going as well as could be expected with a new wife who longed to rip out my throat.

After the initial celebration, which I'd done my best to make welcoming for my mate and son, everyone was going about their usual routine. My pack members were, in general, accepting of Kiera. Of course, I expected nothing less as their leader, but I wasn't blind to how Kiera had been treated before she left town.

Her parents were average shifters, neither of them very dominant, but Kiera showed absolutely no shifting ability during her entire time with the Saltfangs. There had been talk that the Langley's only daughter had been born human, and it had been a source of ridicule towards her.

For my own part, I didn't go out of my way to treat her poorly, but I also wasn't interested in wasting my time at all with a weak, no-name pack member. Was I cold to her? Sure. But it was the same with everyone who didn't benefit me either personally or as a pack leader.

It was a shock when she presented as an Omega and went into heat, and even more of a shock when I found myself unable to stay away from her. Even now, when she isn't in heat, her scent is driving me up and down the walls of my own home. My mate smelled like sweet lemon candy, and my mouth literally watered for her.

As soon as I woke up, I searched for any excuse to get some fresh air, which was how I'd ended up outside on a warm spring morning washing my Jeep.

The sun was warm on my bare shoulders, and for the moment, everything felt calm. The pack was safe, and my Omega and son were under my roof. For the first time since I discovered that Kiera had fled with my heir, I felt a measure of peace.

I was still trying to wrap my head around the change in Kiera, and her newfound stubbornness pissed me off at times, but it was also good to see her not cowering or afraid.

And then there was Kit. The boy was interested in everything I did, and took all sorts of chances to escape from Kiera to act as my shadow no matter what I was doing. He asked a ton of questions about being a shifter, the pack, Crystal Creek, and anything else that came to his mind. He was so innocent and curious that it shook something loose inside of me. I should still be furious that Kiera kept him from me—hell, a large part of me still was—but the primal, possessive, Alpha part was simply glad I had them both now. Right where they belonged.

"Still brooding, boss?"

I didn't flinch when Nayeli's voice rang out behind me, but it was a close thing. My cousin was impossible to miss on that bright morning—short and softly built, dressed in a neon blue hoodie sporting some anime character on the front, with her blond curls piled in a messy bun on top of her head, Nayeli was the most unwerewolf-looking wolf I'd ever met. She came bearing gifts to make up for scaring the shit out of me—a stack of papers and a drink carrier with two cups of coffee.

Taking the coffee first, I took a long swig before speaking, "You're supposed to call before coming over."

"And you're supposed to answer when I do," she countered, shoving the stack of papers into my hands, not even waiting for me to dry them off. "Pack finances, border patrols, and an update on those rogue shifter sightings. Besides forgetting your phone, you're doing a decent job, big guy."

"I don't pay you to sass me, Naye."

"Yeah, yeah," she waved a hand at me dismissively and picked up a car wash wand, getting to work on my jeep. I shook my head but couldn't stop a small grin from forming.

Nayeli might have been weird and mouthy, but she was one hell of an assistant, and there was nobody I trusted more with my money. When my great-grandfather had founded the pack in Crystal Creek, he’d bought a ton of land. The houses that he built on those pieces of land brought in enough rent money to keep my family comfortable for generations. It was still pouring in at a steady pace, but I was the only member of my family left, and I definitely needed helped organizing it all. Combinedwith the pack politics, an assistant like Nayeli was a lifesaver.

"So," she started, scrubbing vigorously at a stubborn spot on my Jeep's hood. "What's the plan for the Ome——Kiera? How do we know we can trust her?"

"She was a pack member for two decades before she ran," I reminded her, "She has no reason to betray us."

"I suppose not," Nayeli pushed up her sleeves and kept washing. "Good to see that she's putting roots down in town. I guess that means she knows you aren't going to let her leave anything soon."

I froze. "What do you mean by putting down roots?"

Nayeli shrugged. "I stopped into that new coffee shop downtown, and she was working. Kit was tucked into a corner booth, reading. Don't worry. Both of them looked pretty content."

She continued to ramble on, but I stopped listening. Instead, I could only hear a low buzz in my ears. Kiera had a job. My mate was out in town working at some little café I had never seen in my whole life. It was all fine and well that she was taking care of our son and helping around the house, but the idea that she would think about going into town and finding some job like I would allow her to have a life outside the pack, let alone one without me, filled me with fury.

How dare she? I wasn't about to be humiliated by my own mate and be the laughingstock of my pack because I couldn't keep her in line. That kind of disobedience would not be tolerated. She had already gotten away from me once, and that wouldn't happen again.

Nayeli finally shut up as she noticed the expression on my face. "Uhhh, what did I say?"

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