Page 40 of The Alpha's Mates

“Well, looks like we’re on our way.” She turned to Hayden. “Do you think he’s right about Christoph?”

Hayden growled. “Something is up. I’m not sure what, but I can guarantee you, Laney didn’t get those pictures to protect you. She meant to inflict damage. Plus, you still haven’t told me about the boy yet either.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too.” Didn’t mean it hurt any less. “He can’t be any more than four or five. He’s been abused. You’d have to see him to understand.” She glanced in Hayden’s direction. “Though, I bet you’d understand him more than any of us would.” She sighed before taking a sip of her soda. “I can’t stop thinking about him. I don’t understand.”

Hayden frowned. “Do you think Christoph’s parents are using the boy to force Christoph to do what they want?”

She had thought of that, too. “Maybe. I’m worried about him, and I don’t even know him.”

“You care about everyone, Bell,” Hayden said. “It’s one of your endearing qualities. If you have concerns for the boy’s safety, tell your dad. I bet he’d know all the answers you’re trying to find on your own. Or you can go to Christoph and bring it up to him yourself. You never know, what you saw in that photo could be him trying to protect everyone, including the boy, and he’s all alone.”

That thought hurt her heart more than the idea of Christoph cheating on her or, worse, lying about being her mate. “You’re right.”

“I know I am.” Hayden laughed. “Come on, the pizzas should be done.” She stood. “The only way to the truth is to get it from the horse’s mouth. Or in this case, the lion’s mouth.”

“Jackson,” Christoph yelled over the noise inside of Sigma Epsilon Xi. Isaac was being fawned over by Joy and Raquel, while Bell was nowhere to be found.

“Out here,” a man he didn’t know answered, pointing in the general direction of where Jackson was working.

“Thanks.” He stepped back out onto the new deck he hadn’t noticed when he first arrived. Rapier’s crew worked quickly and efficiently, for damn sure. Scanning the massive yard, he spotted Jackson hard at work in the far-right corner away from the pool where Christoph had been, repairing the dilapidated fence. Not wanting to draw too much attention once more by yelling across the yard, Christoph headed to him.

“Where have you been?” Jackson’s tone filled with scorn while he laid down the wood he had been nailing to the new structure.

“I’ve had some unexpected issues.” Namely, his son and Aislinn. “Plus, I was in the pool helping Rapier and Osirus.”

“Yeah, well, you’ve been mostly absent since the dinner with your parents. Bell needs us. She’s hurting. I don’t like when Bell hurts.” Jackson hammered on another nail.

“Me, neither,” he agreed.

“Whatever, dude. You’re the one hurting her. You’re warm and loving one second and a cold fish the next. Do you want to mate Bell or not?” Jackson stopped what he was doing to face off with Christoph.

Guilt washed over him. He had to tell them both the truth, but getting the words past his lips was harder than he imagined. “Yes. But it’s complicated.”

“No. No, it’s not. It’s simple. We take Bell to bed together, mate her, and mark her. See? Simple.” Jackson sighed. “Instead, our perception of the situation is that you’re not interested.”

“Have you—you know?” The rest of what he was going to say, he couldn’t force past his teeth. With everything he’d dealt with the last few days, if he found out Bell had taken the next step with Jackson, without him, it would kill him.

“No. She won’t unless it’s all together. She’s afraid of one of us feeling slighted.” Jackson went back to work on the fence.

Relief filled him. “We should talk about what’s going on.”

“About fucking time,” Jackson huffed. The scent of brimstone intensified more so than normal—a sure sign both the man and dragon were at the end of their ropes.

Even though Rapier had assured him everyone on his crew could be trusted, he still ushered Jackson away from them. For a man like him, he didn’t automatically trust the other Alpha’s word. Past experiences within his own pride and the trust others had betrayed made him overly cautious.

“Has Bell come back yet?” he pressed.

“No, not yet. She’s with Hayden. They went to go get us some pizzas. No one should hear us. The noise of the saws and hammers blocks out most of the sound.” He motioned to those who worked around them. “What’s going on? Why do you look like you’re about to puke or shit your pants?”

“My parents have set up an arranged mating, like I told you, but it’s worse than even I imagined.” He scrubbed his face. “The boy you saw last night and don’t pretend you didn’t, is my son.”

“The fuck?” Jackson stared at Christoph. “How?”

There was so much he wanted to tell his mates. “Can I explain it when Bell arrives? I’d rather say it once.” His stomach soured. “Anyway, they were going to use the boy to force me to mate someone else.”

“Bell is your mate—I am your mate.”

“They don’t give a shit, and they don’t want me to mate for love. They want me to mate for position. For power and what they can gain from it. For money. It’s fucked up, but it’s the truth. I met my betrothed today.”

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