Page 13 of Her Alpha Mate

“You haven’t?” Katya asked, the shock in her voice noticeable.

“No, she was wary already because some asshole here wants to force her to be his mate. I wanted her to be safe and offered to take her with me when we leave here. Either which way, she’s coming home with me. It’s her choice to come home as mine,” he stated fighting to keep his smile at bay knowing that.

“Of course, she’d agree to be your mate. You’re the freaking alpha regent’s heir,” Katya scoffed.

“Actually, she doesn’t know that,” he admitted surprising more than just Katya he could tell by the others’ expressions. “She doesn’t know who I am, just that I’m a member of the council and an alpha. I’m pretty sure if she knew exactly who I am she wouldn’t be as agreeable to this. She was already worried what the pack would think of me claiming an omega as mine.”

“How bad does that alpha treat the omegas?” Katya asked him, the suspicion no longer showing in her tone.

“Worse than the Hartman pack ever saw. At least they were allowed to eat dinner with everyone else, eat what everyone else did. This asshole keeps them hidden away. Aubree said there’s a dormitory for a lot of the omegas, bunkbeds for them to sleep in but she’s in a private room because the bastard is keeping her away from everyone else. That’s why I’m calling. He’s forbidden Aubree from leaving the packhouse for the last three years, from participating in any runs, and the others have orders to not allow her outside even if she would request to leave,” he explained, bringing a full shout of anger to Katya’s lips before he heard Brian’s anxious worry sound in the background.

Her hushed words to him gave him time to settle his own anger, and Simon lifted his chin towards Heath, sending his brow upward.

“The Alpha Squad landed ten minutes ago. The Bravo and Charlie Squads are with them. The Charlie squad will keep the planes under close watch while the Alpha and Bravo Squads head this way. They’ll be stationed outside until the last morning of the summit and then half will make their way inside to get you and your mate-to-be out of here.”

“Thank you,” he told them as Katya came back onto the line.

“Let me look into a few things. I know there’s rule about limitations of power, but I can’t recall exactly what they say without getting my hands on the books. I’ll get back to you tomorrow before the summit ends,” she told him, her voice softer. “If you’re claiming her simply to make the rest of us happy, please just wait. We want you to have someone to hold onto but not just to shut the rest of us up.”

“I promise, that’s not what I’m doing, Sis. Aubree…she’s pure light and kindness. She makes me feel…anything, but even when she’s with me, knowing that she needs my help, needs protection, I still feel good. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want her either. Maybe it’s not the pull of a true mate, but it’s something I don’t want to live without any longer. I don’t want to live without her,” he assured his sister before he hung up the phone letting the other two men go back to their rooms.

Nothing settled him as the hours slid from eleven to twelve, then around to two then three. He pushed off the blankets before the clock reached four, knowing he’d never get some sleep if he didn’t stop his wolf’s restlessness. The only way he saw that happening was a run.

He moved past the guards at the doors, realizing now they weren’t there for protection but to keep Aubree from leaving, and it pissed him off, sending him deep into the woods, his feet pounding on the soft earth. His wolf howled as they started back towards the packhouse, urging him to get back to Aubree and keep her next to them until they left. It wasn’t the calming he’d been looking for, but at least the animal wasn’t demanding they take their little doe now.

They reached the back of the packhouse just before five, but his wolf huffed, not wanting to go back inside just yet. He understood though. It’d only been a week and yet he was going crazy from not being outside, not running as they pleased. He couldn’t begin to imagine what Aubree felt. Her words about missing the sun shining on her made his stomach ache and he managed to get his wolf to let him take over once again so they could be one step closer to giving their girl what she needed most.

Freedom.

She needed to be able to choose what she wanted. What she wanted to do. Where she wanted to go. Who she wanted to see. And that was what he would give her, even after he claimed her. The only freedom she wouldn’t have would be to leave him.

His feet took him back up to his room, but he paused at her little nook, seeing just how tiny the space was, but mostly seeing what was most comforting to her. He wanted her to have all of it the moment they were home, and he eyed the time before making another phone call.

“You better have a damn good reason for calling at this hour, big brother,” Landon grumbled, his voice not sleepy and Heath had to hold back a chuckle, certain he’d been awake with his mate already. They were at least an hour ahead of them here, so it wasn’t entirely shocking if so.

“I need your mate’s help, but I figured you’d be pissed if I call her directly,” he said before taking some photos of the area. “I’m sending some photos. I need someone to oversee some changes to my suite I want done by tonight.”

“What the hell?” Landon said and the soft whispers made him roll his eyes before they came back to him.

“Okay, Heath, what’s going on?” Shelby asked. “This looks like something a girl would do.”

“It is something a girl did. I don’t want to explain everything right now, you can call Katya with the more pressing questions, but I found someone here. She’s not my mate but I’m claiming her as mine. I want her to be comfortable when she gets home. This was a little nook she set up to keep out of sight, somewhere she felt safe. I want her to have that when we get home.”

“Hold on, you can’t just drop a bombshell like you’re picking someone to be your mate and not expect questions from us,” Landon stated, and he let out a sigh, before giving them a short condensed version.

“I want her as mine, my wolf wants her as ours. I would rather spend the rest of my life with her than alone because stars know I’m never finding my ‘real mate’ if they even gave me one,” he grunted. “She makes me happy, and I know I can make her happy if she gives me the chance. That’s what I have here, and I want to show her that I will always do whatever I can to make her happy as well. I want her to have something that’s hers, that she can hold onto, run to if she’s ever afraid, if she can’t run to me. That’s what this space means.”

“I’ll make sure it’s done, just tell me where,” Shelby said, and Heath let out a half chuckle hearing her clearly smacking Landon’s hand away from something. “No, you are going to help me with this and keep your mouth shut. Your brother is happy. That’s all that matters.”

“Fine, but we’ll be discussing this more once you’re home so just do us a favor and don’t claim her until then,” Landon said, and he gave a garbled acknowledgement of the request before telling Shelby to have the little room at the top of his suite set up for Aubree. It was a little tower room that could only be accessed through his bedroom and would be the perfect hideaway for his little doe.

He hung up the phone after Shelby assured him, they’d get it done, and he headed back to his room, trying to shut out his wolf’s urgings to go find Aubree. To put his mark on her before someone else tried to take her from them.

He gritted his teeth as her soft smell made his entire body tense. His cock swelled and he gripped the base as he moved into his room, stopping short seeing his little doe in his bed.

“Heath?” she said, her voice half asleep and he moved to reach her, his eyes glittering madly with need.

She sat up further bringing more of her glorious scent to him, but his body froze, every nerve ending inside him awakening. The only thought rushing through his mind came out on a low growl, “Mine.”

---