by Jade Royal
“Wrong one,” Kellan growled. “Back the fuck up.” Dell backed down without a question.
“I’m just trying to keep them from fighting,” Dell said.
“Your alpha female can’t just attack my less dominant female.”
“Yeah well, she needs to learn to shut her mouth! I already warned her about taking shots at any of the wolves here. So clearly she wants to challenge me.”
“It’s not my fault she’s keeping secrets! Go on, ask her what she’d hiding!”
“She doesn’t have to prove herself to you!” Bliss snapped. “Just who the fuck do you think you are?!”
“I’m the only one willing to call on the truth here! Everyone knows something is up, and no one wants to speak on it, but I will! Tell us what’s going on Rita!” She shouted.
“Yes Rita, tell us.” Jayce’s menacing voice came from behind her. Rita jumped and turned around to see her mate breathing down her neck. She was panicking so much she hadn’t heard or scented him come up behind her.
“Jayce,” she breathed.
“You’re gonna let her hassle your mate like that?” Bliss gasped.
“I just want answers,” Jayce replied not breaking eye contact with Rita. He stepped forward, but Rita only backed up.
“I wanna know,” Jayce gritted. “Why you’ve taken showers, and I can smell soap on you; you’ve been in the hot springs, but yet still all I can smell when I come near you is Maverick’s scent. We all can fucking smell it, but no one wanted to give you a hard time. But I find it fucking hard to ignore now Rita. So Mira says you’re hiding something. What the fuck are you hiding?” Rita just shook her head her words unable to form in her head, therefore, nothing came out of her mouth. What was she going to say?
“Out with it!” Jayce yelled. Bliss rushed over and stood between Rita and Jayce. She pushed Jayce back.
“Get off her back Jayce! She’s been held captive by a lunatic, but you wanna be here giving her more grief. So what if she has a secret. She doesn’t have to tell you shit!”
“Bliss, move,” Jayce said. “This is between me and my mate.”
“He’s right Bliss,” Kellan spoke up. He took Bliss by the arm and pulled her away softly.
“Jayce please,” Rita begged. “The scent it’ll go away I just don’t know how long and-”
“Rita help me out here,” Jayce pleaded. “I’m losing my fucking mind. I’m craving you in a way I can’t even begin to comprehend. I’ve always wanted a place in your life despite our differences. Just tell me. Please.” Rita exhaled a shaky breath. She looked around at her entire pack before looking back at the desperateness in Jayce’s eyes. After that, she just knew it she couldn’t hide it anymore. Unable to look at him Rita pushed her sister locks back and away from her shoulder to show him Maverick’s claiming bite. The air seemed sucked out of the cave at her reveal. Rita brought her eyes slowly towards Jayce. He was standing stoically, his chest rising and falling faster with each breath. He looked between her and the mark his eyes flashing rapidly between his human eyes and his wolf eyes.
“You-I don’t understand,” he spoke, his voice a deep growl and almost inhuman.
“I’m sorry,” Rita whispered. Jayce pressed the heel of his hands against his temple as if his head was about to explode. He hunched over, his canines filling his mouth. Kellan pushed Rita back while the other male wolves stood in front of the she-wolves. It was evident Jayce was about to go feral. But she saw Jayce try and control himself.
“Alpha. Beta. Omega,” he growled with his heels still pressed to his temple. He blinked his eyes and repeated the mantra over and over, but his wolf still continued fight. Hating to see her mate in that kind of turmoil, Rita skirted from behind Kellan and went over to Jayce.
“Rita no!” Kellan shouted. But it was already too late. Rita was in front of Jayce holding his face trying to talk to him.
“Come back to me,” she whispered. He locked eyes with her, and for a moment they were human. Rita thought she’d gotten through to him but then his eyes went back wolf and he growled at her. With movements faster than she could track, he ripped her arms from him and twisted them. Rita squealed in pain, and he immediately let her go. With him towering over her Rita fell back, falling on her ass. He pounced on her, pushing her flat on the ground with his hand on her chest. Rita tapped into his head and heard a barrage of thoughts, but it was all geared to his hurt. He was past just being hurt. He was crushed. His wolf pushed through his human features giving him a snout. Jayce growled down in her face looking as if he wanted to end her life right then and there through all his pain. Rita wished he would. She wanted him to end it all for her. But something gave him restraint. He bellowed in her face before backing off. His muscles began to shift under his skin. A howl ripped from his lungs as he went into shift. He raced away running as fast as he could to get out of the cave.
“Follow him!” Kellan ordered Tristan. Tristan immediately ran after Jayce to make sure he didn’t go rogue and be lost to the pack both physically and mentally. Rita watched Tristan leave, sitting up slowly. Tears streaked down her face as defeat filled her. She looked at everyone around her, and they all wore solemn expressions, and no one could figure out what to say. And then Rita looked at Mira. Fury and hatred bled through her defeat. Even if she didn’t want to tell anyone about her bite she knew she would have to. But Mira took the choice of when to come clean to her pack away from her. And that’s what was pissing Rita off. She had yet to release her wolf since she’d been back and right at that moment seemed to be a perfect time. Rita didn’t have a slow burn of her emotions. She didn’t let it stew or even think about her attack. One moment she was sitting there crying, and the next her claws and canines were out and ready to attack. She launched herself at Mira and just inches from her claws connecting to Mira’s skin Rita felt herself being held back.
“Let me go!” Rita screamed, almost begging to get her hands on Mira.
“None of this is my fault!” Mira shouted. “It was your secret!”
“Who gives you the right!” Rita cried out. “Maverick gave me hell. Jayce is my mate and anything to further split us apart kills me. And you think being claimed by another wolf is something I want to reveal to everybody? You don’t think that maybe I just wanted to come clean to my mate in private? Who the fuck do you think you are huh?” Mira continued to hide behind Dell not saying a word. She had a reason to hide. The other she-wolves were being affected by Rita’s anger. Amber, Maya, and Brandy had their claws out and were growling. Their agitation triggered Gemma and Bliss and whereas Kyra was the more wolf in control even she was ready to fight.
Kellan saw the massacre about to happen and wanted to put an end to it immediately before it got well out of control. He turned to his she-wolves and blared his alpha vibes onto them seemingly crushing them with his power until their wolves submitted and backed off. Bliss was the only wolf that was left standing, but her wolf was subdued.
“Are we calm?” Kellan asked. Each wolf nodded. He let go of Rita. She didn’t go for the attack again, but her anger and loathing didn’t dwindle.
“Kellan,” she snapped. “I am your wolf. I am part of your pack. This newcomer or whatever the fuck she is has just violated me! As my alpha, you need to defend my honor! No one knows what the fuck I sacrificed for my freedom and their freedom,” Rita pointed at Amber, Maya, and Brandy.
“And I’ll be damned if this fucking fortune teller comes here and makes me out to be a betrayal to my pack.”
“You’re right Rita,” Kellan said.
“She has violated you. But you should know that none of us think any different of you. I trust you with my life as I’m sure the rest of the pack does. Unfortunately, I am not her alpha. I cannot punish her. That duty lays with Dell.” Kellan looked at Dell.
“But I will say if Mira is not punished for her actions today, I will have to ask your pack to leave our home. And I’m pretty sure you need our protection more than I need yours,” Kellan
said. Dell just gave a curt nod.
“Pack meeting tonight at ten,” Kellan informed them. With that, he and Jaxson walked away talking about going to help Tristan handle Jayce.
“You’re gonna have to do a hell of a lot to earn our trust again,” Bliss spat at Mira.
“Come on girls.” Bliss came over to Rita and took her hand. She put her arm around Rita’s waist and led her away.
They went to Rita’s room, and Rita sank into her bed. Her body was numb as her heart was in despair. Realizing she didn’t know what else to do, Rita hid her face in her pillow and just wept.
Chapter Thirteen
Jayce was at a loss for words. His mate claimed by someone else. The one thing he was holding onto was the fact that he had put a mark on Rita. But that was completely drowned out by another wolf’s mark and that’s what undid Jayce. He paced back and forth in wolf form.
Do you think Rita would want him to mark her? Tristan asked in Jayce’s mind. Tristan’s wolf was sitting alertly watching Jayce pace.
I know she didn’t want it. But I can’t control how my wolf feels. How I feel. Imagine marking Gemma, and some other wolf had the audacity to mark her too. The universe gave her to me. Not to Maverick, not anyone else. Me.
You know it would be just like Maverick to mark any female he captures. He’s sick in the fucking head.
Your mate needs you. Kellan came into the clearing in wolf form with Jaxson next to him. Jayce turned and looked at his alpha.
I know how hard it may be to control your emotions or even think straight. But just look inside yourself and feel your mate’s need for you. What Maverick did was fucked up. And we’re gonna get him for it that’s for damn sure. But in the time being, you cannot let your relationship with Rita further crumble. Kellan’s words rang true. It was all fucked up, but all Jayce should focus on was trying to heal with his mate. She’d been through too much already. Hell, he’d even almost attacked her in all his rage. Jayce stopped pacing and searched himself for his mate. He felt the wetness of her tears and knew immediately she was crying.
I want to go to her but I know I won’t be able to control my animal, Jayce admitted. Just like earlier in the day the moment he could still smell Maverick on her he felt like tearing shit up. No doubt if he went back and scented Maverick on his mate again his control was going to fall apart again.
I have silver cuffs back at the entrance of the cave. It’ll take away your powers, and your senses will be human, and it will quiet your wolf, Kellan said. Jayce showed his compliance to the plan by beginning to walk back towards their home. He’d ran for only about two miles before he stopped to gather himself.
Heading back to the cave, everyone was quiet. Jayce continued to feel how his mate needed to be comforted and that further helped him to see how much she did need him. His reaction wasn’t something he could control, but thinking about it he wished he hadn’t had that outburst. The last thing he wanted was for Rita to be afraid of him.
Before going beyond the metal door in the cave, all four of them shifted and dressed in the clothes that Kellan had set at the entrance before he went to find Jayce and Tristan. Jayce just pulled on his jeans and stood waiting for the cuffs to come.
“We’re only doing this because we want you to have control just to be around your mate. But I don’t want to keep them on for too long. Once we find Maverick, I need you at your best strength. And as Beta, you have duties regarding the three young wolves. We have to reconnect them with their pack.” Jayce nodded.
“Once I handle this with Rita I’ll get to my duties.”
“Good,” Kellan nodded. “We’ll give you space to do what you need to do. But just remember that not everything will fix itself in one day.”
“I know,” Jayce sighed. He winced as the power of his animal was trapped within him as Kellan applied the cuffs. It took him several breaths to keep composure of himself during the draining of his power. But once it was done, he headed straight to see Rita. Even though he hated keeping his wolf trapped, having the cuffs on served a very convenient purpose for the time being.
In Rita’s room, all the she-wolves were gathered on her bed talking with her softly. When he appeared in the doorway, all eyes turned to him. He showed his silver cuffs so they knew he wouldn’t be losing control. The room was dark, and Rita was tucked under the covers wearing a t-shirt that was bigger than her body and covered her completely. Jayce noticed that it was his shirt.
“Sorry, I went through your things to get it,” Gemma said.
“She needed it.”
“It’s alright,” Jayce replied. At hearing his voice, Rita turned around sharply and looked at him. He gave her a weak smile.
“Excuse me, ladies,” Jayce said to them. They all smiled at him and left the room, sending him positive vibes through their pack bond. Once they were gone, Jayce closed Rita’s door and walked over to her bed. She scooted over and made space for him to sit on the edge. He rubbed her thigh over the sheets in a comforting gesture.
“I’m sorry I attacked you the way I did,” he said. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “How-how come-” Jayce showed her the silver cuffs knowing she was going to ask why he wasn’t bugging the fuck out anymore.
“Oh,” she nodded.
“I know you didn’t ask Maverick to mark you, and he’s egotistic enough to think if he marks all the females he kidnaps then he’s some sort of supreme ruler. It was wrong of me to take my anger out on you.”
“I know you didn’t mean to attack me,” she said. “I saw you struggling with restraint.”
“Does your wolf…does she see me as her mate still or is she loyal to Maverick?” Jayce asked tentatively.
“Oh god no. She despises Maverick. When he marked me, I had on silver cuffs, but she tried hard to get out and attack him. Even with his scent on us, we know who our mate is.”
“While I have on these silver cuffs it’s probably best we talk about our future,” Jayce said.
“You know we have to complete the bond. Or else we’re going to be in pain. Unless of course, we keep marking each other, but at some point, it just won’t be enough. My wolf already feels disrespected because you were marked by someone else. So what he’s going to want is a full bond that no one can take away from us once it’s completed.”
“My wolf wants to complete the bond too. And well, so do I.”
“But obviously there’s some things in our way huh?” Jayce asked. Rita nodded.
“Move over,” he said pushing the sheet aside so he could get in next to her. Because the t-shirt she was wearing covered her scars, she was okay with him coming into the bed next to her. And then there was the fact that it was dark in the room and at the moment his vision was human. They laid facing each other.
“Being a beta is all I’ve ever wanted,” Jayce said to her.
“Growing up, my best friend was the son of the alpha, and I just knew I was never going to be an alpha. I mean, I’m strong enough for it but with the connection me, Tristan, Jax, and Kellan had we already knew what positions we would have. And it’s what we’ve done now. I followed around the beta’s of the pack all through my childhood, and when Kameron made me beta, it was the best day of my life. This isn’t just a job you know. It’s who I am. Just as mush as Kellan is an alpha.”
“That’s why I would rather not mate than to have you leave your position. At first, I thought you would, and it was wrong of me to suggest that you should step down. I don’t want to take anything from you.”
“Not having you takes something away from me Rita. You have to know that.”
“But what about me wanting a pup? That’s not something you want.”
“Because I don’t want you to feel as if I’m neglecting our pup because I’m fulfilling beta duties. And if we’re going to be the beta couple a pup could always complicate things.”
“I never knew my parents,” Rita sighed.
“I grew up as an orphan. I had a pack, b
ut none of the members took care of me or wanted me around. My alpha, he didn’t tell me anything about my parents. So I slept outside didn’t have a home and I ended up eating scraps the other wolves tossed out.” Even though his wolf was subdued, that didn’t stop the animal from feeling anger at the way his mate was treated.
“When I hit puberty and shifted for the first time there was no one to help me along. No one to guide me through the shift.”
“What about your heating cycle? After you shifted?”
“I just dealt with it,” she said.
“Every time I went into heat I dealt with it. But after my first shift, the alpha wanted to make me his mistress or fuck buddy or whatever you wanna call it. His mate was not happy and thought that I was the one trying to fuck her man so being part of the alpha pair, she banished me from the pack. And I was only 17. I was an omega until I stumbled upon Kameron’s pack and found you.”
“I can’t believe it,” Jayce shook his head.
“I always endured the pain of my heat cycle because I knew that because I didn’t have anyone who cared for me, or who loved me or called me family, I would one day want my own. I’d find my mate who’d love me to the end of time, and we’d have pups that I could love and show them what it means to help others and be kind. I couldn’t risk fucking anyone during my cycle and ending up with a pup to someone who didn’t love me.” Jayce was beginning to understand why she thought nothing else of her future but having pups because she didn’t have family, to begin with.
“I just find it crazy how you were able to survive being an omega since you were 17 Rita. That’s fucking incredible. It makes me so proud that I have a mate as strong as you.” Doubt crept into Rita’s body. Yes, he was complimenting her on her strength. But instead of fighting her way out of Maverick’s clutches, she gave up on that and decided to just fuck the man instead. What would he think of her if he knew that?
“I’m not that strong,” she sighed. Jayce pushed her locks from her face. Laying there and looking into her beautiful face he was tempted to do much more than to just lay with her. Leaning forward he pressed a small kiss to her lips.
