Inevitably Yours

Courtney’s face blanched; she wasn’t prepared to be questioned. I could smell her fear, and she pulled at the hem of her shirt nervously as if she wanted to cover herself with as much of the fabric as possible.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” I said, trying to reassure her. “You are safe in Stary for as long as you want or need it, but I need to know what’s going on. This feels like a lot more desperation from Wild Paws to get you back than it should, even with what he’s done to you. Why wouldn’t he choose a new mate and start on a boy again?”

One thing had bugged me during the ordeal with Tyson yesterday. Courtney had a clear and visible mark on her shoulder from him, while Tyson did not. If he rejected her, he would have a much easier time surviving the bond break since she had not marked him.

Courtney took a deep breath, and with the expression of someone who thoroughly checked out of herself, she pulled her shirt up to her chin. I averted my eyes quickly, not understanding what she was doing, but Quinn nudged me, and I brought them back to Courtney again. What I saw sickened me to the core. She’d been branded on the left side of her chest over her heart with an intertwining W and P visible over the cup of her bra. She dropped her shirt back down, pulling it into place and continuing to tug at it while we waited for her to speak.

“In Wild Paws, the ranked members have a harem of chosen mates. We are chosen for familial traits that might produce powerful ranked members to continue on down the line. As far as the Alpha is concerned, he owns all of the girls in the packhouse, but we are mated to one of the ranked members. It’s just-”

“Courtney, you don’t have to continue. You’ve told us enough,” Quinn said softly. I could feel a mixture of despair and disgust coming through our bond, so I reached under the table to rest my hand on her thigh, squeezing it reassuringly.

“No,” Courtney sighed. “I need to tell someone. I’ve already started, and you’ve saved my life. The least I could do is tell you from what.”Belongs © to NôvelDrama.Org.

“From here forward, it’s up to you what you want to disclose. We had no idea, and I wouldn’t have pressed you if I had known,” I told her, a familiar rage igniting in my chest and spreading.

“Right after I graduated high school, Tyson started to come around. He was sweet, and he really paid attention to me. He took me to dinners, brought me flowers, and he was patient when I told him I wanted to wait. He was the picture of the perfect gentleman. I knew his fated had died a few years before, and I worried about finding my fated and hurting him. After about six months, he asked me if I would consider becoming his mate. I’d started to fall in love with him, and I stupidly said yes. My parents were ecstatic that I was being mated to our Beta; I finally gave in that night, and we were mated and marked. That’s when the nightmare started.”

That same dead-in-the-eyes look was back, and I imagined what she would tell us next wouldn’t be pleasant. I wished that I could take away the pain for her, but right now, it seemed like she needed us just to listen. I can’t imagine there was anyone in Wild Paws that would believe her, much less listen to this.

“We mated, and he marked me in his room at the packhouse. I didn’t know, but that was how they planned it. The next morning, I opened my eyes to see Alpha Wilkes and the rest of the other ranked members of the pack filling the room, smiling down at me. I was terrified, but I hoped it was just some weird welcoming party. I was right, but that party wasn’t for me. I looked at Tyson next to me, and he just shrugged. His demeanor had completely changed from caring and loving to something different overnight. Alpha Wilkes made me come to the end of the bed and uncover myself, and that’s when Tyson held my arms so Wilkes could brand me. He explained that it meant I now belonged to them and could never talk about what happened in the packhouse. Alpha Wilkes said now that I was branded, it was time to welcome me to the house and teach me my place. As Alpha, he would be taking his turn first…. We didn’t leave that room until the next morning. They came and went throughout the day, leaving at least a few behind at a time.”

Tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks, and she wasn’t looking at us but more through us. It looked like she was back in that room with them, but I didn’t know how to snap her back to us. Touching her was out; I knew she trusted me to a point, but after what she’d been through, I didn’t want to scare her.

“Courtney,” Quinn said softly. She didn’t seem like she’d heard Quinn the first time. “Courtney?”

“Yes?” Courtney responded, shaking her head minutely and looking at Quinn directly.

“Can we pause a moment while I make us some tea?” she asked kindly.

I thought this was a great idea. More and more, Quinn’s food was having this rejuvenating effect on the consumer. Sapphire and Eros were sure her magic was channeling into her cooking. She kept making this tea that instantly made the drinker feel relaxed. Hopefully, Quinn could help Courtney calm down some before she continued her story. Courtney nodded to Quinn and then remained quiet; her eyes stayed down on the table as if she were ashamed by what she just told us.

“Courtney,” I said as Quinn left, trying to keep my voice low and as soft as possible. “You aren’t stupid, and what happened to you isn’t your fault. You didn’t ask for this, and although I can’t take away the pain, I will make sure this never happens to you again.”

“Thank you, Alpha,” she said after a drawn silence. She didn’t say anything else until Quinn returned with tea and snacks. I loved her; food was always her medicine.

Once Courtney took a drink, I could tell the tea was helping. Her breathing calmed and the slightest bit of color returned to her face. When she was ready, she started again.

“I was pregnant almost right away. When they found out it was a girl, I learned they sell female pups to various places. Alphas who like to raise their own harems, traffickers who sell time with the supernatural to humans, and other horrible places. When my first daughter was born, I tried to escape. Tyson and Wilkes beat me until I thought I would die, and it was only a day after the birth. I still don’t know how I survived it. This continued until now, when you took me in. That’s why the other mates wouldn’t come with me. They’re too scared. But I won’t give them another baby to sell. I would rather die, and if I need to leave because of all the trouble I’m causing-”

“Stop,” I interrupted. “We’re not asking you to leave. I wanted answers, but I didn’t expect all of this.”

“I’m sorry…” she apologized, her voice full of desperation.

“Don’t apologize for something you didn’t do,” I told her, trying to catch her eyes with mine.

“I’m sorr- Okay,” she replied, looking back at me finally.

“Courtney, would you like to become a member of our pack? You and your pup?” I asked; there was no reason for this to go on any further.

“Wait. R-really? Are you sure?” she stuttered, trying to find words.

“Of course we’re sure,” Quinn answered for me. I could feel love and warmth through our bond, so I could tell she agreed with me.

“You will always have a place here,” Nic chimed in. I could see the rage welling beneath the surface. I had something for her once this conversation was over.

“Goddess, yes,” Courtney sobbed, now completely breaking down. I let Quinn walk over and attend to her as I felt the connection form between me and the newest member of our pack, and I pulled Nic aside.

“You want an outlet for what you’re feeling right now?” I linked, not wanting to be overheard by Courtney.

Her eyes were dark as she replied, looking back at Courtney momentarily, “What did you have in mind?”

–

“Alpha!” a voice broke into my mind, waking me from a deep sleep. When I opened my eyes, the window in our room was still dark. It took a while to calm down after we settled Courtney back home, so I hadn’t been asleep very long.

“What is it?” I asked, recognizing the voice as Andrea’s. I’d found out that she’d previously been a warrior under my father and quit when Lawrence took over. After what happened with the rogues, she’d asked to come back, and I happily agreed.

“It’s Courtney. You should get here fast. I’ve already called the pack doctor.”

“Is she alive?” I asked, not knowing whether I wanted the answer to that question.

“For now,” she answered, not sounding confident she’d stay that way.

A cold chill ran down my spine, and I was out of bed and through our bedroom window before I could explain what was happening to a startled Quinn. I linked her to stay home while I figured out what was going on as I ran.

When I got to where we’d set Courtney up to stay, the scene was awful. There was b***d everywhere. When we took her home after everything, she told us the family hosting her had left for a long weekend, leaving plenty of food and a car behind for her. It hadn’t occurred to me that after all that happened, she would be alone.

Courtney’s face looked awful, covered in dry b***d and bruising. As I got a better look at her, I realized her shirt had been ripped open, and I could see dark, caked b***d where her branding should have been. The doctor locked eyes with me and winced; I almost threw up at the realization that it had been cut off her. The doctor was tending to her face, cleaning it so Courtney could open her eyes again. Luckily, her healing seemed to be working, and the doctor reported confidence that she would only sustain a few scars once everything was healed. Once she was awake, he silently added that only time would tell with her pup, and he would do everything he could.

I asked Andrea what happened, and Courtney cut in to answer, explaining that the Beta sent one of his friends to bring her back. She fought him and told him she was already a member of Stary Pack, and they could not touch her. Before she could link for help, he decided to punish her. My b***d boiled as Andrea explained that the patrol hadn’t caught onto anyone from Wild Paws coming into Stary. I cursed myself for not having enough warriors to ensure the safety of my pack members. If anything, this only stoked the fire for my plans more.

I promised Courtney that I would have good news for her by the time I saw her next as the doctor dressed her chest. She smiled softly through the b***d still clinging to the bruised parts of her face and told me she had already gotten the best news when I made her a member of my pack. I felt her words deep in my gut, but I was determined to give her something better than that.

–

I quickly explained what happened to Quinn upon my return. She sighed and shook her head through it all.

“First, you use another wolf as a wrecking ball through our front door,” Quinn started on me after I finished.

“I told you, I’m sure I can fix that. I can pull fruit from a tree with a whip; wood and nails won’t be that hard,” I cut in. She held up her hand for me to stop.

“Then you jump out of the window and run off into the night, scaring me out of my skin as you do. And all you offer is stay put. Michael…” she finished with a sigh. She ran her hands over her face while I pulled clothes on. “Are you really sure you want to do this?” Quinn asked carefully.

I knew she was equally upset about everything as I was. While she had a temper from time to time, she was the more methodical one between us, preferring to think everything through before acting. “As sure as I was about challenging Lawrence,” I answered. I needed her to understand. Nic and I had been through hundreds of scenarios, trying to figure out how we could handle Wild Paws already, but the situation with Courtney changed everything.

“I have to stay here, don’t I?” she asked sadly.

I walked over and bent down to k**s her deeply before answering, “Do you want to come?”

Even under the grim circumstances of our discussion, her face brightened. “Really?” she questioned in disbelief.

“As long as you stay with the warriors, yes, you can come with us.” I couldn’t leave her behind forever. Not only was she Luna, but she was also a budding warrior in her own right. I had to treat her as both. She jumped up and gave me a rib-crushing hug.

“Thank you,” she said simply and then ran to her closet to change.

I pulled on my sword belt and sheathed my weapons in preparation for what was to come. If it went as I thought it would, I wouldn’t need them this time, but they still made a statement. I could feel Eros pulsing within me, and I thought it was time to let him out.

–

By noon, a unit of warriors gathered at the packhouse to accompany us, and the rest were on high alert, patrolling the pack. As Andrea was one of the most experienced among them, I tasked her with being Quinn’s personal guard. She was not to leave her side, even if Quinn was with me.

It was not the most impressive caravan, but eight cars left our packhouse and headed straight to Wild Paws’ packhouse. No one was outside when we arrived, all parking along the edge of the road. As we exited the vehicles and the warriors quickly took formation behind Nic, Quinn, and I, a unit of Wild Paws warriors was coming around the packhouse.

“Alpha Wilkes!” I yelled, my voice booming across the front lawn and echoing off the building. Even as a kid, I always wondered why this packhouse was much larger than ours. “Alpha Michael of Stary Pack formally requests the presence of the Alpha and Beta of Wild Paws, immediately.”