Page 7 of The Alpha's Bullied Pregnant Mate

Isla groaned and stuffed another spoonful of cereal into her mouth. She glanced at her father and nodded encouragingly in response. He took a bite from his sandwich and wiped his thin lips with the back of his hand.

“For weeks, it was the only thing we could talk about at the palace,” he continued. “Imagine it, Fannar, all alone, crossing into the territory of the dangerous and murderous bears. Picture him waltzing through the front door, leaving only blood and carnage in his wake.

“He rips through the place, and rescues Larsen’s grand kid while at it, and returns to Frost Peak without so much as a scratch or a bruise. And you know the best part? He managed to do that without starting a freaking war! Insane, right?”

Flecks of food flew from his mouth and his wife eyed him unpleasantly. Isla took slim comfort from the knowledge that her mother didn’t share her father’s enthusiasm for Fannar this morning. It would have made breakfast most unpleasant for her.

The day had only just begun, but she already felt bone weary. Her father had spent the last twenty minutes talking about Fannar, about what an amazing man he was, and all his feats and accomplishments.

She couldn’t stand it, but there was no way for her to show it. She couldn’t blame him much for adoring Fannar as much as he did. He had worked in the palace for years, and had known Fannar since he was a child. To hear her father talk about the man, it was easy to mistake him for Fannar’s parent.

Isla, on the other hand, had avoided the alpha as best as she could after high school graduation, seeing him only in passing and never trying to attract his notice or attention.

She held tightly onto that experience with him in the cafeteria, and she dreaded every situation that brought them into any sort of proximity. She avoided pack events, and played the part of a social recluse and outcast to perfection.

She’d also never told her parents what he’d done to her, so there was no way for them to understand just how much she detested him, or how severely he had helped damage her.

She couldn’t blame her father for thinking so highly of him. He had no reason to see Fannar in another light. Unsurprisingly, he was well liked and highly respected by the entire pack, by all accounts she’d heard.

That irked her. Either nobody knew him for the monster he was, or they all knew, and embraced him much tighter for it. For whatever reason, he was a shining star in a cloudless sky, the alpha who could do no wrong.

Isla looked up from her cereal bowl. “I don’t think he was alone, though.”

Her father frowned. “Yeah/ And how exactly would you know that, dear?”

“Way I heard it, there were two of them. The other an alpha as well, from another pack. A member of the legendary alpha coalition, I’m guessing.”

“You can’t go believing everything you hear now, can you?”

Isla shrugged. “Some other accounts say it was the entire group of alphas that attacked the were-bears, and the casualties were much lower in that account. I don’t know, dad, but that seems the most believable to me.”

“And why’s that?”

“I don’t know, it just makes more sense. It’s not like the were-bears roll over easy. I’m sure Fannar is an impressive warrior, but taking on an entire operations base all by himself? I guess it just sounds embellished to me.”

“Isla honey. You know how your father gets when his version of events gets questioned.” Her mother gave her a knowing smile that said she knew Isla was pulling her old man’s legs.

“Fine, dad. Who cares how many they were? What’s important is that the girl is safe, and we don’t have a war on our hands. Right?”

“Exactly,” her mother said. “Now, can we finish breakfast and head for the meeting?”

“I care,” her father murmured under his breath, “and I say he was alone, and that’s that.”

“Sure he was,” Isla said, pushing her seat backwards and rounding the table to where her father sat. She put her arms around him and hugged him, ignoring the pout on his face. “Of course he was all alone dad. Now, won’t you smile for me?”

***

The town hall was almost full. Despite the hundreds of wolves in attendance, however, there was no jostling or rowdy noises, just the soft hum of dozens of conversations.

Isla followed closely behind her father as he wound a path through the crowded hall. He found a spot several feet from the elevated dais. Isla hated how close they were to the podium. She could clearly see Fannar on the raised platform talking to the pack’s elders, and she had a compelling urge to run and hide.

“Perfect,” her father said. “We got here just in time. Looks like they are just about getting started.”

There was a loud shuffling sound as people took their seats and conversation ended. Isla sat between her parents, her eyes glued to the tall, handsome alpha now standing alone on the platform.

Not much had changed. She felt her heart quicken and swallowed heavily. Sweat broke out on the back of her neck and she felt the hairs stand on her skin. Fannar moved with a cat like grace, sliding like oil as he took in the crowd in front of him.

She had not seen him this close in a long time. And the sight of him was breathtaking. He had on a white fur coat, buttoned all the way up. His gray pants were tucked into sturdy black boots, and skin tight gloves completed the outfit.

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