Page 49 of Thor's Unexpected Mate

“Right. I will.”

“We’ll call another tonight.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Get some rest.”

With that, Baldr left the suite. I sat there alone in my chair, listening to Flynn on the other side of the door. Leaning back, I closed my eyes, the exhaustion washing over me from spending the entire night awake and fucking like animals.

This was so much more than I bargained for when I met Flynn. But I couldn’t give him up. I was going to make it work no matter what.

We’d figure it out together.

Somehow.

Chapter Twenty: Flynn

I sat in a chair just off Thor’s left as the large meeting hall in front of me began to fill up with people. Well, not people, werewolves. Every single one of them looked my way suspiciously, clearly not recognizing me as one of their pack. More than a few lifted their nose to the air, sniffed, and made a face before going back to whispering amongst themselves.

I’d been dreading this moment all day. Ever since I told Thor about my Nana’s story, and he mentioned the fact that he wanted me at the pack meeting that night. We had a nice long talk about what that meant and how it was going to be a tough road for the both of us. But neither of us wanted to leave and there didn’t seem to be much choice either than to simply deal with the discomfort. He assured me the pack would come around eventually. But after seeing their faces and the dirty looks, I wasn’t so sure.

Still, they filtered in one by one and eventually both Baldr and Loki came to sit on the other side of Thor. Loki glared at me a few times but didn’t say a word. Baldr, on the other hand, greeted me warmly and even shook my hand. Obviously, I liked him better. It wasn’t every day that your new lover’s brother was not only completely okay with you usurping his entire culture but also found the self-control to be friendly. Then again, I had a feeling he was just a decent sort of fella.

Finally, Thor lifted his hands to quiet the room, and I felt my heart rate triple. This was the moment I’d been dreading all day. The reason that I was unable to get any sleep even though I was exhausted.

“Welcome everyone,” Thor began, bringing the room to a hush. “First off, I want to apologize for missing the meeting last night. I had some… unexpected business to take care of, but rest assured that I’m at your disposal now.”

“What’s the human doing here?!” someone in the crowd cried out.

I didn’t see who it was, but Thor seemed to zero in on them immediately.

“There are two things we’re going to address tonight,” Thor replied calmly. “And that is one of them. So, if you'll bear with me for a moment, we’ll get started.”

Thor glanced my way, giving me a small nod. That was my cue to come join him. I felt my knees shaking as I stood up, but he held out his hand to steady me and guide me over to the podium.

“This human’s name is Flynn. He has been a guest at our resort for the past few days after I found him half-dead in a ravine.” He looked down at me, then back to the crowd. “When I laid eyes on him under the light of the full moon, I was struck with a feeling, something I couldn’t ignore. Usually I’d call an ambulance for a hurt guest and send them on their way. But with Flynn, I couldn’t.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Because Flynn… Flynn is my mate.”

The entire room erupted with raucous fury. Both Baldr and Loki were on their feet trying to calm people down while Thor rushed to my side. He put himself between me and the rest of the room, throwing his arms wide just in case someone tried to come for me. I quickly grabbed the back of his jeans, pressing myself close to him.

“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice rising over the noise. “I’ll protect you no matter what.”

There was a rush of affection through my chest as I held onto him. I believed what he said, I could hear the conviction in his voice. No matter what happened, I knew he would keep me safe. And that, above all else, was probably the most wonderful feeling I’d ever had.

It took two full minutes for the room to quiet down enough that Thor could talk over them. He urged the wolves to their seats and only when they were all silent did he step away from me and back to the podium.

“I understand you probably have concerns about this courtship considering the long-standing laws of our pack. But I’m here to offer you a different perspective.” He paused for a moment, looking out over them. “I met this man under the light of a full moon when my wolf senses were at their strongest. The connection between us is stronger than anything I’ve ever felt in my entire life. And he’s had the correct reaction to my blood proving that he is indeed my mate. The moon goddess has sent him to me, and it is neither my place nor yours to deny such a bond. If it wasn’t meant to be, then the signs would not be there.”

There was no retort from the audience, but I could tell they were still furious. All of them were thinking quickly, desperately searching for some way to make sure that we couldn’t be together. But, when nobody spoke, Thor continued.

“And it seems his coming to us was an act of serendipity,” he said. “Because we now know that not only has the Skoll Alpha attacked our own, but he’s been trying and has possibly succeeded killing humans as well.” A hush fell over the room. “You know as well as I that if anything were to draw the ancient wolf hunters to us, it’s the death of a human.”

Suddenly everyone was on the edge of their seat.

“Flynn?” he said, holding out a hand. “Will you tell us what your grandmother’s story is?”

I nodded, getting up from the chair. All eyes were on me as I stepped over to the podium, taking Thor’s place. He stayed right there, his massive hand resting on the small of my back, showing me his support. I looked out over the crowd that I knew hated me even though they were giving me their full attention.

I took a deep breath.

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