Page 26 of The Alpha's Reclaimed Mate

“I apologize for the thoughts she might have put in your head, but she in no way represents the ideals of the Grey Creek Pack,” continued Oswald. “I’ve already banished her from the Lodge and stripped her of her rank. This Omega shouldn’t even be standing before us in my office.”

Every word Oswald said made me feel smaller and smaller. I lost the strength to look at anyone and just stared at the ground in humiliation. This man beside me wasn’t just some IT technician who’d gifted me prey out of the goodness of his heart. This was the Silent Shadows Alpha. This was Lucas Black, the wolf at the top of the totem pole, leader of not just his pack but also the subsidiary packs! This entire time, it was Lucas Black who invited me to run with him, who fought beside me, who watched over me last night!

How could I not have known? I felt so stupid that I wanted to fall apart.

“Even now, she’s putting on a show, trying to twist our feelings. Don’t pay any attention to her. That’s just what she wants.”

It didn’t help that Oswald was enjoying his verbal assault of me, slicing me open with the claws of his words, destroying the image I tried to present of myself to Luke—no, Lucas. The truth was laid bare, and it was even worse than I could have imagined.

“Enough!” said Lucas.

His voice surged with anger that I knew would be directed at me. I had lied to him. He’d sunk to the level of fighting alongside an Omega. I’d embarrassed him by accepting his kindness, and now he was going to turn on me, just like Oswald.

Lucas growled and then he stepped in front of me.

“Your heartlessness appalls me, Oswald. You’ve thrown aside an exceptionally talented Alpha Female who excelled in her training for this… this stranger?” Lucas gestured at Mara, unaffected by her wide-eyed innocence. “How could you be so irresponsible?”

I stared at Lucas, stunned.

Was he actually defending me?

Chapter 11: Aria

It seemed I wasn’t the only one surprised by Lucas’ anger. Oswald gaped at Lucas before straightening up with the obvious struggle to keep his cool. “Alpha Lucas, I am anything but irresponsible. Giving Aria the rank of Alpha Female would be irresponsible. If you saw how she had behaved over the last few weeks while Mara was here, you would understand. You don’t know her like I do.”

I wanted so badly to fire back at Oswald that he didn’t know me either. He never took a chance to get to know me. But I was already in the spotlight for my rumored bad behavior, and speaking out would only dig my grave deeper. I fumed halfway between humiliation and anger.

Lucas shook his head. “Even after the few times I’ve met Aria, I can tell she would be an asset to any pack. The reports I received from her teachers during her Alpha training all came back with glowing reviews of her dedication to her work. She helped me fend off the Rogues just last night—how can you say she lacks the qualities of an Alpha Female when all the evidence suggests otherwise?”

“Rogues?” Oswald echoed, ignoring the other praise in favor of the news I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell him. “What Rogues?”

Lucas glanced at me. I dropped my eyes in shame that I hadn’t told Oswald yet, but deep inside, I had a feeling he might understand why. His hand went onto my shoulder in reassurance, making my body stiffen. “I was attacked last night,” said Lucas. “While hunting, three Rogues ambushed me. I might not have made it out alive if not for Aria showing up to lend a hand. Her bravery should be commended.”

Bristling, Oswald looked between us, then pierced me with his glare. “You didn’t think to inform me of this?”

“I tried to tell you this morning, but you weren’t in your office,” I said. “I couldn’t come to look for you in the Lodge.” I neglected to mention how I’d gone to the Lodge to work in the archives anyway.

“Because you banned her from the Lodge,” recalled Lucas. “Perhaps you would have heard the news earlier had Aria not been cut off from channels within her own pack.” Disappointment leaked through his words.

“There are multiple ways Aria could have informed me,” Oswald said, resisting the snarl in his voice. “Tell me more about these Rogues.”

“There is nothing more to tell,” said Lucas. “We couldn’t determine where they came from. They attacked us without any regard for their own lives. I don’t know what their intentions were beyond pure, senseless violence.”

The remnants of the attack were visible on Lucas. His injuries were covered in bandages, and bruises made dark spots on his arms and neck. If Oswald were a little less wrapped up in worrying about his precious Mara, maybe he would have noticed.

Oswald pursed his lips to keep a growl from escaping. “We’ll send extra patrols, then. I can’t afford to let these Rogues injure any of my packmates.”

“Good,” Lucas said immediately. “While you’re at it, have someone see to Aria’s injuries too.”

Oswald opened his mouth to protest, but the danger of arguing with the superior Alpha kept him silent.

Instead of Oswald, it was Mara who spoke, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Alpha Black, I beg you to reconsider your views of Aria. She poses as much of a danger to us as these Rogues. It’s entirely possible that she might even have been working alongside them.”

“What reason could I possibly have to work alongside murderous Rogues?” I blurted.

Mara flinched at my voice, clutching Oswald’s arm. Emotion welled up inside of her, a conjuration of indignation and frustration and desperation to be believed over me. “I think you know very well. Jealousy can make people do unbelievable things.”

“I would never endanger my own pack,” I insisted.

---