Page 34 of Bound By My Alpha Mate

Kiara wrapped her hand around my arm and brushed her feet against mine, for the first time relaxing in my company. Her body eased against mine as she allowed herself to take refuge in my presence. And though my wrists were bound, I would still do all I could to protect her and shield her from everything bad. Her sorrow, her pain. If my father were to walk through that door right now, I would leap to my feet and find a way to strangle him. I couldn’t allow anything to hurt Kiara ever again.

I never should have hurt her in the first place. No matter the cost, I would prove that I was worthy of her. She was my missing piece, and I wasn’t going to let her go again.

Chapter 21

Kiara

I never thought I would find it in myself to actually give Colt a chance, but spending that day and the following night with him felt like exactly what I needed. In the evening, Billie visited us with something to eat. I snipped the zip ties around Colt’s wrists so that he could use his hands. As night fell, we lay in the bed with my temple on his shoulder, his hand on my side, gently stroking my hip under my shirt. What I felt for him wasn’t love; it was too soon to call it that. But gazing into his cool blue eyes under the dark hair hanging over his forehead, tracing the scar across the bridge of his nose, watching the way his eyebrows twinged every now and then with his thoughts—I found myself appreciating this quiet side of him.

Surprisingly, I managed to fall asleep, and I woke up the next morning before sunrise. Colt dozed peacefully beside me. He hadn’t made any attempt to harm me during the night, and I had no urge to run away.

After everyone was showered and dressed—Aislin had retrieved a new, clean outfit for me of jeans, a grey t-shirt, and a white sweater, while Colt was still in an extra pair of Everett’s shorts and a t-shirt—we gathered in the living room again. The mood was still dour, but I felt more ready to face everyone this time.

“I was thinking we should have a service for Muriel,” Billie suggested as she sat on the couch beside Gavin.

“Yeah.” The Grandbay Alpha’s gaze flicked to me. “Whether you want to believe it or not, we did care a lot about Muriel. She was like a mother to us after we took her into Grandbay and promised to protect her.”

I struggled against the envy clotting up in my throat. “My mother is a caring and generous woman. Anyone who shows her kindness receives it tenfold in return.” What I wanted to say was, You’re not special. But if these people were truly as important to Muriel as they claimed, then I had no right to disrespect the bonds she had forged while I was still searching for her. “Sure. We can have a service for her.”

Gavin squeezed Billie’s hand. “We still have some things of hers at my house. She liked to forage in the woods and make stuff—”

“I know,” I interrupted. “Painted feathers. Pressed flowers. Dreamcatchers.”

“Gavin can go get it all and bring it here,” suggested Billie.

“Where will we have the service?” asked Aislin.

“Is there a meadow or a clearing in the woods somewhere? Anyplace she used to like to visit?” I knew my mother’s favorite spots were those adorned with wildflowers, but in mid-September, I didn’t think there would be many left.

“Yes, I remember one area she liked to visit when we went for walks,” said Billie. “It’s in Grandbay. I’ll show you the way, and Gavin can meet us there.”

With a series of nods, everyone got up, setting our minds to this immediate task. It was the easiest thing to do while everything else was still up in the air.

By noon, we all gathered in the glade. A wide fringe of birch trees surrounded an open clearing filled with lush grass and a slight incline dotted with rocks and ferns. I slowly traipsed through the grass in my bare feet, searching for any sign that my mother had once passed through here, like hoof prints in the dirt or the runic scratching of a unicorn’s territory marker, but there was nothing. I just had to trust Billie’s experience with her. Colt approached from behind and gently touched my back. I glanced at him, my sorrow reflected in his expression. He was feeling what I was feeling at that moment; our mourning was the same.

Together with Billie and Aislin, we gathered some of the mossier stones and piled them up in the center of the glade, alongside some of her crafts, as a cairn to represent Muriel. Her body may not have been with us, but we would honor her spirit with the cairn nestled in her favorite place. Then we stood back, our hands folded in front of us. Gavin had stopped at a grocery store to pick up some flowers, and he held them in front of himself as he cleared his throat and spoke first.

“We are gathered here today to honor the life of Muriel Vale, one of the kindest, sincerest, and most gracious people I have ever met. In a time when I felt most alone, without the support of my parents, Muriel was there with the exact words and gentleness that I needed. In the short amount of time she was with us, she became like family. I only wish I could tell her now how much her presence meant to me.” Gavin took in a deep breath through his nose, pressing his lips together. Then he stepped back and gestured for Billie to go next.

The brown-haired woman stared down at the cairn. Her cheeks turned red as emotion tightened her throat. “Muriel Vale gave me the confidence I’d never had to fight for my rights and my freedom. She comforted me and loved me like a daughter, and the love she had for those she took under her wing was boundless, I’m sure.” A small smile touched her lips. “Muriel would be proud that we have joined together—to fight for what’s right, to protect ourselves and each other. She’ll continue to be proud as we fight to achieve peace in our home, and no matter what happens, I know she’ll be smiling down on us from beside her Sky Goddess, Welkin.”

Everett and Aislin shared some words as well. There were so many loving tributes to my mother, and I was grateful she had surrounded herself with people with such good hearts. It made me feel guilty that I’d accused them of such negligence.

When all eyes turned to me, I sighed before stepping forward. With so much to say about my mother, it stunned me that I could barely utter anything at all.

“She, um…” I faltered. “She truly was the most beautiful, loving person I’ve ever known. She was too good for this world. The skies are a little darker without her.” A lump sat in my throat, hindering my words and forcing me to take a few seconds to compose myself. “She would give everything to anyone who asked, whether or not they deserved it, but in no way was Muriel Vale a doormat. She stood up for what she believed in and defended the weak. Her heart was noble and pure, and I can only hope one day to share in her grace. I trust that when she chose to take refuge here, it was because she saw the goodness in the hearts of those who came to her aid when she needed it. And so, for her, I’ll do my best to help in her stead.” It was the least I could do. I lifted my gaze to look at the others, mustering the first smile I had ever given them. “Thank you, everyone, for being here today and for all the moments you were there for my mother. I will repay your kindness as she would have.”

In the somber silence that followed, Gavin handed me the bouquet of flowers. I carefully placed them before the cairn, and we all stood back as I uttered a prayer to Welkin to take my mother’s spirit into the sky, where she could watch over us for all eternity. When I was done, Colt put his hands on my shoulders and drew me into a hug.

I appreciated the gesture, but as everyone else sniffled and wiped away tears, I held mine back. I had already grieved my mother in solitude. As heavy as my heart had become, I knew I had to move on and remain strong.

By evening, we were at Everett’s house again. Two vehicles belonging to Mythguard pulled into the driveway, and Sebastian Hicks entered the living room with a few of his operatives.

“Tomorrow night, the full moon will rise. Mythguard is certain that this is the night David and Lothair will perform the Lycan ritual,” said Sebastian with his arms crossed.

Everett and Gavin both stood on the other side of the coffee table while I sat beside Colt on the sectional. Aislin and Billie were seated on the other end of the couch. Familiar fire burned in my chest. I had set my sorrow for the loss of my mother aside, and now what raged most powerfully within me was my hunger for vengeance.

“There are three possible scenarios that we must be prepared for,” continued Sebastian. “One, that they have harvested Muriel’s unicorn horn, and David and Lothair will become Lycan. Two, that they didn’t get to harvest her horn before she died as a human, and that they will attempt to capture Kiara. Or three, that they haven’t harvested the horn and will wait until the next full moon, but this seems the least likely. Their time is running out. We believe they will act tonight or tomorrow in order to complete the ritual as soon as possible. For that reason, we strongly urge you to allow us to take Kiara out of the Gunnison area.”

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