Page 3 of Beyond the Grasslands

“You know it doesn’t work like that.” Aiden’s temper flared and he turned his back on me. If only he had been a little closer to the bars, I could have reached through and choked him out. If he had the keys on him, it might have meant my freedom. Instead, he paced back and forth in the dark, dank space beyond my cell door.

Chapter 2

Unforgiven

AIDEN

My gut clenchedat the sight of Nika in the cell. It was the only place that was secure enough for me to put her, so that I could convince her to be with me. Instead of giving me time, the decision to put her there was another shit call on my part.

She was angrier than ever with me. When she turned to show me the wound on her head that still weeped blood into her hair, I wanted to go back to the Grassland’s Pack and throttle the woman who had attacked her with such a heavy hand. The bitch offered to help me out the moment I got close to pack lands.

Word had already spread through the packs that I had been Nika’s original mate and the gods had, for whatever reason, given her a choice of another moon-blessed mate or me. My harem had also become common knowledge, so no one thought she would pick me given a choice. It was why it was important to get her away from Thorin Fucking Greywolf before he could claim her officially.

I needed the time to talk some sense into her. We had grown up together, my pack was her birth pack. We were meant to be together. I could admit that I screwed up with the harem. I compounded things when Nika was sent away to the island. Allthat was true enough, but so was the fact that we were meant to be and Thorin was never supposed to have a moon-blessed mate.

For that reason alone, Nika should understand that I am the better choice. We were meant to be from the beginning.

I left Nika in the cells, so I could collect myself and not dig a deeper hole with her than I already had. When I made my way back to the throne room, Kyla was there.

She wasn’t just there, she was seated on the Luna’s throne.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

She startled as my voice boomed through the vast space and echoed back to us. The guards that were stationed around the room were drawn by my loud voice and witnessed as I yanked her out of the seat and threw her to the ground in front of me.

“You have no right to sit upon that throne!”

I stared down into her startled, wide eyes, and felt nothing. There wasn’t an ounce of guilt at manhandling her. As far as I was concerned, Kyla was the reason I had lost the chance at my moon-blessed mate - the true Luna for our pack. Ultimately, it was my fault, but I never would have thought about a harem if not for her.

“Aiden!” Kyla gasped as she tried to sit up. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“You were told certain places were off limits to you, just as they are to everyone else in this pack. That throne was one of them. It is only for the Luna of the pack.”

“Oh! Do you mean the Luna who doesn’t want you?” She purposely made her voice carry to everyone who witnessed her humiliation. The sneer she threw my way as she stood drew her lips down and narrowed her eyes. Seeing her like that made me wonder why she ever felt like a choice I should make. She was nothing compared to Nika.

“If you keep it up, you will find yourself in one of those cells.”

Kyla’s laughter grated on my nerves. “That’s where you keep the people who are important to you,” she suggested with a shrug of her shoulders that was supposed to appear indifferent. The tension in her muscles gave away just how frightened she was by the prospect. When you were placed in the cells, you were at the mercy of whoever tended to you.

That made me realize exactly how badly I had fucked up with Nika. She had been down there for almost a full day and I hadn’t even thought to send medical attention to her, give her the basics so she could clean up, or even food.

“Fuck!” I yelled into the echo-chamber of the throne room. “Lock her in one of the guest rooms until her attitude improves.” I commanded. Brennan, one of the shifters who came forward, grabbed her arm and everyone in the room could feel the energy as a bond snapped into place for Kyla and Brennan.

He immediately dropped her arm from his grasp and pushed her away. “Someone else take her.” He called out. When no one moved he stood there are stared the woman down.

“Brennan?” She questioned softly.

My guard responded with a firm shake of his head. “Never, in a million years, would I willingly link myself to the woman who caused the downfall of our pack.”

“Brennan!” I shouted his name. “That is your mate!”

“And you would have known it this whole time, while I had the pleasure of remaining ignorant until just now.” His eyes narrowed on mine before he turned his attention back to his mate. “I formally reject the mate bond with you. I do not want you to come near me, though I would never banish someone to Mirage Island.” His eyes came back to meet mine again as he continued to speak.

“I think it is a horrid practice, but if anyone deserved to be dropped there, it would be you. You selfishly chose to try to climb the ranks in the pack, beyond your station, and you didthat while disrespecting me, the pack, and the sacred bond our Goddess, Selene, offered us. You got what you wanted. You sat on the throne and now you can deal with the consequences of your choices.”

“Brennan, you can’t reject me.” Kyla tossed her head back and forth in disbelief. “The harem was for the Alpha’s benefit, since his mate wasn’t here.”

“I was here, in the throne room, when Nika came home. The only one of the Alpha’s harem who stepped aside for Nika to take her rightful place was the one person who no longer had a mate of her own to worry about. Maybe, I’ll go see if Ashton wants a second-chance mate. She was the only one who cared about the pack and her own family.” Brennan turned on his heels and walked away.

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