Page 135 of Fated Obsessions

I’d gladly—happily—given up my place and moved in with her, not wanting my mate to have to change her way of living now that we were together. I would’ve gone anywhere for her. She was the sole reason I survived now, and I was willing to do whatever it took to ensure she always stayed happy.

I finished hammering the nail I was working on and got up from my crouched position, set the tool down on my worktable, and looked over my shoulder. Although I knew who was watching me. There was no denying the heavy feel of the Alpha’s gaze when it was directed right at you.

“Aidan,” I said in greeting, keeping my voice light—although void of emotion.

I hadn’t spoken to or interacted with him since the celebration in the longhouse. He’d kept his distance from me for the last month, which was a pretty incredible feat, given the fact that I was his Beta, and our pack was a close-knit community. But he clearly hadn’t wanted another—almost—altercation, and I was pretty sure his distance was because he wanted to come to terms with everything that happened.

Aidan seeking me out today could either be a good thing—that he accepted what was happening and he wouldn’t put up a fight—or it would end very badly with him saying, after thinking about it, that he couldn’t give his blessing.

Of course I didn’t need his fucking blessing. I was already mated to Mia, and she wore my mark. I wouldnevergive her up.

Not even with the Alpha’s order.

He was silent, which led me to believe this wasn’t a pleasant visit. So I stood there, said nothing, and waited for him to say whatever it was he wanted to get off his chest and make the point of his visit known.

When the awkwardness persisted, I ran a hand over the back of my neck and figured I’d break the ice. It was the least I could do, seeing as we were connected as family now, even more than we were as a pack. I snorted at that thought. Who would have ever fucking thought Aidan would have been my father-in-law? Well, in the human sense, that was.

“Mia isn’t home,” I said flatly, wanting nothing more than to keep my trap shut and lethimbe the one to break this weird tension that was now formed between us.

Besides, I assumed that’s why he was here. Doubtful he’d come to speak to me, since he’d made it plain as day he still wasn’t okay with things, no matter what he’d told Mia last month in front of the whole pack.

Although he didn’t stop us from being together, he wasn’t 100 percent on board either.

But even if Aiden and I might not be on good terms at the moment, he was still my Alpha, I was still his second-in-command, and despite our differences, I’d still give my life for his if need be.

But I wouldn’t be disrespected in my own home, and I wouldn’t be told that I couldn’t be with my female.

I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to say something. Anything.

“I know she isn’t here. I didn’t come by for her.”

I didn’t respond to that, just waited for the other shoe to drop.

He looked over my shoulder at the construction I was doing. “I know she went into town with a few of the other females. Shopping, I heard.”

Although I felt antsy with her being away from my side, damn near neurotic that she was in town without me there to protect her, I didn’t want to be an overbearing male and demand she stay or I go with her. She’d gone with a group of pack friends, had been checking in with me to ease my overprotective, possessive shifter ass, and I was trying to stay busy and keep my mind off my worry for my mate by working with my hands.

“We got a big contract from a few businesses in town,” he finally said, and I focused on him again and less on my protective side for Mia.

I felt my eyebrows rise that he’d come all the way out here just for that. He could have easily told me this at a council meeting, which the monthly one was due to be held in a few days. Hell, he could have called me, even taken Mia up on the offer of coming over and having dinner with us.

And that’s where a lot of my anger was stemming from. Aidan was hurting Mia, albeit not intentionally. I knew he’d never do it on purpose. But him pushing her away to come to terms with this was cutting her deep. And that had my wolfpacing and snarling in possessive need to keep her safe and close.

“They want some custom furniture. Timeframe is about three months, but you’re one of the best carpenters in the pack, and I wanted to offer one of the spots to you?—”

“Did you really offer me the position because you think that, or are you extending an olive branch simply because I’m mated to Mia?” Maybe I was putting my foot in my mouth by throwing this in his face, but as much as I wanted things to work out between Aidan and me, and as much as I wanted him to be okay with me mating Mia—for her sake—I just didn’t care if he approved one way or another.

Because she was it for me. My priority, the one thing in my life to cherish above all else. Nothing else mattered, not even an approval I didn’t need.

But on the heels of that thought, I knew my mate wanted her father to be okay with all this, and because her happiness was mine... I wanted that too.

So waging wars moved within me—anger toward Aidan for making Mia unsure and upset that she’d angered him somehow, and possessiveness to keep her close and away from anyone who made her feel that way.

Aidan exhaled almost wearily, looking at the ground, and for long seconds, nothing was said, and neither of us moved.

“I didn’t come here to fight,” he finally said and glanced up at me. “And I didn’t come here about the job offer either. Not really.” He exhaled and ran a hand over his jaw, staring at the construction behind me again. “I came here to make amends.”

He locked eyes with me once more, and at hearing those words, some of my strain eased. I took a less aggressive stance, uncoiled my arms from my chest, and nodded slowly. But still I said nothing.

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