Page 58 of Alpha's Hated Mate

“It’s not so much about protecting her. It’s about standing beside her. You need to walkwithher. Suffer with her.”

“Suffer with her?”

“Yes, every slight, every whisper, every door closed in her face—you must feel it as your own pain. Her tears will become yours . . . That’s what it means to take a Scarlet as your mate.”

I don’t know why I thought becoming a Luna would solve all of Saffron’s problems. She’ll still be shunned. People will still hate her for existing. And hate me for taking her as my Luna.

“So you think I should take her with me?”

“You need to decide if you’re ready for what comes next. Saffron knows what the consequences of her relationship with you are because she’s lived with this of all her life. She also knows what a monumental ask it is of another wolf to take on that life.” Her stern eyes meet my gaze. “If you truly believe she is your Luna, then face your pack together.”

Shit. Of course, Saffron is right.By trying to protect her, I’m undermining everything we’ve fought for.

“Thank you, Professor,” I say, picking up the summons from the coffee table and standing up. “I needed to hear this.”

As I turn to leave, Professor Robertson calls after me. “Aydan?”

I pause at the doorway.

“Remember, your father was a brilliant man and passionate about his research.” She clears her throat before continuing. “But somewhere along the way, he lost sight of what really mattered.”

My jaw tightens. “And what was that?”

“That knowledge without compassion is dangerous. That progress without understanding is meaningless. Please don’t make the same mistake he did, even if you think it’s for the right reasons.”

I nod. “Yes, professor. Have a good evening.”

The walk back to my dorm is a blur. My mind races with everything Professor Robertson said. About suffering together. About facing consequences together. About what it truly means to take Saffron as my mate.

When I reach my room, I mind-link with Saffron.

Start packing, I say.We leave for Claymore tomorrow morning.

Together?She responds immediately.

I smile despite myself.Together.

Because that’s what mates do. We face everything—the good, the bad, the impossible—side by side. And if the pack council has a problem with that, well, they’ll have to deal with both of us . . . and we’re both pretty dangerous.

Chapter Twenty-Four—Saffron

My favorite emerald green sweater sits neatly folded in my suitcase on top of two dresses, two pairs of jeans, a pair of nice shoes, a blouse, a more casual shirt, and toiletries. I struggle to zip the bag closed.

“You’re overpacking,” Aydan says, looking up from a magazine he’s reading from my desk chair. “We’re only there for two days.”

“Easy for you to say. Your pack already knows you.” I toss a hairbrush into my backpack. “I need options for making a good first impression on people who already hate me.”

Aydan crosses the room in two strides and wraps his arms around my waist from behind. His chin rests on my shoulder, and his scent—crispness of rain and something uniquely him—envelops me.

“They’ll love you.” His lips brush against my neck. “And if they don’t, fuck ‘em.”

“That’s your brilliant plan?” A laugh bubbles up despite my anxiety. “Tell your ancestral pack council to go fuck themselves?”

“It’s worked for me so far.”

A sharp knock interrupts us. Aydan tenses against my back. “I’ll get it.”

He opens the door to Dean Fowler standing in the doorway. My stomach drops. The dean doesn’t pay personal visits to student dorm rooms unless it’s something important.

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