Page 10 of Destined Mate

A moment later, Theo said loudly, “You should go inside and get some rest. I’ll come by and check on you in the morning.”

I gritted my teeth. Zeke must have told Theo what to say to keep up the illusion.

When Theo opened the door, Zeke shoved me through and into the maple rectangular kitchen table. My right hip hit the edge, and my body jerked. A deep ache ripped through me. I whimpered.

Zeke chuckled, and I hated that I’d made the damn sound. I glanced around the space with its familiar beige-painted cabinets, unsurprised to see I was alone with these two. Zeke had likely commanded the rest of my family to stay in their rooms.

“Dad, was that necessary?” Theo asked as he passed his father and pulled out the chair in front of me on the side of the table closest to the door. “She’s already injured.”

“She has to learnher place,” Zeke spat from behind me.

Having him at my back was a good thing because I couldn’t prevent my eye roll. He was a pompous prick and, unfortunately, one I had to endure.

Theo lifted his brows in warning.

All that did was make me more frustrated. I gritted my teeth and lowered myself into the seat. Whether I liked to admit it or not, my injuries had zapped me, and my eyelids were growing heavy. As I sat down, my bones felt as if they were separating, and my teeth cracked from how tightly I was clenching my jaw.

“What’s hurting you?” Theo asked.

Zeke’s feet scuffed the beige tile as he marched to the spot in front of me and leaned against the island.

“My ribs mainly, though my arms, back, and shoulders don’t feel great.” I didn’t want to elaborate because Zeke didn’t care.

“Now that we’re alone, tell me exactly what happened,” Zeke demanded.

This was it, the beginning of my certain conviction. When it came to me, there was no innocent until proven guilty. It was guilty until Zeke pretended to consider my story and still blamed everything on me. I licked my lips, taking a moment to gather my thoughts as the harsh edge of the pain waned. “They told you what happened. Why do you need to hear it again from me?” Anything I added would give him ammunition to hurt me.

“No, they told me whattheysaw, which had started before the four of them arrived.” Zeke crossed his ankles, leaning back more. “Charles, Fred, Bryson, Josh, and, most importantly,your sistersaid they caught your scent and followed you when they realized you were heading to Hells Canyon.”

“Of course they did,” I deadpanned, my mouth running away from me again. Now I had to reevaluate whether I did have a death wish.

Zeke straightened, placing his palms on the dark-beige granite countertop. “Which direction did they come from?”

I knew what he meant, but I couldn’t help but be a little contrary. “Technically, there was a lot going on that messed with my bearings.”

His lips flattened. “Of course. You’re soweakthat you can’t even keep your bearings like a normal wolf. Let me try again. Did they come from behind you?”

Yup. He knew the answer and what he could say to make me tell him what he wanted to hear. I’d been so stupid, thinking the alpha advisers vouching for me would get me out of trouble. I was now certain it was just going to make everything worse.

Defeat crushed me, but I refused to crumble. “From behind, but they were out there before they smelled me.”

Theo flinched. “How do you know that?”

My head jerked back as my blood heated, but I didn’t take my attention from Zeke. “They were howling, barking, and running around before they grew silent. That was when I knew they’d caught my scent. They weren’t out there because of me.”

“What would you know about shifting, girl?” Zeke spat, and his face turned its usual shade of pink that manifested whenever he was around me. “You’ve never shifted. You don’t know what wolves sound like when playing or hunting. You don’t knowanything. That’s how I know your sister and the others are telling the truth.”

I leaned back in my seat, my body protesting. This was pointless. I was guilty. There were five against one, and that one was me. I had no clue why this man hated me so much or why he’d taken me in. “Let’s pretend they’re telling the truth…you know, forshits and giggles,” I said, repeating the phrase Jack used to insult him.

“Callie,” Theo warned.

“Five of them attackedme. I can’t even shift to access my magic and strength to protect myself. How is that fair?” I hated being treated like this…viewed like this. “Thatissomething the four alpha advisers know. They pulled them off me.”

Zeke clutched the countertop even harder, his knuckles blanching. “That might be the case, but I’ve dealt with you every day for the past seventeen years. There’s no doubt they had to do what they did to make you listen. I’m not a fool. I know what happened.”

“But—” I started.

“Let me finish!” he barked, cutting me off. “Not only have you made the four other royal advisers aware that one of the weakest wolf shifters to ever exist is in my pack, but they’ll think I don’t have my pack under control. Do you know how bad this is? Those four always work against me.”

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