Page 46 of Alpha's Bullied Mate
Sasha shook her head. “They’re more confused,” she answered. “Thalia was heartbroken. She tried to contact you, shifted for the first time in a long time to assess your scent. But she confirmed: it was all tangled up with that of another alpha’s. Based on what Conall said when he came back, they knew they had to respect your decision.” Sasha’s eyes flicked to Aidan over my shoulder. “And what afineone it was.”
I made a small protest and finished off my next glass of champagne. It hit me so strongly, as Sasha continued, and the hand on my thigh was a warm comfort, and everything around me blurred and faded peacefully. Suddenly, I stopped worrying. I begun to mellow out with the alcohol as Sasha kept talking to me. My upper body swayed, meeting Aidan’s side as he leaned towards me.
“Excuse us a minute,” he said, tucking a hand around my waist again. “Sorry, we’ll be right back. I think she needs some water.”
“I don’t need water,” I mumbled, but my speech was slightly slurred. I giggled. This made me feelso happy. Why would he want to take that away from me? I felt on top of the world. After a long couple of weeks, I felt like I deserved it.
But I placed my hand on Aidan’s chest, the silk waistcoat soft beneath my palm, and let him support me as we walked away from the table. As we did, I noticed a head of curls similar to my own, framing a face much older than mine. My heart thumped in my chest, and I was grateful for the shield of alcohol, protecting me from the panic.
I turned to Aidan, grasping his jacket lapels. “My parents are here,” I whispered.
“I’ll protect you,” he promised. “Whatever they’d done to you, whatever you feel, I won’t let them hurt you.”
He said it without hesitation and I believed him. I whimpered and let him guide me towards the exit of the banqueting hall. His eyes were on a place behind me, over my shoulder, and he tensed up as the sound of chairs scraping screeched through the room.
We were almost at the door when someone sidled up to us. “Stumbling home so soon? Maybe your mate should be lighter on the alcohol. Wouldn’t want anyone to take advantage.”
A deep growl reverberated through Aidan’s chest. I peered around him to see him stare down another man, a shifter, from his scent, but not one from Fenrys’s pack.
“You want to watch your mouth,” Aidan warned.
“Why? Scared of what I might say to yourmate?” He smirked. “Doesshewatch her mouth? Or do you have to quiet her down? You know?” He made an obscene gesture, his tongue poking his cheek.
Before I could stop him, Aidan had pushed me aside and thrown a punch at the other shifter.
Chapter 23 - Aidan
My knuckles split as soon as they connected with the shifter’s jaw. He staggered back, snarling, and lunged at me. I let myself be knocked into the wall, if only to get Dakota out of his line of sight. He bore down on me.
“You might be an alpha here, Tyrone, but you’re not all thatliked.” He spat at my cheek, and I let loose a warning snarl, baring my teeth. “We know you and your fuckin’ little ragtag group of criminals think you run this town, the Randon wannabe, cloning yourselves off them, but you’ll never be what Silverlake Valley has. You can keep trying, but you lookpathetic.”
I shoved him off me, throwing him back and landing a punch to his stomach. Part of me knew I had to pull back, to stop making a scene. Dakota was calling my name, still swaying on her feet, gripping the door to keep upright. I didn’t know why she hadn’t already ran. But when I looked, her eyes were wide, fixed on her parents, who watched as the shifter got back to his feet.
I was faster. I barreled into him, throwing him to the floor.
“At least I don’t have to run my mouth before I fight,” I spat. “What, it makes you feel big to talk about a woman like that?” I smashed my fist into his nose, snapping his head to the left with the impact. He groaned when I yanked his tie, pulling it tight around his collar. His face began to turn red, and it was only when I felt hands scrabbling over my shoulders, tugging me, and my name turned into a frantic yell, that I let myself give into the multiple hands pulling me off the other shifter.
“Aidan—Aidan.” Jason slapped my cheek lightly, getting my attention. I could barely take my eyes off the shifter, bleeding, on the floor. Around us, the crowd had gathered. Dakota’s parents watched in horror. The mayor looked like he had a disaster on his hands.
Before I could step back, the shifter leapt up and punched me, catching me right across the ribs. I groaned and stumbled back. My pack was behind me, I realized. The three that had been preparing to serve food, at least.
Jason got in front of me while two other men got between the shifter and me. I didn’t know them, and that made me uneasy.
“Get Dakota and get out of here,” he said quietly. “She’s drunk, but you’re sober, right?”
I wiped a hand across my face, wincing at the sting and the streak of ruby-red blood.
“Aidan,” Jason snapped. “Are you sober? Can youdrive?”
“Yes! Fucking hell, yes, I can drive.”
“Good, then take her and get out.”
I always trusted Jason to tell me when I’d gone too far, and I knew he was doing that. I’d been known for fighting in high school, then college, and even now, I started a few fights but had mostly let the urge out in the local gym’s boxing ring or sparring with my pack. It never got public, at least not anymore.
A creeping sense of embarrassment came over me as I gazed around the room.
“Tell the mayor I’m sorry and that I’ll call a meeting with him,” I told Jason. He nodded, and then I was gone, slipping my hand between Dakota’s and pulling her out to the car. When I buckled my belt, my hands shook. I started the car and peeledout of the lot, onto the main road. Her hand grabbed my thigh, squeezing it in what I thought she assumed was comforting, but with my adrenaline high, it only made me react.
