Page 56 of Alpha's Bullied Mate
“Stop,” Fenrys called. “Aidan, let him go. We’ll get Dakota. You want to see her?”
I stopped. Everything in me stilled and I let go of Conall to look at him. I must have looked wild. Ifeltit.
“What do you think I want with Dakota?” I hissed. “She wantedyour pack. She could have been safe with me. Would have beenwanted. You let her be mistreated by your second so you could hide away, because, what, your Luna was threatened?”
“Watch it when you talk about my mate,” Fenrys growled. But there was something unreadable in Fenrys’s expression as he looked back at me. “You love Dakota.”
“No.”
“Aidan, is Dakota your mate?”
At that, every bit of fight drained out of me. I crumpled, and Conall seized the chance to jump up and dust himself off, coughing.
“You say her name the way I say Thalia’s,” Fenrys said.
“She’s not my mate,” I gritted out. But she was. I knew she was. Even now, my whole body trembled knowing she was so near, and I couldn’t have her in my arms.
“Okay.” Fenrys shrugged. “Conall, go get Dak—”
A snarl ripped out of me. My hand shot out and clamped down on Conall’s neck. “I don’t trust you to fucking touch her.”
“Aidan,” Fenrys said quietly. “I want to come to an agreement. About our packs, about Dakota’s place. I don’t want to keep you from your mate, but I don’t want to have you as my enemy. I have enough threats to deal with without worrying you’ll be a problem.”
“I don’t want to see her,” I told him through gritted teeth, shoving Conall away to approach Fenrys. “And she won’t want to see me.”
“Thalia says differently. She wants to see you, Aidan.”
“Itookher,” I stressed. “I took her from her pack, her home, andkept her.” My stomach swooped when I thought about how much she must hate me. They were taunting me. Dakota wouldn’t want to see me. Not after everything I’d put her through. “She’s safer here, with you. Even if I don’t really trust any of you.”
“Meet me later tonight,” Fenrys offered. “I’ll work out a plan. Stay here, go back to Oak Hill. Either way, tonight, nine o'clock, the Inferno Lounge.” He shrugged, sliding his hands into his shorts. “Your call. It’s a truce. A peace offering. If you want to keep fighting, we’ll fight, but Dakota is involved in this plan. I haven’t heard from her own mouth that she’s leaving so I’m still her alpha—”
A growl slipped out of me without me realizing. Fenrys backed away a step, and I realized I was athreat. Just the mention of Dakota belonging to another alpha, even if it was different from how she’d called me that, made me see red.
“She’s still part of my pack,” Fenrys reworded. “But I’ll ask her to join us. How does that sound?”
“I’m bringing two of my own with me,” I told Fenrys.
“Then Conall and Theo will be there.”
I nodded, my jaw tight. Fenrys held out his hand to shake, but I wasn’t ready. I shook my head, shifted into a wolf, and headed back to Oak Hill to prepare.
***
By the time I walked into the Infernal Lounge, I was considerably calmer. I’d filled Jason and Declan in on the drive over. They had assumed as much about Dakota, told me how different I’d been acting. They sniggered and joked about overhearing us having sex that first time. I was grateful they hadn’t known about the second time, of what she’d moaned when she’d climaxed.
Just the thought of it now had my hands tightening on the wheel.
“Did you pummel him?” Declan asked.
“I got a few punches in, yeah,” I said. “But he wants to talk, and I think I’m ready to hear him out.”
I meant what I’d said to Dakota. I was tired of being scared, but I was also tired of having this endless anger and need for revenge. Fenrys wouldn’t get off so easily, and I’d give him shit forever, but I was tired of fighting. Now was the time tofinallytalk.
I pulled up outside the Inferno Lounge. A BMW was parked in front of me, which was assumed to be Fenrys’s car.
I got out, flanked by Jason and Declan, and headed inside. Fenrys was sat at the table the furthest back. In the seat next to him was Thalia. Behind them, Conall sat next to Dakota. Theo stood behind her. I paused when I saw her. Her eyes were bright, finding me immediately, and her mouth parted when she saw me.
“Jesus,” Jason muttered. “You could cut the tension with a knife, Aidan. Fucking hell.”
