Page 18 of Sapphire

The man chuckles darkly, never taking his gaze off me. I feel exposed and raw under his scrutiny.

“Why are you here?” I ask softly, not even aware the words are slipping from between my lips.

“My name is Warren, and I am the Alpha of the Northridge Pack. Aldus Smith was the previous Alpha and you are his last living offspring. I have been looking for you.” He glares at me, and I want to hide behind Silas.

My blood runs ice cold at the mention of the father I never knew. My mother only told me about him to make sure that I avoided him and his god-forsaken pack at all costs.

“I never knew my father. And I don’t care to get to know him now,” I say, ensuring I keep my voice even.

“And you have no authority in my territory, pack, or home,” Silas adds with a glare of his own.

“But I do,” Warren says, gazing at the angry Alpha beside me for the first time. “You see, Tallulah was promised to me at birth, but her bitch of a mother stole her away.”

Chapter Sixteen

The Interloper

Silas Anderson

My gut clenches at the words of this stranger. Talulla is mine, and no one will take her from me. My wolf roars in the back of my mind, clawing at me, trying to surge forward and rip this bastard limb from limb. But I need to keep my head. I know the type of shifters that belong to the Northridge pack. They are all on the cusp of being fully fucking feral. It’s no wonder my mate’s mother stole her away and hid her from them.

I wouldn’t wish that kind of life on anyone, least of all my beautiful Talulla.

“She is my mate,” I state, trying to remain calm and keep a grip on my damn beast as he rails against talking to this asshole. “Fated by the Goddess and baring my mark.”

He laughs. The fucking prick actually laughs in my fucking face.

“Do you really think I give a flying fuck about your mating or the fact that you have defiled my property?” He questions with a raised brow. “I will take what is mine. I will replace your scent with mine, and I will fuck her so hard that even if there is any chance of your offspring growing inside her, I will rutt it right out of her body!” He ends with a roar.

Talulla gasps beside me, wrapping herself more tightly around me. It is the only thing that is currently keeping my wolf in check. If he burst free now, she could be hurt, and neither of us wants that.

“I’ll rip your fucking throat out before you lay a hand on her.”

“You can try.” He smirks.

“Don’t I have a say in this?” My mate asks, her head tilted back as she stares at me with her pleading gaze.

“No,” Warren replies. “Your father made a blood vow, and you will honor it, or I will burn the world to ash.”

Fuck.

Blood oaths are a serious matter. On some level, we are magical beings, which binds us through our blood.

“Then you will settle this in the old ways,” my brother says from behind me.

I don’t even know when he came in. All my focus has been on this male who intends to steal away my mate.

“Fine,” Warren says with a sniff. “The next full moon is in three days. And when you lose,” he turns his glare to me. “I will claim your pack and fuck my mate in front of you before finally ending your useless existence.”

He doesn’t wait for a reply before walking back out the way he came.

“What is the old ways?” Talulla asks softly as I cradle her shivering form against my chest.

My gaze locks on that of my younger brother and I can see the fear and worry in the depths.

“We will fight. To the death.”

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