Theo POV
"Colton, I have patients to see and inventory to count. What is it that you so urgently needed to see me for?" I demand as I throw open the door to his office.
"Can't a man ask his brother for a visit?" Colton asks sarcastically.
"No, that ship sailed ten years ago. Now, what do you want?" I reply.
"You know, anyone else here would have been punished for their insolence if they dared speak to me like this." Colton snarls.
"Well, I am glad I am the Alpha's brother then." I retort.
"Enough. I have matters to discuss with you. Come. Sit." He orders using his Alpha tone. I absolutely hate it, but I have no choice but to comply.
"How can I be of assistance?"
"I'm not sure if you are aware, but we have some matters to attend to today. Lars decided to relieve my mate during her heat last night, so he will have to be dealt with accordingly. I am thinking five days in the chamber, but I wanted to consult you first. Can't be having my Beta dying on me in this heat."
"Hold up. What do you mean Lars decided to relieve Skylar during her heat? Did he take advantage of her? What happened?" I growl. I can feel my claws start to lengthen as they dig into the palms of my hand.
"Nothing serious, I caught him before he could actually mate with her. Just some lewd acts that he should have known better than to attempt. Kissing, touching, etcetera - you know the drill." As he says this, I can't help but get the feeling that he is not only talking about Lars.
"It's a tricky thing. Everyone knows that a she-wolf's heat draws men mated or not in no matter what we do. Pack members might think that punishing him is unfair. Some pack members might even think that Skylar was drawing him in. I mean, was the door even locked? Did she attempt to stop it? These are things we will need to look into."
"You better not be implying what I think you are, Theo." Colton snarls, banging his fists on the table. "My mate may be weak and stupid, but she isn't a whore who flings herself at males."
I hold my own growl in at his words. "No, I am not calling her a whore. Colton, I am only trying to see if Lars is truly guilty. He has been your Beta for nine years. He has been your best friend for at least twenty. This isn't something he normally would do. This could all be just a misunderstanding." I try to reason with him. "He doesn't deserve to be punished for going on his instincts."
Colton pauses and thinks over my words. I lean back and give him a chance to mull it over. I know my brother. He may be an asshole, but he is typically a reasonable asshole.
He lets out a loud breath before speaking. "I suppose you are right. She was in her heat. I just don't like when people touch what's mine. I am sure you can respect that, brother." Now I definitely know he is implying something more with his words. His eyes are burning into mine, and I can clearly see his amusement behind his smirk.
"I can definitely understand. Skylar is your mate." I reply simply.
"I appreciate the advice, Theo. You have been helpful." He tells me with a grin. "You may leave."
"Thank you. If you need anything else, you know where I am."
"No, nothing else." He waves me off, looking down at some paperwork on his desk. I get up from my seat and walk to the door. As my hand grasps the handle, Colton clears his throat behind me. "Just a reminder, my dear brother, that I know everything that goes on in my pack."
I try to keep my heart rate the same, but fail miserably. "I know." Then, I open the door and leave.
We need to warn Skylar. Ivar yells at me.
I know.
Stupid boy, kissing brother's mate. He scolds.
You wanted it too, so shut up. I respond before shutting him out.
I walk up the stairs and head to Skylar's room. I need to speak to her. I knock twice, but no one answers. I bring my ear to the door and hear nothing but silence, indicating that she isn't in there.
"Skylar?" I mind-link her.
"Yes, Theo?"
"Where are you? I need to speak to you. It is urgent."
"I am actually heading to your office. I need to speak to you, as well."
"I will meet you there."
I rush down the hallway to my office. Skylar is standing there, leaning against the wall beside the door. Her brown hair is lightly curled near the ends and pinned back. She is wearing a beautiful pink dress that shows off her gorgeous figure.
Fuck me.
You wish. My wolf taunts.
Asshole.
"Thank you for meeting me, I know you aren't too happy with me right now," I say to her softly. I really want to fix what I fucked up.
"It's fine, I needed to talk to you too." She nods towards the door, indicating that she wants to go inside.
"Yes, come in." I quickly unlock and open the door for her. She walks inside and sits on the small hospital bed against the wall. "Who wants to go first?"
She smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "He knows, Theo."
I gulp. "Yes, I gathered that at our meeting just now. That's why I asked to speak to you."
"I'm scared, Theo. I don't want him to hurt you like he did Beta Larson. It would be all my fault." She whispers and tears rim her eyes.
I step towards her and lightly grasp her cheeks in my hands. "Nothing will happen and it would never be your fault." I quickly bring her into a tight hug. I just need to feel her in my arms again. "What happened with Larson?" I ask her.
Skylar pulls away from me, wiping her eyes quickly. "It's all my fault. I forgot about my heat and wasn't prepared for it whatsoever. I didn't lock the door. I didn't do anything to protect myself. So when he opened my door, he didn't stand a chance. I need to talk to him and apologize. I feel terrible. He shouldn't be punished for my mistakes." She whimpers. A sob escapes her at the last sentence. "Colton found us when he was about to enter me. I thought he was going to kill him!"
I pull her to my chest again. "It's okay. It isn't your fault. It could have happened to anyone. Colton should have been with you from the beginning anyways. Every mated male knows better than to leave his mate alone during her heat." I fight back the growl that wants to escape. How can he be so stupid?
"In my old pack, there were cells for the women that only their mates had keys for. It worked well. Never had this issue there. I mean, I am not mad at Beta Larson. We both made mistakes. He doesn't deserve to be punished."
"Skylar, I don't even know if he is going to be punished. When Colton disclosed the situation to me, he originally wanted to throw him into the chamber for five days."
"What's the chamber?" She asked.
I sigh. "It's a Sensory Deprivation Chamber. Basically, you can't hear, see or smell. It's perfectly relaxing in small doses but anything longer than an hour can be devastating. Some people go crazy inside of it." Panic flashes in her eyes at my words. "Don't worry. I am pretty confident I dissuaded him from using it on Lars. Lars wouldn't handle it too well."
"What is wrong with this man?" She asks quietly, almost to herself causing me to chuckle.
We sit in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes, clutching onto one another. I don't want to let her go because I know that once I do, I won't hold her like this anytime soon. I breathe in her sweet scent.
"You are needed in my office now!" Colton's voice screams into my head.
"I have to go." We both say simultaneously, giggling afterwards.
"Colton mind-link you?"
"Yes." She whispers. I can see she is nervous about what it is about.
"Don't worry, I am sure it is nothing."
"It's never nothing with Colton." She gets up from my lap, straightens her dress and heads for the door of my office. She stops suddenly with her hand on the doorknob. "Theo?"
"Yes?"
She slowly turns around and runs towards me, wrapping her hands around my neck. She presses a quick kiss to my lips that sends shivers down my spine. But before I can react, she runs out of my office.
What was that? Ivar questions.
Skylar's POV
I quickly run down the stairs to Colton's office.
Why did you do that? He will smell him on us! Ailith roars at me.
I don't know! It felt right. I will quickly go to the kitchen and wash my face. He won't know.
Keep telling yourself that. Don't come crying to me when he kills you for this. She scolds.
If I die, you die. Idiot. I quickly shut her out as I enter his office. Colton, Beta Larson and another man I do not know are already in the office, all locking pissed off and murderous. Theo quickly joins us, closing the door behind him. Colton motions for me to sit on his lap and I hesitantly oblige.
"Thank you for coming so quick." He says.
Not like we have a choice.
"Maybe you should block the mate bond if you are going to backtalk me," Colton growls in my head, his grip on me tightens.
"We have received word of a threat coming our way. The South Niagara Pack has sent their warriors our way to retrieve Skylar. I guess they didn't like how I didn't ask permission to take her as my mate or something." He huffs. "Gerald Kennedy is on his way here with supposedly four hundred warriors, however, that is just an estimate. Their allies have joined them, so we can't be entirely sure of the numbers that will show up at our gates. We expect them to reach us in the next two hours."
"What's the plan? Are we going to talk or just exterminate?" The unknown male asks.
"Exterminate. I cannot give up the opportunity to expand to the south." My heart stops at his words.
"My family is in that pack! My father and friends could be one of those warriors that you want to exterminate!" I get up off of his lap in frustration. "Why can't we talk to them? They just want to know I am okay."
Colton laughs at me. I mean full on laughs at me. The unknown male also chuckles. Beta Larson and Theo don't say anything but give me a sympathetic look.
"Skylar, you have been with us for so long. You would think you would know by now that we don't talk." He says with a smirk. "But thank you for the laugh, I needed that."
I shake my head. "Why can't you try something new? Prevent unneeded wolves from dying!"
"I would advise you to be quiet. I brought you here so you could be aware of what's happening. You are Luna and will need to look after the women and children who cannot fight during the battle."
Without even thinking, I smack him across his face. "No! That is not what is going to happen!" I scream at him.
Colton doesn't say anything. He brings his hand to his cheek. Anger is evident in his eyes, but he doesn't respond to my outburst. "Matthew, get the warriors ready. Larson, alert the women and prepare them. Theo, prepare your medical equipment and round up the nurses that you need. Go." He orders.
I turn to leave with them, but his hand stops me. "Where do you think you are going?" He snarls in my ear. Theo sneaks a look at me before disappearing through the door. "I am really getting sick and tired of your disrespect, mate."
"You deserve it," I mumble.
"What was that?!" He roars, pushing my face first into the nearby wall. "What did you say to me?!"
"You deserve it," I say louder this time, my voice unwavering. I don't give a fuck what he does to me anymore, it's the truth.
He twists my arm behind me. Pain shoots through it causing me to wince. "I beg your pardon, I am not sure I heard you."
"You. Deserve. It." I practically yell at him, making sure I enunciate my words. I hear the crack before I feel the pain as he roughly pulls my arm up behind me, breaking it with ease. I scream out at the pain.
"Get out of my sight!" He yells, pushing me to the ground.
"Asshole," I mumble under my breath, but apparently he doesn't hear me. I push myself to my feet and stumble out of his office, cradling my broken arm with care.
Well, that was fun. Ailith grumbles.
Totally.
Looks like we might have a chance to get out of here, though! Ailith says, hope evident in her voice.
Maybe, but doubtful.