“You tried to fucking kill me?!” I shout, and charge at Coal, ready to beat his ass. “You bit me, thinking I would die?!” I scream, now entirely pissed.
“I had hoped you’d survive, but yes, I assumed you’d… I couldn’t allow you to become my father’s pet! Not after everything we did to protect you!” he snarls, and I throw my hands up.
“How is killing me better?!”
“He would have died too, Delilah. He was trying to kill himself as much as he was trying to kill you,” Quil offers, and I pause mid-step, turning to look at him. The look of pure agony in his eyes hurts me physically, especially when I feel him through the bond. Longing, sadness, fear. “I almost lost you both…”Quil tells me through the bond.
“What?” This comes out as a breathless whisper, and I turn back to Coal and I see it in his eyes. The pain he wasin. The horror, the sadness, and the abuse he endured by his father’s hand. “Why?” I take another step toward Coal as more and more pieces start to come together. The answers he wouldn’t give me.
“You know why, Delilah,”Coal says through our bond, but I shake my head.
“I want to hear you say it, Coal. Say the words out loud.”There’s a brief pause, but when he does speak, it’s perfect.
“Because I love you. Because I’ve been in love with you since I was a child. Because my father realized what my biggest weakness was, and if I let myself give in for even just a second, he’d take you from me as he tried to do last night. Because I would rather die than let him do to you what he did to your mother and mine,” Coal confesses, and everything I’ve always hated about him falls into place in my mind like a puzzle finally coming together after years.
“All the times you tormented me. Tortured and punished me; you were pushing me away and keeping me safe?”
“Yes. We were close when we were young, and anytime I let my guard down around you, he saw. If it seemed like you weren’t terrified, he noticed. I had to keep you close, so no one else would hurt you, but I couldn’t allow myself to be kind to you, even for a moment. It was too dangerous.”
“Why were you so cruel, then?” I snap at Quil, who won’t look up at either Coal or me. “If it was you that your father was watching, why was Quil such a fucking dick?” Coal glares over at his friend, who pretends to be busy looking at the rug we’re standing on.
“Because he’s my best friend and knew what I was going through because he was going through it, too. Knew all my suffering and pain. He knew what being close to you, but not being yours, was doing to me,” Coal answers, but Quil scoffs before stomping to the back of the room and sittingon a chair as if none of this means anything to him. As if he isn’t also my mate.
“He’s going to be difficult,” I mumble, making Coal smirk.
“Most likely. He’s always been a stubborn ass. Our fathers are… similar.” This makes me pause. That's what I had expected after everything Coal told me. “He knew what I was feeling because he was feeling it too. My scars are visible, but Quil’s healed. At least, physically.”
“Were you tortured too?”I ask through our bond, making Quil huff. He won’t look up at me, but I can feel the pain he’s trying so hard to hide from our bond. “You don’t have to hide from me anymore. You’re mine now, remember?”
That got his attention. Quil looks up, his hazel eyes meeting mine, and that's all it takes for my heart to decide he’s forgiven. Because under all his bravado is a broken-hearted kid whose father abused him, and a Wolf in love with two people he thought he could never have. I smile softly, walking over to Quil. I stand before him, not moving.
“You’re ours now. Forever. And no one hurts my family.”I bite my lip, then shrug, “Unless, of course, you beg for it.”
All four men groan because I projected that through the bond to all of them. Oops.
“I think we’ve gotten far enough off-topic; shall we discuss what needs to happen next?” Alpha Nero asks, and I turn around to look at the large man. We all gather around, and I try not to look at my mother too much as she cuddles up with Daniel. “I am here because Michael is powerful, but he also has many allies inside his pack. While not all Wolves agree with the way Humans are treated, nothing can be done about it because they can't challenge their Alpha.”
“We are going to kill him and the Beta,” Coal adds, looking at me, and I nod.
“What can I do?” I ask, not really sure how I’m supposed to help. I’ve been a Wolf for like ten seconds…
“Well, originally, we were just going to help you escape today, hoping you’d be safe with your father and the Rogues. Michael can’t kill Coal, at least not until he proves that Coal has mated and killed a Human, and our people call for Coal’s death.” Quil speaks for the first time, helping me understand some of what’s going on.
“He only let you live because we barged back in,” Dean says, looking angry.
“He wouldn’t kill the sons of two Alphas. Not when everyone knew we were at that meeting. If we disappeared, our fathers would blame him. I suspect he still wants all of us dead, though,” Matteo offers.
“He will certainly try when he discovers that Delilah is not only alive but a Luna. Not only is she rare, but it makes her the strongest Wolf here. Add on the fact that she’s mated to all four of us… She’s a threat to everything he is,” Coal adds, and my eyebrows shoot up.
“I’m stronger than all of you?” I question, looking at all the men around me, who are all significantly larger.
“Not combined, but individually, yes,” Alpha Nero answers. But Coal shakes his head.
“You could easily take us on.” He gestures to my mates, “But Nero isn’t a mate, so he’s less likely to bow to you. However, if you challenged him, your Wolf would most likely dominate him.” Coal’s words make Quil smirk, and I glare at the broody Wolf sulking in the corner.
“I have more to lose if you were to challenge me as the Alpha of this pack. More than likely, my Wolf would bow to you and offer you my mate mark,” Nero adds, and all four ofmy men growl. Nero lifts a brow at my men but doesn’t comment on their challenge. “I doubt Delilah is going to challenge me, though?” Nero asks, meeting my eyes.
“Oh, well. No. Why would I? I do have a question, though.” I’m mostly just curious about this. When Nero nods, I ask, “Why would your Wolf offer his mate mark, rather than try to kill me or force me to submit?”
