Chapter 5
Randall
Randall was awakened again, not too long after he had gotten to sleep. Randall was on a mission to mess up the mating ceremony that Ethan and Page were talking about doing, so Randall was up all night trying to figure out a way to get Ethan out of the picture. He wasn’t going to let Page go to a guy like that. He wasn’t even a real shifter, didn’t know how to control himself. What good could he possibly be for Page? He wouldn’t be. He would be a bad husband, and her dad should have thought it through when he offered her up to such a man.
He was mad at his brother, but it was Ethan the next morning far too early at his door that really chapped his ass. He didn’t want to think about how worked up he was and how there really wasn’t much that he could do about it. Then, Ethan had some really good news that made Randall question everything. Here he was thinking that he had some time, but he didn’t have any time. Page and Ethan were going to be mating by the end of the week and he didn’t know how to stop it. He had to figure it out though, if not…well, Randall didn’t want to think about what happened if they actually did get married.
“How did it get to happen so fast? I thought you had some time to prepare?” Randall asked Ethan.
He just smiled and shrugged with the dopiest look on his face. He rolled his shoulders. Randall really couldn’t stand him. “I don’t know what happened, but she tried to escape and now her father wants to get it done and over with. I think he would be willing to add in some perks if I took her off his hands early. She must be a handful. I may not understand shifting yet, but I know how to tame a woman, if you know what I mean.”
Randall felt his teeth gritting, because he didn’t like to hear him talk about Page like that. He had remembered her being feisty, but the way that Ethan said it, she was like a horse that had to be broken. He didn’t think she needed to be broken, no woman did. He hated to hear Ethan talk about it in such a way. Randall decided then and there that he wasn’t going to let Ethan have her. He didn’t know how he would figure it out, but a plan was formulating from pure necessity. It was a plan that could get him killed, or worse, but Randall was on a mission. He wasn’t going to let Ben mess his life up. Randall knew what he wanted, who he wanted, and he would be damned if his idiot half-brother was going to get her.
“Why don’t we take our training into the woods today? It’s a beautiful morning and I would like to get some running in. I hear that you need some practice with that.”
He looked unsure but Randall wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He reminded him that it was Randall’s job to make him strong and that’s just what he was going to do. Ethan didn’t look like he wanted to go, said as much, but Randall wasn’t going to hear it. He was bound and determined that he was going to make the most of the situation. There was a lot that could be done to change his life, and finding Page and getting mated to her first was just what was needed.
Then, his brother would be able to do nothing when he found out. She wouldn’t be promised to Ethan anymore, shewould be his and that was all Randall was worried about. He tried his best to make it seem like they were just going for a stroll, but he did bring a small backpack. Randall knew that he wasn’t going to be back for a while. When he came back, he would have some people pissed at him, but Randall knew that it would be worth it. There was no way that it wouldn’t be worth it. He knew where he was going, he just had to figure out how he was going to get Ethan out of his way for a few days. Randall just needed him out of the way while he mated Page. Once it was done, Randall would be free to do what he wanted, and no one would be able to tell him anything.
He never once thought about how his wife was going to like being mated to him. They’d liked each other a long time before, but was it the same? Randall wasn’t sure what was going on or how Page was going to take any of it, but he hoped that she had the same feelings for him that she had before. He had to believe it, because if not, it would all be for nothing, and Randall didn’t want to imagine that.
Ethan was pretty dumb and since he didn’t know much about the village or the surrounding areas, he had no idea about all of the underground homes and structures that were around the mountains. Randall had learned the art from his grandfather, so he knew just where to put Ethan. The only problem was that he had to figure out someone to take care of him and not tell his brother, the Alpha. It would be rough if whoever helped was found out. Randall knew that he had to talk to his sister before he left the village to travel to his mating ceremony. It was going to be tight already; his destination far away. It was all going to be worth it though, Randall was sure of it. He didn’t know what was waiting for him at the end of it, but he hoped that it was something good. He needed it to be something great, with Page the prize.
“Where are we going, Randall?”
Randall looked back at his brother and shrugged. “I am going to show you what it is that I do here. You’ve asked before, but I’ve never told you. It’s one of those things that I have to show you.”
Ethan smiled, suspecting nothing, and Randall felt bad that he was going to such lengths. Maybe he was wrong about Ethan…but it was too late now. Randall would have let a lot go, but not Page. Ethan already got his brother’s attention and love; he wasn’t going to get Page’s too. Randall wouldn’t be able to live with that.
***
Since Ethan trusted him and he was probably a little bit gullible, Randall was able to drag him all the way out to where they kept prisoners. Randall looked back at his half-brother to see if he had any inclination of what was going on. For some reason when he saw that he didn't, not even one little clue, he felt bad about it. Randall didn't want to do it, but at the same time, he knew that he had to.
“Oh, I know where we are,” Ethan finally said out of the blue. Randall looked back at him and still there was no alarm in his face or eyes. Instead, he was smiling. “I know this sounds crazy, but I have been wanting to see this place. You're the one that built these, right? To hide the pack? That was so smart of you, Randall. I hope that I will be able to make some good decisions to help the family. You guys mean so much to me.”
Was that reverse psychology? Randall wasn't sure, but he was certainly feeling like an ass at the moment. All he wanted to do was drop him off and get out of there. He had no time for emotions or second thoughts. To get out of the picture for a little while. His sister would take care of him and then he would be letgo in a couple of days once Randall was married to Page. He had it all planned out so perfectly in his head. All he had to do was go through the last bit of it. That though, was harder than he would have ever imagined.
His brother did not realize what was happening until the very last moment and instead of getting mad about it and trying to fight his way out, he instead wanted to talk about it. That probably just left more words in Randall's head to jumble around and drive him crazy. He already felt bad about what he was doing. There was no need to make him feel worse. He felt like everyone would understand one day and if they didn't, that was fine because he would have Page and that would be all that mattered anyway. Randall thought about her for a long time and the closer he got to her, the more her face popped up in his head. How was Page going to react to all this? What if she didn't want him, he wondered to himself.
The last idea was hurting his head as he walked away from one of the underground dungeons, one that was high up on the mountain, so nobody would hear Ethan and know that he was there. He wondered if he was doing all of it for nothing. He would never want to be with Page if she didn’t want the same. Randall didn’t want to think that she would pick his brother, but she could. Randall knew that if she didn’t want him, it would all be a waste.
He had to try though, even if he was going to fail miserably.
Chapter 6
Page
Page had a change of heart. She found out that she had to get married, but all she wanted to do was get away. She still wanted to do that, had no desire whatsoever to mate a complete stranger, especially not one that sounded as horrific as Ethan did. The problem was, there was nothing she could do to get away from it. Page had gone to the fighting stage, the denial, and now she was hovering on acceptance. It didn’t mean that she was happy about it, it just meant that she finally realized that she had no way out. Her father didn’t care how she felt about it. He wanted the connection to Ethan’s clan and had no problem sacrificing her for it. How was Page ever going to get over that?
Even though she had accepted it though, she was on edge from that day on. Every time there was a knock at her door, she jumped a little bit. Was the time finally there? She had been warned that her husband would be there soon and that was all well and good, but the way her father made it sound, she worried about a lot of things. She worried that her future mate would be as horrific as she thought he was. She worried that he would be as mean and cruel as her father hoped.
The only good thing about the whole situation, Page had decided, was that she no longer had to live with her father andthe rest of her family that sat idly by and watched it happen. Ever since her mother died, only a few months later Page was ready to take off. Nothing had changed. Her father was even worse, and he hoped sincerely to marry her off to somebody who would take the torch as it were. Page wasn't going to let that happen. Her dad may be able to catch her, but Page wondered if her husband would have the same desires. She had to hope that he wouldn't care about her that much and even if she had to get married, Page would still be able to leave.
There was a knock early in the morning and she felt herself jump. Page didn't have to look at the calendar to know that tonight was the full moon. If they were going to be mated in the proper way, it would be that night, although her father had already warned that he would do it whenever he got there, so that she would not have any more time to run off and embarrass him further.
When she got to the door, one of the soldiers had the package that was quite large in his hands. Page knew not to get excited. She knew that it wasn't a gift of apology because her father had realized that he was treating her like a prisoner. It wouldn't be that. Instead, it was her dress and other accompaniments that she was to put on before the wedding. She held the package in her hand like it was a bomb ready to go off at any time. Page felt all of the hope that she’d clung to whisking away between her fingers. As much as Page wanted things to change, she knew that her fate was sealed. Soon, she would be someone else’s property and Page hated it already.
“It is tonight then?” Page asked the soldier. He nodded and smiled. She waited for him to say something smart, like they couldn't wait for the details to end but nothing was said. Instead, he walked away, and she was left staring at the package.
