Chapter 96
November 28th
The next morning I awoke with the whole bed to myself. It was only 7 am but I ventured down to
Leo’s office in search of my mate.
“Hey,” I said softly.
He had been sat leant back on the swivel chair staring into space until he saw me and a smile crept
onto his lips.
“Come here,” he said gently patting his lap.
I snuggled into him, absorbing his warmth.
“How long have you been up?” I asked.
“3 hours,” he replied.
“We only went to bed 6 hours ago. Are you not exhausted?”
“I’ve got too much to think about and too many decisions to make for sleep.”
“Correction, we’ve got too much to think about,” I said. “So come on. Tell me what you’re thinking
so far.”
He let out a huge sigh.
“You were right. Whatever we decide to do, Lia has to be happy,” he said, “And we can’t keep him in
the prison forever or he’ll become immune to the wolfsbane. They keep upping the dosage but
somehow he still managed to impregnate my sister. So I have to two options: release him or kill
him. Which if Lia has to be happy, there’s only really one option.”
“So you’re gonna let him out?” I asked.
“I originally planned to at some point but now that things have…changed, that day may have to be
brought forward,” he explained, “But. I still don’t trust him to take Lia off the territory yet so I’m
going to make them both stay. It feels like the perfect compromise. Lia gets to be with her mate and
keep the baby. But I can keep an eye on him so there’s no threat to her or the pack.”
I smiled, “Looks like I do know something about running a pack then.”
Two hours later we arrived at the Loren house to pick up Antonio, Rosa and Lia. Another ten
minutes or so later and we were at the doors of the prison.
Rosa held Lia’s hand tightly as Antonio walked in front of them with a stony expression very similar
to Leo’s.
“I smell Alphas,” a voice sung as we reached the door to Haden’s cell.
The prison guard put the key in the lock before slowly pushing open the steel door.
“Take off the handcuffs,” Leo ordered.
The guard, who could have been 18 at most, nodded and sheepishly approached Haden.
“I don’t bite,” he whispered and the boy gulped. “..most of the time,” he added casting his eyes to
Lia with a smirk on his face. She shuffled her feet nervously and his behind her mother slightly.
When his wrists were free the guard disappeared and Haden stood up slowly.
“What caused the sudden change of heart Loren?” Haden asked. “Handcuffs off, no dosage of
wolfsbane this morning?”
Leo’s jaw clenched and he gave Haden a terrifying sarcastic smile.
“Could you excuse us for a moment?” Leo asked in a “happy dappy” tone and Antonio ushered Rosa,
Lia and I back into the hall before shutting the door.
“That’s for sleeping with my sister,” We heard Leo growl through the door after the sound of a
punch.
Lia lurched forward but Antonio stopped her.
“He’ll be fine,” he reassured shortly before another punch.
“And that’s for getting her pregnant,” he added.
“She’s pregnant?” Haden coughed.
“That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? You thought that if she was pregnant I’d be forced to let you free.
How could I possibly be cruel enough to keep my pregnant sister from her mate?… Well, you were
right. You can have what you wanted.”
A second or so later the cell door opened to reveal a very confused Haden.
“So I’m free?” he questioned his eyes casting down to Lia.
“Is that not what you wanted?”
“And there’s no catch?”
“We should discuss terms of your freedom in a more professional environment don’t you think?”
Leo said slapping Haden playfully but firmly on the shoulder.
20 minutes later we were back at Leo’s house and he and Haden were in the office.
“Tea or coffee?” I asked Lia, Antonio and Rosa.
“I’m okay thanks, Ella,” Antonio said sat at the table twiddling his thumbs as he listened to the
conversation next door.
“Stressing won’t help anything, dear,” Rosa said to Antonio as she sat next to him and placed her
hand on top of his fidgeting. “He’ll have a black coffee, honey,” she added looking over to me.
I made the drinks and sat down with the three Lorens. Antonio’s face was hard and serious, Rosa’s
kind and comforting (as usual) and Lia’s was pale and nervous. We couldn’t help but overhear the
conversation in the office..well… can it be classed as overhearing if you are all sat in silence
deliberately listening in?
“There was me thinking you hated me, but here we are again having a friendly chat in this office of
yours,” Haden asked from the office.
“Don’t get me wrong Haden, I would love nothing more than to rip you apart limb by limb. But
seeing as you are my sister’s mate and now the father of her child, I guess that’s not really an option
anymore,” Leo replied. “Complimentary mint?” he offered.
“What is this? A fucking hotel?”
I could practically see Leo’s eyes narrowing through the wall.
“So what now?” Haden questioned. “You banish me, I leave the territory, take Lia with me, we have
our kid, never come back and we never have to tolerate each other again?”
“Not exactly,” Leo replied. “Considering your history with this pack and my sister, I’d prefer to keep
a closer eye on you.”
“I’m not joining your fucking pack,” Haden snarled.
“I’m afraid you don’t have a fucking choice,” Leo hissed.
“If being in your pack involves following your rules then. Fuck. No,” Haden replied.
“As I said: you don’t have a choice.”
“What do you think I’m gonna do Loren? Attack Stella again? With what army exactly? Or maybe I’ll
force Lia into mating with me when she’s not ready for that sort of stuff yet…oh wait…”
“You are not exactly in a position to mess around with me right now Hady. It’s either join the pack or
reunite with your friend’s wolfsbane and handcuffs while your mate has to raise your kid without
you.”
Haden sighed a giving in kind of sigh.
“Guess that’s settled then,” Leo said.
“If you expect me to submit to you like all your other little pack members, you can think a-fucking-
gain,” Haden just had to add.
Shortly after we heard the sound of a heavy body hitting the wall. Lia stood up but Antonio grabbed
her hand.
“How long is it going to take before you work out who is in charge here?” Leo growled in his Alpha
tone. “I defeated you once in a challenge and again in a war yet you still dare to disrespect me? I am
your Alpha now and you will submit. Capisci?”
Some gaspy noises on Haden’s part indicated that Leo may have been enjoying the opportunity to
hold Haden against the wall by his throat a little too much.
“Yes Alpha,” he choked and Leo released him so that he fell to the floor with a thud.
“Fantastico,” Leo replied.