74. An Angry Mother

KIARA

I hated this. The constant assumptions, decisions and looks I was getting from everyone. I don't know what I wanted... Did I want him? Yes, deep down I did, but he had also hurt me beyond anything I could ever imagine. The pain threatened to suffocate me as I took a deep breath.

"I Kiara Westwood of The Desert Storm Pack, rej-" He was in front of me in the blink of an eye, his hand covering my mouth. Sparks rushed through my very veins at his touch. A storm of emotions in those dark orbs of his. His heart raced as fast as my own was. My stomach knotted as I stared into his eyes as he shook his head slowly. His unspoken message was loud and clear.

Don't do this.

That's what he was saying. Then why couldn"t he tell me why he didn't want me? Rafael's question was the one I wanted an answer to.

A whistle broke me out of my thoughts as Rayhan chuckled.

"That should answer enough questions… Sorry Jasmin, you're not really wanted." He said with a wink at Jasmin, who was looking at me with such contempt that I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.

I moved away from Alejandro's touch as he too stepped back. His scent still filled my nose and as much as I wanted to run into his arms, I couldn"t.

"Control your son, Alpha Rafael!" Alpha Bill grumbled.

Rafael looked at him apologetically.

"I"m sorry, but if Jasmin had an idea that something was going on between the two, then she should have really stepped back straight away. I"m not saying Alejandro was correct though." He said.

"Well, we have got our answers. I will handle the council… I'll leave the witches, Wendigos and Manangal's to you Alpha Alejandro." Alpha Allen said.

Alejandro nodded curtly and Alpha Allen came over to me.

"It isn"t my place, but you are meant for this… Please don't make any rash decisions." He said seriously.

"Don't tell her what she should and shouldn't do." Mom snapped. I internally winced.

No wonder everyone said Dad was actually the level-headed one…

"You should leave too." Rayhan said, looking at Alpha Bill as if this was obvious.

"Before you do… I"m disappointed in you, Jasmin." Mom said.

"In me? For caring for my fiancé? It's your daughter who you should be disappointed in! She's the one who was going around kissing my fiancé!" Jasmin shouted.

Oh, Goddess…. All eyes turned to us and my cheeks burned as I felt Dad"s gaze on me.

"She didn't kiss me." Alejandro growled, "Now get the fuck out!"

His command was clear and Alpha Bill pulled Jasmin to the door. Our eyes met and I saw the unfiltered hatred in them. I had just made myself an enemy.

"Excuse us…" Alpha Kennan murmured as both he and Allen left, leaving just our families here. Dad massaged his temples.

"Do I even want to know what the hell that was about?" He asked.

I didn't miss his gaze flickering to Rayhan. Oh, this was so embarrassing…

"I do." Mom said, her eyes glaring at Alejandro.

"Mom… Seriously, I"m not a kid. Secondly, can we not do this? It's usually Dad and Liam. Now you"re doing the same thing!" I snapped.

She turned her attention away from the man who had a ‘I don't give a fuck' look on his face and looked at me with a frown.

"Obviously, since you and your father decided not to tell me." She said, I didn't miss the flash of hurt in her eyes.

I frowned. Why did I have to answer to anyone?

"Because there was no time… You came and it wasn't like you gave me a chance! You and Dad jumped each other. When did I get the chance? And don't blame Dad because it wasn't his thing to tell. What did you expect me to say? I"m mated to someone who doesn"t want me? It's fine anyway. I don't have anything to prove to anyone and neither am I going to do so. Now if we're done, I"m going to bed. It's been a long night." I said coldly.

I knew Mom was upset, but so was I. I had been through so much and even now, I had no idea what we were. Something broke within me at the sight of him and Jasmin. Just because he refused to marry her… It didn't make all that pain go away…

"Get some rest." Dad said quietly.

I didn't reply, simply nodded, turned and left the room.

-----

ALEJANDRO

Kiara left the fucking room but she left a fucking rabid wolf behind in the process.

Scarlett lunged at me, I blocked as she threw a punch, I knocked her arm aside as she followed with a kick. I growled but her eyes simply flashed. I knew I had less fucking control over her than Elijah, we always put it down to her fucking abilities. But now I wondered if it had something to do with her bloodline.

I was going to leave tomorrow for the Galloway forest, and Callum would find that witch who knew more about the Asheton lineage. I needed answers, the quicker the better.

I grabbed her throat, growling, but she just fucking punched me across the jaw. Maria gasped and I clenched my jaw, if she was not Kiara's mother… My eyes flashed. Rafael stepped forward and I dropped the woman.

"Watch it, or I won"t mind tearing you to fucking pieces…" I said murderously to Scarlett.

"Don't threaten my mate." Elijah growled, his anger radiating in the room.

"Then keep her on a fucking leash." I shot back.

He lunged at me and I really did want to beat the dickhead up, but Rafael the fucking peacemaker, stepped between us.

"Please boys, play nice." He said.

"Red come on, baby." Elijah said, tugging his crazy she-wolf into his arms as he glared daggers at me. If looks could fucking kill…

"I am fucking pissed off with you as well!" Scarlett snapped, glaring at Elijah. "You knew they were mates before the engagement party, right?!"

"I had my suspicions."

Fucking wuss.

"So, you let my baby girl go through shit?!" Scarlett said.

I had never seen them argue… They were the most united fucking couple I had ever met… and the pained look in Elijah's eyes showed he hated them arguing.

"You're the one who says let her be independent." He said firmly, cupping her face. "This is the time to let her decide what she wants."

Scarlett fell silent as Elijah kissed her. Well fuck, seems like fairy tales existed. Kiss the fucking girl and all is ok. They broke apart and she turned and looked at me.

"My daughter is a queen with or without you. You've mentally hurt her by taking another in front of her… I wonder if this is karma… I was ready to reject my mate and take Elijah for myself… Even if he was meant for someone else... Maybe this is Selene's warning that we shouldn't play with that bond... It"s there for a reason. Fix the damage you've done and maybe, just maybe, you might be worthy of her." I saw the sadness in her eyes, that only a mother would have.

She left the room and Elijah followed. I was actually thinking the fucker was the one who would flip… but he didn't. Guess the world was full of fucking surprises.

Rafael walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"You have a mate, who is befitting for you. Win her over. Right this wrong and I"m sure she'll forgive you. You are capable of loving, I saw how you jumped to protect her at the engagement, the way you protected Raihana and helped her over the rubble. Don't be stubborn so long that it becomes too late to fix it. I believe in you, I know you will never hurt her. You staying away from her is hurting her more than anything." He said, his warm voice irritating me like always. The questions I always wanted to ask threatened to come out and I clenched my jaw, shrugging him off.

"Come on, Maria." He said, after giving me one last smile before leading his wife out. The only one that remained was Rayhan and a very fucking awkward silence fell between us.

"What? Want to add your shit?" I asked coldly. I hadn"t forgiven him for what happened that night…

"If you want to call it that." He said, that irritating smile on his fucking face. He became serious. "I just want to apologise, for that night… I never knew you cared. If I did, I wouldn't have you know…"

I clenched my jaw, fucking pissed. Knowing my damn nephew had slept with my mate was fucking irritating. But then again, I couldn"t stake a claim on what I refused to accept.

"Kiara was drunk that night. You hurt her… repeatedly... You can't really blame her either." He said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

I didn't reply. I knew I wouldn't get over this shit any time soon, but this was as close to talking things out as we were going to get. I thought that… until the fucker spoke again, stopping at the door as he looked back.

"Oh, and one more thing… You really shouldn't let someone that hot and good slip through your fingers... Because I"m sure there are hundreds who would love to be in your position."

The clear hint of what he was insinuating was obvious in his fucking words. My eyes flashed, but he was gone before I could even reply.

Fucking bastard. I punched the wall, clenching my jaw.

Kiara… She had consumed my mind… My heart… My fucking world. The question was, what do I do now?

Do I follow my heart or my mind?

I knew the answer to that. I had tried to follow my mind and I couldn't. Even her parents weren't trying to keep her fifty miles away from me. Even Raf and Rayhan were encouraging this shit. Did they really not think of me as a fucking danger?

Was there a chance that maybe I could? Just fucking maybe, give this a shot? I knew it was fucking late to regret stuff and I had already pushed her far enough that she had slept with my nephew and was ready to reject me… But was there a chance to fix this shit?

Or had I broken her beyond the point of return?