.
AUSTIn’S POV:
James was tense besides me , in fact it was the first time I had ever seen him like this , he was usually calm and collected even under stressful conditions . But this was expected , something that couldn’t be controlled .
“I know . ” I told him before he could say anything . ” I know she’s your mate brother .”
It was also the first time I’d ever seen him this helpless and out of control , it looked as though he had absolutely no control over his feelings now , I could see the battle in his eyes as he battled between what was the sane thing to do and taking what belonged to him.
It was a werewolf’s natural nature to want what belonged to him , your mate gave you a reason to live , a reason to fight , now that James had found his mate , it was only normal for him to want her by his side , the need to claim her as his own would be strong , the need which was almost impossible to ignore was enough to drive any sane person mad .
A raw insatiable need.
A need that I felt whenever I was around Lucy , who was I f*****g kidding , it was there even when she wasn’t near .
f**k.
Even now with everything going on around us I still had a soul shattering need to claim her in every f*****g way possible. A need to mark her , a need to let every f*****g person know that she was f*****g mine , MInE. I almost murdered that vampire’s son in cold b***d when he suggested to make Lucy his bride , I still felt like ripping him apart now .
I shook the thought out of my head , what the f**k was wrong with me ? I had more important matters at hand . Like the fact that my brother’s mate happened to be the worst possible pick ever , as I watched him now I could see the strain it put on his body having Eden so near and not being able to claim her .
In this case however , it wasn’t possible for the claim to happen ,especially not now , this was the worst possible time for James to try to claim his mate , she belonged to the council , by right she was their property and there wasn’t much we could do without starting a war . A war that I couldn’t possibly start when Lucy was around , her safety mattered to me more than anything else . The thought of her in danger made my gut twist and my heart clench painfully .
no , I couldn’t bring any danger to Lucy. not now , not ever .
“Leave . You must leave brother .”
James eyes snapped up to mine at my words , he looked like that was the last thing he expected me to say.
“no.” He replied almost instantly ,in a flat tone .
“James .” I pressed . ” We have too much at stake right now , Eden belongs to the council , if we plan on taking her from here it would require a lot of planning . If you leave now the council wouldn’t feel as threatened , we could take them by surprise another time . “
He still didn’t look convinced .
“Taking her from the council now is a great risk you’ll be taking brother , think about it , if we lose the battle Eden would be the one to be harmed by the council with the worst punishment being death , the best and smartest decision is to leave .”
James stiffened at my words , his body motionless and I could tell those words did the trick at convincing him to leave.
He shook his head . ” What about you ? How can I leave you here with Lucy ?”
It would be a risk letting James leave , but I also couldn’t take the chance of having him here when Eden was around , the smallest thing could flip him off , after seeing his reaction from earlier there was no way I could have James anywhere around Eden. If James started a fight , things could go south quickly , I could end up losing both my brother and Lucy.
no.
He had to leave.
” I’ll be okay .” I promised , it wasn’t the first time I was placed in a difficult situation by myself . ” If you still have doubts about our safety , you could remain with Lucas and stay back with the packs .”I suggested .
I could see him battling with himself as he fought to comply with my words , obviously not wanting to leave when there was so much at risk . I saw the moment he finally gave up , not finding any other better solution . James was the type who looked at all possible outcomes of a situation , he was always the one to think rationally . But this time I knew that this was the most difficult situation he has ever been faced with , since it involved none other than his mate.
“James . “I said , catching his attention once more . ” Do not return unless you hear my signal. “
He swallowed but eventually nodded . ” I give you my word brother . “
.
LUCY’S POV :
“What’s happening ?” I asked alarmed .
Eden was on the ground in tears , looking completely lost and broken . My heart ached at the sight before me , both Isabella and mother were trying to comfort her .
“James is her mate .” Isabella answered , wiping Eden’s tears .
My eyes widened in horror . Everything Eden and Isabella had told me before replayed in my head now Eden and James could never be together and if they chose to disobey the council , it meant death for them both .
no.
This couldn’t be happening .
“What’s going to happen now ?” I demanded , my hands shaking .
“There is nothing we can do .” Mother answered in a broken tone . “We can only hope James leaves this alone , if he tries to fight for Eden it would only make things worst for everyone .”
Eden’s eyes widened in horror, pulling away from mother’s embrace as if a switch had suddenly come on upon the mention of James fighting for her .
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply