FULL NOVELXO Chapter 9
August
Josephine looked up at me with horror in her eyes. I tightened my grip on her arms, begging her to tell me what’s wrong.
“I’m scared.” She whimpered.
“Baby, nothing is going to keep us apart now, you don’t need to be scared.” She shook her head,
“Not for me, I’m scared for you and what you’re going to do when you find out.” I tucked her hair behind her ear and cupped her face,
“What do you mean, love?” I asked, trying to remain calm for her.
“Your father knew I was alive.” Her words stopped my heart. No, that can’t be true.
“He sent me a letter on my birthday every year for 12 years. He told me to never come back here no matter what. Even when I told him about all of the dreams and feelings that called me back here, he said to stay away.” She confessed, biting her lip. I made a mental note to come back to the dreams.
I stepped away from Josie, clenching my hands into fists. Calm was out the window. If my father knew Josie was my mate and he kept her from me, there was no place on heaven or Earth that would keep him safe from me.
“August….” she reached out to me but I kept my distance. I wasn’t in control of my anger, Arlo was snarling in my head, threatening to come forward. I saw my eyes darkening in Josie’s reflection.
“August….Arlo….please.” She begged me, she begged my wolf, but I couldn’t let it go. I felt my mate reaching out to me emotionally, trying to calm me down, but even that couldn’t settle me. I ripped off my shirt and went running out the front door. I lunged off the front porch and shifted mid air. I looked behind me to see Josie on the porch, her hair moving in the wind and her hand covering her mouth.
“Ace, Shaw, Blaine, surround this house and protect your Luna.” I ordered Dru, Theo, and Ty’s wolves. They were three of my best men who were already on patrol nearby. I heard their shock in my head at the announcement of my mate. I would pay for that later.
“Yes Alpha!” They barked in unison. I heard their paws pounding the ground as they raced towards the cabin. I pushed Arlo faster, calling out to my Beta and Gamma,
“Ethan, Hayden, where is my father?”
“He’s at the packhouse, Alpha.” Ethan replied.
“Get him in my office, now!” I ordered.
“Yes Alpha!” Hayden and Ethan said together.
I shut off the mindlink and closed in on the packhouse. I could feel my mate calling out to me, her pain and worry vibrated through my chest. I hated that I was causing it, it physically hurt me, but I needed to confront my father and he needed to face his consequences.
I shifted before walking through the front door of the packhouse. Ethan was waiting with shorts and a T-shirt. I grunted my thanks and got dressed on the move.
“Alpha….” Ethan started but I held up my hand, silencing him.
Ethan and Hayden were my best friends, and had been since childhood. They were the obvious choice for Beta and Gamma when I found out I would be the Alpha. They trained at the Warrior pack with me for a few years after my father took over for Josie’s father, Alpha Johnathan. They were ready to step up and they wanted to be prepared. But, even they knew when to shut up.
I nearly ripped the office door off its hinges. Ethan stayed outside and I ordered Hayden out. My father was standing against the back wall, examining my library. He turned at my voice and his entire expression changed.
“Son, what’s going on?” He asked.
“I am your Alpha.” I cut him off. I had never pulled rank on my father before, but if there was ever a time, now was it.
“You will tell me the truth.” I ordered him in my Alpha voice. My father stiffened up and nodded,
“Of course, Alpha.” He said submissively,
“What is this about?” He asked.
“You kept her from me.” I growled through my teeth. I silenced my father before he could respond.
“She is the only reason you’re still alive. You better have a good explanation or you will face the consequences.” I threatened him. My father stared at me in shock, trying to work out what I knew. That only pissed me off more. He needed to tell me the entire truth right now or I was going to rip off his….
I instantly relaxed as the smell of strawberries and vanilla filled the air.
“Alpha….” Ethan and Hayden started calling out in my head but I silenced them just as the door flew open and my beautiful mate appeared in front of me. I growled at Ethan and Hayden who dared to put their hands on her.
“You’ll do well to keep your hands off my mate.” I snapped at them. Ethan and Hayden exchanged looks and backed away from Josie.
“I’ll deal with you three later.” I called out to Shaw, Ace, and Blaine who I could practically feel pacing in my head. I turned back to my father whose jaw was practically on the floor.
“Hello Uncle Benji.” Josie’s sweet voice rang across my office. She walked across the room and squared up to my father,
“I suggest you start talking now before I let him rip you apart.” She threatened him and I nearly fell at her feet. This woman was an angel and she was all mine. My father may live for keeping us apart but no one will ever get that mercy again for standing in between us.
“We realized you two were mated early on,” My father started, looking at me,
“Josie was dreaming about her mate and you would act strange everytime she came to visit the packhouse. When Josie was five, she was in an accident…” He paused and looked at Josie who nodded in confirmation,
“I swam too far out in the lake behind our house. I nearly drowned.” My heart ached for five-year old Josie. That’s when I remembered it. I was sitting at the dining table with my parents when I started feeling lightheaded, my chest was heavy. I started gasping for air, I couldn’t breathe. I coughed up at least a glass full of water. My father continued,
“You reacted to her pain, August. You started drowning at our dining room table. I called Alpha Johnathan and he found Josie floating in the water. She had gone out alone. Your connection saved her life. That’s when we knew for sure about your bond and realized how strong it was. Extraordinarily strong.” I caught Josie’s eyes, they were wide with shock. I admit, I was surprised too. I had never heard of such a strong connection between a mate bond, even for two grown werewolves let alone an underaged wolf-human pairing.
“That’s when Alpha Johnathan asked me to send you to the Warrior Pack. He said that you needed to be the very best in order to protect his daughter. He told me he would force Josie to reject you if I didn’t send you away,” I growled at the thought of being rejected by my love.
“I complied with the Alpha and sent you to train. But, I started to notice that everytime you came home, Josie was nowhere to be found. He kept her from the packhouse whenever you were there. When I confronted him about it, he said I was crazy, imagining things. It wasn’t until Jared mated with a human that I realized something was wrong,
“Alpha Johnathan told Jared to reject his mate, that he couldn’t take a human as the future Luna. Jared refused and that’s why he gave up the Alpha ranking. He was pissed at his father and left the pack to spite him. Alpha Johnathan came to me after Jared left and told me that he could never let his daughter mate with a werewolf. He said that one of my sons would be the next Alpha but that it wouldn’t be August. He said that he couldn’t risk his pack having a human Luna any longer,
“A year later Alpha Johnathan told me he was taking Josie and the Luna up state. He said to wait 24 hours exactly and then call Jared to tell him to meet his family at the cabin. He told me to stress to Jared that it was for Josie and was extremely important. I called Jared the next morning and by the end of the day he was calling me, screaming, demanding to know what I knew. That’s when I found out the Alpha and Luna were dead,
“A letter arrived that night from the Alpha with instructions for Josie. He said that I had to make sure she moved in with Jared and never came back here. He said that her life depended on it. I only did what my Alpha requested of me to protect his daughter.” My father finished, his head hanging down low.
The entire time I was watching Josie, her face sank lower and lower with each word. She was hearing ugly truths about her family and I hated it, I wanted to shield her from the pain.