The Lycan’s Scarred Mate

4. BATTLE FOR CUSTODY

*DRAYTON*

I paused in the middle of pronouncing her name as my wolf, Nate purred for the first time and said the one thing I had never heard in my entire life. "Mate."

Almost at once, I tensed up.

Just how? How can my nephew's wife be my mate? Though I have been mateless my entire twenty-eight years of existence but this could not be right.

With the way her hand froze in mine, I could tell she felt it too.

I hurriedly released her hand and managed a smile before taking a step back. Nonetheless, our eyes were fixated on each other.

Despite her beauty and attractive features, I could see the sadness in her eyes. Her lips were broken and she had bruises on the side of her mouth, on her nose, and on her neck.

She seemed so timid on the bed and her eyes were calling out to me as though she wanted me to save her. Yet, my mind was in a frenzy.

"So tell me... Uncle Drayton, to what do I owe the surprise visit?" Dorian's voice cut through the tension in the atmosphere.

Taking my eyes off his wife, I cleared my throat and answered him. "Uhm, I came here to discuss some things with you."

Dorian chuckled. "You could have just discussed them with me over the phone."

The actual truth was— the royal fortune teller of my pack told me the moon goddess had changed my fate and I was going to find a mate in my birth Pack, but I never expected it to be a girl who was married, and nonetheless, married to my own nephew.

“Yeah, I could have,” I answered, forcing the best smile I could muster. “But it's been a while since I saw you. We are the only ones remaining in our family. I thought it was high time I visit my old pack and greet you too.”

“You are always welcome here.” Dorian smiled back. “By the way what would you like to eat, drink… anything. I'd have the servants prepare it for you.” He said as he threw his arm over my neck.

Yet once again, I was worried about my supposed mate. I looked over to her and inquired. “What happened to your wife? Why is she admitted?”

Dorian looked from me to his wife then back to me. “She went for some training and asked them to treat her like one of them. They beat her up in the process. You see I told her not to, but she doesn't listen and that's the result.”

Seeing Elysia’s eyes dimmed, I could tell that he was lying. The bruises on her face and skin were too much. Some were old and purple.

Just then, the unexpected happened. She mindlinked me.

“Please save me. He has been physically assaulting me since I got married to him.”

“Why?” I asked through the mind link.

“For no reason at all. The last one happened after I discovered I was pregnant. I went to him at the study only to find him having s*x with another woman. He beat me up for interrupting his moment and made me lose my baby when I demanded a divorce.”

My heart skipped a beat.

When did my nephew become such a monster? How could he do this to his own wife? Was this the reason why the moon goddess made her my mate instead?

“What are you thinking about, Uncle? Let's return to the mansion.” urged Dorian but something in me didn't want to.

The sudden urge to take my mate and get the hell out of this Pack overwhelmed me and I found myself asking.

“Who is she to you, Dorian?”

A puzzled Dorian let out a chortle as he stated. “My wife of course. What kind of question is that?”

“Then why do you mistreat her?” I asked, already getting infuriated for reasons unknown to me.

“Who said I mistreat her?” Dorian queried before looking at his wife. “Do I mistreat you, Elysia?”

She did not respond. I watched how she lowered her head and played with her fingers.

Removing Dorian’s arm from my neck, I looked at him dead straight in the eye and said. “I am going to take your wife with me.”

“What?” Dorian scoffed. “You must be joking.”

“Try me.”

“What are you saying, Uncle? She is my wife.” He pointed at himself. “I married her.”

“And she is my mate!” I roared back.

Dorian staggered backward in disbelief. “No no no, you must be joking. There must be a mistake somewhere. Elysia happened to be my mate before I got married to her and—”

“— And nothing!” I cut in. “You have been mistreating her since you got married to her. Look at the bruises all over her skin. I have never had a mate or a wife in my entire life but look at you manhandling the one you have.”

“It is none of your business.”

“It is now. Elysia is my mate and she has become my business. I do not know what the moon goddess is playing at. But I'm taking her away from here… away from you.”

“You will do no such thing!” Dorian snarled. “Don’t f*****g test my patience, Uncle!”

“Well, I intend to.” looking over at Elysia, I asked her outrightly. “Would you like to come with me or remain with him?”

She raised her head and those gorgeous eyes met mine as she answered. “I would like to come with you, Sir.”

“You must be insane!” Dorian lashed out at her. He made an attempt to attack her but I pushed him away without hesitation.

He almost lost his balance but when he regained his composure. His eyes bore into mine as he seethed. “You are being unreasonable, Uncle. That is my wife and you cannot take her away from me.”

I readjusted my stance. “Oh, I will.”

Dorian’s eyes switched from his black orbs into red ones. “Then one of us is going to die right now.”