You're Not My Mate

A Happy Surprise

Liam POV

When we get downstairs, I take a deep breath. This is either going to be mine and Cruz’s best idea ever. Or the worst. But I didn’t know what to else to do. I felt hopeless. In all the years my father spent training me to be Alpha, the endless hours of going through different situations and scenarios. He never once taught me how to handle an abusive father. We’ve never had anything like that in our pack. I don’t think I’d even heard of it. I had already planned to speak to the Elders today. And I was trying to do everything I could to hide my anger.. And even disappointment. Why hadn’t she told me all of this straight away? Why didn’t she tell me the truth? Especially about her and Junus. Didn’t I have the right to know that the man she called a best friend and still spent everyday speaking to had been someone she used to fool around with?

Theodore is angry too and he’s threatening to jump out at any moment. Then I think of her father. That man has made her the way she is around men. Like she’s going to be abandoned. Rejected. Was she keeping all of this a secret because she was scared of me? No. She wasn’t scared of me. But she was probably scared of my reaction. Losing me. I’m sure there’s more to the disagreement with her father than she’s told me. He’s a sick bastard and I’m sure he’s probably threatened her with all sorts to try and go home.

When we get to the dining room door I can hear the voices quieten. I just hope the surprise isn’t ruined. “I love you so much, baby. I promise to do everything to make you happy.” I say, looking down at her. I try to fill my eyes with joy, but I can’t. My girl is broken, which means I’m broken.

The legends are true. However your mate feels, that is how you feel too. And I can feel every inch of her heartbreak. And anger too. When we open the door I hold my breath and turn to look at her. Sat on the table were my parents who had flown here immediately when they found out. Along with my sister, who had a huge soft spot for Aurelia, Cruz, Clara-Jane and Marcus. Then Caesar and Arabella, Felix, Dominik and Lucia, and finally Junus. Looking rather awful. But our best doctors were working on getting all of the poison out of his system and they believ he will make a full recovery within a couple of days. Luckily, he has Gamma blood in his veins. I try and suppress my anger as I look at him and take him in. It would do no good to get possessive and attack him now. But that didn’t mean I didn’t want to.

She turns to me, tears brimming in her eyes and her lip shaking. Oh no. She hates it. We’ve done the worst thing ever. I can feel the panic in my eyes as she bursts out crying and pushes her head into my chest. I close my eyes, cursing myself for making it worse. “You are the most amazing person in my life.” She gushes. I blink surprised. “You don’t hate it?” “I LOVE it. Thank you, thank you.” I grin, and bend down to kiss her lips. “Cruz did most of it.” She grins and bounces over to Cruz, pulling him into a hug and kissing his cheek. “For today, I promise, you’re my favourite.” Marcus pretends to scowl and be hurt but we all laugh. Just seeing her have some happiness back in her eyes was worth the late night we all had.

I head to the top of the table to sit by my parents and sister, watching Aurelia pass herself around all of her friends and family. Her face is full of colour, her eyes are lit up. “You can breathe now, son.” I turn to my father and he nods his head. And then I let out the biggest breath that I hadn’t realised I’d been holding. “What do I do?” I ask him weakly, needing his advice now more than ever. “Alpha Regulus needs to die. But you can not do it. She’d never forgive you. Which is why, someone else is already doing it.” I turn to look at him surprised, “Who?”

He looks torn. This is obviously something that he wanted to keep confidential. “Let’s just say, not all of Aurelia’s family are like her father. Who’s the one person missing at this table?” I look around. “Her mother?” He nods. “The Luna has made a decision. A difficult one. This time tomorrow, that kid there..” He gestures to Caesar. “Will be Alpha. And your mate... Your mate is going to be grieving. You need to be there for her.” I gulp and nod my head. Aurelia is sat next to Felix, foreheads resting against one another. I wonder what they’re sharing. 

Before long, Aurelia comes bounding over to us, Lola pulls her into a massive hug. And then she turns to my parents and hugs them both too. “You shouldn’t have cancelled your plans for me!” She scolds. They both smile. “Aurelia, you are like my daughter. You’re our family, and we are yours. Never forget that.” I smile at my mother, she always has a way with words. She comes to sit down next to me, and rests her hand on my thigh.

“I have to show you something.”

“Ok, baby. Now?”

“Not now. Can we go to the pool after here?”

“Of course we can. Do you want to swim?”

“No thanks, can we just sunbathe and relax? I really just need you.”

“Oh, sweet baby. Of course. I love you, so so much, baby.”

“I love you more, always more.”

She cuts the mind link as always, before I can argue back. I chuckle and wrap my arm around her, pulling her chair, and her closer to me. She is definitely a comfort eater, as she manages to eat her way through another 2 blueberry muffins, a stack of pancakes, and then Jordan fetches her 2 eggs on toast. She confesses her undying love for him which makes us all chuckle and wolfs them down again. Pun intended. 

When she’s finished eating, she turns to everyone, thanking them for coming. Lucia turns to look at me dead in the eye with a glare in her eye, which if I’m honest, freaks me out. That girl looks like she’s ready to kill. We had allowed them all temporary access to our pack while being here which meant we could mind link with them. We all thought it was best.. To be able to keep Aurelia safe.

“My best friend is upset. Which means I am upset. I’m only here because Caesar won’t let me kill his father. But I guarantee you, their father will be dead tonight. And you better comfort her.”

“I will, I promise. If I thought she wouldn’t hate me for the rest of her life, I’d kill him myself.”

Her eyes soften.

“I know. Me too with Caesar. I’m sorry. I’m just VERY protective of Aurelia.”

“Me too. She’s too delicate for this. I can’t stand to see her like this.

She turns back towards Caesar, but I don’t miss her smirk.

“Don’t underestimate her. She used to train with us. She put Caesar on his ass, many times. Don’t tell him I told you that though.”

I can’t hold in my chuckle at the thought, and she catches my eye. Her face is warmer now. I turn to Aurelia who is looking at me suspiciously. I grin and kiss her cheek.

“Can we go now?”

“Sure, baby. Come on.”

I thank everyone for coming, and ask Cruz, Clara-Jane and Marcus to show everyone around. Caesar however makes a beeline for my parents. As I walk out with Aurelia, I hear a brief part of his conversation before she distracts me. “Alpha Alexander, a pleasure to meet you. Please, may I have a moment of your time? I’d love to pick your brains about...” “Thank you so much, you are the best mate, ever.” She gushes. I turn to look at her, with her eyes lit up. I can’t help but smile at her. She’s just too perfect.

Aurelia POV

We walk to the pool area, hand-in-hand and then lay down on two loungers next to each other. Liam pushes his all the way next to mine so that we can lay close to each other. He slides down his lounger, and pulls me close into him, so that my head lays on the top of his chest.

“Thank you. That was.. Perfect.” I whisper. Seeing my family was just what I needed. How did I get so lucky with him? “You’re welcome, baby. Now, what do you want to do? Whatever you want, I’ll do it.” I smile at him and shake my head. “Felix has already filled me in on everything. Caesar becomes Alpha tomorrow. My father is being exiled right now by my mother and the Elders. If he refuses...” I trail off trying to digest what Felix had told me. “If he refuses.. They kill him.” I’m surprised how it doesn’t make me feel sad. Or angry. Or even guilty. A part of me hopes he takes the exile, but I know he won’t. And honestly, I’m not even sad about it. Probably because he threatened to kill my Junus. My best friend. And make me watch. He blackmailed me. And he made me doubt Liam, thinking that he was going to reject and abandon me. He made me keep secrets from my mate.

I can feel Liam turn as he kisses my head. “Are you OK with that, baby? I don’t want you to do anything that could upset you further down the line?” I take a deep breath and lift myself up. “You need to see this.” I lean forward and rest my head against his. I show him everything that Felix showed me today. How my father had plans to kill two other pack Alpha’s and take over their packs. He wanted to have a bigger pack than ours, and then he would come here, to kill Liam. I would be inconsolable, obviously, after losing my mate. I’d feel obliged to return to my old home.. Where my best friend Junus would comfort me. And then we’d end up mating togeter. Giving my father everything he wanted. Junus figured out the plot, and then ran to tell Dominik, who arranged a meeting, without my father, to tell everyone.

My father found out, and started to poison Junus, threatening to kill him if Dominik went ahead with the meeting. But, Junus is strong. He told Dominik to tell everyone. Which is when my father turned to me. But, Caesar had already warned me. Which is when we made up the marriage lie to try and buy us time. Last night, when he got off the phone, he flew into a rage and attacked Junus. I show him picture memories that Felix shared with me about how bad Junus was. Luckily, the pack doctors and Elders are amazing and were able to heal him very fast, so his body could concentrate on healing the poison. 

My mother found out about everything, and went into protective mother mode. Years of him abusing me took its toll on her. She’s made the decision with the Elders for exile, or death. Then I show him a memory from Felix that twists my stomach slightly. My father is chained up, in the dungeons, with wolfsbane being injected into his veins every hour to make him weak. 

I pull away from Liam’s forehead and bite my lip, not able to look him in the eye. How could he want to spend the rest of his life with someone like me with a crazy, nut-job family like that? He must sense my panic because he sits up, pulls me onto his lap and holds me close. “Oh sweet baby, I wish I’d come to your pack years ago to save you sooner. I’m so sorry.” I blink a few times, surprised, and then curl up into him. 

“Are you mad at me?” I whisper. He pulls me back to look at my face and shakes his head. “No. Why would you think that?” I sigh and lean back against his chest. “I wanted to tell you everything when it happened. But my father made me believe that when you knew the truth about me and Junus.. You’d reject me because I wasn’t pure when you met me.. And that I had kept it from you. And then you’d send me back anyway. I didn’t want to lose you. I never do.” He sighs and pulls me closer.

“Baby. You both fooled around. But you never had s*x. We didn’t know each other when all of that was going on.. I wish you had told me, but I’m not mad at you. I just want you to know that you can trust me. Never feel like you have to hide anything from me.” I nod and curl into him more as he wraps his arms tighter around me.

“I love you, so much, my big handsome wolf.” He chuckles. “Not the big bad wolf today?” I grin. “No. Very handsome. Very big. And all mine.” He pulls me tighter, and then - BANG.

The lounger has given way and we’re both sat on the floor. Liam looks around my body, moving me quickly to assess the damage, but I just burst out laughing. This is exactly what I needed. Normality. He joins in my laugh and then pulls a face. “What’s wrong?” I ask, suddenly concerned. I hadn’t thought about his injuries. “I think I broke my coccyx.” I burst out laughing again. This is all I needed, to be taking him to the pack hospital for a broken coccyx. He glares at me mischievously, picks me up and then throws me into the pool, fully clothed.

I hit the icy cold water and sink to the bottom. Oh he’ll pay for that! I laugh to myself, just holding my breath. Waiting to see how long until he jumps in. It only takes a minute and I can feel the pool water throw me backwards and Liam’s beautifully chiseled faces appears in front of mine. I smirk at him as he pulls me close, kissing my lips. I gesture up with my head and we both swim to the surface.

“Are you ok, handsome?” I ask, now concerned he might have actually broken his coccyx. His eyes look calmer, more relaxed, and happier. I think he needed the laugh as much as I did. “Yes. I’ll break my coccyx everyday if it means I can see you laugh like that.” I laugh and kiss him, then swim behind him, kneading the skin there to see if it hurts. “Stop feeling my ass!” He scolds, laughing. When I’m happy that it appears to be bruised and not broken, I come back in front of him.

“I think it’s just bruised, you’ll be fine in a hour.” He smiles softly, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing my ass cheeks. He pulls me close to him and I wrap my legs around his waist, and my arms around his neck as he kicks to keep us afloat. I lean up slightly to kiss his lips, and then.. SPLASH.

We both pull apart to look around and all of my family and friends dive into the pool. I can’t help my laughter as Felix bombs in next to us, creating a wave of water over us. “I hope you brought dry clothes.” I warn him, wagging my finger at him. He laughs and I can feel my own face relax now. Having my family here made everything easier. It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

We spend the rest of the day playing around in the pool. We have swimming races, diving competitions and we even play volleyball. Jordan is amazing and continuously fetches out snacks and drinks to the side of the pool for us. And it feels perfect. “OK, final race. It’s Caesar vs Aurelia for our swimming champion. Let’s go!” I’d beaten everyone in the races to get to the final, including Liam, which I knew he done on purpose. When we get to the end of the pool, Caesar smirks at me. “No cheating, kid.” I glare at him. “Ohhh, you’re going DOWN Caesar!” He laughs. “What are you going to call me when I’m Alpha?” I smirk at him. “The Loser.. Or just Caesar.” He glares at me as we get into position.

“You got this baby girl.”

I smirk and get myself ready. “GO!” Screams Felix, and we both set off. We are neck and neck all of the way. With each stroke we glare at each other, pushing ourselves on. I get into the zone. Focusing on beating him and push myself faster than I ever have before. When I reach the end I bounce up out of the water to Liam who wraps me in a big fluffy towel. I look across and Arabella is wrapping Caesar up too. I glare at Felix who’s laughing at both of us. “It’s a tie. You both hit the wall the exact same time.” “NO way!” I shout. Cruz and Dominik both get out of the pool next to us.

“It’s true. We were the finish line eyes underwater. You both hit it the EXACT same time.” I glare at Caesar who’s chuckling at my expression. Then I smile sweetly. “Guess the baby sister Luna beat the Alpha-to-be.” He scowls at me as everyone roars with laughter. My nose gets distracted then as it smells something delicious. And then I can see Jordan cooking over a massive barbecue grill and my stomach growls in anticipation. Liam laughs as he pulls me onto his lap. “Marcus brought you down some dry clothes to change into. They’re in the lounge.” I nod, and flash a smile at Marcus, silently thanking him.

In the lounge, I finish drying off and change into a pair of high waisted black shorts, a white bra and a white spaghetti strap cami. I slide on some black sliders and head back out to the garden. Everyone else has changed now too, except for Caesar who’s just parading around in his shorts, showing off his physique for everyone. I roll my eyes at him as I pass and he chuckles.

I go to sit on the grass with Liam who’s talking to Felix. They both stop when they see me walking towards them “What are you two talking about?” I ask, eyeing them suspiciously. They both shrug, “Boy stuff.” I roll my eyes. “You can tell me.. Or I can just see for myself.” They both look at each other. “I’m waiting for a call, from the Elders. To let us know what’s happening. Liam’s worried about you, well, we all are.” I nod and then think about Junus. “Hey, where’s Juno? I haven’t seen him since breakfast.” I look around and still can’t see him. “He’s over in the hospital. He’s fine, he just has to have an IV for a few hours to finish getting the poison out. He’s due back any minute now.” I nod. 

I felt like a rubbish friend. I’d been so busy wrapping myself up in Liam to distract myself all day, I hadn’t even noticed Junus had gone. Which only solidifies the fact for me that he’s definitely not my mate. I ache as soon as Liam leaves my side. Never mind if he’d been gone all day. Jordan announces the food is done and starts handing out plates for us to pick up food from the huge table. He’s cooked every type of meat imaginable, as well as garlic breads, corn on the cobs, and he’s even made a huge salad bowl. “You’re so good to us, Jordan. Thank you.” I praise him. Liam rolls his eyes at me and laughs. “Looks like her stomach is the way to her heart.” He laughs and Jordan joins in. “It’s my pleasure, Luna, Alpha.” 

We sit down at the table and begin eating. A few minutes later Junus appears, grinning. Dominik passes him a plate of food he’s dished up, and Junus sits down next to him. “How are you feeling, Juno?” I ask. He smiles his big, wolfish grin at me. “Real good. Looks like all the poison is out.” I breathe a sigh of relief. Dominik gives him an elbow in the ribs. “Good to have you back, brother.” Everyone claps and cheers in agreement. 

When it gets dark, Cruz lights up a campfire and we all sit around it, toasting marshmallows. I sit on the floor between Liam’s legs and lean into his knee, taking in his smell. Out of the corner of my eye I see Caesar and Felix disappear. I sit up and try to concentrate on listening to them. I close my eyes and focus as hard as I can. And I can hear them speaking muffled. “He refused to leave. Mom just called. It’s done. He’s been killed.” “Good riddance. Sorry Caesar, but it’s true. Look at the way he’s treated our sister, and the whole pack.” “I’m not sorry about that, I’m sorry we have to leave. The Elders want to do the Alpha ceremony as soon as possible.” “We need to tell Aurelia”

I turn to Liam with my eyes filled with tears. “Baby, what’s wrong?” “He’s dead. He refused to leave.” I choke out. He looks surprised. “How do you know, Boo?” Juno asks. I sigh. “I can hear Caesar and Felix talking.” They all look at me like I’ve grown 3 heads. “You can HEAR Caesar and Felix?” I nod, shrugging. Everyone looks at me like I’m nuts. “They’re way back in the house, you can’t hear them. Maybe you were dreaming.” I shake my head. 

A few minutes later Caesar and Felix reappear. “Aurelia, can we talk to you?” “It’s OK. I already know.” I shrug. Their mouths drop slightly. “How?” “She heard you.” Liam says, looking at me strangely. Now their mouths drop all the way to the floor. “How many other abilities have you picked up?” I shrug, trying to think. “I don’t know. That one, just sort of.. I don’t know. I focused really hard and I could hear you both.” Everyone starts to mumble around us, and then Caesar coughs for attention.

“I’m sorry everyone, we need to leave, immediately. The Elders wish to perform the ceremony as soon as possible.” I nod and stand up, hugging everyone, leaving Caesar and Lucia for last. I kiss Caesar’s head. “You’re going to be the most amazing Alpha, Caesar. I’m sorry I’ll miss your ceremony, but I’ll watch it back from your memories next time. Safe journey.” He nods, and pulls me into a hug. “The bastard is gone, kid. Now, go enjoy your man and your pack. You’re safe.” I smile, and nod at him. He kisses my forehead and then I turn to Lucia. I pull her into a massive hug as tears run down her face.

“Lucia, you’re going to be the Gamma Female now. And you’re going to rock. Go kick ass and show them what you’re made of.” She grins and kisses my cheek. “Call me if you need anything.” I nod, smiling at her and wave goodbye to them all. Junus runs back for one last hug and kisses my forehead. “Love you, boo. Take care of yourself.” I pull him close to me and breathe in his smell and then let him go. “Be safe, Juno.” He waves as they all rush off into a fleet of Range Rovers that Liam arranged and head off to the airport. I smile to myself, and for the first time in my life. I feel free. Purely, blissfully, free.