My Alpha Biker Mate

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 31

NOVA'S POV

I take a step back. I reach out for Nate, holding him until my back is slammed into Cassian's front. He makes me turn to look at him, but I can still feel my aunt's eyes on my back. She would never take her eyes off.

“Is this her?” Cassian asks, and Nate gives him a small nod.

All those years of maltreatment.

Nate and I never really healed. And now that we are in front of her, it just proves that.

“Like I said, you aren't going to let me in?” She asks, and Cassian gently makes the both of us stand behind him. He walks up to her, and she c***s an eyebrow, looking at him from head to toe.

Then she looks back at me. “You had the nerve to bring a man home?” She asks, raising her voice slightly. I find myself closing my eyes. “Imagine what your mom would do if she was still here.”

My mom would be more than glad to meet Cassian. Especially since I know that one of my parents was of his kind.

“He deserves to be here,” I say, and even my voice sounds strained. But at least I find the nerve to talk back at her.

She looks at me in shock. “He's teaching you how to talk back at your elders, isn't he? Maybe you'll be willing to explain where you went for the past few days. I've been coming here nonstop.”

“You don't have to come and see me. I'm grown now.”

She laughs, throwing her head back. It is a mocking laughter. I don't need anybody to tell me that. Her hands are folded across her chest.

A part of me is waiting for her to tell me to get the belt. But Cassian is there. She wouldn't dare do something like that. That doesn't mean that if she tells me to get the belt, I won't move.

It is a reflex move. And I am not sure that I have gotten over it.

“I want to come inside,” she says, gritting her teeth now, and Cassian is still standing at the door, unmoving.

He turns to look at me, and a shiver runs through my spine.

My neighbors are starting to peek out of their windows.

“Do you want her to come in?” He asks, and I swallow hard before giving him a small nod.

Cassian finally moves to the side, and she walks past him, making sure that she brushes his shoulder before sitting down on the chair.

I take a deep breath before looking down at Nate. His face is expressionless, and I can tell that he isn't even there with me.

“Go upstairs, Nate,” I whisper, placing a kiss on his forehead. He nods, heading upstairs like a thunderbolt. Like he has been waiting for me to do something like that.

I find myself wrapping my arms around Cassian's as he leads me back to the living room.

“What do you want?” I ask my aunt, and she plumps her lips that are covered in red lipstick.

“Nate,” she says, and I c**k an eyebrow at her.

“What are you talking about?” I ask, and even Cassian looks genuinely confused.

“I've been going to the orphanage, but they didn't let me have him. Not when you're still here. They wanted to make sure you were still alive before they handed him over to me.”

I feel goosebumps on my skin immediately. What if I didn't come earlier? The manager at the orphanage didn't know our story. What if she quickly handed Nate over to her because he was growing older than the kids at the orphanage? He would be forced to look for her once he is eighteen.

I close my eyes for just a second, and I almost burst out laughing. Laughing out of relief.

I tip my chin anyway. “I took him. And you don't need to have him anymore.”

I notice the way she laughs again. Then she looks at me from head to toe. “I can see that you have plans to destroy your own life. I'm not letting any of that happen to Nate.”

“I’m sure you don't want us to go down memory lane, aunt,” I say, and she sits up. She is triggered. Good. “Years of maltreatment, you think I would just drop Nate off?”

“Because I have him in my best interest. If you want to go ahead and destroy your own life, you can do just that.”

I look away, and that is the cue for Cassian to take over.

“I think that's enough,” he says, and she looks over at him. “You need to leave.”

She looks back at me. “You're just going to let him chase me away?”

“I don't want you here either. If he wants to chase you away, then so be it.”

She shakes her head before grabbing her bag and standing up. “Your mom would be so disappointed. You know that, right? Bringing men home and letting Nate live around them. You—” she suddenly stops speaking, narrowing her eyes on my neck.

“What is that?” She asks, and I move away from her touch as she attempts to reach for my neck.

“None of your business,” I say, and I don't miss the shiver that runs through her spine.

“Lord knows what you're turning into.”

“Like I said, none of your business,” I say, and she shakes her head as she heads for the door by herself. I can feel power humming underneath my skin. Slamming her to the wall is very much one of the things that I want to do at that point.

She is just about to head out of the door when I call out to her.

“And in reality, mom would be very disappointed in how you raised her kids after she died. If anything, you're the one who should be ashamed of yourself.”

She looks at me from head to toe, and she slams the door right behind her.

I exhale, and I feel my knees give way as I stay on the floor, right there with Cassian.

“You'll be fine,” he whispers, joining me right there on the floor.

“I know,” I whisper. “Do you think she suspected anything?”

He shrugs. “Your eyes turned gold for a while. But it doesn't matter if she noticed. She won't be bothering you or Nate anymore.”

I know that, but it isn't enough for me. “I don't think I want to be here anymore,” I say, and Cassian looks over at me.

“Are you sure?” He asks, and I give him a nod before even bothering to think about it.

“I just want to leave this place. Out of all the risks, I want to be able to really take care of Nate. The people here are too inquisitive. It'll be good if we're in a place where they can't ask questions.”

That is when it hits me. The people at the pack are going to ask him questions as well.

“Don't worry about it,” he says, running his hands through my hair. “I'm the Alpha.”

I have another thing to worry about. I also have to find a way to explain things to Nate. There is no way he isn't going to see things that are going to be very off-putting.

“Go where?” I hear Nate ask at the bottom of the stairs. Just at the same time, a knock comes at the door.