Mated After Redemption {Alpha Mate's Series}

Chapter 4

He stood there alone in front of the dining table, his back to me. The summer breeze ruffled his hair and wafted the pleasant smell of flowers into the brightly lit room. He moved slightly, self-assurance tinting every movement of his lean, hard body. I noticed now that his T-shirt and jeans, though seemingly commonplace, hinted at designer origins.

In the wall bracket close to me were bronze figurines. My fingers wrapped tightly around the heaviest-looking one. Moving my arm up and down, I ascertained its weight. It was heavy all right.

I had just come down the stairs noiselessly. I had no footwear on and didn't bother looking for one in my ridiculously huge room. Perhaps it was a good thing as I was pretty sure that he hadn't heard me descend. It would make bashing him on the head with the figurine that much easier. I would knock him unconscious and escape before anyone could notice.

I hesitated as I remembered our encounter earlier. I seemed unable to physically resist him. I just hoped that our mate bond would not restrict me from committing an act of physical violence against him.

I grasped the statue tighter and took a step forward.

Without turning or speaking, he beckoned to me and gestured for me to sit. I stood still, shocked. He had noticed me. He knew I was behind him all the while. But then again, he must have picked my scent.

Slowly, trying not to make any noise I put the statue back, marking its place. Perhaps, other opportunities would come.

For the first time, I took in the room which was every bit as splendid as I expected considering the magnificence of the room I had just left.

My gaze drifted slowly from ceiling to floor. A flash of movement caught my eye. My head swiveled in the direction of the movement and I saw a pair of eyes staring at me intently.

I gasped in surprise and took a step back. A man more than six feet tall was standing there close to the enormous dining table. He was half hidden by the huge pillars in the room.

My gaze scanned the room slowly and I discovered that there were more of these guards- a lot of them- standing paces apart, their eyes fixed on me. They were all huge and muscled. They could have been brothers but a good look at their faces negated that conclusion. Some were bearded, clean-shaven, tattooed, pierced, and scruffy; they were a medley of faces. They stood so still that they could have been mistaken for statues. Like chameleons, they blended perfectly into the background, cloaking themselves in the few shadows visible in the room.

I flushed as I felt sure they had noticed my attempt on their Alpha with the statue. But they didn't say anything. Do they want their Alpha dead or that their Alpha would overpower me in seconds? Or worse, they already knew I was his mate and couldn't even do that?

Walking stiffly with my head held high, I made my way to the dining table. Each of the guards bowed to me as I passed them.

I stared at the array of food on the table. It was enough for a feast, but only two places were laid.

"Sit" Commanded that familiar and annoying voice.

The Alpha was at the table, already settling into his place. It was unnerving how noiselessly he walked.

I bristled at his tone.

"Don't tell me to sit like I'm a dog. You're holding me against my will. My pack will be looking for me. You don't want a pack war on your hands, do you?" I said, glowering at him.

One of his thick eyes flicked upward and he ran those cool eyes over me once. His eyes lingered on my feet, taking in the fact that I wore nothing on them.

He gave the guard closest to the staircase a pointed look. The Omega guard detached himself from the shadows and darted upstairs, returning in an impossibly short time with a pair of slippers which he placed at my feet.

"What if my pack is more powerful than yours?" he smirked, looking at me and smiling mockingly. "Your pack would be the one to get decimated."

His voice turned cold. "Now, sit down and eat."

I considered telling him to go to hell, but the sight of the food before me weakened my resolve. It reminded me of how weak and spent I was. I had been functioning on adrenaline since I had regained consciousness and it was beginning to tell on me.

With a toss of my head and a contemptuous sniff, I sat down and began to eat.

From the angle I sat, I could see out of the French windows clearly and my eyes were continuously drawn to it.

The land of this place stretched out as far as the eyes could see. There were houses dotted all over it and a lot of people around.

There were men, children in their teens, women, girls, and a few babies carrying stuff, talking to each other. The place was bustling with activity. They all kept a respectful distance from the Alpha's house as though they didn't want their activities to disturb him.

This seemed to be a very large pack, maybe even larger than ours and that was saying something. I wasn't sure yet as I hadn't seen the extent of it. But if it was as big as I imagined it, it would be bigger than my pack. It made me more curious to know more about this enigma who was my mate.

I snuck a glance at him from under my lashes and found him staring at me. He smiled wryly, glancing out the window and back at me to show he was aware of the train of my thoughts.

"You haven't touched your food. Eat some more right now," he said, pushing a plate of spaghetti and meatballs close to me. "I don't want my mate skinny. I like my women with some flesh on their bones."

I flushed and sought a retort.

Before I could say anything, the front door opened and a man stepped in. He was as huge as the rest of them and blonde-haired. The guards gave him a stiff bow.

He walked with easy assurance to the Alpha's side.

"Alpha Kane," he greeted with a bow.

Kane. I thought, my eyes narrowing. So that was his name?

"Ryan," The Alpha said, smiling and clasping the man's hand. "You've been gone longer than I expected."

It was the first genuine smile I had seen on his face.

"Yes," Ryan replied, grinning back at my mate and I noted that they must be close. He was probably a Beta or Delta. "There were . . ."

He trailed off, apparently noticing me for the first time.

"Luna," He said, bowing deeply to me and giving me an open friendly smile. I wanted to ask how he knew who I was but with the sneaky smile the Alpha threw at me, I was certain they used their mind link. "I hope you find everything. . . satisfactory."

I ignored him.

"Come, let's discuss outside." Kane interrupted, leading the way. Ryan followed.

Grateful for the distraction, I turned to the guards as soon as the door closed behind me.

"Where exactly am I? What pack do you belong to?" I asked, infusing all the authority of an Alpha in my voice. "Tell me about your Alpha."

They said nothing, just stared into space, their lips pursed.

Frustrated, I flung the napkin on the table and stood up. At the far end of the room, there was a smaller hallway.

I didn't want to go back to that room and I would definitely not pass through that front door where I would be likely to run into Kane.

I walked towards the hallway and saw another staircase right in front of it. I sneaked a glance behind me. The guards remained stationary; none of them followed me. Perhaps they were secure in the knowledge that I could not escape. I decided to try. I could make it hard for them to find me in this huge house, and with luck on my side, I could escape.

I climbed the stairs and came to a corridor with many doors. On my right, a little way in front of me was what seemed to be a book covered by thick, floor-length velvet curtains.

Curious, I drew the curtain open. Ancient wooden panels hung on the wall, illustrating what was clearly a family tree. Names were picked out in gold leaf. It was huge and was floor-to-ceiling. My eyes glanced over the unfamiliar names, though one or two of them seemed to ring a faint bell.

Towards the end, I saw his name- Kane Black- with empty spaces for his mate and offsprings.

My heart beat faster. That name. . . Kane Black. Quickly my eyes shot upward, seeking the pack name.

There it was in gold lettering.

Genealogy of the Light Moon pack.

The light moon pack!

It couldn't get any worse than this. How could I be mated to the leader of a sworn enemy of my pack? Father might just kill me.