Sent to the slaughter by the council for her, that was bullshit. If he had been and gone willingly so, she’d likely have been informed by his own grandfather. So that she knew he had been punished by the council, accepted it willingly. Mala could only imagine he’d argued against it.
Likely so had his parents, no Alpha would willingly accept being removed from their position, when running a pack. How bloody dumb did they think she was? Probably very dumb; considering she’d never been allowed to finish her schooling inside that pack.
That pack had taken even her right to be educated away from her, all her rights as a pack member had been stripped away from her. By his own mother and father. Like she was going to go back to that pack.
Mala could well imagine all the looks she would get, his own mother had hated her the most, with a passion like no other. As if she wanted to be face to face with that woman again, she had hit her with the Luna pack car on more than one occasion and in front of other pack members, and for what? Being wolf-less and in her opinion, didn’t deserve to live.
That woman had even laughed about it, Mala had seen her laugh as she’d picked herself up off the ground, yelled out the window, horrible things to her, just like the rest of the pack did. Hell, Hudson had been in the car with her one time, had snorted with amusement himself.
Yes, go back and be tortured by that woman, it was more likely that she and Suki will rip her head off, hit her with a damned car on every chance she got first. Hudson more than took after his mother. She was not giving him what he wanted, not ever.
Felt a hand on her elbow when she stalked into the pack house ‘My office Mala.” Aston told her, likely he could sense she was ticked off, it wasn’t half obvious, and she wasn’t trying to hide it either. Didn’t particularly care if he knew she was mad.
Aston had seen it before, the whole damn pack had likely see it yesterday morning, or at some point over the past 14 years, she had a temper.
Though until yesterday, it had never gotten out of control. Jet and Hudson just brought that side out in her. Hell, anyone coming here from that pack would likely bring that side out of her.
She was steered right into the Alpha’s Office, and made to sit down on the couch. Aston sat himself directly across from her, and looked at her. Simon his Beta was right there as well, standing just behind Aston’s chair and off to the right slightly. The door to the office she noted was closed.
They were about to have a private, for no other ears meeting it seemed. Wondered if she was going to get in trouble. She looked from one to the other, and they were both looking at her.
“Mala.” It was Aston who spoke first. “I’d like to discuss some things with you. Things I think that you need to know.”
Heard Simon clear his voice a moment later, when Aston hadn’t spoken again, seemed to be sitting and thinking about what or how to tell her whatever it was.
Heard Aston sigh “Things about me Mala, my history.”
That made her frown right at him. Why would he want to discuss that with her, it was such a long time ago, but she nodded “Alright.”
“You’re aware that my first mate rejected me.”
“Yes, you told me, after the Luna passed, rejected you for your own brother.”
“That is true, there was more to it though…I was the eldest by like half an hour, not a twin, two different mothers and one father. He had two mates. I should have been one of the Alpha’s to a dual reigning Alpha pack.” He nodded “I was in the end passed over for my brother, because my Mate didn’t want me only my brother.”
“I thought you left and went rogue?” Mala frowned.
“Not right away.” He sighed “I thought I could stay and continue to be one of the future Alphas in the pack with my brother. She only Mated to him and not me. I stayed for almost a year.” Sounded a little on the sad side.
“Not fun I imagine, seeing them together all the time.”
“No, it wasn’t. Painful to say the least, got worse when I decided about six months later, to stop dwelling on it. To move on, she, Carmel is her name, didn’t take it well when she saw me with another for the first time. Yelled and screamed at me actually, about being her mate and how could I do that to her.” shook his head “I don’t even know why, she loved shoving my brother and their happy mate bond in my face, daily even. So did he I think, never stopped her from doing it. He however, did not like her reaction to me seeing someone else, thought she hated me, liked that she didn’t want a bar of me, and only him.”
“I knew, that Raymond knew, I’d started sleeping with another, a nice warrior of a girl, he’d actually smiled at me, looked a little relieved to see I had moved on and could do so. Even came up to me and hugged me, told me he was happy for me, that I had been able to move on finally. It was genuine, I believe.”
“You don’t hate him?”
“I do not hate him. I don’t like how mean and cruel he is, and we argued over it a lot, but hate, no.” he shook his head. “Despite that man’s attitude during his mate bond with Carmel, when we were first found to be both mated to her, he did try to at first, to talk her into being with both of us. It was what we were always prepped for, one mate to the two of us, the packs history showed there was always two Alphas or two Luna’s to one Alpha. It was the logical conclusion for the two of us. Not that either of us would ever share our mate in the same bed.” Shook his head again “We are two very different types of wolves.”
He looked right at her and sighed “Carmel killed that warrior she-wolf that I was seeing, out on the training ground, put a bullet right in her. I was not there, off pack territory with my brother and father at an alliance meeting. Came home to hear the news, was bloody horrified. Everyone was, then she yelled right at me, that she’d never let me take another.”
“Cruel bitch.” Mala muttered “Didn’t want you, but didn’t want anyone to have you.” Shook her head.
“That is exactly the case Mala.” He nodded “There was a meeting after that incident between my father and mother's. The three of us myself, Raymond and Carmel were all called into my father’s office afterwards to hear the outcome of it.” he sighed again, “it was clear to my father and both mothers that Carmel, though didn’t want to be Mated to me, was not going to stand seeing me with another. Which she stated point blankly she would not. I was her mate and no one else got to have me. In front of everyone. Even I could feel Raymond getting angry. She was the future Luna to the pack. And other than flaunting her and Raymond’s happiness in my face. She actually did appear to be going to be a good Luna, got along with all the pack and attended her Luna lessons. Was relatively well liked by the pack.”
“But after that day, it was realised by all, she was never going to let me be happy and find another. So, to my complete shock, I was made to step down as one of the future Alphas, demoted I guess, still kept the rank due to who my parents were. But now was just considered the packs back up if something happened to Raymond. I was also supposed to be there for Carmel as well. If Raymond died, she could take me back. Carmel’s words, not my parents.” He shook his head.
“Are you kidding me, she expected you to stay unmated and wait for her forever?”
“Yes, and be celibate the whole time as well.” Aston nodded. “I was not about to become that. Like you, Mala, I was not going to stick around inside a pack where I no longer belonged at all.”
“I’m glad that you left, Aston. You’re a good Alpha.” She smiled at him.
“Thank you, Mala. But my story doesn’t end there.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair for quiet for a long time.
“Aston you have to tell her.” It was Simon, who prompted his own Alpha to keep talking.
“I told my father the next day, I would be leaving, that I was not going to be sitting around for centuries never allowed to find another waiting on Carmel, who didn’t want me, had rejected me, while she got to live it up and be happy. Forcing me and my wolf to be miserable and alone forever.”
“He understood my thoughts, though he wasn’t happy about my decision to leave the pack. I intended to go to my own mothers home pack and live there, didn’t happen, well it did for all of three months. Before Carmel showed up and killed the girl I was seeing, not sleeping with just seeing. Threw her lifeless body at my feet.” Saw him run a hand over his face. “Do you understand why I’m telling you this, Mala?”
“Yes.” Mala nodded and she did, he had an Ex Mate that had killed every she-wolf he’d been interested in or slept with. She was now on that list. Carmel was likely going to come for her at some point. “You’re expecting her to come for me, like she did your Luna.”
Aston nodded “It might take her some time to know or find out but, if she finds out…you’ll be in danger, Mala.”
Mala leaned back in her seat now and looked at him. “I won’t be so easily Lured out Aston, I’m not sure how she got Roberta out there, but I can tell you now, I’ll likely tell her, you’re damn good in the sack, how much I liked it and if she wishes to come into the pack and challenge me to go right ahead, I’ll accept the challenge face to face.”
Saw both of them smile now at her words.
“But I get the feeling there is more to your tale, you went rogue, but up till now you were still inside a pack. As for Carmel, Aston I’m more than happy to rip her head off.” She shrugged.
Heard the pair of them chuckle now, seemed they not only liked her attitude on the matter, thought it amusing.
“There is more.” Aston nodded at her “Carmel and I got into a very heated argument that day and then it escalated to a full-on fight, nearly a wolfed out fight at that. I barely managed to keep Titan inside me.” Shook his head now “In the end she tried to Mate me, it was weird to say the least. I and my wolf refused her. We did not want anything to do with her. She obviously thought that we would still want her. Came as a very big shock to her when we shoved her away from us, told her we would never touch one as foul and loathsome as she was. She left, ran away, tears streaming down her face, like I’d just voiced a rejection, like my words actually hurt her.”
“She did reject you though, a year before?” Mala frowned.
Aston nodded “She did, and I accepted it. But somewhere inside of her, a part of her still wanted me, I guess. To be mated to me. I don’t know how it feels to be Mated to two at the same time. To have two Mates but only accept one, it could well be, that she doesn’t feel whole still.” He shrugged “I feel nothing where she is concerned, but she still has anger issues and residual feelings with me wanting another.”
“So, what happened to make you go rogue?” she knew there was still more.
Heard him sigh heavily now “Carmel came back to my new pack about a month later, with my brother Raymond and another, an old woman in chains. A witch, she stood there and told me that if she couldn’t have me no one could. Looked at Raymond as did I, saw him sigh heavily himself, I think even he knew it was never going to end, that Carmel was never going to give me up, even though she didn’t want me unless Raymond himself was dead.”
“Then he turned to the old woman and Alpha Order her to do as the Luna wanted. I knew it was going to be bad, and it was Mala. Much more so than I could ever possibly have thought.”
Mala frowned now.
“She put a curse on me, well my bloodline to be exact.” Saw him half smile, at that.
“Why the smile Aston?” a curse was nothing to laugh at.
“My bloodline is Raymond’s bloodline, we have the same father. Carmel didn’t realise this till it was too late. You don’t ever force a witch to do your bidding. Tricky creatures to handle at the best of times. The old woman, she looked right at me, and sincerely apologised to me before laying her Alpha Luna Ordered Curse, only at the end of it did Carmel and Raymond realise their mistake.”
“The Curse?” Mala asked.
He looked right at her took a deep breath and said “That any woman I decided to Mate myself to, will suffer terribly. That my wolf when it scents its Mate’s heat, my beast will become wild and insane, uncontrollable and crazy with need. Will mate furiously and brutally every time.” His eyes were on hers now. He was sitting quietly now, was just watching her, and she knew why after a minute of thought.
He'd been Mated to Roberta for years, and she went into heat. Knew now this was why Roberta had never come from their room when he did, for days afterwards she would remain in there. Why there was sadness in him after her heat. Why he was so loving and attentive towards her, all that extra care given afterwards. Mala sighed herself now, he and Roberta had been together for a very long time.
“That witch, laid that curse on me not of her own free will. But I was completely horrified by it, saw Carmel sneer at me when she thought it was completed, only then did that witch finish her curse. Turned and looked at Carmel and Raymond and stated, “This curse I place on your bloodline, Alpha Aston.” Then she slashed her wrist and splattered blood on myself and Raymond, then it was complete. She laughed at Raymond and Carmel’s shocked and horrified expression as they realised she too had cursed them or Raymond with the same thing.”
Mala stared at him. “Serves herself right.”
“Agreed.” Aston nodded “I went rogue after that, I knew she was never going to leave me alone, track me down everywhere I went. Knew that not even that curse would keep her away from me. Going rogue allowed for me to be completely free of her. Not the curse, but she could no longer track me, seek me out and kill anyone I touched.”
“A good thing for all, until the council legitimized you and your new pack.”
Aston nodded “They, Carmel and Raymond still don’t have an heir to their pack as far as I am aware. All these years later, the brutality of his wolf has likely rendered her unable to produce one.”
“Is that why you and Roberta don’t have an heir?” she asked quietly, a little sadly she knew they would have made excellent parents and any child they had raised would make for a loving, kind and caring Alpha to take over the leadership of this pack.
“No.” he shook his head “Roberta unfortunately came from a pack where she was treated cruelly and brutally. She was taken to multiple times as a young she wolf, hospitalised a lot for her injuries, managed to escape it eventually, when she arrived here she was already damaged.”
“She knew about all of this? When you scented her as your Goddess Gifted Mate, before Marking and Mating her, you told her…gave her the option to reject you, didn’t you?”
“Roberta was not a Goddess Gifted Mate, Mala. I chose her after years of being here. I liked her a lot, I knew she had a very traumatic life before me. We liked each other, dated, ended up in bed together one day.” Saw him smile at that thought “It went from there; about three years we were together before I told her everything and asked her to be the Luna to this pack. She was gentle and loving, understood a lot about pain. Fit in well here inside the pack, would make for a good Luna. Was always out there helping newcomers.”
“She agreed, even knowing what would happen during her heat.”
“To be honest, neither Roberta nor I thought she would go into heat, due to the damage she already had.”
Mala looked at him now, nearly horrified as she realised that first heat would have come as a complete shock to them, hurt them both “I’m sorry Aston.”
“So was I.” he answered sadly “I expected her to leave me, and even Titan did as well, he too was upset and devastated, loved his Mate as much as I did Roberta.”
“We all saw how much you loved her.” Mala smiled a little sadly at him, “all the smooching and what not, both you and your wolf.” It was true and even he smiled a little and nodded.
“She didn’t leave me, recovered and just looked right at me, I could barely look at her, had chosen her for a reason. She tilted my face up and made me look at her, said gently ‘I’ve had worse done to me.’ And then just sat down in my lap and kissed me. Honestly, I didn’t know what to say to her, and she just sat there on the floor with me and then after a long while she looked up at me and said ‘I love you Aston, and I know it’s not you or Titan. That it’s the curse laid on you. I will never leave you.’ And she never once did, just recovered and came to find me to hug me and tell me she loved me. Every time.”
“It caused you just as much pain as her, she knew this Aston.”
“Yes.” He nodded “I’m telling you this Mala, because I want you to understand me. To consider and I want you to take your time and really think it through, years if need be…To be my Luna. Stay here in this pack forever with me. I know you never want to leave, would rather have a chosen, than Goddess Gifted Mate you don’t know or trust. I am more than attracted to you and the sex,” saw him smile “well…”
Heard Simon snort now and looked up at him, he just smiled at her ‘Oh, he’s been..”
“Shut it, Beta.” Aston shot at him.
Raised an eyebrow at them both, she had never once seen the two of them like this, playful shots at each other, always so much respect going both ways.
Simon was still smiling, didn’t seem to care about the reprimand at all. “I’ll turn in Alpha, was only here to make sure you tell our future Luna the whole truth.” And then he walked out of the room and closed the door. Leaving her alone with Aston.
Future Luna? she thought as Simon left the room.
“It’s a lot to absorb Mala, you and Suki both. I’m not going to rush you…however I do want us to start a proper relationship. I don’t go around sleeping with just anyone. Neither do you, I noticed, only ever Ben, I believe.”
Mala nodded “Correct.”
“On my end, only ever Roberta after that curse was laid.”
That surprised her a little, but she had no idea how long he’d been alone or rogue before he’d found this place and set up the rejected pack. “I still can’t believe she wasn’t your Goddess Gifted Mate, everyone here though she was, still do in fact.”
“Mm, only the earliest pack members know she wasn’t.”
That got her attention. “Ben?”
“He knew.” Aston nodded, then smiled at her “He’s a little devious, as I’m certain you know by now.”
Mala nodded “I do, was a shock when I saw that side of him for the first time, was very serious when I came here.”
Aston smiled at her “It takes him a little while to warm up to people. We can talk about Ben and his deviousness another time, it’s late. Let me walk you back up to your room.”
Mala nodded, she did have a lot to think about it seemed.