I'm still a bit shaken by my conclusion as I remain frozen on the bed. She-wolves are fragile creatures that are easy to break and tame. And this can be achieved through the mate bond. Yes, just as it's all wonderful and magical, it can also be a dangerous tool if used wrongly.
For us werewolves, the males are the ones to mark us, but we can't mark them back. And when the male sinks their canines into the female's neck, not only is he claiming her as his, but she's also accepting to be submissive to him. We are then compelled to follow whatever our mate says.
Personally, I think it's bullshit as we're supposed to be equals, and so does every other female. So that's why male werewolves are cautious when exerting authority over their mates; they try as much as possible not to use this power of theirs over us. But as I said before, it can be used very wrongly.
If she-wolves are being sold, it would mean there's a strong possibility male werewolves are the ones buying them. Probably dangerous rogues. And if they are, they could forcefully mark them and bind these she-wolves to them. This way, they wouldn't be able to stand up for themselves or go against their mates. It's the perfect tool to turn them into their personal slaves, only giving birth to their pups as they're abused daily. I feel sick, even just thinking about it.
"Hey..." I hear a soft whisper beside my ear, startling me out of my thoughts. I must have been deep in them as Reagan has stood up from the sofa and is sitting beside me now.
"We'll find the attackers and get the she-wolves back," Reagan reassures me, caressing my cheek. His eyes are soft, and for the first time, I see an emotion in them that squeezes my heartstrings. "You look pale. Do you feel sick?" Worry furrows his eyebrows as he scrutinizes me and strokes my cheek with his palm.
I quickly shake my head, regaining my senses. "I'm fine. Just a bit sorry for the she-wolves."
He smiles before nodding, his arms going around my waist to bring me onto his lap. I go rigid in his arms as he tucks my head beneath his chin and holds me softly to him. His hand smoothly caresses my arm while he lays a kiss on my head.
"Feel better now?" He asks in a smooth, soft voice. I slowly relax into his arms, sighing softly into his chest as I breathe in his soothing scent.
"Yeah." I wrap my tiny arms around his muscular torso, rubbing my cheeks against his chest. It's a new side of him I'm seeing, and I think I like this side better. So much better than his possessive and controlling side. I don't know if it's because he's a Prince who's used to giving commands and that is why he always treats me like that.
We remain sharing our company in silence for a while, reveling at the moment. I realized then that part of my plan was also working.
Since I haven't fought or gone against him, he seems so caring with his guard down. I can read some of his expressions and feel more connected to him somehow.
"Reagan?" I ask while he strokes my hair with his long fingers. I lift my head then to stare up at him as he looks at me in question.
"Tell me, what would have happened if I already was mated to Brad? Would you have still known I'm your mate?" A shadow looms over his face, and I can see his jaw clench slightly.
"Yes." He gruffly answers, making me all the more confused. But that doesn't make any sense!
He sighs when he sees the question written all over my face before pulling me back to him.
"For us Lycans, it's extremely rare to find our mates. I don't know if it's a curse on us or because of our extended lives. But anyway, if we are unmated, we can still find our mates even if they've been claimed by another. And since it's a rare occasion that we find them, we are free to challenge whoever marked them to a duel to the death. And of course, we always win." He adds with a smug smile while I stare in horror at him.
"But...but that's cruel. You would be separating two mates forcefully from each other and kill one in the process? Wouldn't he or she be affected?" He frowns at my questions, staring at me with his eyebrow raised in disbelief.
"Ellie, we're beasts. We take what is ours however we see fit. And it's up to the best man to win. You know how it works. We're not the same with humans who go to court every five seconds to settle the littlest of disputes."
He does make a point. We can't follow the same protocols as humans since it's not our nature. But living among humans makes me see things differently sometimes.
"But it's still unfair. Unless your mates are mated to a Lycan, you guys will always win." I point out the obvious. He shrugs like it's not his business while I narrow my eyes at him.
"Look, Ellie. I don't make the rules. The mate bond isn't perfect and has so many flaws that we can't fix. But you can't expect us to watch our mate walk past us with some other person without doing anything. Our beasts won't let us." He explains.
"And what about the person whose mate you just killed. Won't he or she feel the pain of the death of his mate?" I tilt my head at him in question.
He shrugs, "Once they're with us, they would get healed as we mark them. Just as you don't feel the mate bond any more with that Alpha mutt." He spits the last part in disdain, and I can see the anger and hatred in his eyes.
He is right about the mate bond thing, though. I don't feel anything for Brad anymore. It's almost like he never existed in my heart before.
I shake my head to stare at Reagan. "Speaking of Brad...I heard you're reporting him to the council." I cautiously bring up the topic, knowing how much he hates me talking about Brad. And his demeanor does change, turning a bit dark.
He sighs then, running a frustrated hand through his hair.
"Personally, I don't give that much a fuck about the mutt and would love if he had just died in that forest. But Adrian had already filed the case before we got here without even telling me. My father had kept him by my side as my watchdog, so, sometimes, he acts without informing me. And I can't do much about him since he works directly for the king, who is superior to me."
"Well, can't you at least do something?" His eyes snap to mine, and they narrow down at me in a warning.
"I'm not trying to defend Brad, but I think he has already suffered enough. You tore out his canines, Reagan. That's the worst punishment to give a werewolf, especially an Alpha. Some people would even prefer death to that." He looks away to the wall, and I quickly take hold of his jaw to draw him back to me.
"I don't have any feelings for him. But right now, I feel really guilty for all he's going through. It's partially my fault he's in this mess."
"He was the one who rejected you!" Reagan states.
"I know that. But it still doesn't make me feel any better. And him being sent to the council would only make me feel worse." I stare into his warm eyes, cupping his jaw as I stand to straddle his hips. "Besides, he can't hurt me anymore in the state that he is."
He mulls over it for a while, his lips pursed with both his hand gently on my hips. With a sigh, he gruffly agrees.
"Fine. I'll see what I can do." He announces, making a grin spread wide on my lips.
"Thank you!" I unexpectedly throw my arms around him to give him a tight hug. He goes rigid for a second in shock before he places his arm around me. I suddenly feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The guilt of Brad meeting his grave so early had been heavy on my chest. A lot of people would have been affected, starting from Luna Ciara, then Alpha Benson and Stacy.
"I'm hungry," I state after a while, lacing my fingers into Reagan's hair as he keeps his head buried in my neck.
"Me too." He breathes, placing a kiss on my neck before going lower.
"I don't think we're talking about the same hunger," I state as he nips at my neck. He chuckles lightly into my chest.
I keep treading my fingers through his blond hair to the nape of his neck as he lightly bites at my skin. My body shivers in desire with tiny tingles spreading all around. How is he so good at making me feel needy so fast?
Unexpectedly, his lips clamp over one hardened bud of my nipple through the think dress, causing me to arch my back up at him. My mouth opens in a silent gasp as his tongue swirls around the bud.
"Reagan." I moan with him moving from one breast to another. He groans as I pull hard on his hair. The sexual tension in the air is so thick, I could smell it.
He lets go of the hard bud before sighing loudly. His forehead leans on my chest as he holds me close to him with his palm brushing over my hips.
"Let's get you something to eat. Go dress up so we can go downstairs." I almost jump up and dance around the room in victory at his words. No longer am I going to be chained up in here and fed like a baby.
But I school my expression to remain cool, not giving a thing away. He maybe hasn't even noticed his decision yet. so I won't be giving myself away.
I force my jelly legs to get off him and move towards the closet. I throw on the first dress I come across before hurrying back out. I see Reagan still on the bed, and he stands when he sees me and extends his arm for me to take.
I happily accept it before we head out of the room together. I feel like an animal let free when I step into the hallway. I never thought I would say this, but I miss these walls so much. I would have hugged them while rubbing my body all over them, but I can't do that with Reagan beside me.
Hand in hand, we all down the stairs but stop at the last landing when we notice the tension in the air.
Lexi is standing with an awkward smile on her lips beside the sofa while a black-haired lady sits regal and comfortable on it. She doesn't seem familiar, but her scent is a bit to me. Her blue eyes are the palest I've ever seen, and her skin is smooth and glowy. She emits the same aura every Lycan does, and there a small smug smile on her lips that turns to a full-blown smile when her eyes land on Reagan beside me.
Danny is sitting on the opposite sofa with a glare directed at her, but she doesn't seem to mind and ignores him. She stands to her feet as we make way to the gathering, and I can feel Reagan's tense form beside me.
In a flash, the lady stands up to hug her slim figure to Reagan's as she giggles a soft melodious sound.
"Reggie!" She squeals with her arms around his neck. His expression, however, is blank as he stares down at her.
I'm frozen to my spot in shock, and for a few seconds, I feel numb.
"Janet?" Reagan finally says in a cold gruff tone. And she, in turn, presses her body closer to him.
Right then, I began to regain my body movement, and I feel my blood boiling to 100 degrees Celsius as the female keeps her arms around Reagan.
"Get away from him!" Everyone's head snaps to me, and it takes me a few seconds to realize that the person who had just growled was me.