West POV
It was clear that both his parents were upset and annoyed with his behaviour, his mother ranted and raved at him about the stupidity of his actions over an un-mated she-wolf, did not once use Jo-anne’s name. Or state she was his ex-Mate either. That seemed to not matter to her at all.
His father just looked disappointed in him. But really didn’t say anything much at all. He seemed to understand West's anger and possiveness somewhat, that he still retained for the woman, he’d once again Alpha Ordered. Something he’d told himself he would not do again, but even Volt had wanted that order on her.
His wolf was still stalking around inside his head, flicking his tail furiously from side to side, still wanting West to go downstairs and mate Jo-anne or let him call Clova out and mate her himself. His beast, it seemed, had no intention of relinquishing his claim on Clova, still wanted her and no other. Which was not helping the situation at all.
He felt Volt push forward to the surface twice while his mother was ranting at him, on both occasions it was the way she had refused to address Jo-anne by name. It was royally ticking Volt off, it seemed. Her raised eyebrow at his sudden appearance, did not make him back down either. He was the Alpha Wolf now and though she still held the Luna Rank of the pack, he, West could, if he so chose to, stop that and retire her.
They could run a pack without a Luna. There were those packs, where Alpha’s had to wait out decades upon decades to find their Goddess-Gifted Mate. Alpha’s just took over the Luna duties with help from their Alpha Unit. He could do that if he wanted to.
West also knew that the minute the triplets were Mated off, his parents were taking his plane to go on a well-earned vacation. So it would just be him and his Unit in charge, no supervision, not that West thought he needed it.
His mother and father, for that matter, were of the exact opposite opinion right that minute. His mother had literally questioned her Mate’s decision to step down and allow West to take over. Volt had shown his displeasure with a snarl, her wolf had surfaced instantly but not reacted, just made herself known, didn’t like the disrespect she thought she was getting.
Well, her human counterpart had shown it first. Volt was just reacting to it. It had also annoyed West. He’d worked tirelessly to know how to run this pack, make sure he had the knowledge and skill to continue to make it profitable, had a business degree and accounting degree so he could manage the packs funds effectively, had even drummed up new business ventures throughout the years, which were already making that pack more prosperous.
One Alpha on Alpha fight, should not have her stating he wasn’t ready to take over. He was ready and had been for years, in fact. If this had happened years ago, maybe things would have been different, he internally sighed, though it was unlikely.
His attention was brought back to her, when she realised he was no longer paying attention to her yelling and ranting, had jabbed a finger right into his forehead and snapped his name. West had blinked, he’d stopped actively listening a while ago, his eyes were tracking her movement around the room as she stalked back and forth, but he’d tuned her out some time ago.
Heard his father snort, and try to cover his amusement only to be cracked up the back of the head by his own Mate and told ‘its not funny.’ his father did not seem perturbed or annoyed by the whack he had received. West had seen her do it a million times, his father was used to it.
“Answer me West.” she turned her attention back to him.
West, however, could not answer her. He did not know what the question was, to answer it. His eyes moved to his father, who said nothing, just sat watching him, a slight smirk on his face.
“What was the question?” he asked simply.
She was glaring right at him now. “When did you stop listening?”
“A while ago,” he answered honestly. There was no point in lying about it and he couldn’t actually recall how long ago he’d stopped listening to her rantings.
“When are you going to Mark and Mate Miranda? This Westley will solve all problems around that she-wolf.”
“No it won’t.” West stated simply “And I can’t Mark her, unless Volt agrees to it. He doesn’t want Miranda or her wolf Violet, for that matter.”
She was frowning at him now. She understood that if his wolf said No, he actually could not do it. They both had to want to Mark the she-wolf for it to happen. He could have sex with any she-wolf he liked, Volt couldn’t care less, turned a blind eye to it, did not participate what so ever, didn’t even watch from inside his mind, it was just sex, not mating.
The only time he’d ever actively watched or pushed his Alpha Wolf stamina at West to prolong Mating and give him an insatiable drive, was with Jo-anne. Never once so much as lifted his head for any other she-wolf, not in the time before her and not in anytime after her.
Though West had the distinct feeling that if he had taken it further with Jo-anne downstairs, if he had not come to his senses. Volt would have pushed everything he had at him, likely taken over at some point, and demanded Clova to push forward for him to mate, directly after West had...he pushed that thought away. He was not allowed to go there, had no right to go there.
Tonight he had lost all control and Volt had pushed his anger at the situation at him as well, and smelling that son of a bitch Jayden on her, had forced all his primal instincts to get that scent off of her, to put his scent on her. So everyone would know to stay away from her.
“Then why keep the woman around, all this time?” she interrupted his thoughts.
“Do you really want me to answer that, mother? You might not like the crudeness of my statement.”
He watched her stamp her foot on the ground and rub her hands over her face to pull her hair, frustrated with him. “Impossible Westley...you’re impossible.”
He simply nodded and guessed he was in her opinion.
“Get out and don’t go near that Alpha or that she-wolf, for that matter.” she snapped at him.
“That she-wolf,” West replied as he stood up. “Has a name, bloody use it.” he snapped. Volts gravelly voice burst out of him angrily, that she refused to say Jo-anne’s name.
“I know her name Westley.” she addressed him, ignoring his wolf.
“You used to like her once,” he commented as he walked to the door. His mother had actually really liked Jo-anne, had been unhappy about their situation, but the girl had been, in her opinion, sweet, attentive and caring. Tried her best to learn her new role and his mother had been concerned when Jo-anne had just stopped attending, telling his mother she needed to just focus on her schooling to get into a good university. West had known differently. She wanted out of their Mate Bond as much as he had, asked multiple times for him to reject her in fact.
She’d stopped attending, West had figured out, when she’d decided, that the minute she could reject him she would be. Though he’d not thought about that until many months after, she’d stopped attending. 9 months after, in fact.
“I still like her. West, It’s just Miranda…”
West cut her off “Is not my Goddess-Gifted Mate. I will not be Marking or Mating anyone who isn’t...I was thinking about Miranda, but…” he shook his head. “I don’t think that I can, to be truthful, I don’t want her as my Luna.”
“Son, she will make a good Luna.”
West turned and looked right at her. “A great Luna, I imagine. But not to this pack.” he told her and stepped out of the suite, he did mean it. She was well liked by all and would definitely make a great Luna. He really did need to help her find her Mate.
Leaned on the door and closed his eyes, he had been considering it, but her talking like she was already the Luna at dinner not just tonight, but last night, had more than annoyed him, he’d wanted to yell at her at one point but had not, had refrained due to the company they had been in.
Stepped away from the suite and headed for his room, his clothes needed changing, still had his blood on them, not to mention were ripped and torn in places as well. As both he and Jayden had both had their wolves claws out during that fight, a show that both their wolves were actively attacking as well.
Strolled into his room and found Miranda’s eyes on him. They widened in complete surprise and she got up. West held up a hand to halt her. “I’m fine, let it go.” he told her and walked into the bathroom, turned to shut the door, to find her right behind him.
“Out” he stated and turned her around and pushed her gently from the bathroom, closed and, for the first time, ever locked the door to keep her out. He did not want her near him right this minute, he’d likely not be sleeping in here either, he did not want company at all. Wanted...he sighed internally and stripped his ruined clothes off, turned the hot water on as hot as he could stand and got in.
Wanted, what he in fact could not have, leaned back on the wall, closed his eyes and tried not to think about who he wanted in his bed. Volt was of no help. He wanted it too.
Came out of the bathroom to find Miranda standing in the middle of the room waiting on him. He headed for the walk-in to get dressed.
“West?” she asked him as he headed for the door to leave the room again.
“It’s fine.” he told her “ I’ll be out late, don’t wait up.” he informed her.
“Are you mad at me?”
“No!” he answered honestly “this is not about you.” he told her and stepped out of the room, walked down to the other end of the pack-house and stood staring at his old room. Then stepped inside, walked through the rubble and lay down in his old bed. Closed his eyes and sighed. Volt lay down in his mind. They both hated and liked this room at the same time.
A million memories this room had, Volt had many happy memories in here, with Clova. West had memories, whether he could call any of them good. He’d never let himself, mostly for him, though he recalled all the times he’d Alpha Ordered her to tell him, what had happened that day. Something she had not ever been able to tell him, because, like him, she had no idea at all what had happened.
He rolled over and stared at the empty side of the bed, he’d once shared with her. He understood his Alpha Aura on her would have hurt her, both physically and emotionally, seeing as she had been his Mate. But today, having felt it himself for the first time ever, he had no idea how she survived it. So many times, he’d been an ass-hole just like Volt had told him he was.
How could she be here in this pack and be so happy at times? How could she smile right at him? How did she forgive him? He had no idea. Didn’t believe he deserved her forgiveness and he would never ask for it either. He was responsible for his actions. He had treated her terribly and he’d known it then as much as he knew it now.
Though back then his constant anger, had been driven by his stepmother's constant demands on him and his family. All the bloody things she’d thought she’d been entitled to, her and her other daughters, had wanted everything and she had demanded it. A house on the lake, a bloody mansion at that.
Pack cards for all of them, so they could shop at will and parade their new status around in front of everyone she knew and she had done that, made more than a few people pissed off and she had way fewer friends nowadays, due to her attitude. So high and mighty she had become once he’d been Mated off to Jo-anne.
A new car for both her and Heath and then a year later another new car, not that there had been anything wrong with the BMW’s the pair of them had been driving. Had gone on about as the future Luna’s mother she had to have nothing old ever and had demanded new cars Mercedes this time. He’d wanted to run her over with her freaking car.
The day she had walked into his father's office asking for a yacht she had wanted, 18 months in to his Mate Bond with Jo-anne, had produced a picture of it on her phone, had been utterly ridiculous. Not even his family owned a sail boat of any kind. Only 50 grand she’d stated so casually.
His father had argued with her about it and West, in the end, had completely lost his shit when she’d threatened them once more to go to the Wolfen Council if they didn’t buy it for her. He’d launched himself at her, all of Volt's claws had been out, if Jonathan and his father hadn’t been quick enough he’d likely have ripped her head clean off. She’d run from the office in fear of him.
He’d stalked up stairs that day and Alpha Ordered Jo-anne to tell him why she’d done this to him, not for the first time, but it had been the last time. He’d been furious and all his anger at her stepmother's greed he’d taken out on her, his own Mate. Every time he’d been angry with her family he’d taken his anger out on her.
That last time she’d just been a girl, only 17 and a half, and he’d poured so much Aura over her she’d been forced all the way down to the floor, so low a punishment only for those who had committed actual crimes and wouldn’t admit it. Blood had poured from her nose, he’d really hurt her that day, he’d not even been angry at her, just her stupid greedy money grubbing stepmother.
West knew deep down that if T.J. hadn’t turned up, he’d likely have killed her, his own Mate. His anger had been out of control that day. She’d never spoken to him after that day. He knew why, couldn’t and didn’t blame her.
She’d never once asked for anything from him. Well accept for his rejection. Something he’d not been able to give her, without her family taking him to the Wolfen council for punishment. She’d never once even said a hurtful word to him, never once said a bad word about him to her friends, as far as he knew, not even told him no when he’d wanted to have sex with her, and Goddess, once he had started having sex with her he couldn’t bloody stop wanting to.
Their bloody Mate Bond caused him to desire her, and want her, sometimes so damned strong he’d not been about to stop himself. He’d been able to ignore his needs for the first two months she’d been in his room, every time he’d looked at her, his thoughts had been consumed, with the day he’d woken up to find himself Marked and Mated to her.
She had been desperately trying to pull clothes on, a girl he’d been looking for with his Beta for 4 days, and to see her so bruised and bloodied, actual bite marks on her body in several places, he could smell himself on her. He’d not understood what had happened. Had stared right at her, the girl he’d always believed would be his best friends Mate, bruised and bloodied his Mark on her. Her wrists burned from silver. It was clear she’d been tied down, probably for the entire time she’d been missing.
West sighed and reached out and touched the empty side of his bed. Volt whined in his head. His wolf had been damned near unconscious when he’d woken up, to drowsie to be raised and see her state, but he had been fully awake by the time Heath had marched into his father’s office with her behind him. He to recalled what she looked like. It still haunted both of them.
It was likely too, for the rest of their lives, she’d never once blamed him for that day. She had no memory of it, neither did he. It might not have been him. But it was highly likely with his scent all over her. He, however, had blamed her the whole time, never let her forget it either. How do you go about apologising for something like that? He had no idea, didn’t even know if an apology would be enough.