Cherished: True Mates Book 5 (BBW Wolf Shifter Romance) (A Craggstone Paranormal Romance) by Olivia Arran Page B

Tears were rolling down his face, his large eyes blinking furiously as his bottom lip quivered. “Dad, tell them it’s all lies, that you wouldn’t do anything bad.”
    Bert sneered at him, contempt written all over his face. “I haven’t done anything wrong. Everything I’ve done has been my right. Why should I have to answer to them ? All pussy-whipped, the lot of them.”
    “See! He hasn’t done anything !”
    My heart fractured at the hope in my son’s voice, the blind belief that he still held for his dad.
    Oliver met my eyes, and I knew what he wanted me to do.
    Setting my shoulders, I strolled over, my focus wholly on Josh. I was doing this for him. “Who am I, Bert?”
    Josh’s head whipped around, his eyes darting back and forth.
    “My mate,” was the snarled response.
    Forcing back a shudder, I continued. “How did we meet?”
    “Why all the questions? A man has the right to do with his mate as he feels fit! This is an outrage!”
    A Councilmember rose to his feet, his deep voice booming across the clearing. “Answer the question.”
    “No. She’s mine, claimed under pack law.”
    “You stole me from my home, kidnapped me and…forced me.”
    “Dad?”
    “You wanted it!” Bert snarled, spittle flying.
    And the sick thing was, I could tell he had convinced himself of that fact. In his twisted mind it didn’t matter what I really wanted, so long as he was satisfied. “I didn’t. I still don’t.”
    “Tough! I’m not letting you go,” he growled, licking his lips.
    This time I did shudder, the spasm traveling down my spine and coiling heavily in my stomach. An arm came around me, warming me.
    “Get your fucking hands off her!” Bert screamed, his face turning a peculiar shade of red. “Josh! Kill that fucking bastard, tear his skin from his bones, rip off his face. I don’t care how you do it, but honor me now.”
    Josh stiffened where he stood next to Oliver, still loosely restrained. “But—”
    Gold eyes narrowed at Josh, flickering with madness. “Fucking do it, or are you weak, like your mother? Like your brother was?”
    No! Josh didn’t need to—
    “My brother?”
    “Human.” Bert spat the word out, like it was a foul curse.
    “My brother was human?” Josh’s voice sounded small and lost as he struggled to understand.
    “Something I rectified,” Bert growled. “I only need strong children, ones I can train.”
    Josh turned to me, his eyes pleading me to deny it.
    Reaching out a hand, I brushed a lock of hair back from his forehead, prolonging the moment all the while damning Bert for making me do this. “Sebastian was human, baby.”
    At my confirmation, Josh’s face hardened, walling off all emotion. “You killed my baby brother.” It wasn’t a question, rather a confirmation, just so he could get it straight in his head. “Then you deserve everything you get.”
    He turned his back on Bert, physically shunning him.
    “You’re weak too! All of you are! You should all be put down. Following rules, living with honor? We’re shifters, born to rule the world. Take what we want, destroy—”
    Oliver slammed a fist into his face, cutting off the tirade.
    Shaking his hand, Oliver shrugged. “Sorry, he was getting on my last nerve.”
    A loud wheezing chuckle started up behind him. Bert spat blood onto the ground, thick and wet. “You should have been on my team. I’ve seen your work, it’s impressive. Takes a certain type of man to walk that close to the edge, to stare into someone’s eyes while you literally dig, stripping the flesh from a man’s body, searching for that single fear that will unlock the secrets.”
    “You know nothing about me.” Oliver’s voice was so cold, I imagined I could see frost forming in the air.
    “I know everything about you. Hell, I’ve trained men like you. I know how you think, what you feel…tell me, do you feel? Or does everything come in a shade of gray?”
    I grabbed Oliver’s hand, urging Josh to go stand with