for alliance?” Max nodded. Ryder squeezed her tighter.
“She agreed to it.
He agreed to it, her father, her Alpha and I all agreed to it. I can’t help
what happened after the mating because she never talked to me about it. I had
to assume everything was alright.”
“It wasn’t
alright. He raped her, and robbed her of a good life because you didn’t keep
watch over her. That won’t happen here Alphas are obligated to watch over new
pack members.” There were several growls behind him. “I’m not trying to insult
you. I am simply stating a fact.” Max nodded.
“You’re right.” An
old rust colored van labored down the drive slowly and she recognized it as her
father’s but when it stopped, he didn’t climb out. She saw some familiar faces
from her past but it’d been years. Bronson never took her to visit them and
never asked them to come visit her. She went to each of them and gave them all
hugs. These were old wolves and had no business getting involved in a fight.
“Hey there
girlie.” Uncle Bobby finally said when she hugged him. “Heard you’re in a tough
spot. Lost your mate?” She nodded against his chest. “Well, you come on home
then and we’ll take care of you. You don’t have to stay with any of these
strangers.” He clicked his jaw. She laughed. That sound used to put her in
stitches when she was young. There was just something so unnatural about a wolf
clicking. He could do it in either form and for some reason it always made her
giggle. Ryder was behind her now. She could feel his strength and she stepped
back against him as his arms came around her.
“This is my home
now Uncle Bobby. This is Ryder and he’s going to be my mate.” Bobby pushed his
cap higher on his forehead with a finger and leaned back to look Ryder over. He
grunted.
“He’ll do I
reckon. Do you love him?” She smiled. “Will he treat you good?” She nodded.
“Will he fill that belly with pups?” She flushed. “Good, you need a few to
chase after. I always knew you’d be a good mama. And you son, are you willing
to take care of her? Fight for her? Protect her?”
“Of course sir. I
love her.”
“Good enough.
Consider yourself hitched.” Harper’s brow creased then her eyes widened. “Go
on, kiss her.” He cackled. Ryder leaned down and pressed his lips to hers,
Harper melted into him.
“Whoa, you are
performing mating rites?” He nodded when Harper asked.
“No.” Ryder
tightened his grip on Harper. He turned her around to face him and cupped her
jaw gently. “Is this what you want sweetheart? Are you ready for this?” She
gazed up into his face. “She isn’t ready for this, not yet.” Ryder said after a
slight shake of her head and pulled her tight to his chest.
“You both said…”
“And we meant it
but we’ll do this in our own time.” Ryder’s fingers glided up and down her arm
slowly.
“You don’t want to
mate this female?” Bobby visibly stiffened.
“More than you can
imagine but I don’t want her until she is ready. She’s just come out of a bad situation
and she needs time. There was a lot to process.” Ryder finished quietly.
“Harper?” Uncle
Bobby touched her shoulder. “What happened? What happened with Bronson? We all
thought you were happy. You never called for help. We told you before you left…”
She turned slowly.
“He wouldn’t let
me call or visit. I wasn’t allowed to use the phone at all for the first six
years.” Bobby’s face hardened.
“What else?” Bobby
growled. Harper’s brows furrowed. “What else did he do to you in this Alpha’s
care?” Bobby gently lifted her chin with a gnarled finger and stared into her
eyes with his amber ones.
“I don’t know. A
lot of things.” She finished on a whisper. His fingers tightened slightly. “He
raped me, cheated on me, made me work two jobs while he watched porn, and he
was on drugs. I stuck by him like I promised you I would.” He dropped his hand
and turned to Max.
“You
“She agreed to it.
He agreed to it, her father, her Alpha and I all agreed to it. I can’t help
what happened after the mating because she never talked to me about it. I had
to assume everything was alright.”
“It wasn’t
alright. He raped her, and robbed her of a good life because you didn’t keep
watch over her. That won’t happen here Alphas are obligated to watch over new
pack members.” There were several growls behind him. “I’m not trying to insult
you. I am simply stating a fact.” Max nodded.
“You’re right.” An
old rust colored van labored down the drive slowly and she recognized it as her
father’s but when it stopped, he didn’t climb out. She saw some familiar faces
from her past but it’d been years. Bronson never took her to visit them and
never asked them to come visit her. She went to each of them and gave them all
hugs. These were old wolves and had no business getting involved in a fight.
“Hey there
girlie.” Uncle Bobby finally said when she hugged him. “Heard you’re in a tough
spot. Lost your mate?” She nodded against his chest. “Well, you come on home
then and we’ll take care of you. You don’t have to stay with any of these
strangers.” He clicked his jaw. She laughed. That sound used to put her in
stitches when she was young. There was just something so unnatural about a wolf
clicking. He could do it in either form and for some reason it always made her
giggle. Ryder was behind her now. She could feel his strength and she stepped
back against him as his arms came around her.
“This is my home
now Uncle Bobby. This is Ryder and he’s going to be my mate.” Bobby pushed his
cap higher on his forehead with a finger and leaned back to look Ryder over. He
grunted.
“He’ll do I
reckon. Do you love him?” She smiled. “Will he treat you good?” She nodded.
“Will he fill that belly with pups?” She flushed. “Good, you need a few to
chase after. I always knew you’d be a good mama. And you son, are you willing
to take care of her? Fight for her? Protect her?”
“Of course sir. I
love her.”
“Good enough.
Consider yourself hitched.” Harper’s brow creased then her eyes widened. “Go
on, kiss her.” He cackled. Ryder leaned down and pressed his lips to hers,
Harper melted into him.
“Whoa, you are
performing mating rites?” He nodded when Harper asked.
“No.” Ryder
tightened his grip on Harper. He turned her around to face him and cupped her
jaw gently. “Is this what you want sweetheart? Are you ready for this?” She
gazed up into his face. “She isn’t ready for this, not yet.” Ryder said after a
slight shake of her head and pulled her tight to his chest.
“You both said…”
“And we meant it
but we’ll do this in our own time.” Ryder’s fingers glided up and down her arm
slowly.
“You don’t want to
mate this female?” Bobby visibly stiffened.
“More than you can
imagine but I don’t want her until she is ready. She’s just come out of a bad situation
and she needs time. There was a lot to process.” Ryder finished quietly.
“Harper?” Uncle
Bobby touched her shoulder. “What happened? What happened with Bronson? We all
thought you were happy. You never called for help. We told you before you left…”
She turned slowly.
“He wouldn’t let
me call or visit. I wasn’t allowed to use the phone at all for the first six
years.” Bobby’s face hardened.
“What else?” Bobby
growled. Harper’s brows furrowed. “What else did he do to you in this Alpha’s
care?” Bobby gently lifted her chin with a gnarled finger and stared into her
eyes with his amber ones.
“I don’t know. A
lot of things.” She finished on a whisper. His fingers tightened slightly. “He
raped me, cheated on me, made me work two jobs while he watched porn, and he
was on drugs. I stuck by him like I promised you I would.” He dropped his hand
and turned to Max.
“You
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