Ian’s POV:
“That kid is not my mate. How many times do I have to say this, Dad? We’ve been at it for hours! It’s getting on my nerves,” Larson said loudly in the living room.
“I guess he is telling the truth,” Blade whispered.
I was getting a headache from going back and forth over something we could have resolved in a few minutes. The sun had already set, yet we were still trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not.
“There is only one way to solve this and know the truth,” I said, looking at Larson seriously.
“Nephew, you can either do it now, or I can make your wolf do it for you,” I said loudly.
He looked at me, terrified, knowing full well that I wasn’t bluffing.
“Has it come to that, Uncle Ian?” he asked in a low tone.
“Of course it has,” I answered firmly.
He swallowed hard, then moved and sat down on the couch.
“She’s m… m,” he murmured under his breath, swallowing his words.
“You are pissing me off,” I warned him.
“She’s my mate,” he whispered, then lowered his gaze to the floor.
The room went quiet for a few minutes because we were all in disbelief. We expected that, yet it was still shocking to hear him confess.
“Ladies, leave us for a bit,” I instructed.
“Okay,” Kylie whispered, then looked at Toni and nodded.
When they were out of the room, I moved and sat next to him.
“What was the main reason you wanted to reject her? Don’t you know having a mate is a blessing?” I asked softly.
He raised his head and looked at Neo, then Blade.
“You wouldn’t understand,” he said in a cracked voice.
“Try me,” I answered simply.
“Tamara is a kid, a child who has no sex appeal, and she is more like my little sister. Since she was a child, I saw her as a blood relative, nothing more. How could the moon goddess give me such a spoiled brat who can barely do anything by herself? I feel no attraction towards her, and no matter what, I will never look at her in a sexual way,” he answered as we heard a low whimper.
We all turned and looked at the door, where Tamara was standing with tears running down her cheeks.
Damn her ability to mask her scent. We couldn’t sense her presence or hear her footsteps.
“Tamara…” Neo began, but she turned and ran away crying before he could finish his sentence.
“Kyle, go after her,” I instructed, and he quickly did.
“What the hell were all the women doing?” I asked sarcastically as I stood up and walked to where their voices were coming from, which was the bedroom.
The first thing I could hear was Felix’s loud voice.
“Calm down!” Toni said on top of her voice.
“Calm down, calm down, you say. Do you have any idea how I feel? She’s my only daughter!” she yelled.
“And he is her only son?” Amelia yelled back.
I halted my movements and stood close to the door, debating whether to go in or not.
“Let the women be,” Axel ordered seriously.
“Yeah, you are right,” I responded, then turned and went back.
If anyone was capable of calming Felix down, it was Amelia. That’s why I felt relieved knowing she was still trying to talk some sense into Felix.
Right when I was about to walk into the living room, I heard Neo ask Larson a question.
“Was that the real reason why you want to reject Tamara?” he asked softly.
“We both know how Ian at times scares and intimidates you. If you can’t trust him enough to tell him the truth, then you can put your trust in us, and we promise we won’t tell him or be upset with your decision,” Blade said calmly.
A heavy sigh came from Larson, then a few seconds went by in silence before he spoke up.
“To be honest, I’m in love with another person, but the reasons I gave were also true,” he responded.
I slowly moved and went outside the house.
I really needed some air. As I stood looking around, trying to see where Kyle was, I could feel the cold breeze sweep past me.
“This sucks,” I whispered to Axel.
I still couldn’t believe that Larson could feel intimidated and be scared of me. I was his fucking uncle, his own blood. How could he not trust me completely?
I closed my eyes and inhaled Kyle’s scent, which was coming from behind the house.
“Kyle,” I called loudly as I slowly followed him to where he was.
He stood ahead, embracing Tamara, who was still weeping.
“He wants nothing to do with me, I know, but how could he say that I’m more like his blood sister when we aren’t even related?” she asked in a cracked voice.
“He didn’t really mean it that way,” Kyle responded simply.
“I have liked Larson since I was fourteen years old. When I found out I was his mate, I was shocked because I could feel this pull between us. How could I have guessed that he wouldn’t want me?” she sobbed.
Kyle grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back gently.
“You know what I would do if I were you? I would go away to a good place where I could train and become a better woman. He called you a child with no sex appeal. To be specific, he said you were a spoiled brat who couldn’t last a day in our pack. He laughed at how weak and pathetic you look,” he said as I widened my eyes in shock over his lies.
“He said that?” she asked in a small voice.
“Yes. He has always told me how he dreamt of being mated to a very mature woman. A woman capable of being a part of our pack. He was looking forward to having a mate who could take care of the pups and give a helping hand when needed. A mate capable of protecting herself and not a damsel in distress. If I were to guess, he would rather go for my sister than you. Because let’s face it, princess, you truly are a spoiled little girl,” he said as she stopped sobbing and clenched her hands into fists.
“I will show you what this little spoiled princess can do,” she spat, then walked past me and went back to the house.
“Did you have to lie that much and provoke her?” I asked, concerned.
“Of course, father. That was the only way to either make her let go or to have her work hard for his love. Either way, she will later thank me,” he answered with a smirk.
“Oh well, I hope so. Wait… where is Roxanne?” I asked seriously.
“Uncle Blade spotted her running into the forest. I think she went for fresh air,” he answered.
I removed my phone from my pocket and looked at the time.
“She’s a little late,” I muttered.
“You know her, Dad. If she’s not already at the pack, then she will spend her night here. If she was in danger, she could have found a way to call us by now. Also, who would be so bold and stupid to do anything to an Alpha queen?” he said, then walked past me with a chuckle.
He was right. I raised Roxanne like a warrior. It was hard to think she could be in danger because she was more than capable of taking good care of herself in any situation.