Tristan’s POV
I drove away from the scene with one thought in mind-putting as much distance between us and her stepbrothers as possible. I could see their figures shrinking in the rearview mirror, and I knew they didn’t have enough time to shift and chase after me. Speed was my only advantage, and I wasn’t about to lose it.
Mia was slumped in the passenger seat, unconscious. Her face was pale, and her breathing shallow, but steady. I glanced at her every few seconds, my chest tightening at the sight of her injuries. Blood from a cut on her forehead had dried, and she looked so fragile, so breakable, that it made my wolf restless.
When we finally reached my pack’s territory, I didn’t waste a second. Pulling up to the main house, I rushed to her side of the car and carefully lifted her into my arms. She felt lighter than I remembered, as though she’d been carrying more than just physical weight.
“Get the pack doctor here immediately,” I ordered as soon as I entered the house. My beta nodded without hesitation and left to fulfill the request.
I carried her to one of the guest rooms and gently placed her on the bed. Her face was still pale, and her hair clung to her damp forehead. My wolf stirred, pacing in my mind, unsettled by her condition.
The doctor arrived quickly, a middle-aged man. He began examining her immediately, cleaning the wound on her head and checking for any other injuries. I stood by the door, my arms crossed, unable to look away from her.
“She’ll be fine,” the doctor finally said. “It’s mostly shock and exhaustion. She’ll need rest, but there’s nothing serious to worry about.”
Relief coursed through me, and I exhaled slowly, nodding in acknowledgment. I stayed until the doctor finished and left, making sure Mia was comfortable before stepping out of the room.
“Keep an eye on her,” I instructed the pack members nearby. “I don’t want her disturbed.”
The image of her crying, begging me not to let her go back, was burned into my mind. Those bastards-her stepbrothers-had no right to call themselves her family. They’d done nothing but break her down, leaving her to endure pain she never deserved.
My fists clenched as I sat back in the chair. My beta stepped into the room quietly, his gaze flickering from Mia to me. I could tell by the tightness in his jaw that he had something urgent to report.
He crossed his arms, keeping his voice low enough not to disturb Mia. “The Atwood brothers are furious you brought her here.”
I raised an eyebrow, already feeling my wolf push against my control. “Of course, they are. They’ve treated her like trash, and now they’re upset I took away their favorite punching bag?”
My beta nodded.
“Where are they now?” I asked, standing from the chair.
“They’re at the bar on the south end of town,” my beta replied.
I didn’t waste another second. “Let’s go.”
When we arrived, I spotted them immediately. Nathan, Xavier, Sean, and Rolex were seated at a table near the back, drinks in their hands. They were drinking, though their expressions darkened the moment they noticed me.
The four of them stood as I approached, their postures tense and ready for a fight.
Nathan took a step forward, his jaw tight.
“You’ve got some nerve,” Sean said, his gaze narrowing.
“HOW DARED YOU TO TOUCH OUR SISTER,” Rolex growled that everyone stared around us.
I didn’t stop moving until I was standing directly in front of them. My beta lingered a few steps behind me, ready to step in if things escalated.
“You need to stay away from Mia,” I said, keeping my focus steady on all of them.
Xavier’s lips curled into something between a sneer and a smirk.
“She’s our sister. And we know very well what to do,” Nathan said.
The words hit me like a slap, but I didn’t let it show.
“You don’t deserve her,” I growled.
They were just on the verge of attacking me, just a pinch and two packs alpha’s won’t hesitaye to kill each other.
Rolex finally spoke, his tone full of challenge. “She’s our mate. What makes you think you have any right to interfere?”
I was shocked. Mate. How could moon goddess to injustice with her by giving her 4 mates who hated her. My wolf growled low in my mind, but I forced myself to stay calm. “You’ve done nothing but hurt her. A mate is someone you protect, someone you care for. You’ve failed her in every possible way.”
“We don’t need a lecture from you,” Xavier rolled his eyes as if I came here to watch his drama.
I took a step closer, my eyes locking with his. “You don’t get to play the role of her mate when you’ve done nothing but tear her down. She deserves better, and I’ll make sure she gets it.”
“You think you can take her from us?” Nathan asked, with anger.
“I don’t think. I know.”
The tension in the air was palpable, the atmosphere charged with the promise of violence. My wolf pushed against the edges of my control, but I held him back. This wasn’t the time or place.
“I’m going to take her away from you,” I said, my words deliberate and firm. “And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
The brothers didn’t respond immediately, their anger simmering beneath the surface.
I turned and walked away, not giving them the satisfaction of a fight. My beta followed close behind, and as we left the bar, I felt their gazes burning into my back.
The drive back to the pack house was silent, but my mind was anything but. I thought about Mia, about everything she had been through, and the way her stepbrothers had claimed her as their mate.
I hated it.
They didn’t deserve her.
But I would make sure she was safe, no matter what it took.
When I returned, I went straight to her room. She was still asleep, her breathing steady, her face more peaceful than it had been earlier.
I sat in the chair by her bed, my resolve hardening.
She was going to be mine.
And nothing, not even her stepbrothers, would stand in my way.