Free Web NovelChapter 50: Chapter 50 Mopping Up
Third Person POV
The Frostpelt Pack house’s living room looked like a warzone. Overturned vases. A wine glass bleeding red across the expensive rug. A photo frame face-down in glass splinters.
Alpha Clive’s slap cracked through the air like a whip. Pure Alpha dominance rolled off him in waves, making everyone in the room want to bare their necks.
"I should’ve had a damn vasectomy," he growled.
Niall touched his burning cheek, his wolf retreating deep into his mind. "Dad, I just—"
"You thought?" Another slap cracked across his face. "You thought wrong, you fucking idiot. You said Christina was obsessed with you. That she’d marry you even while you screwed half of Highrise City. And now what? She walked away. You couldn’t even keep your mate. Moon Goddess, Niall, I can’t go anywhere without pack members asking about you and Beatrice Vance. The entire Northern territory knows about your disgrace."
"We never actually told anyone—"
"Bullshit!" Another slap hit him, Clive’s Alpha energy making it burn twice as hard.
Niall’s head snapped sideways. His wolf whimpered.
He didn’t fight back. Wouldn’t dare challenge his father’s dominance.
Not when the elder Alpha looked one blood vessel away from a cardiac arrest.
"You think other wolves are blind?" Clive’s roar that makes lesser wolves cower."You embarrassed this entire pack at the The Sabreridge pack gathering’ gala. Hell, even their Omega probably knows what you’ve been up to with Beatrice.Do you understand what this means? A fated mate bond is sacred! It would have solidified your Alpha status, strengthened our bloodline. Do you have any idea how rare and precious a fated mate is? And you threw it away for what? Some cheap thrill with your mate’s sister?"
Niall just stood there, head bowed.
Clive turned on Louisa next, his anger seeking a new target. "And you just handed over the family ring? Are you out of your mind? That heirloom was the only leverage we had. She returns it, and the engagement between our packs is completely over."
Louisa crossed her arms, refusing to submit. "She brought the marriage certificate, Clive. What did you expect me to do?Eat the paper and pretend mateship law hadn’t already blessed another union?"
"Christina Vance is a disrespectful brat. Getting secretly married? She clearly thinks our pack is beneath her. Did her parents forget to teach her respect for pack traditions?"
Louisa sat down."Don’t drag Chrissy into this.You know damn well who the real problem is.If your golden boy wasn’t out playing playboy and sleeping with Beatrice, maybe Christina wouldn’t have lost it and rejected him.You want someone to blame? Look in the mirror. He’s your clone, Clive. Arrogant, territorial, and dumb enough to light a match near gasoline."
Clive’s mouth opened, then shut, his dominant posture faltering for the first time.
Louisa’s eyes were drilling holes into her husband."Niall clearly inherited your talent for ignoring mate bonds."
Clive looked away. "What kind of nonsense is that supposed to be?"
"You kept a mistress for years," Louisa said with a bitter laugh. "And surprise, surprise, your son learned from you. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?"
"You—" Clive couldn’t find the words.
Willow jumped in. "Mom, stop. Dad cut ties with that woman ages ago." freewebnσvel.cøm
Louisa’s eyes flashed with rage. She jerked her arm free from Willow’s grip.
Willow tried again, desperate to calm the family chaos."The problem isn’t some old affair. It’s that Christina married someone else,a rival Alpha. That’s why Dad’s going crazy."
"And she bloody well should have!" Louisa hissed."She’s too good for your brother anyway. Christina has always been sweet and loyal,qualities your brother clearly doesn’t appreciate. A fated mate is a blessing from the Moon Goddess herself, and he spat on that gift."
Niall’s eyes met Willow’s. The mind-link was instant. "Get Mom out of here before Dad completely loses it."
Willow nodded slightly and looped an arm around Louisa.
"Mom, come upstairs. The pack doctor said you shouldn’t get worked up so soon after leaving the hospital. Why don’t you come see something I picked up? I visited that new spa downtown, and they gave me a facial treatment that’s magic in a jar. You’ve got to try it."
She guided Louisa out, chattering about beauty treatments as though their family wasn’t currently fracturing from within.
As soon as they’d disappeared upstairs, Clive turned to Niall.
"My study. Now."
"Christina’s married to Hudson Laurent,"Once the study door shut,Clive spoke.The soundproofed walls would keep even sharp werewolf ears out.
"The mating ceremony’s off.Invitations are already out to every major pack in the territory. How do you plan on cleaning up this disaster?" freewēbnoveℓ.com
Niall stared at the desk. "I’ll just... tell everyone it’s cancelled?"
Clive looked ready to tear out his son’s throat. "The entire Northern territory knows you rejected your true mate for her sister. Do you know what this does to our pack name? Our bloodline? Our alliances?"
Niall shrugged. "We’ll survive. We’ve survived worse."
In his mind, his mother had a point. His father had kept a mistress for years and still made pack deals like nothing happened. So why was everyone freaking out about Beatrice?
At least Beatrice got him. Christina never did.
Christina had been forced into their engagement by their families. He’d never wanted her, Moon Goddess or not.
Sure,his wolf Damien had different ideas. The bastard would take over when Niall slept,sneaking off to hold Christina, kissing her, acting like some lovesick teenager.
Niall always woke up pissed. Christina was nothing special—just plain, boring, the kind of girl who only mattered because of some stupid fated mate bond.
It wasn’t real attraction. Just wolf instincts trying to force something that wasn’t there.
Damien could whine all he wanted. Niall knew what he actually wanted, and it wasn’t some mousy girl who blushed every time he looked at her.
Now Christina was gone and Beatrice was back with him. Everything felt right again.
Niall honestly didn’t get what the big deal was.
Clive let out a heavy sigh. The kind of disappointed sigh that hit every son right in the gut.
Niall caught it. It only pissed off him more.
This was all Christina’s fault anyway.
She hadn’t even warned him before running off to mate Hudson Laurent. Hudson Laurent, of all people.
What the hell was she thinking?
She used to follow him around like a lost puppy. Always trying to please him, always forgiving him when he screwed up.
She actually believed he’d come around eventually.
Now she belonged to another Alpha. A stronger Alpha.
Niall’s jaw clenched.
His fingers drummed on the armchair, wanting to shift into claws.
Fine. She wanted to play games? He could play too.
His father spoke again."Thanks to your mess, other packs think we don’t honor agreements. That we break bonds. Three alliance deals are dead this month."
He stared at his son. "Now do you see? This isn’t about your hurt feelings. This is about our entire pack’s reputation."
