Free Web NovelChapter 109: My Mate I
I looked unsurely at the door; I couldn’t tell if there was anyone outside standing guard― I doubt it, but I wouldn’t put it past Ironclaw’s alpha. He seemed to be overly cautious since even a helpless little woman like me wasn’t allowed to be a part of the discussions.
After all, I recognized the look in his eyes― it was just like my father’s. He didn’t wish to risk anything; there was no saying whether or not Damon’s ’weak’ companion could be someone secretly strong enough to turn the tables if things went bad.
"Searching, of course," Damon replied. "And you don’t have to stand there. There is no one outside."
"Oh." I stepped away, moving over to the bed before sitting at the edge. "What are you looking for, then?"
"Spyware," Damon said, not missing a beat. "I am sure you’ve seen what Alpha Natan is like. I wouldn’t be surprised if that fucker bugged the room with cameras and microphones all over."
I grimaced. "Well, did you find anything, then?"
Just as I said it, Damon pulled out a small camera. It was no bigger than the size of a pinhead, wedged in a pot of flowers that were placed on the table for decor.
My blood chilled.
With how the table was placed, the flower was directly facing the bed. It had a clear view of whoever was on it and could clearly record what happened in the room. I stared in horror at the small camera, its blinking red light indicating that it was still recording.
"It’s not a livestream, is it?" I asked, my voice shaking.
To reply, Damon crushed the camera between his fingers, allowing the dust scraps to fall to the floor.
"It’s just recording, not streaming," Damon said. "Now, it’s gone. You have nothing to worry about."
"That pervert," I muttered under my breath. "He definitely gave us a bedroom because he misunderstood and thought you were going to― Ugh. So he had plans to watch it after."
"Why do you think Ironclaw has no luna?" Damon asked, snorting. "His wife found the cameras recording the various women of the pack. That pervert had quite the collection, and when she confronted him, not only did he admit to it, but he also refused to change his ways. She left him shortly after."
"I could imagine," I mumbled. Rolling my eyes, I glared sharply at him as I said, "Must be hard knowing that her mate wasn’t loyal."
Damon stood up from his crouched position by the foot of the bed. He had been checking underneath, and with that, he had thoroughly combed through every inch of the room. The only camera found was the one he had already destroyed.
"I have not been intimate with another woman shortly after I met you, Harper," Damon solemnly said.
My head snapped in his direction, staring wide-eyed at him, lips apart and jaw hanging agape from his sudden confession.
"You... What?"
"I meant what I said," Damon reiterated. "I disbanded the harem of women ever since you joined Fangborne."
"What about Susie?" I asked. "She was still wearing the collar when I came. You even replaced the color with a different one instead of taking everything off directly―"
"She was rather insistent on staying in the packhouse," Damon explained. "She was alright with servicing the non-mated members of the pack, should they be interested. In exchange, she gets her own room in the packhouse, a place significantly better than the torn and tattered home she once owned."
"And..." I hesitated, the name clogged in my throat. "Lydia?"
"You can’t seriously still be vouching for her," Damon said with a frown. He scoffed lightly in disbelief. "That friend of yours was more than eager to sell you out to get a place in the pack. She was more than willing to betray her own body when she learned that Stormclaw was gone. I gave her the option to become a rogue. She didn’t take it."
"But you’ve slept with her," I said pointedly. "If not, she wouldn’t have tried her chances with you and Blaise."
"I―" Damon swallowed; I could see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he did. He then looked down to the ground, ashamed. "It was a mistake."
I knew it. It was something I had already guessed. Yet, hearing it from Damon again just felt like a jab to my heart.
My eyes widened when I realized the feeling that was overwhelming me. Was it jealousy? My heart clenched tightly and my chest felt so constricted that it was hard to breathe. An ugly wave of green was boiling in my belly; it felt as though it was about to engulf me whole.
Why was I jealous? I already had Blaise― I am happy enough with just him. I didn’t need another mate, be it fated by the Moon Goddess or not.
My hand reached for the mark that Damon left on me. While there was a visible scar, I couldn’t feel anything uneven under my fingers when I ran across it. If anything, it was more of a sensitive spot on my shoulder than on my hand. It felt as though there was a bolt of electricity that would run through me even when the mark was lightly grazed.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "Why now? You’ve had your chance to be a good mate right from the start, a chance that you butchered." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"Can’t a man have regrets?"
"You didn’t correct Alpha Natan when he asked about me. To you, I am just a woman you can toy with―"
"No, you’re not."
The look in Damon’s eyes was firm, bright, and filled with resolve. They seemed to glow like radiant sapphires even in the darkness of the room. He moved a little closer, holding my face tenderly in his hands.
"Alpha Natan is not a simple man," Damon said, his voice soft but filled with warning. "He enjoys taking what doesn’t belong to him and finding the weaknesses of both his enemies and his allies. I cannot let him know that you are my fated mate for your safety."
Slowly, his fingers moved from my cheek to under my chin, tilting it up so that I could meet his gaze. He was on his feet while I was seated on the bed; he gazed down upon me with such intensity that I could feel my stomach flip and dance.
"I’ve never accepted your rejection," Damon said. "We’re still fated."
"What about it?" I murmured.
His eyes were like deep, dark pools, orbs that swirled with determination.
"Mark me," he said. "Complete the bond."
