Chapter 23

Ruby slammed pots and pans in the kitchen as she cleaned up after making breakfast. She was still upset over the fact that Zachary didn’t even think about the danger he could have been in going over to that coven.

She sucked in a breath as she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist and Zachary’s chin rest on her shoulder.

Her wolf sighed with happiness.

Ruby rolled her eyes.

“Zachary,” she called out as she tried to pull away from his grasp, but he refused to let her go.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her ear and then rested his lips on the top of her shoulder as she waited for her to calm down.

Ruby sighed.

Damn it.

He knew her weakness.

She could feel the anger melting away as he continued to hold her and press his warmth against her.

She turned around so that she could look at him.

“You can’t just go running into a situation without knowing all the facts,” she chided.

“I know, I know. I’m just worried about Vita, that’s all. She’s like family to me,” he explained.

“We all want Vita to be okay. We think they are just trying to get information from her about Amanda.”

“We?” Zachary asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Your mother and I.”

Zachary pulled back from her a little.

“Since when have you and my mother been chummy?”

Ruby straightened a bit and pulled out of Zachary’s arms to continue to do the dishes.

“When she came looking for you at the cafe.”

“What did she tell you exactly?”

“I told her that I always thought you were a fool to let her get away,” his mother answered as she walked into the kitchen.

Zachary turned around to look at his mother. He leaned against the counter and folded his arms in front of him.

“I find that hard to believe, mother. Especially since it was you and Dad that would always tell me I needed to connect with someone from the covens.”

“That was more your father talking like that than me. Besides, I explained myself to Ruby and how I feel about things.”

Ruby giggled as she continued to wash the dishes.

Zachary leaned over to her and kissed her on the side of the head.

“Don’t think you have gotten out of this, just because you’re doing the dishes.”

She turned to him with a look of surprise. “What do you mean?”

“You’re siding with my mother and not me.”

“Oh, pish posh, dear. We are all on the same side when it pertains to us rescuing Vita from Persephone and her coven.”

“You mean her son,” Zachary corrected.

“What do you mean ‘her son’?”

“Her son Tristan is obsessed with Vita. he’s one of the reasons she never went back to that coven after she lost her family.” 

“He wouldn’t hurt her, would he?” Ruby asked.

Zachary looked down at the floor instead of answering Ruby’s question.

Deak walked into the kitchen at that moment.

“Who is this Tristan, and why would he hurt my Vita?” he asked.

******

Hudson shifted back after running for what seemed like hours. He pulled out his phone to check the time.

He saw the message from Amanda.

Amanda: Hey, Is everything okay? I thought I heard a howl, and it sounded like Artemis. Just wanting to make sure you are okay. I love you.

Hudson rolled his eyes at the message.

What, he couldn’t just get some time to himself and let his wolf out? Did he need to check in with her and let her know everything he was feeling at the moment?

Artemis let out a whimper.

What? Hudson yelled in his head.

Our mate is merely concerned about us. We should be grateful that we have a mate that cares about us so much, his wolf scolded.

Hudson let out a sigh.

He knew his wolf was right and he didn’t know why the text irritated him so much: Amanda was only concerned, nothing more.

He responded.

Hudson: Yes, everything is fine. I’ll see you later.

He closed his phone and put it in his pocket as he got himself ready to make his way over to the fields.

He mind-linked Marco

Hudson: On my way there too, see you soon.

Hudson felt better knowing that he would have at least one of his own backing him up if he needed it.

When he got to the field he saw a large group of people standing around on one side of the field.

This must be the crimson moon pack.

He slowed down a bit to wait for Marco to catch up with him, so they could walk in together. He heard a whistle from behind him. When he turned to look who was whistling, he began to smile with pride.

Almost all the college kids that were from his pack and some others were walking with Marco making their way to the fields.

He could also see Tab walking right next to Marco; he looked around to see if Amanda had come too, but she wasn’t there. A part of him was relieved that she was not here to see this.

They all crowded around Hudson as they cheered and rooted for their Alpha.

“I can’t believe you all came for this,” he told them.

“You’re our Alpha, you would be there for us, and we are here for you. Always,” Marco told him. Everyone around them cheered as they agreed.

Tab looked around the group and looked a bit confused.

Tab decided to mind-link him instead of asking in front of the group.

Tab: Where’s Amanda?

Hudson looked at her for a moment before he responded to her.

Hudson: I don’t know, I haven’t talked with her today.

Tab was thrown by how he was acting toward his mate.

Tab: I thought things were good between the two of you.

Hudson let out a sigh and Marco just looked back and forth between his mate and Alpha, knowing that they were mind-linked about something.

Hudson: Can we talk about this later? I need to focus. I don’t want to be worried about Amanda when I am trying to defend myself and the pack.

He yelled through the mind link.

Tab narrowed her eyes at her best friend and Alpha. She would let it go for now, but they were going to have a serious talk soon if he didn’t change his attitude.

They all walked over to the circle and the Alpha’s son from the Crimson pack was waiting for him.

It was the same guy who had bumped into him that morning.

Hudson just smiled as he took off his shirt and handed it to Marco. He was going to enjoy this fight.

Aaron, the Alpha’s son from the other pack, walked into the circle when he was ready.

“Alright, the first one to beg for mercy loses. If they are knocked out completely the other fighter wins. There will be no fighting until the death. Agreed?” Raymond another Alpha yelled out to them.

Hudson smirked and said, “Agreed.”


Fighting for my Mate

Mated to my Bully (Book 1)