Presley

"Make sure to catch something good." Charlie pressed his hands against my chest. He smiled at me. "Come back to me safe?" He raised one of his brows at me. I chuckled and leaned down, kissing his lips. He knew very well he wouldn't have to worry about me. I could handle myself well.

"You take care of yourself now?" I kissed the top of his head. I snuck my hand in between us and placed it on his stomach. "Take care of our pup too. Rest and relax, baby." He smiled and nodded his head.

"I love you, Presley." He stood on his tippy toes, my hand left his stomach and wrapped around his waist protectively. Charlie pressed his soft lips to mine again, and I could almost smell his arousal. I stepped back from him, giving him a devilish smile.

"I love you, my angel." I cupped his face in my hand. "When I get home, I'll take care of you.

"Can we go?" Mateo mumbled. Jealousy was present in his appearance. I rolled my eyes and shook it off.

"Yes," I replied, wanting to ground my teeth together in annoyance.

After all that happened, I was surprised he still wanted to go on the hunting trip, just him and I. I felt comfortable leaving Charlie because our pack had several alphas that would look after my mate.

Karsen had finally joined the rest of his family in our pack a few days ago as the time neared for our mating ceremony.

"Bye, Charlie," Mateo pulled my mate into a hug. I tried to swallow down the growl that bubbled in my throat. I couldn't wait to tell him that we were sending him to another pack, and far away at that. Charlie stood stiff as a board, not hugging Mateo back. He had told me that he no longer felt comfortable around him, and he felt like something was off.

But nonetheless, I knew it was tearing him up inside to see a friend go. But I couldn't help but feel ecstatic inside for him to finally be gone from our pack. I was ready to tell him to pack his shit up when we got home, knowing he would no longer be able to touch my mate.

"Let's go," I grumbled lowly, not wanting to go on this hunting trip with him. I didn't know why I decided to go on this trip with him despite him getting booted from this pack. But I assumed Charlie still wanted to keep in contact with him later on. Even though I wished I'd never have to see that smug bastard ever again.

— — —

Later in the evening, we began to set up camp. It had gotten colder, and the sky reflected snow was in our future. We hadn't taken much with us, but enough to keep us warm and fed. I was on a mission to get certain meat for our mating ceremony that was requested by Charlie. I planned to find deer sometime in the morning time when they were more active. We sat in silence around the fire, eating the cans of chili we had brought along with us. There was nothing to say between the two of us.

Well, aside from the fact that I was to break the news to him that he was going to be transferred when we got back.

"Why did Charlie want us to hunt together." I could hear Mateo grumble under his breath, breaking the silence.

I let out a sigh, poking at the fire with a stick. The wood crackled a bit, and I threw the twig into the burning put. "He wanted to make sure you left on good terms," I replied. I guessed it would be best to tell him now than to tell him later.

"Left?" He raised one of his brows.

"Because of recent interferences, we decided it was best to send you to another pack." A look of anger crossed his face, and he clenched his jaw shut. "I have noticed it has become increasingly difficult to hold myself back when I see you touching him, let alone him being near you."

"Oh fuck off." He grunted out. "You act like you're some holier than thou, mate? You're so fucking shitty you don't even know what his favorite things are."

"I'm fairly sure I know more than you think." I got to my feet, Mateo followed pursuit. "I know it pains you so much that I was mated to Charlie, but let's remember, he's my mate. Not yours." I growled. "You have no right to him, over him, or to be near him. I'm done playing nice with you. I don't care if you lost your mate or not. I'm done turning my cheek to your obvious advances on my mate." I hissed through my teeth.

"I'd treat him so much fucking better than you." He responded, taking one step around the fire toward me.

"How do you know how I treat him?" I furrowed my brows. "I have been treating him above my pack, above me, above the rest of my family. He is the reason I breathe." I spat at Mateo. The wolf took another step toward me.

"Whatever. He came to me every time you fucked up." He pointed his finger at me, taking another step.

I turned toward him, ready to defend myself. "I bet he doesn't even give you the time of day now," I smirked.

"Shut the fuck up." Mateo approached me, reaching his hand out to me. "Shut up!!!" He yelled, grabbing my neck. "He's mine!" His eyes flashed red. My heart lurched, almost jumping out of my chest.

He was turning rogue right before me. I hadn't ever seen it happen in person. I had only demolished them when they became a threat to my pack and myself. His talons elongated, digging into my neck. I reached my arm up to his, and I tried to rip it away, but it was a failed attempt. My limbs suddenly felt as if they were putty.

"You didn't think I didn't come prepared." He snapped, and his teeth began to grow longer. "I thought you were going to outright kill me like the bastard you are."

"If it were up to me, I would have a long time ago," I replied in between breaths. I could feel blood dripping down onto my shoulders. "Imagine needing something to subdue me because you know you're too weak to fight me alone." I spat.

He threw me down to the ground right next to the blazing flames. I gasped for air, reaching my hand up to rub my neck to relieve some of the pain. My hands felt like they were being weighed down by pallets of bricks. Mateo kicked me in the ribs. I let out a scream feeling them break beneath his boots.

"You're a pathetic alpha," Mateo growled, crouching down beside me. He grabbed me by my shirt, pulling my face close to his. "I thought it was hilarious when you accepted me to your pathetic pack. You didn't do a full investigation on me. If you did, you would have known I was an alpha too." He sneered. I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "Look at me." He patted my cheeks. "I want you to look me in the eyes as I tell you what actually happened."

I gritted my teeth together, desperately wanting to move.

"I killed my brother to become alpha. I lied to my mate, telling him I never wanted to be an alpha. Trying to play the soft alpha he wanted me to be. Then rogues started attacking my pack often. So we were on the move closer to a larger pack for help." He tapped my cheek with his long talon. "So we began to travel, and we lost some pack members because we got attacked by another group of rogues. They slaughtered my pack, but Erin, he was pregnant with our child, and I protected him until his dying breath." He looked down to the ground, thinking about his lost mate. "When I had begged and begged for your pack's help," His voice cracked. "Your pack never came to aid. Erin would have rather jumped off a cliff than deal with me any longer. Because I wanted to protect him and our baby."

"He probably could smell the stench of corruption on you." I spat.

"That's where you're wrong." Mateo sneered. "I still had hope. I'm not going to lie. I wanted you dead from the moment I met you. But you didn't have your mate yet. You took my mate from me. I take your mate from you." I furrowed my brows. "But I guess taking you away from your mate is just as painful and oh so much more satisfying. Because you are the reason I lost my mate."

"No, you are." I snapped back. Mateo grabbed one of my arms and put it into the fire next to us. I screamed in pain, feeling the flesh on my arm burn off.

"I told you not to do anything stupid, boy." A thick Irish accent came from behind us. "I'd rather not have a pack that has more alphas than all of the packs in the world after me."

"Codladh." She said, and then I fell into darkness. 

A/N: 

I meaaaan, y'all can get ahead on patreon n stuff. And help a girl out annnnd get ahead af, aaaaand get ahold of bonus content for this book. uwu

The book is now completed and I need to finish up the side story for patreon before beginning the next book.

https://liinks.co/neonskies95