CHAPTER 5

Aiden’s POV

I couldn’t stay away.

I couldn’t fucking forget how her skin felt under my fingertips. I couldn’t forget the tingles. I couldn’t forget the pleasurable shivers that ran up and down my body as I held her.

Elijah would have fucking killed me if he knew I was sneaking into the dungeons to see her every night since I held her... He would have lost it if he knew I was thinking about walking into that cell and touching her again.

But she was mine just as she was his and I could go to her if I wanted to I could hold her if I wanted to. I could touch her if I wanted to.

She was mine. Fucking mine.

I tightened my hold on the bars separating us. She was whimpering in her sleep and the sound made my heart clench. She sounded afraid.

“Please,” she mumbled in her sleep. “Please, don’t.”

Please don’t what?

She turned her head toward me and I saw little beads of sweat on her forehead. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was mumbling something I couldn’t hear.

“It hurts,” she mumbled a little louder and my body started moving on its own.

She was my mate. My mate! And she was in pain. She was hurt. Someone was hurting her!

I was on my knees next to her in a second.

I watched her body tense up. She cried out quietly and I just couldn’t stop myself from holding her.

My mind was screaming at me not to do it. She was a whore. She betrayed us. She let other men touch what was ours. She let other men touch what was mine. She didn’t fucking deserve my help. She didn’t deserve my care. She didn’t fucking deserve for me to hold her the way I did.

But my heart was screaming. It was clenching and breaking and I had to hold her. I had to fucking stop the nightmare. I had to stop them from hurting her.

She unconsciously grabbed me tightly and pressed herself closer to me. My heart skipped a fucking beat. Her whimpering quieted down a little bit and I felt her body relax in my arms.

“Fuck,” I muttered as I pressed my cheek against her forehead and stroked her hair.

She sighed quietly and nuzzled her nose into my neck. My heart almost gave out. Her scent surrounded me completely and I felt like I was floating on clouds.

I made a huge fucking mistake by coming here. I made a huge fucking mistake by touching her and holding her.

How the fuck was I supposed to let go? How the fuck was I supposed to forget how her skin felt against mine?

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I groaned, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

Her scent only made everything worse. I didn’t want to stop smelling it. I didn’t want it to leave my lungs. I wanted it on me and inside me. I wanted it fucking everywhere.

‘Where are you?’ Elijah’s angry voice made me flinch.

“Fuck,” I breathed out as I tightened my hold on her.

‘Aiden?’ Elijah growled through the mind-link.

‘I am coming.’ I responded. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Alpha Jackson is what’s fucking wrong.’ Elijah said and I could feel a wave of anger washing over me. ‘We found his men at our border.’

I had to stop myself from growling.

‘I’m coming.’ I said as I looked down at my mate.

I didn’t want to leave her. I really fucking didn’t.

But she deserved it. She deserved to stay locked up in this cell. She deserved to have nightmares. She deserved to be afraid and alone. She deserved everything she fucking got.

My wolf stirred, but I pushed him back. I’d been doing that since the moment we found her and found out what she was.

I reluctantly placed her back on the ground and I saw her tense up immediately. My heart screamed again, but I ignored it.

My hands were shaking as I let her go. My entire fucking body was trembling as I stood up and looked at her body beneath my feet.

She deserved it. If she was a faithful mate she would be with us. We would sleep in the same bed. She would cling to me and I would hold her like she was my greatest treasure. I would stoke her hair and breathe in her scent. She wouldn’t have nightmares. She wouldn’t be afraid. I would love her. Elijah would love her. She would be the happiest, most protected woman in the whole world.

If only she was faithful.

I tightened my jaw so hard it hurt. I clenched my fists until I felt nails digging into my skin.

I turned around and ran the fuck away from that cell. I promised myself that I wouldn’t come back here. She didn’t fucking deserve it.

“What the fuck does he want?!” I exclaimed as I walked into our office.

Elijah and Ian were waiting for me. Ian was sitting on the couch and looking through some papers. Elijah was pacing around the office with a pissed-off look on his face.

“We don’t fucking know,” Elijah growled. “Some of his men ran off before we were able to catch them. The others are dead.”

I saw red. A growl escaped me.

“He was Peter’s friend,” I said. “They were allies. He wants revenge.”

Elijah growled. “I will squish him like a fucking bug. He isn’t getting near my pack. He isn’t hurting my pack members. He will be dead before he can even think about it.”

“We need to increase the security at the border,” Ian said. “I am looking at the schedule and there is definitely room for improvement.”

I nodded. “Go talk to Gary and see what can be done. We need to be prepared.”

Ian nodded and stood up. I watched him leave our office before I looked back at my brother.

“You need to shave,” I said as I approached my desk and sat down.

He just growled at me.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. He barely slept since we found her. He barely did anything except working and shoving his cock in every hole Jessica had. He was drowning in anger and despair.

He was always the one who wanted us to find our mate. He was the one who was holding onto hope that Alpha Rowan’s daughter wasn’t the only one for us. I was always a bit more reserved when it came to the mate bond. I didn’t care for it as much as he did. I made peace with the fact our mate died a long time ago and I didn’t care to find another one. I could fuck whoever I wanted to fuck and that was enough for me.

Not Elijah, though. He craved it. He wanted it. He wanted to experience the mate bond. I knew it. I could feel it.

“Where the fuck is Jessica?” Elijah growled.

I sighed and shook my head at him.

“Fucking her every chance you get isn’t the answer, Elijah,” I said, making him narrow his eyes at me.

He barred his teeth and clenched his fists.

“Maybe I should go fuck that whore in the dungeon then?” he said, making the anger boil my blood.

I tightened my jaw but stayed quiet. I wanted to punch him.

He growled again and rushed toward the door. I closed my eyes and resisted the urge to punch the fucking wall.