Chapter 11
SETH
The door to my office slams open and Luke storms in, plunking himself into the chair in front of my desk and pulling me away from my thoughts of Liora and that night a week ago, when I claimed her body for the first time.
“I thought we weren’t on speaking terms?” I ask as I watch my friend run a hand through his hair. I can feel the anger and hurt radiating off of him, and I have a feeling what might have happened to make him choose to come to my office.
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“We aren’t. But this is the only place my parents won’t bother me,” he answers back, pulling out his phone. I say nothing, knowing the situation Luke is in with his parents, and how they are trying to force him into claiming some random she–wolf as a mate instead of allowing him to search for her himself. It’s an argument that I have witnessed myself many times since he turned eighteen. At one point, Luke had confided in me that he hoped Liora would be his mate to shut his parents up, but the goddess seems to have wanted to play a cruel joke on the three
of us.
Part of me wishes she had ended up as Luke’s mate. That this whole situation with the two of us never happened. Part of me is also pissed that Luke decided to use my office as his hideaway and interrupt me as I was just about ready to jerk off to the memory of taking my mate’s virginity. The only reason I haven’t throttled him for disrupting me during work hours is because he is Liora’s sworn brother. If I have any chance of finding my mate to see if she is
safe and sound, then it is through him.
Turning back to the computer screen, I continue to read the report to calm my body and let out a groan. I spent over five thousand dollars just to get these results. My blood begins to hum as the pain of the broken mate bond sparks, and I wince. I know I shouldn’t be thinking of her, because thinking about Liora leads to pain from the bond I broke. But I need to know if she is
safe.
“What are you working on?” Luke asks, making me debate over whether or not I should tell
him.
“Finding Liora,” I finally answer, after thinking things over. Telling him that I want to find Liora won’t hurt. Maybe, just maybe, he might help me. Looking up from the screen to see Luke staring at me with an incredulous look on his face, I can tell he wants to scream at me. But with me being his future alpha, he holds himself back.
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< Chapter 11
nts >
+15 Points >
“Good luck. Her number doesn’t work anymore,” he states instead with a shrug, turning to look back at his phone. I sigh, returning to focus on the report. The private investigator found nothing. Her bank account was emptied out two days after she was banished, and the lawyer that her parents hired for Liora to claim her inheritance if they died before she turned eighteen refused to answer any questions I had about her.
I know deep down that Liora does not want to be found by anyone, but I have to try. I regret what happened last week, and need to make it up to Liora in some way. Even if it is by sending her an apology letter to explain why I did what I did. She would understand that I am protecting Stormclaw. She would be angry that I never told her the truth about why Caroline came to Stormclaw. Mad that I kept the engagement hidden for so long, but she would then get over it. She would take time for herself, move on, and find happiness with someone else.
The broken bond shocks me with pain at the thought of Liora being with another, but it needs to happen. I will be mated to Caroline soon and the bond will be gone for good. I just hope that when I leave my mark on Caroline, Liora does not feel the pain too hard.
“Your wounds haven’t healed yet?” Luke asks, pulling me from my thoughts. I sigh and close
the report, as nothing in there will give me any clue as to where Liora might have gone. Subconsciously, I lightly touch the four claw marks that scar my face. A physical reminder of
the pain I caused Liora.
“No. I don’t think they will go away either,” I admit, giving Luke a sad smile.
“Good. If Liora has to bear the same mark of a betrayal, then I am glad she left a—
”
“She won’t bear the mark,” I cut Luke off, glaring at him. How dare he state Liora would bear
the mark I bore for hurting her.
“What?” He sits up as he stares at me in shock, his phone now in his lap as I capture his full attention. I guess he didn’t know this information either. Maybe we need to spread it to wolves
our age in the pack.
“Before my aunt left, I asked her why Liora never got the Rejection Mark,” I begin, running my
hands through my hair.
“It’s because she attacked me after I rejected her and the mate bond was broken. I gained
mine by committing the ultimate betrayal, rejecting her,” I continue, watching Luke open and
close his mouth in confusion.
“So, Liora won’t have the mark, but you do?” he asks, trying to wrap his mind around this new
information.
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< Chapter 11
+15 Points >
“Yes. I think the scars she left me are the goddess‘ way of punishing me.” I end the conversation after this, telling Luke I have work to do. He says nothing, and the room returns to an awkward silence, only the tapping of my keyboard being heard.
I can’t tell anyone this, but I am glad Liora won’t bear the Rejection Mark. She doesn’t deserve
that mark like I do. I betrayed her in order to marry a woman who holds the life of Stormclaw
in her hands.
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