C + L – Chapter 7
••• Colton’s POV •••
Another day had passed, and there was still no news from our spies. Even though my mate didn’t tell me anything, I knew he was withholding information from me.
“Lucas, where did you go last night? I asked him with an accusatory tone.
“What do you mean? I was sleeping next to you,” he lied smoothly, which hurt me.
“I know you purposely had sex with me to make me fall asleep,” I straightaway called out his trick. “You went to the Night Shade Pack, didn’t you?”
“Colton, I don’t know what you mean. I was asleep next to you the whole night,” he acted as though he was confused by my words.
“Lucas!” I yelled at him. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’m your mate! Do you think it’s nice to be lied to by my mate?” my voice rose up a notch, and I felt hurt that he was still pretending and lying to me.
“I’m your mate!” I screamed again. “You should never lie to me and include me in everything you do!” My emotions got the better of me as my body trembled, and tears started to spill from my eyes.
“Are you happy to see me hurt by your lies?!” I kept screaming at him and began to sob. Damn, pregnancy hormones had turned me into a crybaby.
As expected, his expression softened, and he looked hurt, looking at me crying. “Colton.” He reached out to take me into his arms.
“No!” I yelled and slapped his arms away.
“Mates should never lie and always trust each other. It’s obvious that you don’t trust me. I don’t want to stay with you anymore. After I give birth, we’ll go our separate ways,” I told him angrily.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
I looked at my handsome mate, and for the first time since I was claimed and mated to him, I felt disappointed in him.
“I’ll be staying at Aleena’s place. Don’t look for me,” I turned around, but not before I caught sight of his pale face.
Before I was able to take more than two steps, I felt his arms circling my body. “Col-Colton, please don’t say that. You know I won’t be able to live without you.”
This was the first time I heard him stammering, and the heartbreaking tone of his voice nearly made me want to turn around and hug him, but I was too hurt, so I stood still without saying anything, showing him my stubbornness. If he still didn’t want to tell me the truth, then so be it. I’d really leave him. There was no point in staying mated with someone who didn’t trust his mate.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have kept any secrets from you. I’ll tell you everything. Just don’t leave me, alright?” he kept apologizing, and his voice broke toward the end.
Realizing I was too disappointed with him and had no intention of looking at him, he stammered again, “Col-Colton… Please look at me… I promise… I promise I won’t keep any secrets from you anymore. Please turn around and look at me.”
He gently turned my body around to face him, and I let him. My heart was hurting, and he must have felt it too through the matebond. I had tears streaming down my face, and when he saw how heartbroken I was, he pulled me into his arms again and pressed my head to the crook of his neck, letting me inhale his scent to calm me down.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… Please don’t cry… It broke me to see you cry,” he choked.
I fisted his t-shirt while burying my face in the crook of his neck. “Mates are supposed to trust each other. Mates are supposed not to have secrets from each other,” I sobbed.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry..” he kept apologizing while my tears soaked his t-shirt.
He pulled back and wiped away my tears with a distressed expression. “Please don’t cry… I’ll tell you everything now.” He led me to the sofa, and we sat down.
I kept my face buried in the crook of his neck and nodded. No matter how disappointed I was in him, I couldn’t deny that his scent still attracted me and could calm me down.
He stroked my back and started speaking.
“Dad had gone to see Alpha Tobias, asking him about the ‘rumor’, but he naturally denied it. But the Gamma saw a secret door surrounded by tall weeds,” he said.
I looked up at him. “So, the rogues are there?”
“We are not sure about it as the Gamma couldn’t get close, much less open the door. But he heard whimpering from inside the door,” Lucas replied.
That thought got me mad yet excited simultaneously, and I jumped from my seat. “They must keep them there! We have to rescue them!”
Lucas grabbed my hand and tugged me, so I sat down again.
“Listen to me first, Colton,” he said patiently. “We already have a plan.”
“A plan?” asked him.
“Dad is going to distract Alpha Tobias with a talk of business. Mom, Aleena, Kyson, me, and also warriors from our three packs are going to check the door. If the rogues are indeed being imprisoned there, we will get them out right at that moment,” he told me of their plan.
“When are you guys going to implement the plan?” I asked.
He looked hesitant to answer.
“Lucas?” Why did it seem like he didn’t want me to know?
“Tomorrow,” he finally answered softly.
Tomorrow? “Okay, I’ll be going with you. I’ll be one of the rescuers, right?”
“No,” he answered softly.
No? “Then what will my role be?”
“You are not coming with us,” he said as he looked straight into my eyes.
Not going with them? “Lucas! I’m going whether you agree or not, and you can’t stop me!” I was angry that he didn’t allow me to go with them.
“Colton, listen-”
“Fuck you, Lucas! They are rogues! They are my people! I should be the one saving them!” I stopped him from saying anything and yelled at him.
“Colton Bell,” his voice was soft, but his Alpha aura spilled out from his body. This was the first time he used his Alpha’s voice and aura on me, and I had no choice but to look down and bare my neck to him as a sign of submission.
He sighed and pulled me toward him.
“Colton, I love you too much, which is why I can’t let you go with us. You are pregnant. You have to understand it might be dangerous for you and our pups,” he said helplessly.
I stayed quiet, still wanting to refute him.
“Colton, please try to understand just this once. You are nearing the end of your pregnancy term, and I can’t risk even a tiny bit of danger around you,” he said softly.
His words finally melted me. I could feel his love for me and our pups. He was right. I shouldn’t risk going there in case something happened to my pregnancy.
“I’m sorry,” I said apologetically. “Will it be a dangerous mission?”
“No. The Reckless Bane Pack itself is a small pack. With the many warriors we bring, it’ll be easy to save them,” he said firmly.
His words dispelled all my worries.
“What time will you guys go tomorrow?” I asked.
“During lunchtime. Dad will have lunch with Alpha Tobias. It will buy us more time to save the rogues,” Lucas said.
“Okay,” I nodded. I looked at him and pleased earnestly, “Please save all of them.”
“Don’t worry, Colton. I will save them and bring them to our pack. We will take them in,” he said.
“Thank you,” I said with all sincerity.
“You don’t have to thank me, Colton. We are mates. Rogues are your people, and that makes them my people, too. I will bring them here no matter what,” he said.
His words made my heart tremble.
“I love you,” I told him softly.
His lips curled into a smile, and he placed a kiss on my forehead lovingly. “I love you too.”
“Do you think the Reckless Banes Pack, or even Alpha Tobias himself, will seek revenge if he knows we saved all his sex slaves?” I asked my mate.
He let out a low laugh, which made his broad chest rumble.
“They won’t. If they do have that thought, then it will be the same as committing suicide and annihilating his own pack,” he said
Hmm.. That was true. No one would dare to challenge the Night Shade Pack or even Dad, even though he wasn’t the Alpha King anymore.
“Promise it won’t be a dangerous mission?” I looked at him and scrutinized him to see if he was lying about it being an easy mission.
“I promise,” he smiled. “Do you doubt your own mate, Dad, Sis, Mom, and brother-in-law?”
Hearing all those names, I felt kinda stupid to think that it would be dangerous. Each one of them was strong and powerful. I was now sure the mission would be carried out smoothly, and the rogues would be saved.