Chapter 40: Put in the Corner

“Alpha Fred, if Lisa has already had Nate’s pup, surely you don’t think it’s a good idea to mate Cameron with her, right?” my father said. “Surely you want to see your grandpup is raised by their parents.”

“If there is a pup, it is illegitimate. Nathanael raped Lisa. How can you possibly be so cruel as to let her have the one who raped her as her mate?” Alpha Fred said.

Lisa shook her head. “Father, I told you repeatedly. Nate didn’t rape me! I asked him to mate with me.”

Alpha Fred’s face was crimson, and his forehead furrowed. “Why? It makes little sense! Did he threaten you?”

“No!” Lisa clenched both hands. “Father, why didn’t you listen to me? I told you I loved Nate. I asked him to mate with me to chase away the ghost of my past. Can’t you see it?”

I took a deep breath. It would be hard if Alpha Fred insisted on his wishes without considering what had happened.

“I don’t care! I know what I saw. The rope and blindfold were on the floor. It was just exactly as ten years ago. Don’t you think it’s easy for me to face how those punks ruined your life?”

Lisa shed her tears and stood. “I’m sorry, Alpha Horace. I need to get some fresh air.” Then she ran outside.

“I’ll talk with her,” I said. Then I caught Lisa’s hand. “Wait for me!”

“For what?” She wiped her tears. But the tears kept falling and dampened her face. “I love him, you know. I love Nate.”

“Nate loves you too. Let’s go to the garden. We will talk there.”

We strolled to the garden. Then I called Nate through the mind link. ‘Nate, come to the garden now.’

‘Why?’

‘Hurry! You will know when you are already there.’ I gave my handkerchief to Lisa. “Wipe your tears. Nate will be here any minute.”

“Nate? No, I don’t want to meet him.”

I frowned. “Why? I thought you loved him.”

“I do. But my father told me if I met Nate again, he would kill him.” Lisa sobbed and clenched the handkerchief on her lap. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Have you had his pup already?”

Lisa put her hand on her stomach. She smiled. “I think so. I felt different after meeting him, though I must check about this in a few days. I will know I have Nate’s pup if I don’t have my monthly flow.”

I nodded. “I have talked with Victoria. Uh, Anna, I mean. She is my mistress. I told her I wouldn’t mate with you.”

“Oh, thank you!”

“But I also told Anna that if I had no choice, I would have you as my mate, but only in name.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you will be my mate and our pack’s Luna, but that’s for people to know. I won’t touch or expect you to please me in my bed.” I let out a sigh. “Also, if you have already had Nate’s pup, I don’t want to endanger his pup.”

Then Nate stood before us. He stared at Lisa and me. “Lisa?”

“I will leave you two to talk for a while. But I will be around to watch out if Alpha Fred comes here. Five minutes!” Then I walked away.

After thinking for a while, I returned to my father’s working room.

“I don’t care if Cameron has already had a mate. An Alpha can have more than a mate,” Alpha Fred said.

My father tapped his fingers on the couch. “It’s not a matter of an Alpha can have more than a mate. Yet Cameron loves his mistress.”

“It’s not my business. It’s only a marriage of convenience. As Cameron and Nate are best friends, surely he doesn’t want to see my daughter’s pup be a bastard, doesn’t he?”

“True!” I said that and sat on another couch before my father and Alpha Fred. “That’s why the best way is to have the marking ceremony as soon as possible for Lisa and Nate.”

“No!” Alpha Fred protested. “I won’t let him have my daughter.”

“Why not?” my father asked.

“He doesn’t come from a great werewolf family, while your son, Cameron, is quite the opposite. I will gladly have you in my family.”

My father let out a long sigh. “Alpha Fred, in love, we often can’t choose who we love. As Nate and Lisa have loved each other, why don’t you give them blessings? Nate is a good man. I can guarantee that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t agree to have him as my foster son.”

“Because you had no choice but to have someone else to send to my daughter.”

My father shook his head. “It’s not true. I have two sons. But I know my youngest son doesn’t fit with Lisa.”

I nodded. “My father said the truth, Alpha Fred. Jack, my youngest brother, is more like a rake. If we forced him to have Lisa as his mate, both would be unhappy. They are unsuitable.”

“Then how can you think Nate is suitable for Lisa?”

“Nate is a patient and kind man. He is a serious man. He has never played with a woman’s heart. I think that’s why Lisa fell in love with him. She can see how good Nate is.”

My father only listened and commented on nothing. As Alpha Fred said nothing, my father finally said, “What about this? I will double Nate’s dowry. Then I will ensure he has two packs. He will be the Alpha of two packs. What do you think?”

Alpha Fred said nothing. “What pack do you have in mind?”

“Our neighbors. The Blue Moon Hunters and the Thunder Guardians.”

“Pah! Both are small packs!” Alpha Fred hit the table. “I can’t exchange my daughter with those two packs.”

“You don’t trade your daughter. I merely want to increase our children’s happiness.”

“You can say all you want, but I won’t approve of Nathanael as my son-in-law. Not now or ever!”