Chapter 8

• Starfall Pack
• Draven Fox
• "How dare you infiltrate my pack and make demands?" Nathan sized me up and down, but I could sense his fear even though he was trying to mask it.
• "We came as allies, just as the treaty states and allows." I approached, my wolf out and on alert in case any of the guards decided to attack. My own warriors were behind me, vigilant and looking at the Starfall's guards' every move.
• "My mate," I demanded, my face blank of any emotions. Nathan was a tall man, born an alpha, and trained as one, but I was taller and more muscular, and I had trained since I was a child. There was no doubt in my mind that I could beat him up at any time. He also knew that because his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he looked at my clenched fists.
• "She is my mate." He pushed his chest forward and raised his head, trying to man up in front of his pack.
• “I am not your fucking mate,” Melody spat, her shaky voice making me and my wolf let out a low, appreciative growl. It didn't matter that it was hyper-nasal; it was still sweet to listen to. It still caressed my insides and pulled my wolf to the surface.
• "Don't forget your place, you..." He pointed at her then trailed off, directing his gaze back at me when I growled a warning.
• "I dare you to finish that statement." I raised my brow, waiting for him to insult her. When he didn't speak, I walked closer, getting on the raised wooden stage where my mate knelt. The sight alone had my insides boiling up. My wolf and I were not pleased with her appearance. Her eyes were puffy, her nose was so red, and her lower lip was swollen.
• "You have the audacity to threaten me in my own pack, humiliate me in front of my own people?" I ignored him, sniffing the air when I detected the smell of iron-blood.
• "You're bleeding," I stated, my voice softening as I stood a few feet from my mate. Four guards stood in front of me, blocking me from getting to her.
• "I'm fine." She tried putting on a smile, but I could see through her. It was like I could feel everything she was feeling. With her every attempt to swallow a wince, I felt a wave of cramp on my lower abdomen. With every blink of her beautiful sapphire blue eyes, I could feel my head begin to throb again.
• "Alpha Nathan, the pack law clearly states that if a chosen mate finds his or her fated mate, he or she is allowed to go to their fated one." A man standing a few feet from the stage holding an hysterical woman spoke, making a muscle on Nathan's jaw tick.
• I looked at him and then at Melody, and I was sure that he was her father. Their hair color was just the same: ash blonde. Not just that, but his piercing eyes had so much pain in them as he looked at Melody. Her and her mother, on the other hand, had striking resemblances, starting from their almond-shaped eyes to their cupid bow-shaped lips and body size.
• "Unless they bear the mark of their chosen mate," I added to the man's statement, irking Nathan even more.
• "And I don't see your mark on her." I mocked, turning my mouth downward in feigned sympathy. He stilled, a silence reigning for a few seconds before the pack members started leaving. He must have mind-linked them, asking them to leave to avoid being humiliated further in front of them. Only a few remained, including Melody's parents, the present guards, and some who joined us as the crowd dispersed hastily.
• "And if I don't let her go?" He tried playing a hard nut to crack even though he knew he wasn't going to get out of it.
• "My pack has the most vicious warriors in the werewolf community. We both know your pack is just a small one, and that's why your father drew a pact with my father when your neighboring pack threatened to attack you and kill every last of you. I have you surrounded; my warriors are positioned, ready to wipe your people off. They are just waiting for my signal. Now, alpha Nathan…" I walked to him, dragging the title, willing myself to calm down.
• I stood taller than him, staring down at him. His guards stepped forward, as did mine, making a smirk decorate my face. "I can have this pack raided now and seize it after killing you, or I can walk out and leave everyone safe and sound. Either way, I am taking my mate with me."
• I adjusted my shirt, fixing my eyes on his hideous eyes. "So tell me, which is it going to be?" I evilly smirked yet again, shrugging when he growled at me. I could, however, see the defeat behind his eyes and the rage in his flaring nostrils.
• "Take her and get out of my pack." He finally took a step back, ordering his guards to stand down with his head hanging.
• "We're going with you," her mother stated, while her father nodded.
• "Me too," A young man holding a sword added, and I recognized his voice.
• "Have you no shame, Mason?" My mate reprimanded the young man, making him sigh.
• "I called your mate Mel; I did one thing right...please. If you leave me here, he'll kill me." He didn't look like the type that begged. In fact, I could sense a powerful aura, almost like Nathan's, emanating from him.
• "Fine, let's go." I scooped my mate into my arms, not minding as the blood on her shorts seeped into my clothes.
• "Thank you," she whispered, her eyes half-closed.
• Nathan and his men followed us until we got into our vehicles. Melody's parents and Mason didn't take anything with them; they just left as they were. Their actions had me smiling, knowing that someone cared for my mate enough to follow her. I doubted my father would have a problem allowing them to become a part of us.
• "This is not over," Nathan stated as I got comfortable on the backseat, one of the guards sitting behind the wheel. My parents wanted to come, but I assured them I could handle it, so they stayed behind. It was thrilling how ready my wolf was to tear Nathan into pieces if he had resisted. It was a confirmation that I was ready to take over from my father and become the alpha.
• "Are you threatening me?" I asked in a monotonous voice. He chuckled bitterly, his eyes switching between yellow and black. Just as my driver and the rest of my convoy began to drive off he spoke, "you will pay for this. I promise you, Draven Fox, I will make you pay."