Chapter 11 Mate!

• POV: Echo
• Having finished stripping rooms, I quickly ducked into the basement to swap the laundry again and quickly freshen up before making my way over to wait in the dining room. Standing in a corner of the room, I was glad that I’d been able to keep my new dress clean for serving. My nerves were jittery, making me anxious as I waited for them to arrive.
• Hearing the front doors open, Alpha Brady’s voice drifts into the dining hall as many footsteps approach. The smell of something mouth-watering wafted through the door as warriors from both packs filed in. I closed my eyes and discreetly sniffed the air, taking in the scent of a forest after a rainstorm mixed with a strongly brewed coffee.
• Stiffening slightly as Tala chanted, ‘Mate! Mate is here, Echo!’. Her excitement flooded through me, and I couldn’t help but glance around the room quickly. There are men, mostly warriors, who are moving to sit at the table, filling their plates with mountains of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and hash browns. Keeping my head down, I shifted my gaze to those entering the room.
• Alpha Brady came through the doorway, speaking to a mountain of a man with long blond hair pulled into a tight bun. There are two other men next to him enquiring about where to find their sleeping quarters. Something about the man with the bun drew my eyes back to him.
• Trying to sneak a peek at the blond-haired giant, who I can only assume is the visiting Alpha, I froze. He caught me. His vibrant green eyes locked onto mine, instantly trapping me with his intense gaze. Tala howled in my mind as I saw him step forward, about to make his way over to me. Panicked, I jerked my head slightly from side to side twice, begging him with my eyes to stay away. My eyes flickered to Alpha Brady, and back to my mate.
• The male stopped, frowning, taking in the cuts and bruising on my face, moving lower and seeing how thin I was before glaring at the Alpha beside him, who had just turned to him and was now scanning the room to see who he was looking at. I stiffened, terrified to face Brady if he noticed even a second of this exchange. Fortunately, one of the other men next to the Alpha engaged Brady in a conversation about the amenities available at the pack house during their stay, causing him to frown and turn back away from where I stood.
• Sighing relief, I saw my mate’s eyes darken with his wolf’s black ones as he realized Alpha Brady was the one responsible for my injuries. Meeting his eyes, I shook my head again, eyes darting around the room to ensure no eyes were on me before mouthing a silent ‘no!’.
• While this man was built like a God, Alpha Brady fought dirty, and his threat about what he’d do if I didn’t refuse my mate weighed heavy on my mind as I willed this man, my mate, to understand. When he finally gave a sharp nod, I dropped my gaze back to the floor in front of me, sagging in relief and praying our exchange went undetected by those in the hall. I felt my mate’s sharp gaze on me, but I didn’t lift my head again until I heard Brady snap his fingers.
• Stepping forward, I began serving the ranked wolves their breakfast. While regular pack members and warriors serve themselves, I am expected to serve the ranked wolves of our pack and the visiting pack, as per Brady’s demand. I was to serve in a semi-circular order, from one side of the table around to the other. From Red Stone’s Delta to Brady, the visiting Alpha to his Delta.
• As I served Delta Spencer, he jabbed a discreet but sharp elbow directly into my ribs, and I barely refrained from spilling the scoop of eggs I was bringing toward his plate. I sucked in a silent breath, blinking away the tears in my eyes, hardly daring to pause my actions lest I earn a punishment.
• As I finished loading his plate, I felt eyes on me as I moved to serve Beta John, my eyes glued to the table. He had always hated that our Alpha made me serve them, hated the way he treated me, but there was nothing he could do. At least I knew I didn’t need to worry about anything while serving him.
• Unfortunately, my ribs spasmed as I went to set the Beta’s coffee down, and he grabbed his cup discreetly before I could drop it. I only hope he can see how grateful I am from my eyes from the quick glance I send his way, as I cannot afford any slip-ups right now. Gracefully bringing the cup to his lips, he plays the whole thing off as an intentional act to get to his coffee sooner.
• Next, I serve Alpha Brady, as Luna Embry does not wake this early in the morning, not even when we have guests. I was dreading serving him, especially with my mate sitting beside him. It went oddly smoothly, and when he waved me away to show he wanted nothing else, I figured that I’d gotten lucky and he was going to keep his hands to himself in front of his guests. I couldn’t have been more wrong, making the mistake of relaxing slightly as I moved to serve my mate.
• When I was a third of the way around Brady’s chair, he swiveled in his seat and smacked my backside as hard as he could. Taken completely by surprise, the force made my footing unsteady, and I floundered for a moment before my ankle gave out with a sharp crack.
• Swallowing the scream of pain as my body plummeted to the floor, I couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped as two powerful arms caught me. They slowly brought me back to a standing position, supporting me so that my broken ankle couldn’t bear any of my weight. Their touch filled me with an overwhelming sense of comfort and safety as I looked up to see the visiting Alpha’s face next to mine, eyes filled with concern.
• Uncertain, I looked down at my hands, which were resting on his muscular forearms. Everywhere our skin connected was radiating a comforting warmth, an intense tingling sensation like I’d never felt before. I could feel Alpha Brady’s aura flashing with anger as this Alpha held me just a little too long for his liking. Quickly, I tried to remove myself from his grasp, lowering my head.
• “I apologize Alphas, I am clumsy on my feet this morning.” My voice squeaked out while I tried to pull away. I could feel my mate’s gaze on me as his grip tightened gently, refusing to let me go.
• I tried to take a step back, hoping to break his grasp, but my ankle gave way again, sending a sickening wave of pain shooting up my leg. Swallowing my cry of pain, I looked desperately at Alpha Brady, begging him to understand that I was trying.
• “Alpha Atlas, are you alright?” Brady asked, narrowing his eyes at him before shooting me a look that promised a most painful punishment later. My mate had moved with me, holding me steady and preventing me from falling. He looked down at my injured ankle with a frown.
• Shuddering as I turned away from the angry Alpha, I noticed that Alpha Atlas was still staring at me, not responding to Brady immediately. ‘Atlas! Mate’s name is Atlas!’ Tala yipped, prancing around the back of my head. I swayed slightly, relieved to keep the weight off of my broken ankle for as long as this Alpha would hold me.
• “Of course, Alpha Brady,” Atlas replied, slowly dragging his eyes away from me to glare at Brady, his deep voice clear and powerful. It took me a moment to recover from the flutter that the sound of his voice creates deep in my stomach.
• “I am not the one who’s injured. I have just noticed that…” He paused before he turned back to me, “I’m sorry, what’s your name?” His green eyes watched as I internally cringed, my fear growing when I felt the building aura of displeasure rippling from Alpha Brady. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I fought an internal battle before being able to whisper.
• “M-my name?” I felt the intensity of Brady’s glare as I looked at my arms, watching as Alpha Atlas stroked small circles against my arms with his thumbs. The motion provided a deep sense of calm, and I find I really want to tell him, regardless of the consequences.