Alpha Kian And His Captive Mate novel Chapter 18

Even if there's an iota of truth to those rumors, I'd lose my second chance mate in no time. Leah was a trained she-wolf who was defeated by her murderer. Nyla is a new mother, a human, grieving her husband's death. I can't risk taking any chances and blindly trust my dad.

I couldn't stop thinking about Nyla and lay awake every night, wondering if I'll ever be able to complete the mating ceremony with Adalyn. Mating with Adalyn will cause Nyla a lot of pain, which won't be any less than what she felt when Wyatt died. But refusing to take a chosen mate suddenly would raise a lot of doubts.

My pack is already raising hell that I didn't claim Wyatt's lands and declare myself to be the next Alpha King. I had every intention to do that and that was the whole reason we attacked them. I changed my mind when I met Nyla.

There will be no other woman who I can picture as my Luna Queen. But making her one would instantly put her life at risk. Every power hungry motherfucker will try to kill her to make me weak and go insane. Losing my mate a second time would definitely do that to me.

Adalyn has zero effect on me and no one would bother killing her to get back at me. If I die fighting some battle, my death will have zero effect on Adalyn as well because she will move on to some other alpha who shares her ambition.

I was lost in my dilemma, and it was morning already before I could make up my mind. Nyla said she doesn't care, but she obviously cares. Rex is not entirely sure if she's a human. He told me he could sense her feelings when I was in my wolf form, and he was sure she could know he was apologizing to her.

"She likes the feel of my tongue against her skin. She wanted to stroke my fur and wondered if I wasn't an arrogant ass like you."

When Rex told me this, I couldn't believe it. He was able to understand Leah's thoughts only after I claimed and marked her.

I thought I saw a golden glimmer in Nyla's eyes for a brief moment when I first saw her. But with Rex shouting mate over and over in excitement and the powerful emotions that surged through me, I brushed it all off as my imagination. I just blinked once and saw the sparkle instantly be replaced by an intense hatred for me.

Something else seems fishy about her too. She put Ren under some kind of charm. Not sure how she did it because I should feel any kind of magic she uses.

Ren is one of the most loyal and tight-lipped servants who always maintained a neutral stance. Not only did she flash a wide smile when I said Nyla can have her child back, she even told Nyla when I went into heat. It was very unlike her.

I changed into my training clothes and was heading out when my Gamma Finn mind linked me.

"Alpha! Adalyn is nowhere to be found. And the girl who does the early morning shift in the kitchens, she's gone too."

It was barely 6 AM. Adalyn wasn't a morning person.

"What was she doing up so early? The ceremony isn't until this evening. Send the trackers out right away. Who saw her last?"

I pushed it further open, feeling slightly anxious about her going missing, even when her scent was strong. Seeing her safe and asleep so peacefully, a sudden sense of euphoric bliss washed over me.

She had her dainty arms wrapped around her baby in a protective grip as the baby latched onto her breast and sucked happily. She must be exhausted to have fallen asleep in the middle of feeding, with the door open like that.

I walked closer to get a better look at her face. Unless I was kissing her senseless, her crescent-shaped eyebrows were always scrunched whenever she saw me. With sweeping eyelashes, a cute button nose, and puffy heart-shaped lips, her sleeping face was urging me to rain kisses on her.

No amount of kissing or comforting would make up for what I put her through. If only I could feel her pain for her.

I know she hated me with every fiber of her being. She even hated my show of affection, but the mate bond made her a sucker for my touch. I could see her feeling crushed every time she let me touch her.

I would have never touched her if it was in my control. My wolf screamed liar at me and wanted me to take my words back.

I leaned down and ran my thumb pad over her cherry sweet lips, feeling her sweet, warm breath. Damn those lips and the way they resist my kisses. I unintentionally pinched her lower lip, and a whimper tumbled out of her mouth while a deep frown formed on her face.