My Eternal Mate ✓

Chapter Sixteen

LYRA
______

"You obviously want to die," Alexander snarled, holding Aspen by the neck.

I had just strutted through the office door with the tray in my hands, when I had frozen in place at the scene ahead of me. I probably should have intervened, but neither of them noticed that I had returned so I remained where I was stood.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Aspen said, struggling to breathe. "You need to know the truth. The complete truth."

"You think I would trust you?" Alexander growled, a humourless laugh escaped his lips. "I have to admit, it is quite brave of you to come here and spew that bullshit."

Aspen grunted in response. "Alexander, this isn't the time to be debating on what may be truth and what may not. There is a lot more that you need to know."

"You are dying by my hands today," Alexander snarled, his voice cold, completely ignoring Aspen's words. "You should have stayed hidden to save yourself."

Aspen burst out in a laughter, which half way, turned in to a coughing fit because of his struggle to breathe. I frowned, and wanted to step in to tell Alexander, but Aspen spoke up before I could react.

"I'm not afraid of dying," he told my mate, his eyes glistening. "When you have been living in the shadows all your life, not much can shake you. But I don't think you have it in you to kill me, just like the way your fingers keep loosening around my throat."

"If you want to die so bad, why did you stay in the shadows?" Alexander retorted.

"Tell me, brother," Aspen taunted. "Would you have a good outlook on life if you came home to your dead mother?"

His words made me shift uncomfortably in place, they tore at a nerve that I wish would remain untouched.

If anyone knew what he was talking about, it would be me. I had returned to my mother, lifeless, too. But I didn't have time to ponder on that memory for too long when my mate's outburst echoed in the room.

"I killed my mother," Alexander snarled, with no remorse behind his words. "I killed her for the same reason that I am about to kill you— the disrespect."

Aspen nodded. "I can't say she didn't deserve what was coming for her. Karma is a real bitch."

"Leave, or I will kill you," Alexander warned, surprisingly. "Take your pup and never return to my territory. I will forgive and forget what has been said, but I will not form a brotherhood with a wolf like you."

"I can't leave," Aspen argued, a frown covering his features. "I promised that I wouldn't stay in hiding for Kai. I can't leave, Alexander. I have nowhere else to go. Besides, there is still a lot more that you need to know. That perhaps, your Luna should also know."

"Do not talk about my Luna," Alexander snarled, tightening his fingers on Aspen. "How do I know I can trust you in my territory?"

Aspen scoffed. "I belong to this pack too, brother. It's where I was raised. Frankly, whether you agree or not, I am staying here."

"Your only option to remain in my pack is if you die," my mate warned, his voice sending shivers down my spine. "I will only tell you this one more time; take your pup and leave. I will erase the memory of today, forget that you exist and I will never speak of you again."

"Why is it so damn hard for you to just wait for the DNA result?" Aspen growled, lowly. "Your pack is going to be in danger soon and you need to know the complete truth before then."

"What?" Alexander yelled, tightening his fingers around the wolf's neck. "I knew you were not to be trusted. You are plotting something against my pack."

"No," Aspen heaved, struggling to breathe as he tried to push at my mate's hand from his neck. "You have got to let me explain."

"You had enough time to explain," Alexander spewed. "I will not be listening to any more of your shit, Aspen."

Aspen somehow finally managed to tear Alexander's fingers away from him, and shoved my mate hard, sending him flying across the room. But perhaps, that had been a mistake in itself, because Alexander pulled himself off of the ground, looking absolutely ready to murder.

Instantly, I abandoned the tray in my hands on to the side table and was about to rush to Alexander, in an attempt to calm his wolf down, when my mate shifted to his wolf.

I hardly had time to process the scene before me, when my mate growled and charged towards Aspen, who was trying to calm my mate down, but quite obviously struggling. The idiot was only now realising how much he had pissed my mate off.

"Luna, a helping hand would be highly appreciated," Aspen urged, his voice holding an edge to it. "Is he always this hot tempered?"

I frowned at the wolf, before I quickly rushed to my mate, not wanting the pair of wolves to fight.

"Alexander!" I called, trying to get his attention, but my mate was too occupied probably calculating his attack on Aspen.

My mate was about to bite in to Aspen when the latter boy moved swiftly out of reach, gesturing for my mate to stop attacking him.

'Alexander, please calm down,' I mind-linked Alexander, but noticed that my words were taking to no effect.

Alexander was furious, there was no doubt in that, I could feel him through our connection. His canines were protruding, his eyes completely black. Thus, perhaps, stepping in front of him wasn't the brightest idea, when his paw swept across my arm, making me wince out in pain at the sharpness sliding across my skin.

It quite literally felt like someone had stabbed me with a knife, but Alexander didn't need to know that. It only took a second for my arm to be completely covered in blood, as I covered the cut with the palm of my hand in an attempt to stop the bleeding. His cut was deeper than I thought it had been.

'My Luna,' Alexander growled in to our mind-link when he noticed what he had done and immediately shifted, his eyes dark and concerned. "Lyra."