The Unmarked Mate

Chapter 44

Malcolm

A few days passed. The young former rogue Billy was intronized into the pack by Alpha Matthew. I must admit I was impressed both by the kid's selflessness defending a woman who had maimed him and by Matthew's forgiveness. This young man was turning out to be quite the leader. We had a talk with the members of the Crimson Moon Pack who explained that three days prior to the attack, Lucius Bate was at the hospital, bleeding from his nose and crying in pain. He was angry but it wasn't then he told them to attack. He had a visitor, no one was able to see him. The man was escorted by his Beta personally, and it was after that meeting that the attack was decided. The members that were sent were the ones who objected to it, so he gave them an Alpha Command. We then interrogated the rogues, they had different orders from their own leader. They were to kill a redhaired lycan. They were pawns and they were indeed ordered to kill James. Someone wanted to kill my brother and it wasn't Lucius. Whoever the Thistle was, I had to find him before he could get to him. I went back to my room which had an office to think about all this information. Then someone knocked on my door.

"Come in" I shouted. To my surprise, Elestren walked in.

"Hello King Malcolm" she said formally, bowing her head.

"Elestren, I told you before call me Malcolm! Have a seat." I gestured toward the chair in front of my office, she closed the door and joined me. "What can I do for you today?"

"I came to talk to you about what the rogues have said. Do you really think James is in danger?" she asked worried.

"Unfortunately, I do. Their information makes sense with what Billy told you." I sighed. The idea of some man working to kill James truly terrified me. "And about the treaty..." I started.

"I thought about that. But I don't really think it concerns you, you know..." she said mysteriously.

"What do you mean?"

"The treaty say you have to execute Matthew if Yew Tree pack tries to attack Crimson Moon pack or tries to enter their territory? Right?"

"Yes..."

"But it says nothing about you not being able to attack as King for punishment for other crimes..." she smiled dangerously.

"Indeed!" she was right! Yew tree pack did not have to be involved, the treaty was only about their crossing borders. "If I attack with only Lycans, we are in our rights, but do you believe the rest of the pack is guilty of Lucius and Alfred's crimes?"

"No! I don't want them hurt! That's why we're not planning an attack!" she smiled again.

"Elestren, why don't you just tell me what you have in mind?" her mischievous smile reminded me of James, whenever he wanted to tell me something I wouldn't like.

"We could object that I'm not really from Yew Tree Pack... We don't need an attack, we need a challenge for the Alpha title!"

"I thought we agreed it was dangerous..." I started. If something happened to her, I would never forgive myself and James would never forgive me.

"In three days, it won't be dangerous! If the spell works, there will be no bond holding me back! I'll kill him and then I can be with James, fully. And trust me, no one is harming your brother as long as I breath!" it sounded like a threat. I liked her determination but the spell might not work.

"Elestren the spell might not work..." I argued. She frowned.

"I know... I'm not gonna lie, there is a part of me that wants to say fuck it I'll kill him anyway and risk it."

"You can't do that! Don't do that! James..." I started to plead. She waved me to relax.

"I said a part of me wants to say fuck it, but there is an even bigger part who really isn't ready to say goodbye to James. If the spell doesn't work, we'll have to attack. I'm sure we can work on something with the members of Crimson Moon Pack here to protect the others and execute Lucius and Alfred for treason. The King's justice has to be served now, it's not about me any longer... It would be less dramatic, less my style and above all less satisfying but it can work." Again, she was willing to sacrifice her own rightful need for revenge to protect us and to stay with James. It wasn't anymore that she was afraid to die as she used to, she was afraid she'd lose James. I smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" she inquired.

"Nothing, I just like how you talk about my brother!" she blushed and lowered her eyes. "Let me tell you something but never tell James I told you, okay?" she nodded. "James was the first one who read the letters, he is actually the only one who read all of them in details. When I joined him in his house to find out what he had discovered, he was crying holding them in his hands. I had not seen my brother cry since the day our parents died.

"And the day after Sibyl's arrival, the day after James kissed you the first time, he looked for you in the packhouse at breakfast. You weren't there, so he joined me. He asked to talk to me and he told me he wanted a life with you, that he was falling in love with you. I asked him what would happen if he found his mate, he answered that he didn't care, he answered that if he ever had a mate there would be no place for her.

"Later, when we learned what had happened after Luna Orithya's kidnapping, he lost it a bit. He left for three weeks, he would give me news so that I wouldn't worry, but he was in such a state of distress, of pain, I knew how much he loved you. If you hadn't return... I'm not sure I would have ever seen my brother again.

"I tell you that because I want you to know that you are my family now! Whatever the Oswalds and Madisons of the lycan world say and think, I will defend you with my last breath! To hell with them! You are as much a lycan as a werewolf, good! Having two heritages is not a fault, it's a blessing, you are my brother's blessing so in a way you are my blessing too!"

At first, she did not say anything in reply, then she looked at me and mouthed a silent "thank you".

"So how about some lunch? Do you think Alpha Matthew might let your cook Mrs. Lambert come back with us when we leave for home?" I joked.

"I think you'd be reaching the end of Matthew's indefectible loyalty to you. The entirety of Yew Tree Pack will go to war before letting Mrs. Lambert go!" she laughed. We went downstairs at the dinner hall of the packhouse laughing together. I wasn't sure she noticed but everybody was looking at us. As King, I was used to it but I doubted she was. She said nothing. She gave James a kiss and she excused herself from the table to go join her new pack. She used to know these people ten years ago but now they were strangers. She had found them lodgings until they would get back to Crimson Moon Pack and she ate with them every lunch.

"So what were you talking about with Elestren?" finally asked an anxious James.

"I'm allowed to speak with my sister-in-law, am I not?" I teased. James' eyes glistened with joy when I called her my sister-in-law. "Don't worry, I swear I said nothing embarrassing, well not much" I knew he hated when I did that, I certainly hated it when our father did it to me when I met Catherine. After lunch, James sat next to me on the bench and whispered:

"Do you need me tomorrow?"

"Not particularly, why?"

"I'd like to take Elestren out for the day, I think she needs to catch a break" he smiled like an idiot.

"Of course, go! It will do you both good!" For a second I was worried that maybe letting the two of them alone while someone wanted them dead might not be a great idea, but when he told me it was to go on human ground I relaxed.