Chapter 39
"She just doesn't get it."
I didn't say anything as I stood next to him.
“Ugh!" Vale threw up his hands. "She just expects me to take on the whole world and that's not my job! I'm the Alpha King. Alpha. Werewolves. You know, our own people. Not everyone else."
He started to pace on the edge in front of me, walking back and forth as he continued. "That's what the High Council is for. They need to deal with their own kind and make sure that shit does hit the fan! It's not my fucking job to check on the witches or the vampires or the fey! I don't care who starts this fucking war but you bet your ass I'll be defending wolves!"
"What if the wolves start the war?"
He stopped to look at me. "I have an obligation to my kind to protect them. I've done my best to try and stop the spread of the drugs. Trying to get them to see fighting isn't the answer. But at the end of the day..."
"Even if a pack murders innocent lives and starts the war you'll back the wolves?"
His eyes snapped to mine. "What? You are on her side?"
I sighed and shook my head. "Vale, I didn't even hear the whole conversation. Let alone her side of the conversation. I'm not on her side. I'm just wondering if a pack unjustly goes in and murders a fey tribe or a coven or witches or vampires, will you still stand by them? Yes, it's going to start a war but that pack was wrong."
"They will be punished then!"
"But what if they say they felt threatened. By them? Or that the witches want to retaliate? What then?"
Vale halted his pacing and ran his hand through his hair. He turned and yelled at the sea. "Ugh! I get it! Fuck!"
"Our kind...aren't always going to be right. And while you want to do your best to protect them, you need to protect the innocent, Vale. Not the guilty. Just because they are werewolves, doesn't make them good."
"Damn it, Ezekiel. Stop!"
I shook my head, looking at him. "No. Because you just told your mom you would kill her if she was on the side that wasn't wolves. I don't care how pissed you are, you fucked up."
Vale growled, walking up to me but I held his gaze as we were inches apart. My neck craned to continue to stare him in the eyes.
"Your mom knows that it's very likely that it will be the wolves with no sense of emotion who start this war. Hell, it might even be Alpha Týr who starts it. But either way, you'll need to figure out whose side you're on because if you pick the wrong side..."
I didn't get to finish as Vale slammed his lips against mine. They were needy and passionate, his anger seeping into his lust. As I started to push away against his chest his hands took my wrists and he pulled them down to his side, pulling me closer. We broke only for us to breathe and I took gasping breaths. Vale's forehead rested against mine.
"I know...I know..." he whispered repeatedly, his eyes now shut. "I'm not ready to take on the world like she wants me to."
Twisting my wrists out of his grip, I brought my hands up under his arms and pulled him closer. "She's not expecting you to do it alone, Vale. You have me. The pack. Your mom. Your Grandpa. You're not alone and you never will be."
His hands came up and held my face, his thumbs brushing across my skin. "Has anyone ever told you that you look handsome with a 5 o'clock shadow?"
I chuckled. “No. Rose always told me I looked like I was trying too hard to look like an adult."
Vale chuckled, kissing my forehead. "Well, you look handsome. I'd like it if you could do the hair wrap on me too."
His hand brushed the front of my sweats and I felt my dick rise to meet him. I wanted to smack the smirk off his lips but he leaned into my ear. "And no one would mistake you for a child with this weapon." Vale grabbed my cock and I flinched, but it turned into moans as he rubbed it up and down. My breath started to come out ragged but just as I felt a wave of pleasure, Vale took his hand away.
"Don't fight me again, Ezekiel."
I growled at him. "Don't do anything again that would make me do that.”
Vale chuckled and kissed my cheek. His hand came up and he pinched my nipple, hard. I gasped and he twisted it, my dick jerked and I felt myself cum. My eyes widened and so did his.
"Did you just..."
I growled. "Shut it, Vale. You played with me last night after we went back to bed, slept together, I woke up with the bed empty and then you just stroked me to high heaven and stopped. What did you fucking expect?"
,
"Fuck off, Vale. You don't get to use that to tell me what I can't do. Especially when you're wrong and you know it. I'm not your Luna. I'm not some she-wolf who is going to be at your beck and call."
He stepped back, slightly surprised at the amount of bite in my words. "Ezekiel, I know. I didn't..."
"I'm going to tell you when you're fucking up and I'm going to tell you when you should be better. I will also tell you when you're doing a damn good job and when I think you deserve praise!" I took off my shirt and started to strip down naked. "You were wrong. You don't get to play with me. Now excuse me, I'm going to start my training for when Mom comes back because she is going to probably still be fucking pissed!"
I headed to the edge and climbed onto some of the rocks. I looked back at a very stunned Vale. "You fucking called her mother, Vale. You're going to be lucky if she ever mind links you again."
I jumped into the freezing cold sea water and came up for air before starting my swim south. It was the first time I'd done it alone but I needed to just let Vale's emotions out of me. The bond was crazy. I'd never felt anything like it. Sure, it multiplied the lust and the need for each other but so was everything else. His anger became my anger and his frustration made me snap. Normally, I was more level-headed than this. Even under copious amounts of stress, I never yelled like that. My pace was hard and I pushed myself harder today, trying to work out the feelings and untangle myself from Vale.
At the turning point, I felt better. I felt like myself again and with that came the crashing guilt I felt for yelling at my mate. The shameful display when all I wanted to do was just tell him to not be so narrow minded. My heart felt heavy and I felt it as I started to swim back toward to house. It took me longer to get back and as I climbed up the rocks, I noticed the pile waiting for me. There was a towel and some sweats neatly folded on the ground.
I dried myself off and pulled on the sweats. Hector was in the kitchen making breakfast as Bryan scrolled through a tablet. Vale, I could feel, was upstairs and I just sat down next to Bryan.
"What's the news for today?"
Bryan sighed. "Not great. Some children from a witches coven disappeared, as well as some fey. Everyone is pointing fingers but they can't come up with any evidence."
"Nor a reason." Hector pipped up. "Fey are a little bit more versatile with their magic and such but witch children don't have access to their power, much like us not getting our wolves of age. So it just makes them human kids. Useless."
I rubbed my eyes. "Well, damn."
Bryan hummed in agreement, going back to the tablet. "We will have to put off the inductions today."
My brow furrowed. "Why?"
Hector gestured to the room with one hand. "We lack our Alpha. Vale said he doesn't want to take over quite yet since the High Council still needs him."
"We also need our Alpha to pass the title over." Bryan chuckled.
Sighing, I crossed my arms over the counter and rested my chin on them. "When do you think she will be back?"
"Could be a couple hours."
"Could be a couple days."
I looked from Bryan to Hector but they both shrugged.
"I'm going out to look for her." Vale came down wearing jeans and a deep blue T-shirt. His hair was wet and down, falling past his shoulders. The guilt
I felt was still there but my earlier frustration came back and prickled beneath the surface.
"Don't bother, Vale. She'll be home when she's ready." Hector called out, turning and plating four plates of the potatoes he had been cooking. "Breakfast has ready. Come eat."
I heard Vale sigh and watched as he sat next to me. He didn't touch me though and I could tell he was purposely staying away. Reaching out, I took his head in my hands and pulled him towards me, kissing him lightly on the lips.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you. I got too caught up in the emotions and I should have just shut my mouth and taken a breath."Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
Vale shook his head and gave me another peck on my lips. "No, you were right. All of it. I'm sorry for turning my anger on you. I shouldn't have. It was also...wrong of me to try and punish you like that." He kissed me again on the nose. "I love you, Ezekiel."
I smiled. "I love you too." My face turned bright red as I mumbled it back.
"You know what I love? Eating breakfast while it's hot. Eat. Now. You two love birds. After, I'm going to beat some sense into both of you for being assholes." Hector growled out as he placed the plates of food in front of us.
I nodded and flashed Hector a smile but my eyes widened when Vale grunted.
"Bring it on, old man. I've been practicing."
"No! Vale! Sto..."
Hector's smile at me turned sadistic as he took a bite of potatoes. "Thems fightin' words, Vale. You sure you're up to the challenge?"
He grinned. "I don't know how much of a challenge it will be but..." Vale let his words linger.
Bryan patted me on the shoulder. "Good luck in that crossfire."
I groaned. I hadn't even gotten used to the level of training I was getting. Now here Vale was, poking the bear. Taking a bit of the cheesy, bacon potatoes, I sighed. I was going to die.