His Redemption (Complete His Series)

“So, are you gonna talk about it, or do I gotta actually ask?” Damien said. We had just wrapped up with Alpha Langston and his Beta. We agreed to a plan of attack on this hunter problem after only two hours of debate over the best strategy.

I sighed. I guess this was coming eventually. “You might as well link Lily that you’re gonna be a minute,” I said as I opened the bottom drawer of my desk. Damien gave me a confused look as I pulled out the bourbon and a couple of glasses. I poured us each a glass, passing him his.

“Well, this is gonna be interesting if we need this,” he said, tipping his glass at me. We both took a small swig and sat in silence for a moment.

“Alright, hit me with it,” he finally said.

I sighed once again. “Do you remember my 17th birthday?”

“I guess a little.”

“I found my mate that night.”

“WHAT?” he exclaimed.

“Just wait. Let me get through this,” I paused, taking another drink. “It was Azalea. Yes, the traitor girl. I left the party part way through and went to the kitchen. She came in for some ice while I was in there. And I knew.”

He nodded his head at me. We both knew what discovering your mate felt like.

“I was immediately filled with dread. I knew my parents would never accept her, and we all thought she was basically human anyway. No legitimate Alpha has a human mate. I thought the Moon Goddess made a monumental mistake. I didn’t say anything to her, but my wolf was going nuts. I don’t believe she was quite 17, so she couldn’t feel the bond yet. That night, I snuck into her room.” I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“We were so wrong to her back then. We treated her terribly; I can’t even imagine how she survived this place.”

“I can’t say it was our finest hour…” he agreed.

“Anyway, it was so bad. She had bruises and cuts; she was so tiny. I knew I had to protect her before anyone found out. So, I devised a plan. The next morning, I went to my dad and convinced him that she was too much of a distraction to the rest of us. I proffered that we have mercy on her and send her over to the human town. He told me since it was my idea, I would need to take her.” I sighed. “Ha. Later he told me that I would make a great Alpha if I could show mercy to those who didn’t deserve it in times that called for it. If he only knew.”

“So, the girl at the Inn, that was Azalea?”

“Yea, that was. I took her there that night. I gave her some money since Gwen took everything she had, and I paid for her room for a couple of weeks. When I took her to the room, I rejected her. I thought that I was keeping her safe. Getting her out of here and away from the pack. I figured the human town would be safer than making her a rogue.”

“That is probably true. I can’t imagine such a small girl cast out as a rogue. She wouldn’t have survived a month,” he said. I nodded my head.

I finished my drink and poured another before continuing. “Here is the thing, she never accepted the rejection. For the last three years, our mate bond has still been there.” Damien had a look of horror on his face. He was probably thinking about everything that Gwen had gone through when she didn’t accept the rejection.

“If I had known…. I would never have…. I just didn’t know. I thought she knew how to accept it and would have as soon as she read my note. But she didn’t.” I could feel tears welling up inside me.

“It’s okay, man. You didn’t know. So, what now? Is that where you have been disappearing to?”

I let out a sigh. “Yea. After we saw her and I told you I needed a run, I went back to her. I saw her in her little apartment at the back of the Inn. After that, I came back-”

“And you were a raging f*****g a*****e for like three days!” he interrupted.

“Yea, I was. I didn’t know what was going on. I shouldn’t have recognized her as my mate. Anyway, she finally called and asked me to come back to speak with her. So, I went. She took me into her apartment so we could talk in private. Surprisingly, she let me hold her. She even asked me to lay with her for a while. She said something about not feeling well….” I trailed off. I took a sip of my drink and continued.

“We ended up falling asleep in her bed. When she woke up, there was this guy at her door.”

“The one that took the kid from her arms?”

“Yea, that guy. I made it known that she was busy, though. After he left, we sort of talked. I told her I was feeling the mate bond still, and I think it sort of overwhelmed her. I agreed to come back the next day with my uncle, hoping we could get some answers. I mean to leave a rejection in limbo for three years, with a she-wolf who has never shifted no less.”

“Whew… man, this is getting rough….”

“Well, there is more. So, I brought my uncle the next day. He thinks her wolf is suppressed but still there. He asked me to give him some time to do a little research. He also thinks we can strengthen the mate bond, and it may help her wolf reemerge. I ended up staying for the rest of the day. I met her friend who doesn’t approve of me much, and we sort of had it out in the woods.”

“You took her to the woods to yell at her? Moron…”

“Hey! That is not what happened. We went to the woods cause I was pissed off that the stupid guy kept showing up, and he obviously has eyes for my mate! Then we ended up arguing a bit when I told her what my uncle told me!” I fumed at him. He put his hands up in surrender.

“Sorry, man. Go on.”

“That was just a couple of days ago. When I left her, I told her to call me the next night so I could handle pack business. When we finally did talk, I got her to agree to go on a date with me.”

“That’s where you disappeared to yesterday?”

“Yea. And man, it was probably the most amazing night of my life. I know she has doubts; she should after everything in the past. But I can’t even tell you what being with her all day was like. She was relaxed and not scared of me. She didn’t call me Alpha or stutter. She giggled and smiled. She even asked me to stay the night with her.”

“And that’s where you were when I called you?”

“Yea, I had just gotten up and was about to go find her. She had gone up to the Inn to make breakfast.”

“Well, that was a whole lot to take in…” he said.

“I cannot figure out what to do next. I don’t know if I could ever convince her to come back here. I can’t run the pack from out there either. I don’t know if I could reject her again, even if she begged me to. But I can’t say for sure the pack would ever accept her if they recognized who she was.”

“Well, you could have that going for you. I sure as s**t didn’t realize who she was. She is decidedly different now.”

I shot him a look. “You know we can’t just pretend she isn’t who she is.”

“I know, man. I wish I could tell you what to do here. But honestly, Liam, I don’t know. I do know that it is going to be a long night. And we need to be patrolling the border before sundown. So right now, I think we need to go back to our rooms and get some sleep.”

I nodded my head. “You’re right. I need to focus on the pack before I figure out what to do about Azalea.” He set his glass down as he stood up. He moved towards the door and paused.

“We’ll figure this out, man. You deserve the mate you want, and if you want Azalea, then I’ll help you however I need to. Give her a call. Let her know you’re okay and promise to call her tomorrow,” he said over his shoulder.

“Thanks, Damien,” I said. I really did have the best friend an Alpha could get. “Go spend some time with Lily. We have a hunter to catch tonight.”

With that, he left my office. I slumped down in my chair and ran my hands over my face. I sat there contemplating calling Azalea. It had only been a few hours since I left, and I am sure she was busy. I had taken her from most of her workday yesterday.

Sighing, I resolved to talk to my uncle first to see if he had any developments on our situation.

“Hey Uncle Ron, got a sec?” I linked him.

“Anything for my favorite nephew,” he replied sarcastically. I was his only nephew.

“Have you found anything out about Azalea? Or our bond?” I asked.

“Impatient as ever, boy. Nothing yet. Has there been any change with the two of you?”

“Well, maybe. Azalea asked me to stay with her last night.”

“When you two interact, how does she physically respond?”

“What do you mean?”

“Mates should be a source of comfort for each other. You have a special ability to calm one another. Soothe your wolf sides as well. Does she relax when you touch her? Maybe lean into you?”

“Yea, I think she does. She mentioned that she slept better when I was with her. She also called me when she was scared. She cried for a bit, but I held her, and she calmed down.”

“Interesting. And how is Gavin when she is near?”

“He is constantly demanding we mate immediately. I am having to fight him sometimes for control.”

“But other than the urge to mate with Azalea, how is his demeanor?”

“Actually, he’s calmer and more focused when we see her. The longer we stay away, the more restless and reckless he becomes.”

“Just as I thought,” he said.

“Care to explain?”

“I think that the wolf is slowly going to reemerge as you two fix your bond. You and Gavin may be the key to bringing forward her wolf.”

“So, she feels the bond?”

“I would hazard to say yes if she is seeking you for comfort. She does not strike me as one who has sought anyone or anything for comfort since her parents passing. I would say she was taught from a young age that she needed to rely on herself. She never had a parent to comfort her when she was sad or hurt, she didn’t have friends to confide to during her adolescence. She has always been independent. I am sure she is warring with herself at the moment. Feeling this pull to you and her body wanting her to take comfort or depend upon you while her mind tells her not to get comfortable.”

“So, what do I do?”

“Again, I have no real answers for you, boy. I can only guess at this time. My opinion? Keep spending time with her. Let the mate bond flourish but at her pace. Be there if she asks you to be. If she pushes you away, do not get angry. Give her space if she needs it.”

“Okay. Let me know if you find out anything. Thanks, Uncle. I appreciate your candor and discretion.”

“Of course. Be careful. I may pop up to see Miss Azalea soon.”

“Sure. Thanks.”

I sat back in my chair and let out a breath. I really wish we knew more about her wolf and what was keeping it dormant. I would just need to keep trying and keep Gavin patient for now.

I looked over at the clock. I wasn’t really tired but still had about eight hours until I would need to head out for the hunter patrol. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing right now. An idea struck me: she doesn’t have a cellphone. If she had a cellphone, we could talk pretty much whenever. I can fix that.

After about 30 minutes, I had a courier arranged to bring her a brand-new phone this evening. Smiling at my own brilliance, I had the confidence to call her before I tried to sleep. I dialed the Inn’s number, hoping she would be at the front desk.

“Blue Moon Inn, this is Azalea. How can I help you today?” her cheerful voice came over the phone receiver.

“Hello, beautiful,” I said.

“Liam?” she asked, surprised.

“Yes, sweetheart. It’s me.”

“Hi. What are you doing?” she asked, sounding pleased that it was me.

“Getting ready for some Alpha business tonight. I was thinking about you, so I thought I would see how your day is going,” I said.

“That’s so sweet. I am doing wonderful. Yesterday was amazing, and I feel wonderful today. I’ve already caught up on all the chores here as well; I’m thinking about even making a caramel mousse cake for dinner service tonight,” she said excitedly. I could almost hear her smile through the phone.

“Wow. It sounds like you’re having a pleasant day. I wish I could taste that cake this evening. “

She giggled. Goddess, that sound was like music in my ears. “Well, I could save you some or make you something special the next time we see each other. “

“Mmmm. Next time?”

“Uh, yea. I was hoping to see you again soon,” she said a little more shyly.

“That would be my absolute pleasure. When is your next day off, kitten?”

“Let me see; today is Saturday…. I think Tuesday.”

“What if I can’t wait that long to see you again, Azalea,” I said seductively.

I could hear a small gulp. “Well… uh…”

I chuckled. “What if I came to have dinner at the Inn tomorrow? Would there be any special treats from the sweet girl that works at the Inn?” I flirted with her. It was like we were in high school, except I never had to work this hard being the Alpha in Training.

She giggled again. “It could be arranged. Any requests?”

“Hmmmm. Well, I love chocolate and peanut butter,” I told her.

“I can work with that.”

“So, it’s a date?”

“Yes,” she said, and again I could hear her smile through the phone.

“One more thing, you have a present coming this evening by courier. They are bringing it to the front desk of the Inn. See you tomorrow, Azalea,” I said as seductively as I could.

“Goodbye, Liam,” she said sweetly. She hung up the phone; I smiled to myself. Knowing I would be seeing her soon made my heart race.

“Let’s get this damn hunter and get to our mate!” Gavin cheered in my head. “If I catch him, you have to let me out to talk to mate!”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, truly, but uh, no.”

“What do you mean no?”

“I can’t guarantee you won’t scare her off. So, you will just have to wait! But yes, let’s get this hunter.” Gavin huffed. He will be okay; It isn’t like I am not struggling over here as well. Everything about that woman turns me on, and I am fighting every fiber of my being not to throw her on the bed and take her.

“Soon,” I told him. “Soon. She will accept us, and we will make her Luna. I promise.”

“You better not f**k this up for us…” he whined.

“Yea. I better not do that….” I thought.