Chapter 53 Third Time’s A Charm
Uncle Reggie and I spent some quality time together playing Tekken. It is late morning on Monday when my phone began to ring. Erica’s number showed up. “Hey, Erica, what’s up?”
“There was a note attached to the back employee entrance. My mate is going to show up here, he gave me until noon to come back to the pack or he was coming to Ominous.”
“Say no more. I’ll be there in a second. Make sure you let the others know.”
I excused myself from Reggie and orbed into my office and proceeded through the VIP section. It was only 11. It was only six months ago I found Erica with a black eye and busted lip as I was setting up the domestic abuse display.
She didn’t have to say much in order for me to help. My grandparents and parents outlawed abuse of a mate throughout the kingdom, no matter what species. But the only loop hole we had yet to cover was members being cast out as rogue. They would make some false accusation and threaten others to back up their ludacris claims.
If it was reported, which was rare, the abuser was subject to severe punishment and the mate bond severed. I walk down to the first floor to find Erica cowering in the maintenance office. “Erica, look at me.”
She is shaking like a leaf when she starts talking in a whisper, “He is going to kill me.”
I crouch down to where she is huddled. “I told you I would handle it. I really wish you would just let me press the charges. Your current alpha is bound to our laws and in violation of them, no matter if it’s his son or not.”
Erica begins to protest, “I don’t want any more backlash from my pack; they are so…”
“Old, outdated, barbaric, victim blaming?”
She exhales, “Yes.”
“No worries, I got you like I said I would. Stay in here for a while and get yourself together.”
“Thank you, Elaina. I don’t know how I could ever repay you for the job, apartment, all of it.”
I turn around to fully face Erica.
”You can repay me by loving yourself more, living your life and not for the expectations of anyone else, especially your raggedy pack. Your parents deserve to be under the jail for even allowing it to go on as long as it did.”
I turn back around leaving the maintenance door slightly cracked. I perched myself at the bar with the upcoming menus in hand to try to distract myself. I sense Lennox coming in the back door.
“Hey, boss lady.”
“Hola, Lennox. Coming to update the playlists I see.”
“You know me, always on time.”
“Laina, why are you here early on a Monday, anyway?”
“We might have some trouble soon. Erica is in the maintenance office.”
“I’ll gladly beat that mutts ass, what a pitiful excuse for a werewolf. No one should put their hands on a woman, especially your mate.”
I couldn’t agree with him more. “The mate bond is far from perfect. Hopefully, things will change and more will have the courage to step forward and leave.”
Nolan’s POV
This was day three of Elaina ignoring me. I couldn’t take it anymore. I sent a message to Bryant: [Dude, she got me blocked on everything. I can’t even get a mind link into her.]
I start to read his reply: [My sister can be very stubborn. Let me give you an ice breaker. Her favorite flower is the ballerina orchid. It grows heavily in the realm. It grows only in Australia in this world.]
How the hell was I going to get anything from Australia: [Great! Now how am I supposed to get them to her?]
Bryant: [Wow, slow down. We have some here through a fae botanist. I’ll have them send some over to you. She isn’t here, Elaina left twenty minutes ago and it is best you go to her. She said something earlier about trouble at the club before orbing out.]
Good to Bryant’s word the orchids were here before I got to the foyer. I drove to Ominous beyond nervous. Would she take them and still reject me or would she destroy them and reject me? I’d take her knocking me out at this point. I walked through the back and there she was sitting cross leg style on a bar stool with her head down.
“Hello my betrothed. Came to grovel?” She says, without lifting her head.
“Elaina, I’m so sorry. I just want to explain myself. I won’t make any excuses for my actions lately.”
Elaina raises her gaze at me then smiles. “Those are beautiful. Bryant must have told you these are my favorite.” Damn, what didn’t she know?
“Not to worry, I know plenty. I just don’t feel the need to speak on it. Like how you stare at me when I’m sleeping or when you’ve physically spy on me at school.”
“I, umm, I just really couldn’t help myself...”
“Let’s talk on the second floor, I can’t stay away from the bar too long. I’m expecting…never mind. Come on.”
I follow Elaina upstairs to the second floor. She went behind the bar pouring two glasses of pineapple juice. What is up with this family and pineapple? Come to think of it when I go down on her she tastes like..
“Yes, I taste just like pineapples.” We both laugh. “I’ll tell you a funny story about that later. There is something I need to tell you. I’ve been trying to tell you for a while. It is hard for me to say, my immortality comes with…”
I cut her off, “Laina, Love, you don’t have to tell me or say anything. I want to spend all the time we have left together no matter what. I will wait for you until my last dying breath. Even in the hereafter.”
I take her hand, suddenly she looks towards the door and zooms so fast out of it. I sprint trying to catch up to her with yelling coming from downstairs.
Lennox has someone cornered with Elaina flanking him, “ Let her go, now!”
Some wolf has Erica by knife point, “I’ll bleed her out. Fuck the princess. Erica is mine one way or the other.”
I recognize this wolf. He is the future Alpha of one of the next packs to be trained by Elaina’s team.
Elaina answers his threat, “No, you won’t. You might not live another moment shortly.”
He is about to piss her off with what he said next, “Who the fuck are you, bitch?’’
Now I am going to kill him for disrespecting my mate. Elaina has a sadistic grin on her face. Before I could blink Elaina moves Erica out of the way, passing her off to Lennox. Elaina climbs up his body, locking her legs to his upper body flipping him in the air. He lands on his back hard. I was going to charge in, Lennox put a hand to my chest.
Lennox spoke while stopping me, “Just wait, this should be spectacular.”
The wolf got to his feet. Laina got low hitting both his inner thighs, sending a sickening crack in the air. He is down but not out. She glides across the floor kicking him in the face. Elaina hauls him to his feet smacking his head twice on the brass rails. She grabs the tap hose on the counter and has the future alpha tied to the brass, hanging from his arms, enough to force his weight to apply pressure to his slow healing bones.
He speaks through gritted teeth, “You have no fucking right to interfere with my business with my mate!”
Elaina pulls on her make shift restraint, making him cry out in pain. “You are in no place to demand anything. You come to my place of business, harass my employee and attempt to kidnap her like you are above our most sacred laws.”
The wanker responds, “The owner of this club is the princess!”
Laina giggles and gave him one clue to who she is, “Aww, darling, so who does that make me then?”
His eyes bulge out of his head in realization. Elaina tightens his restraints even further. Causing him to grunt.
“Since that is clear. Let me tell you how this is going to go. My parents and grandparents passed laws against domestic violence, which your father has turned a blind eye to. That’s another violation, in addition to disrespecting royalty and trespassing on private property. With that alone your ass will be in prison for a very long time. I hereby charge you with assault and battery, attempted kidnapping, disrespect to not one royal member but two and in violation of abuse of a mate.”
He attempted to try and save himself, “But…”
Elaina cut him off before he could finish, “Ah and that handsome Lycan standing behind me is the regent prince and my mate. You know, your ruling royalty, and the future emperor. Your pack alpha is in deep shit. Tell me who enforces the laws set forth by my parents?”
He was taking too long to answer Elaina, she pops him hard on the cheek.
“The elite legion commander!” He finally blurts out.
“And guess who that is, dummy?” The werewolf swallows hard.
“Not only am I the next in line for the throne. I’m the commander. You’ve landed yourself in a shit storm of trouble, Tory Broughton. Lennox take this trash to the Sedena Moon dungeons. Ensure the guards show him the same kindness as he bestowed upon Erica. Tory Broughton, future Alpha of the Backwoods Pack, you are in violation of the high supernatural law sanctioned by the high council. I hereby charge you with the abuse of a destined mate. Attempted kidnapping and trespassing upon the private property of the next sovereign ruler. Your bond will be severed upon sentencing. In addition your father will also stand trial for knowingly disobeying direct orders enforced for the protection of pack members. You will both be stripped of your titles and your pack likely dismantled unless rehabilitation is possible. Upon the completion of your punishment, you will live out your days in a location of my choosing in the phantom realm. And if you don’t keep your thoughts quiet I will sentence you to death myself.”
Lennox and three more of her warriors held Tory in place, Elaina was going to turn but quickly turned back, “One more thing.”
I notice Lennox and her warriors move out of the way quickly. Elaina spin kick Tory into the steel door exiting the bar, knocking blood and teeth from his mouth. He is out cold. This made me fall in love with her even more. Elaina turns her attention to Erica.
“Are you okay, let me look at you? Just a little scratch. I’ll fix that for you.” Elaina’s finger glows as she ran it across the wounds. “See, all better.”
Erica talks on autopilot, “The door, I’ll pay for it to be fixed.”
“No, this was not your fault, I can fix it with a snap of my fingers. I need you to look at me and listen. He will never be able to hurt you again. Your mate bond will be severed with no harm to you. Start your life and heal without living in fear. Go home, get some rest. I’ll finish up your prep, your hours are fine. Just go home and decompress.”
Erica hugs Elaina tightly. “Thank you for everything. I wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for you.”
“Oh, before I forget, this is my mate, Nolan.” Erica bows her head.
I address her with kindness, “Nice to meet you, Erica. I wish it were under better circumstances. In light of what I saw, we will be ensuring the safety of pack members in all packs worldwide. If you ever feel ready to rejoin another pack please don’t hesitate in telling Elaina. I will expedite any placement you want.”
“Thank you , your majesty.”
“Girl, stop bowing. We are supes just like you, our titles just give us more responsibility. We are still regular people. We will speak again before I leave for the wedding.”