Page 58 of Claimed By the Alpha
I hoped it would be my brother again, but after our last conversation, he pretended I didn’t exist, like he had done the last six years.
“Are you ready?” Finlay asked, stepping closer to the bed I was lying on, not eager to move.
“For what?” My voice was a mere mumble, an annoyed mumble.
He scratched the back of his neck, shifting on his feet uncomfortably while he wouldn’t meet my gaze. I honestly couldn’t recall what I was supposed to do today.
“Your brother hasn’t told you?”
That was the reason I didn’t know. I sighed and shook my head, waiting for what was coming.
“Today is the day. You will be marked and—” He paused, the uncomfortable shift in his body expanded, and I realized what he meant.
Mated was just a fancy word for what must be done to seal the deal. “Sex?”
“Yes, but it is custom that it…ehm…”
“Fucking hell, Finlay. Just spit it out already!” I wasn’t in the mood for this, for his stalling. His need to sugarcoat everything as if I wasn’t trapped here.
“It’s a big deal here, so you will have an audience.” A blush reddened his cheeks, and disgust moved through me. What kind of sick custom was that?
“No way, that is not happening. Any of it!” I jumped out of bed; my legs moved on their own as if my body was searching for a way out of here.
“It will. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not going to be part of a live porno act,” I shrieked, heat crawling under my skin. My fingers itched with this need I couldn’t understand.
“It’s not like that. It’s about the union of two souls destined for each other. It’s quite beautiful.”
I huffed. “It’s live porn; of course, you find it beautiful.” My hands balled into fists, rubbing my thumb over my fingers, hoping to sate this itch.
I would never do that; I wouldn’t even get marked. I would never choose anyone other than Isaac. I didn’t care what they said or how bad of a person he was. I loved him, and no one could change that. Even if it meant my love for him would be my downfall.
Marked… wait, I can’t be marked. That was my way out.
“How is he going to mark me?” My hands slowly relaxed, and the burn on my skin faded.
“That’s why we have to go. Your true mate is waiting downstairs, and then we will go to the witch that protected your soul from being claimed by another.” He said it so simply, almost as if it meant nothing. But it did; it had so much weight, too much even.
My anxiety rose quicker than I anticipated, my throat dried, and the thought of seeing my true mate made me shiver. This was going to be different from when I last saw him because now, I knew.
“Did he know?” I asked the one thing I couldn’t stop thinking about since I saw his face in that portrait.
“I don’t know. I think so. Your brother doesn’t tell me everything.”My brother doesn’t tell anyone anything.
“But he has a mate already. How will that work?” I had to keep my mind from spiraling. Otherwise, I would drown.
“You don’t need to worry about that.” He waved it away as if it was nothing. However, I feared it wouldn’t be just a rejection.Could he even reject her?
Rubbing my hands together, trying to control myself while I wanted to scream, hurt someone. Do anything to give me back some sense of control. Because I didn’t have any, I was a puppet. A breeding whore, nothing more, and it all brought me back to how Liam made me feel.
I didn’t want that; it had stayed buried. It wasn’t going to do me any good to relive my past. No, I had to come up with a plan. A good plan this time.
“Joanne?” Finlay said with caution as he edged closer. His eyes snapped at my hands, and I gasped in shock.
A red hue covered my skin as if fire tried to break free.
“You have to breathe. You don’t want to hurt yourself,” he said.
