Lycan's Mate (His Claim) Chapter 77

Blake's POV

To say that things were awkward was a complete understatement. The atmosphere around us in the small room we were currently in was dense, preventing us from speaking a single word to each other. After my reunion with my little mate, I was determined to keep her away from the werewolves that were fast approaching. So, without hesitation, I led her up the stairs and into her, rather small, apartment. Anthonio and Marcus were eager to greet her back into their lives since I knew they had missed her just as much as my wolf and I have, but they remained put on either side of me, waiting for my next move. But in all honesty, I had no clue what to do. I mean, I know I had rushed out of the bushes and pinned her against the wall as soon as I noticed her attempt to get away from their wolf forms, but that was simply an act made by instinct and obedience of my wolf's wishes. But now, I just have to say that things were beginning to get a little bit awkward in here with the silence that seemed to suffocate us all.

Anthonio and Marcus were now seated quietly on the couch across the TV with unreadable expressions on their faces. Marcus continuously played with the hem of his shirt while Anthonio simply sat there, staring down at the small coffee table in front of them. Fiona was standing beside the doorframe that seemed to lead to the bedroom on the other side of the apartment. With her arms crossed over her chest, she stared intently down at the creaking floor beneath her feet, biting her lower lip as if deep in thought. Her body was tense as she leaned casually against the frame, clearly sensing my stare as she fought the urge to look at me. I silently wished that I could look back into her hazel green pools of beauty and get lost in them once more, but her eyes remained intact. As for me, I now stood in the small kitchen on the opposite side from where she stood, leaning against the grimy counter with my arms folded over my chest, mimicking her actions. Well, somewhat

Seeing as she wasn't going to look at me any time soon, I took the chance to analyze her current form. I had secretly hoped that what I saw downstairs was simply due to the lighting of the light post that stood overhead. But I was clearly wrong. Her delicate skin looked fragile and pale, clinging onto her very bones. It was a sickening sight and it worried my wolf and I to no end. I wanted to find out what she had been doing these past two years to make her look this way, but I remained in my place. She looked a lot skinnier than usual. What I assumed was her work uniform seemed rather large on her, concealing her body and practically drowning her small frame. Her once luscious dark brown hair that seemed to shine, even under a dark lighting, looked dull as it fell over her small shoulders. But why is that

'There's something wrong with our mate,' my wolf said worriedly

I nodded slowly, thankful to see that none of them were currently looking at me.

'I don't know what's wrong,' I said in the same tone.' She doesn't seem like she's taking care of herself.

I was about to respond to him until Marcus's voice broke the silence in the room

"They're coming," he said in a rather low tone

My head snapped up at the sound of his voice and I raised my eyebrow in question. I was going to ask what he was talking about, but our little mate seemed to voice my unspoken question for me

"Who? Who's coming?" Her eyes looked frightened as she seemed to hug her small frame. I could practically sense the fear rolling off of her in waves, and I wanted nothing more than to comfort her immediately

Marcus turned his head towards the door with a rather amused expression on his face . "Our little pack friends." He turned his head slightly before an evil smile crept along the length of his lips.

"And they don't seem too happy about us being here"

"And by the looks of it, they have their Alpha with them," Anthonio said, standing up along with Marcus. They stood on either side of the door, Marcus near Fiona while Anthonio stood closest to me.

"And he most definitely does not seem happy"

I tilted my head towards the small window to my right above the sink and listened in on my surroundings outside. For a fact there were a few werewolves surrounding the premises and making sure that if we were to run, they would easily block our path. Ha. Like if they could stop three strong werewolves from escaping. I lifted up my head and took in a deep breath, feeling my wolf step forward in the process to aid me on my task. Her scent instantly hit my nose and I felt my wolf stir inside me, growling and urging me to go to our mate. But I pushed him back some and focused on the wolves outside. As much as I wanted my mate to be in my arms at the moment, there was a bigger issue at hand that needed to be taken care of immediately

Allowing my senses to heighten with the help of my stubborn wolf that kept snapping at me in the back of my mind, I caught the scent of two powerful wolves making their way up the stairs and towards Fiona's apartment door. No doubt one of them was the Alpha and the other the Beta of the pack. There was another wolf alongside them, but his scent wasn't as strong as theirs. Probably just a fellow pack member assisting them at the moment.

The second I sensed them outside the door, I rushed over towards where Anthonio and Marcus were standing. We all waited patiently as we all heard someone fumbling with the doorknob, failing miserably as they tried to pry it open. As the mere sound reached our ears, I felt a warm body press against my backside while a trembling hand grabbed a hold of my right arm tightly. Instant sparks coursed through the length of my spine as well as my arm and I immediately knew who it was. I turned my head slightly and stared down at my mate. The side of her face was pressed against my upper arm as she peered up at me. Her hazel eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at me and I couldn't help but smile down at her. Reaching behind me, I wrapped my right arm around her tiny waist as best as I could, closing any gap that lied between us. My wolf growled happily at the mere touch of our mate, but I instantly quieted him down as I heard the door burst open in front of us.

Fiona immediately jumped at the sound, letting out a soft yelp of shock as she pressed her body closer to mine. My grip tightened as I looked up at the three men who were standing just outside the door. The man to my left was smaller than the other two, and I instantly knew he was simply a pack member. He had dark blonde hair matted on top of his head with light brown eyes. He was slightly built, but I could easily tell that he wasn't one who could protect himself if a fight were to ever occur. I darted my eyes to the man to my right who was exceptionally tall in height and nearly towered over my already tall frame. He had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes to match. His expression was menacing as he stared down at me, but I remained unfazed under his heavy stare. He was quite built for a werewolf, his large muscles flexing as he took in steady breaths. His eyes were wild and prepared for any attack that was fired at him, but I had no intention in starting one with my mate in such close proximity of it.Finally, my eyes turned to the man directly in front of me. He stood about the same height as me, possibly a bit smaller by mere inches, but the power that radiated off of him did not go unnoticed. I could feel Anthonio and Marcus resisting the urge to bow down before him. He was definitely not an Alpha who had taken this position for many years, but he was not a rookie either. His light brown hair clung to his forehead while his eyes were a completely dark shade of black. He breathed in heavily, his entire body tense as his eyes darted down to my right arm that was still wrapped securely around Fiona. His eyes widened some before a low growl escaped his now parted lips. His intense gaze returned back to me as he took a step forward

"Who are you?" He growled at me, his eyes still black. I instantly knew by the tone of his voice that he was not at all in control of his body right now. The man speaking before me was nothing but the beast that resided inside him

"I think the question that should be asked is, who are you?" I asked with an arched eyebrow

My question seemed to throw him off a bit, but his expression remained composed. A small, yet emotionless, laugh escaped his lips as he straightened his posture in front of me. "You should know very well who I am, seeing as you're going to take the same position one day in your own pack."

I smirked.

"Touché. But I would rather like to know your name rather than your position. I'm pretty sure my men already know which rank you obtain in your pack"

His eyes looked over at Anthonio and Marcus who remained still under his heavy gaze. Their expressions were emotionless and he simply smiled lazily at both of them.

"My name is Ben Samson, Alpha of the Lincroft Pack. And you have all trespassed without my permission into my territory."

I opened my mouth to respond, but I felt a small movement behind me. Fiona shifted her body to the right of me as she peered over my tall frame. I looked down at her, noticing her eyes widen in shock as she stared at the man before us

"Ben? Is that really you?" She asked slowly, her voice completely filled with astonishment as she stared up at him

Following her gaze, I noticed his entire aura change immediately as his eyes settled on my mate. Suddenly, in a matter of seconds, I saw his eyes begin to change in shade. What once were a set of eyes that were as dark as coal were now changing into a striking light gray as he continued to stare at her. Talk about a change in mood. I tilted my head in question at this sudden change and I instantly felt my wolf step forward, his growl echoing in my mind continuously as I stared at him. His eyes held a hidden emotion that was hard to describe. I tried to pinpoint it, but my mind was too distracted by the threatening growls that came from my wolf. I urged him to calm down, but it was as if my voice was falling upon deaf ears

"Fiona, I wanted to tell you, but I never found the right moment to do so," he said quietly, his tone changing completely as he spoke down to her. Wait, they know each other

"You were a werewolf this whole time? The Alpha to be exact?" I felt her take a step to the right, but my arm kept her in place. I could practically feel her agitated eyes staring up at me, but I remained my gaze fixated on him

"I know. Again, I wanted to tell you, but I knew I couldn't." He paused as he took a step forward towards her, his left arm extending in the process but I immediately reacted to his actions.

My grip tightened around her small frame as I took a long step backward. She didn't expect me to move so suddenly, so she nearly fell but I steadied her instantaneously behind me. Anthonio band Marcus immediately reacted as well, taking a step forward as they shielded Fiona from Ben's view. It was their duty to protect their Luna and anyone who would take even one step towards her had to be stopped, whether they were Alpha of another pack or not.

But seeing as they were advancing on their Alpha, the other two men mimicked their actions, growling lowly as they protected their leader. The larger man hovered over Marcus, but he seemed unfazed as a low growl escaped his throat as well. I noticed his eyes change a shade darker, but they instantly returned back to their original color. Anthonio easily towered over the other man, and I could tell that the feeble pack member instantly sensed Anthonio's authority over him. I noticed him shift his head downward slightly, but he was fighting hard not to do so. I saw Anthonio try to fight back a smile that was threatening to spread across his lips, but his emotionless stature remained as he stared down at the man. Ah, the perks of being Alpha and Beta of a werewolf pack

"Stay away from my mate," I all but growled at Ben, whose eyes widened at my words

His eyes traveled from me and then to Fiona a few times before they settled on my tensed form.