Lycan's Mate (His Claim) Chapter 93

Blake's POV

Ben let out a small bark of laughter before he began to circle Anthonio and I. I felt Anthonio tense beside me, crouching down in a protective stance. I, on the other hand, remained unfazed, following Ben with my eyes

"I do have a question for you," Ben said teasingly, his voice barely audible to the ears of the pedestrians passing by on the sidewalk a couple of feet away

"And what would that be?" I questioned, my wolf alert of his every move as he continued to circle around us

"What would you do if Fiona chose to stay here with me instead of go back to your pack with you?" He asked slowly, his lips twitching from the smile he was so desperately trying to suppress

"If I remember correctly, we had both made an agreement. And part of that agreement was if Fiona decided to stay here, I would let her be." My wolf growled at my words in disagreement.

"But I know that that won't be the case"

He smirked.

"Are you so confident about that?" He stopped suddenly in front of me, taking small steps until we were face to face with one another.

"Because I see doubt in your eyes."

I gritted my teeth once more as I felt my wolf lashing out at me, clawing at the walls I had built up around him to keep him in his place. It was difficult to say the least, but I found that I was somehow able to keep him at bay.

"Can't you boys ever play nicely?"

We both turned to see Joel making his way towards us. He wore a simple pair of khaki pants with a plain dark blue shirt. His gray eyes watched us carefully, analyzing us to the very core. I had to admit, the intensity in his eyes made me slightly uncomfortable

I took a step back and bowed my head at the old man, in which he acknowledged by a bow of his own. The others mimicked my movements, all except for Bret who continued to stare at me with a hidden emotion

Joel walked up to me with a small smile, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. He looked over at his grandson for a second before his gray eyes fell on me once more

"How are you doing, my boy?"

I nodded, giving Ben a quick glance before responding.

"I'm doing well."

Joel nodded, his smile fading slightly. "Good, good." He looked towards Anthonio before looking around.

"Where's Marcus?"

I motioned to Fiona's door which remained closed shut during the time we were here. I was pretty sure Marcus had already sensed us a long time ago, but I was glad he never once left Fiona side after Ben's and my little exchange

"Do tell the boy to come down here." He must have sensed my hesitance to his words because I felt his grip on my shoulder tighten before saying,

"Fiona will be fine."

I nodded and sent a quick command to Marcus. Within a few seconds, the sound of the door opening reached our ears and all eyes landed on Marcus's tall frame exiting the small apartment. He never once made contact with his eyes, and instead descended down the steps, taking two of them at a time. When he reached the bottom step, he made his way past Ben, in which he collided shoulders with. Ben immediately growled in response, but Marcus continued nonetheless. He made his way around Anthonio and I until he was standing directly to my right.

I looked over at the steps and back to him, noticing that he could have easily taken his position beside me without crossing paths with Ben. I stared at him questionably, his blue eyes avoiding my own as he bowed before Joel and I. When I looked over at the old man, I noticed him smiling knowingly at Marcus. I lifted my eyebrow in confusion. Was I missing something here

"You tell your pup to learn some manners," Ben growled, his eyes focused solely on Marcus who stood beside me

Marcus looked up at him and smirked.

"I guess you should've moved out of my way then, huh?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Anthonio widen his eyes at Marcus's words.

I, myself, mimicked his actions. Don't get me wrong, I knew how much of a smart mouth Marcus was, but never had he disrespected any Alpha like that

Ben let out a thunderous growl as his eyes darkened to a pitch black hue before he lunged towards Marcus. Marcus remained unfazed as Joel stepped forward and grabbed his grandson with one arm. I was surprised the old man still had enough strength in him to stop the man so easily.

"Enough!" At the sound of his voice, Ben settled, but the fire burning in his eyes never dwindled as he continued to glare at Marcus over Joel's shoulder.

"Rochelle is just about to come outside."

We all turned in unison, just in time to see the doorknob turn slowly. It seemed like an eternity passed before the most beautiful creature I had ever seen stepped through the door frame. My wolf urged us forward, begging to hold his mate again, but I never moved an inch. My fingers twitched to touch her hair that cascaded down her shoulder in waves. Stretching my fingers, I slowly placed both hands behind my back without anyone noticing. Well, without anyone except for Marcus who gave me a knowing smile

Fiona wore a pair of dark jeans with a black shirt beneath a light gray sweater and a pair of black boots. Her hazel green eyes shined beneath the morning sunlight and seemed to glow as she stared down at us warily. She gave us an easy smile before her eyes landed on me. Her smile immediately disappeared from her features before she made her way down the steps slowly.

My heart seemed to sink at the sight of her reaction after seeing me. My wolf whimpered, quietly calling out to our mate. Despite how hollow my insides seemed to feel, I kept my eyes trained on her small figure as she stepped onto the platform. It was now or never

Rocky POV

My heart skipped a beat the moment Marcus informed me that Blake and Anthonio were right downstairs along with the others. I knew Ben was one of them and probably that weird tall guy that always seemed to be around him, but I was clueless as to whom else would be there

Marcus stood up from the couch beside me and gave me an easy, encouraging smile. I returned it with the best smile I could muster, which I knew hadn't convinced him at all if his expression was anything to go by

With one last look over his shoulder, he disappeared through the door frame, closing the door shut behind him and leaving me inside an empty apartment that seemed to close in on me. I closed my eyes tightly, taking in a deep breath as I felt my heart accelerate in speed. My hands trembled at my sides, making it harder to concentrate on my uneven breathing. If anyone were to have been sitting beside me, they would think I was suffocating or something. I wouldn't argue with them either because that's exactly how I felt right about now.

I took in a steady breath as I opened my eyes once more. The room around me was dark, the only light coming in through the small window in the kitchen that overlooked the parking lot downstairs. As I looked around, I couldn't help but feel…..empty. Okay, I knew that there was barely anything in my apartment to begin with, but it was an internal feeling. It was as if my heart itself was hollow and it was missing something

I let out a loud groan and stood up. I walked over to my room and sat on my bed, staring down at the creaking wooden floor. Running a hand through my hair, I looked over at my night stand at the picture I adored more than anything else in the world. My heart clenched at the familiar frame and I reached out with a trembling hand. Grabbing a hold of it, I pulled it towards me and set it down on my lap. The mere sight of it made me smile and I could feel a trickle of tears begin to form in my eyes

With my vision blurred, I pulled the frame to my chest and allowed the fresh tears to fall down my cheeks. Choking in a sob, I looked into a familiar pair of hazel eyes that were forever embedded into my memory.

"I wish you were here," I whispered down at the picture, staring into my mother's eyes.

"I need some advice"

I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of my mom helping me figure out the situation I was currently in. Heck, if I were to have ever told her that I was mated to a werewolf who so happened to be the Alpha of the biggest pack in the country, she wouldn't hesitate to check me into a mental hospital before I could even finish my sentence!

Placing the picture frame back on my lap, I wiped a few tears away and let out a steady breath. I never thought this day would arrive so soon. The past month had been awkward, to say the least, but there was something I couldn't hide from even myself. After all the time I had been here, I have never felt this….happy

And yet, just like every time I would think about how happy I was, there was always that small voice in the back of my mind who would fill my heart with doubt. It would remind me how useless I was to the pack and how the Goddess, whoever she might be, was wrong in choosing me to be Blake's' mate. Not to mention that whenever that thought process would set assail, it would lead me to believe that this was all nothing but a lie. A big sick joke that never seemed to end. But, there was still that small voice filed with hope asking,

'if it was all just a joke, then why is he waiting for you to make your decision merely a couple of feet away from where you sit?"

I looked down at the picture frame, smiling softly before placing it back on my night stand. Standing up, I wiped away the tears with the sleeve of my sweater. Never had I had to make a big decision like this before. Well, second to deciding whether I should leave my home or stay that is. Nonetheless, it scared the crap out of me no matter which route I decided to take. I could feel my mind spinning about in my head, making me grip my nightstand with such force that I was surprised it didn't break beneath my heavy grip

Seconds passed before I felt the spinning slow down, a small picture forming in my head that made me gasp in surprise. I knew this image like the back of my hand, and yet, it was completely different. Looking down at our family picture, I couldn't help but smile at the similarities.

Taking a deep breath, I made my way over to the door and placed my hand on the door handle. I could feel my body shaking from the nerves, begging for me to sneak back into my room and hide beneath my covers forever. But there was that little amount of confidence that urged me forward. I couldn't run anymore. I was done running. It was now or never

Without hesitation, I turned the doorknob slowly before swinging it completely open. The Autumn wind crashed against my face, sending a cold shiver down my spine as I looked down at the small crowd of men staring up at me. I looked at each of them, giving them a small smile before my eyes landed on a pair of familiar dark eyes. My smile immediately vanished as a new wave of anxiousness washed over me. Ripping my eyes away from his own, I turned and made my way down the stairs, grabbing onto the railing to prevent them from seeing how badly my hands were shaking

As I reached the bottom step, I felt all eyes on me, but I never dared to make contact with any one of them. Taking a couple of steps at a leisurely pace, I stopped in front of Joel, who I was not surprised to see was here along with the other men.He instantly smiled at me and wrapped his arms around my small frame. I welcomed his warm embrace and smiled in return. Feeling his grip loosen, I removed my arms from around him and took a step back

I turned and looked at the two men standing behind Ben, whose eyes were surprisingly a light shade of gray, as they bowed their heads in my direction. I nodded in acknowledgement before looking up at Blake

His face was expressionless as he stared down at me, his hands behind his back. He wore his usual attire which