Alpha Nicholas novel Chapter 22

“Hey, Dad.” Lottie’s soft voice takes my attention away from where I’ve been standing at the window thinking over these last few girls. My brothers and parents have all made it clear that they believe that I’m in the wrong for pushing my mate away, although they still have my back. My daughter, however, is the only one who hasn’t had a bad word to say to me, not yet anyway. She has spent most of her time here with me and I don’t think she’ll ever realize how much it means to me.

“There’s no change. She’s still not woken up.” I feel her tense before she goes to sit down next to Bonnie and starts whispering to her. After the doctor examined Bonnie, he confirmed what Lexi said about Bonnie receiving a beating the night before we found her. He also told us that there are older bruises on her body, a lot of them, and that she is severely underweight which can only lead me to believe one thing… she’s getting abused by someone.

After hearing that all I wanted to do was tear the room apart but I couldn’t and I couldn’t leave her either so I’ve had to hold it in while Storm gave me the silent treatment, and I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t getting harder and harder to control. Why would anyone do that to her? I tried not to jump to conclusions and blame any of her family but their reactions to her state have not helped one bit.

Her brother left the packhouse as originally planned and went back to his pack while her father and sister stayed here but have barely been to visit and even when they do come here, her sister does nothing but flirt with me and I swear it’s taken all I have not to throw her off my pack lands but I can’t. Until I know what’s going on I have to let her stay for Bonnie’s sake but fuck I wish she was gone already.

“Dad, come sit down.” I drag my ass over to Lottie taking the seat next to her already knowing that were about to have a conversation that I don’t want. Lottie has this look to her when she’s about to tell you things that you don’t want to hear even if you need to. She’s also incredibly grown up for a 16-year-old girl and while I’ve brought her up to speak her mind and not back down from anyone, in recent years it’s come back to bite me in the ass… often.

“Dad, I know why you’ve never wanted a mate, I do, I get it but now that you’ve met her, can’t you even consider it? Just look at her she’s beautiful and she’s got such a good heart you said that yourself.”

“Lottie…I” If only the girl knew that I’m already thinking everything she just said to me but I’ve trained myself to think one way for so long that the thought of even considering changing my mind terrifies me. Yes, I’m a big ass 6ft3 Alpha who’s terrified of the idea of having a 5ft something mate but It’s just how it is and I don’t care.

“I know the idea scares you, Dad and I get it, but I’ve always hated the idea of you being alone. I’ve always secretly wished that you would find your mate and the bond would be too strong for you to reject her.”

“It’s not easy, baby girl I assure you.” She nods and I can see her trying to understand and I appreciate it. “Please, just think about it, Dad. What Mom did… not every woman will be like her, not every woman will do what she did.”

Again, I keep repeating those words to myself doing anything I can to stop myself from falling into the darkness once again. I focus on the voices but it sounds like their underwater. Who is that? Where am I?” It feels like forever but finally, the voice starts to get clearer and louder.

“Just think about what I said, please? I love you.”

“I will. I love you too, sweetheart.”

I start to wince when I realize that the darkness is fading and the brightness that’s slowly greeting me is painful for my eyes. None the less I don’t want to fade into the darkness anymore so I use all the energy that I have left and push through, and finally after several seconds of blinking and adjusting my eyes open and I’m met with the sight of my mate, my mate who doesn’t want me. What the hell is going on? “Alpha Nicholas?”