Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 47

Slade

Slade had to sit and watch as Audrey, was Alpha ordered to tell the truth about whether she had come here and tried to coerce Slade into Marking and Mating her prior to the full moon. He’d not liked hearing it, but had been told, he, as the suspected victim, must be in this room for the forcing of the complete and utter truth, of the situation he now found himself in.

He’d not liked knowing that, yes, she’d come here and latched on to him, as per her father’s wishes, though she didn’t find it all that difficult to do, she did actually apparently like him, not just his looks but his personality as well. Would like to be his Mate and the future Luna to his pack.

He already knew that she was the third daughter, that she had two older sisters who were both mated off already, though he’d been told by Audrey that they were Goddess-Gifted. When the council dug into that, she’d stated her father had set those up as well. Very similar to the way he’d done this with Audrey herself.

To get alliances with wealthy packs, and have funds come to him from the pack they’d go to. Both her sisters had gotten themselves pregnant to get that wolf he’d set them up with to claim them. She had been doing her best to get pregnant with Slade’s child, but it just didn’t happen, and when she’d tried to Mark him the other night, and he’d stopped her, she’d called her father to tell him, he wasn’t going to.

Her father had told her to play the pregnancy card that she’d just found out only a few days earlier, and was barely pregnant a week at most, because not many would know that by then, only the she-wolf herself. Males, Alpha-blooded or not, wouldn’t really pick it up until two or three weeks in, unless they were actively looking for it.

So it was still plausible that she could be. Then, when she’d failed to get him to claim her, and he’d known she wasn’t pregnant, her father had told her to not go to class today, and plead she’d had a miscarriage, so there was no evidence of a pup, to wear one of Slade’s shirts to smell like him and cover that bases, look sad and hurt. She’d actually done everything that her father had told her to do.

Slade didn’t understand her at all, didn’t know why one would want to mate themselves at 18 to someone that wasn’t their Goddess-Gifted Mate. It wasn’t like their lives were short, they lived for a very long time, they had hundreds of years to be free and find their Mate: That one wolf that was the other half of their very soul.

It came down to that she would be the Luna of a very wealthy pack. Be highly respected and loved by all, something that her father had told her, as the third born, she was unlikely to get at all. She’d be nothing to their pack’s ascension line and would likely wind up with a warrior and just become invisible to another pack.

He’d lied to his own daughter, to get what he wanted, which was just money. Apparently, he himself had not had the opportunity to attend Alpha College due to him already having a child, his firstborn daughter at 17, and had been mated off to his high school girlfriend the minute they both turned 18. Both her older sisters had not gone to Alpha College, so he didn’t know about the moonstone bands and what they were used for.

Audrey’s punishment for now was to go on that shaming post until her father was called in for a meeting about his despicable behaviour. He’d also heard the announcement to the entire college that they had to meet in front of the Wilder dorm, and Audrey had been put on that shaming post once more for all to see, and her crime announced formally.

She’d been wide-eyed and then had just sat there on the ground and sobbed out an apology to Slade for her behaviour. That it was her father’s fault, only to be told by Alpha Gretta. “It may have been your father that put you up to this Audrey, but you came here and willingly went along with it. Could have come to anyone of us, and stated what your father was trying to make you do, and we’d have punished him for it.”

The girl had stared up at Gretta but said nothing and Gretta had then stated “You have ruined Slade’s reputation, over your claiming to be pregnant, and you’re not, never were.” Gretta had told everyone here standing watching “A full shame to yourself and your wolf, your pack, and now you are an example to all others that think it’s okay to coerce, or try to coerce one into marking and mating them just becasue they want leadership of a pack themselves. Shame on you.”

“I’m sorry.” She’d sobbed.

“I bet you are young lady.” Alpha Tyler had stated “You will stay out here until your father has been dealt with.”

He didn’t look at her when he walked passed her, but heard her sob softly, a part of him actually felt sorry for her, but that did not make him stop and try to comfort her. He’d had several of the other students here apologise to him for their harsh judgment of him. He’d just looked at them, not really say anything and turned and walked away.

There was no point in being friends with those that would judge and condemn him, so very quickly, without looking at the facts. He felt the moon set as did everyone, and thankfully his band did not light up. Though several others did, and one of the boys was walking around unable to find his Mate.

There was only one she-wolf in the college not here, and that would be Audrey herself, outside her dorm on the shaming post. That poor bastard had only been here a few days prior to what had happened with Audrey, and he’d been here for her punishment and crime to be listed.

Now he stood before her with the Alpha Council watching on to see what he would do; he couldn’t issue a rejection. It wasn’t allowed at this point. But as Slade walked passed, the boy didn’t look happy, and Audrey was sobbing on the ground. Understood he was likely to reject her knowing what she’d done while there.

His father did call him an hour after the moon set and asked him the question of if Audrey was his Mate, and heard the relieved sigh that came from him. They’d been informed of Audrey’s crimes, but there was still that possibility that she could turn out to be his Mate. He was just glad she wasn’t his Goddess-Gifted at this point, whereas just a week ago he had been looking forward to it.

Her punishment would now be sorted out. Her father was here on the council grounds in a cell somewhere himself, for having all his daughters coerce their Mates. Audrey’s punishment had been put off until after the full moon, to see if there was any chance it might be that they were Mate’s and could reconcile if they were.

He had no idea if he could forgive her for something like that, even if she turned out to be his Goddess-Gifted, and he’d not really want to think about it, so hadn’t.