The Designated Mate novel Chapter 48

Knox and I drove to the pack house in my SUV as I discovered he didn't have a car at all. Technically I didn't either, I just happened to be borrowing this car from my old pack. He kept his hand firmly on my thigh the entire time as the quiet lull of music flowed from the stereo. I hummed along with the beat of the song while watching the trees pass by my window. I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer that someday, when everything was said and done, Knox and I could live a peaceful life with no fear of our pasts creeping up on us. It sounded so incredibly nice.

Knox cleared his throat and leaned over to peck my lips softly, pulling me from my reverie. I kissed him back, stroking my thumb over his stubbly chin lovingly. I stared into his eyes for a few seconds before breaking contact when we had to exit the vehicle. I stayed put, knowing he liked to open my door for me and also liking it when he did so.

"Time to get this shit show over with," Knox snorted with amusement as I wrapped my hand around his arm and cuddled against his side as we walked. I laughed at his statement before sighing apprehensively as we entered the large, looming house. I could hear the loud roar of voices as we approached the common dining room, feeling a flutter of nervous butterflies kick up in my stomach at facing everyone as Knox's mate for the first time. If the distant reactions I'd received when I only smelled like him were anything to go by, I knew this dinner was going to be highly awkward.

And I was right.

The second we entered the room, all eyes were on us as the loud talking turned into a quiet rumble of whispers all over the room. I saw Alpha Aaron's arm raise in the air, signaling us to his table with a tense body. Knox strutted through the rows of tables confidently as he removed my arm from his hand only to wrap the same arm around my lower waist and pull me even closer to him.

Coming up to the table where all high-ranking pack members sat, I could sense their collective unease.

When dinner plates had been pushed aside and dessert served, all hell finally broke loose.

"Can I fucking help you, pretty boy?" Knox growled out while staring Corbin down. I knew this was going to happen, especially since Corbin hadn't stopped glaring at him since we'd arrived. Knox wasn't a man of patience in the first place, but it was even less so when it came to Corbin I'd realized. Everyone at our table stopped to look between the pair as if they were at a tennis match, waiting on bated breath for someone to make the next move.

"I would say keep your Goddamn hands off things that don't belong to you, but you've clearly already gone and fucked that up," Corbin snarled back bravely. I gasped loudly, as did Luna Caroline. Knox slammed his silverware onto the table, causing it to clatter loudly, before flying out of his seat, the chair legs screeching against the wooden floor. Before anyone could say anything in protest, Knox had Corbin out of his chair and dangling in the air by his neck.