Bullied Mate Of The Lycan Kings
Bonus Chapter 4

Aiden's pov

It pained me royally to admit it but Ren and his family were probably the best in this hospitality thing. It was no wonder their hotel was the most patronized in the realm and as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, in the penthouse living room that the boys and I had decided to prepare for the dance and adjusted my tie, I wondered how I might have turned out without my friends.

I would have probably been ensnared into Victor's delusions of grandeur and might have been his lapdog, eager to prove myself and not lose the only family I had left. Thanks to Ren and Zac and now Cade, I would never have to wonder about what it meant to have a family. They were my brothers and it was more than enough.

The only slight issue was that half the time, they behaved like they had only two brain cells. Because why were Zac and Cade bickering for the millionth time today? I could hear their voices from the bedroom and as they walked out into the living room, I finally understood what this particular argument was about.

"You copied me." Zac said to Cade with an eye roll as I headed to the bar to pour myself a drink, immensely entertained by their sparring today.

"Oh come on, you heard when I said I was going to wear a green lie and decided to get one for yourself too. Tell me if that is not copying."

"You're too big to be lying about this, Corrigan and I'll give you a black eye if you don't admit that you're just a copycat."

"Fine, if I admit that, then you should admit that you chose that tie because you got a tip that green is Lily's favorite color which for a fact I can say that it is not. You just want to get on her good side, admit it, Zachary." "You're not my mother, call me Zac!"

"I will most certainly call you whatever the fvck I want, Zachary."

Zac shoved him and Cade immediately did the same and when they took on a fighting stance, I rolled my eyes wondering why they even hung out together all the time when it always ended up with them fighting.

Ren walked into the room and when he looked at me and I shrugged, indicating that I didn't mind if the two of them fought because who would want to stop their source of entertainment, he rolled his eyes and stepped into their middle.

"Stop this, the two of you" Ren chided softly and it was almost comical the way the two of them looked embarrassed to be scolded.

"He started it." Zac said childishly and Cade even more childishly stuck his tongue out at him.

Ren merely sighed and shook his head. "Both of you should go to the bar and take a drink. Aiden, your tie is not knotted right. Come here."

I rolled my eyes and wanted to taunt him on his motherly behavior and he smirked when I got to where he was.

"You shouldn't let them fight."

"Oh come on, don't put this on me. They'll find something else to bicker about in the next ten seconds." I replied and when we both looked in their direction, they were already arguing about something else.

When he was done with my tie, he patted me on the back and his phone rang, showing Lily's name which made him smile as he answered the call and walked outside to sit on the patio bench.

I wondered when Zac and Cade would realize that after all was said and done, Ren would always be Lily's favorite. In the beginning, I used to hate it but now I was slowly becoming fine with the fact because I loved Ren more than life itself and it was not a surprise that Lily did the same.

As long as they loved me back, I was happy.

As I went to sit beside him, secretly hoping that he would find something to fuss about again with my appearance, my phone rang and when I saw it was Angelo, my smile dimmed

"Talk to me, hunter." I said immediately I picked.

"You won't ever stop calling me that, will you?" He replied and I finally smiled a little.

Angelo was... amusing to say the least. Coming from a small tribe of hunters that hunted our kind for sport, making deals with us was the last thing I expected the hunter to be satisfied with doing. But after Bia got turned, without a vampire coven willing to take her in and offer their protection, Shadow Cove would be her home until she decided to leave us. And Angelo would do anything for his girlfriend... Even run errands for the very creatures he has been trained all his life to hate and kill.

"You know I won't, hunter." It was my way of unconsciously reminding myself of what he was before I get too comfortable and lose my guard when he decides to switch up on us.

Lily swears it will never happen. I beg to differ,

"Fair enough. I'm calling to update you about the Seb situation."

Nodding, I walked to the terrace, cool evening breeze, rustling my hair.

"I'm listening."

"The mole we planted just got back to me. His plan to blow up the entire school is already in motion. The bombs have been set up and all that is left is for you and the others to show up before, they detonate it."

"That son of a bitch" I swore, pinching the bridge of nose as rage filled my veins and I inhaled deeply, trying to control myself and virtually pat myself on the back for a job well done in anticipating this situation.

"We caught the intruders. Five in all. One of them insists on talking to you. He's saying something about how he might be useful to you. Thought you might want to humour him a little."

After Angelo showed up at the hospital while we were recuperating, swearing fealty to us in exchange for safe haven for his girlfriend and fellow hunters, my first assignment for him was to investigate the shooting meant for me that Cade had intercepted I had not been surprised when Angelo had informed me that it was Sebastian but I was disappointed because I had expected that after everything, Sebastian would show remorse for what he had done and would have been so grateful that I didn't come after him. If he had two working braincells to rub together, he would have fled for his life and just be content with laying low.

Like Lily, I had wanted to tamper justice with mercy but it seemed Sebastian was undeserving of that mercy and that I was hoping for too much. I would have to do what I should have done immediately I was discharged from the hospital. Hunt him down and kill him. Cut off all loose ends.

When I walked back into the room and cleared my throat, Zac and Cade stopped talking and when the three of them looked at me and I nodded, my expression grave and serious, they rose to their feet, immediately getting the message.

"Angelo is downstairs. Let's go entertain our guest before rumours of our poor hospitality spread."

Zac grinned, dark dark eyes alight with the thrill of excitement.

Cade cracked his knuckles, that dead serious gaze in his cold blue eyes reminded me of the cold mercenary he had been before he met us. His mother's loyal foot soldier that would kill on demand for her.

By the time we got down to the private guest room, Angelo was also dressed in his suit for the dance, talking with the guards.

"Your majesties. What a pleasure" He greeted with a mock bow that made me roll my eyes and I was about to reply when my eyes caught Derek, one of the boys that used to fawn over me tied up, looking bloodied, bruised and out of it, sitting on the ground. My face morphed into disgust as I studied him, wondering who gave all of them the audacity to think they could harm me, my mate and my brothers.

He was surrounded by Angelo's men and immediately my shadow creatures melted out of me and began prowling towards their prey, they all moved away.

Their growls made Derek lucid in an instant and when he realized where he was, tears started to trickle down his cheeks as he forced himself onto his knees. "Hello, Derek."

He stammered something incoherent, screaming like a fu c king banshee when Cerberus snapped at his feet, getting too close to comfort for him.

"Relax. I'm only here to talk" I sighed, sitting in an armchair and beckoning him to come closer.

He fell at my feet, trembling and shaking. I couldn't understand his incoherent gibberish even if I tried.

"Relax, man. Stop cowering on the ground like an insect or I might mistake you for one and squash you under my feet.

He dared to look up at me and silent rage licked through my blood, cradling my bones.

"Act like a man and pour me a drink, will you. Let's have a talk." I c****d my head at the bottle of liquor and glass tumblers before me.

"I- I wouldn't dare"

"I insist, Derek," I said, relaxing in my armchair and crossing my legs as my shadow creatures flanked my sides, cerberus and a few stranglers still circling around him.

I watched him limp over to me and took the bottle of liquor in his shaking hands.

He wouldn't stop cowering like a vermin and my patience was running thin. Still, he filled the tumbler after slushing half the contents on the table.

"Pour some for yourself."

"I ca-"

"We're going to have a conversation. I'd feel better if I didn't have to drink alone or I'm never beating these alcoholic allegations."

He did as I asked, pouring some for himself.

I smiled as I sipped my cognac, like I had all the time in the world. It's been a while since I had so much fun playing with food like this. I almost forgot what it felt like. The exhilarating thrill knowing he would die by my hand after giving him false hope. "Aiden," Ren spoke telepathically, his voice sounding like he was barely holding back murderous rage.

"What is it?"

"I searched his memory and got a picture of a scene Sebastian painted for him. Sebastian... What he plans to do to Lily," He growled and projected the scene to me.

I saw Lily in a torn up ball gown, sitting in a cage. Her legs broken, her hair matting to her face and sticky with sweat and blood, terror in her eyes as Sebastian, Derek and some other guys I vaguely recognized leering at her. Dead men. All of them.

"If it isn't the most coveted b***h in Shadow Cove." Derek leered, "What do you say, boys? How about we sample her.

See if she's really worth the hype."

My tumbler shattered to pieces in my hand, cool on my skin but not enough to stop my explosion of rage as I flung the mahogany coffee table that stood between us, hardwood splintering against the wall. Derek squeaked and was on the ground again, trembling violently.

"Sample her?" I hissed, my blood boiling as my creatures snapped up again." Sample my mate."

Derek cried. "I c-l can explain."

"It appears that I've been mistaken. I ordered you to act like a man when you're no better than vermin." My leather clad feet connected with his jaw, sending him sprawling on the the floor.

"My creatures are hungry. They seem to have worked up an appetite since the last time I let them out."

"Please"

"ll choose my words carefully if I were you. You dared to think you can lay a hand on my mate?" My eyes glowed as the blood in my veins chilled with the thought of anything happening to Lily. "Bad move, Derek."

"I swear that I didn't mean to do this. Sebastian would have killed me if I did not help him out. I swear on my life that I did not mean to do anything of this."

"Save your tears and apology for Thanatos when you meet him in hell."

He shook his head, his sobs filling the entire room as he scrambled for words.

"Y-You can't kill me, not if you want me to show you where Sebastian and the others are hiding. You need me alive for that. I can help you. Please just let me prove how useful I can be."

I nodded almost thoughtfully, amused by his narrow thinking.

"Useful you say?"

"Yes. You know how valuable I am."

My amusement turned into laughter as I closed the distance between us, my entire body shaking with ice cold rage as I crouched in front of him and grabbed his chin, my claws digging into his flesh and he gasped in horror when he realized that I was not buying his bullshit.

"I need you to do something for me, Derek, okay? Now, rub your remaining brain cells together and really think about this." I tapped him repeatedly on his cheek as his shoulders began to shake with sobs again, expecting him to pay some f*****g attention. "See, If I could figure out Sebastian's plan and thwart it in time, get rid of the bombs and have you beaten up and brought to me, what will stop me from finding out where that fool is hiding?" Nothing but terror filled the gray blue of his eyes, knowing he was well and truly fu c k ed.

"I don't need a snivelling rat like you, in fact I need you to do more than one thing actually, after thinking about what I have just said, I need you to die quietly like the pathetic bastard you are and leave me and my family alone."

"Please." He cried, snot dribbling down his nose as I rose and I merely turned to one of the guards as I gestured to the boys that it was time for us to go.

Ren picked up his jacket and walked over to clasp a hand on my shoulder. "I will go with Cade to the dance and stall for time so that Lily doesn't worry while you and Zac wrap this up before she notices you're gone."

Cade nodded. "She won't even notice you guys are gone.

But if anything goes wrong and you need help, you can call me. I'll come immediately."

Zac grinned, running his tongue along his double fangs.

"Been dying for some action."

For the first time today, I smiled wide, knowing that I could trust all of them in the room with my life and for all our bickering and fighting, we worked together as a unit like a well oiled machine.

I looked at Angelo's second in command. "Get someone to clean up the mess my dogs will make. One of you, stay behind and bring his carcass along when they're done with him. It's time we made a fu c kin g example out of those dumbfvcks." "Of course."

Turning to Angelo, I clasped his hand, grateful for his help.

"Do you need me to come with you?"

"Go be your with girlfriend, Hunter. And make sure she doesn't get wind of anything going on tonight." I doubt Bianca will keep anything from Lily if Angelo tells her anything about this. "Cade and Ren will go with you. So make sure our girls don't worry. Alert me if something goes wrong."

"Sure," He drawled and I chuckled, leaving him behind and climbing into the SUV waiting for me, the last sound I heard as we moved, tearing of flesh and crunching of bones as Derek screamed into the night.