His Mute Luna
Chapter 21

Hunter

I knew he was here. I was so certain, I almost had no need to confirm it.

I had been wanting to avoid this pack but it was the last in the area where Taylor had been last spotted. I was unsurprised by the guarded and defensive glare of this pack’s future Alpha, Morgan. I knew my father’s reputation and was aware of the old alliance that stood between Nicholas and who would have been this Alpha’s grandfather. So I understood why he would be prepared for an attack. The fact I knew my mate was here and the way this Alpha was prepared to face me, offensively if needed, told me he knew exactly why had come. I actually respected this man more for his reaction towards me. He was ready to defend Taylor, to protect him as an Alpha should for their pack members.

A car pulled up and as he stepped out it was like I was transported to five years ago…only this Taylor that stood before me was a little broader and gone was the youthful, innocent face. This face was a little more mature, more refined…f**k, he was glorious. But his eyes were the same and in the midday sun they shone brightly, like the gold-speckled emeralds I remembered.

I wanted to run to him, hold him and never let go. I would grovel at his feet for forgiveness for what I had done to him, I didn’t care that there was an audience. He was singularly the most important being in my universe…but what stopped me was the two males that stood by his side. The two very attractive, identical, Alpha males. They weren’t just present to defend him, not with how their hands were placed possessively over my Taylor.

…I was too late.

He had found his second chance mate, or mates in this case.

Of course he would have twin mates. Taylor was the most precious gift any wolf could ever be given…one wolf wasn’t enough to love him as he deserved.

…I couldn’t compete with this.

What confused me though, was I felt no pang of jealousy. On the contrary, I didn’t want to remove their hands, I wanted to join them, be part of them.

What in goddess’s name was happening to the mate bond? Was it drunk?! Even my wolf, Hawk, was silenced into confusion and nothing ever silenced him.

I was unprepared for any of these strange sensations. What was I meant to say now?

“Well this is all way more awkward than I can physically stand, so I’ll get the ball rolling,” the Gamma, present, broke through the heavy silence that had settled. “Alpha Hunter, is this the person you were talking about? The one you’ve been trying to track down?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice currently.

‘Hunter, do you want to speak more privately with me about all of this? I know this is probably not what you were wanting to find, but those men who are his second chance mates are my brothers…and they’ve fully accepted him,’ Alpha Morgan mind-linked me, graciously giving me an out to save what was left of any dignity I had.

‘…I had so much I wanted to tell him…but there’s no point now,’ I couldn’t even hide the dejected tone in my mind.

“Taylor…I…” but my voice failed me.

He physically flinched just hearing his name, turning away from me. f**k, why did I think this was ever a good idea?! All I was doing was breaking my heart and soul all over again.

They must have been mind-linking, because without a single word voiced out loud, my Taylor was whisked away by those two entrancing twins.

Our eyes met for a split second as he got back in the car.

‘Just tell him everything. Tell him you lied. Tell him you hurt him to save him. Tell him we stayed faithful to him every day since he’s been gone. Just say something!’ My wolf begged.

‘Why? We’re too late, he has a life here now…we would just be hurting him again,’ any confession I had planned was rendered moot the minute I saw he had moved on.

It was better for him if I just left, to be the a*****e everyone assumes given who my father was…but I couldn’t stop myself reaching out, mind-linking him.

‘Dew drop…’

I sent him a small wink and a flicker of a smile.

It was our secret. To tell him how much he was loved when we couldn’t speak.

I had fallen in love with Taylor from the first moment my eyes landed on him, all those years ago.

~~~~

I first saw Taylor Forrester in middle school, I didn’t understand myself at that age but I knew I was drawn to him…and I hated myself for it. I had tried to avoid him as much as I could but when he’d pass by, my eyes couldn’t help but follow him. I had always managed to avoid his gaze, settling for stolen secret looks.

I knew my father’s stance on homosexuality…I knew what he did to those wolves who were outed.

As I grew older, I had tried to help those I could escape persecution, so they could be free, something I would never experience for myself. And I buried any notion I had that I could have Taylor in any way. I kept up the pretense that I was straight, keeping some willing she-wolf around me, much to my aggravation. I never touched or kissed them, I couldn’t bring myself to. The one I wanted had glossy, dusky blond hair that fell in messy wavy curls around his face and the most beautiful hazel eyes that almost looked green in bright sunshine.

There was one time, I wasn’t quick enough to look away. His eyes met mine and I didn’t need the mate bond to tell me how I felt about him or what he was to me. I held out hope, a stupid, selfish hope, that when he got his wolf, mine would recognise his and that he would be my mate. It would put him in danger, but I couldn’t stop wanting him.

He was all alone in the world, his mother had stood up for an Omega found to be having an ‘offensive relationship’ and in turn his father had defended her. Nicholas hadn’t even blinked when he executed the four of them, brutally. My father would always insist I saw such executions…it made me wonder if he knew? Did he have an inclination? Or did he just want to make sure he impressed his beliefs onto me? It was these questions that almost made my mind explode in paranoia…what if one day he caught me looking at Taylor? I could handle myself, but being made to watch anything happen Taylor made me feel physically sick. But it was hard to keep my eyes off of him. I knew he loved plants, the greenhouse of his tiny home was filled with all sorts of saplings. So when he finished school I secretly arranged for him to be given a job at the pack house as a gardener, especially in the orangery. I could see it from my bedroom window where I’d be able to catch glimpses of him without anyone seeing.

In the week leading up to when Taylor shifted, I found my feet leading me to his small home constantly. I desperately just wanted to knock on his door, but what would I say?

I couldn’t. What if I was seen? Caught? But all thoughts of that left my mind as I saw his door explode open and he staggered out, grunting in pain. My wolf twitched in my mind, wanting to go to him and I obeyed.

Grasping Taylor’s arms to help him with his shift, I gasped at the strength of the tingles I had heard so much about from other wolves. He looked up at me, startled by my presence, but nevertheless gave me a strained smile through his pain. He felt it too, he knew.

“I wanted it to be you. I’ve never wanted anyone like you. Will you be mine?” I asked hopefully, wanting to be selfish just this once.

He nodded enthusiastically, not an ounce of hesitation in his features and I smashed my lips to his, appreciating his sweet, fresh taste, like rain, just like his scent…my dew drop.

I held him as he shifted, hoping the mate bond would help. And when it was finally complete, I was in awe of his wolf; a petite, pretty blond wolf. He was tall for an Omega and the perfect svelte, lean muscular build; his wolf was no different. I shifted beside him, my wolf, Hawk, wanting to run and play with Taylor’s. We ran all night, clear of the pack borders, being careful not to be caught by patrols and rolling in mud and leaves to cover our scents as much as possible.

That night…we mated, we were each other’s firsts and I told him how much I loved him…how long I had loved him. It was a little clumsy and awkward at the start, neither of us knowing what we were doing, but it was perfect regardless. He was perfect. He was bold and challenging, but caring and loveable. His entire body fit against mine as a puzzle piece, my missing half, the half of myself that I had denied for years. I woke so many times in his bed having slept the night, unable to tear myself away from the warmth of his naked skin. But each time I did it, I was risking his life.

And then I would go home and see her. The girl that was brought here to be my chosen mate. The one standing in my way of being with my real mate. Just her presence alone was oppressive, every time I saw her she was a reminder of how much of a prisoner I was here like herself. Over time, it wasn’t just her being here that I hated, it began to grow more wildly after I found Taylor to be my mate, I began to hate her. She was the reason I couldn’t have my beautiful mate in my bed, in my life, in my home the way I wanted.

Everything changed the night I got too confident, too cocky.

I had asked Taylor to meet me behind the pack house. I was receiving more and more responsibilities and it was becoming increasingly difficult to find time for Taylor, but I’d give up sleep itself for him.

But I had been too impatient to taste him and I realised now, too late, that we could be spotted. I had heard the movement coming from the pack house and had stilled just as both myself and Taylor were about to reach our shared peak.

I knew Taylor had seen what happened to the guard as he flinched away, burying the side of his face further into my own.

What truly sent a shiver down my spine was my father’s voice forcing its way inside my mind.

‘It would be a shame, boy, for someone else to die tonight.’

He knew I was there…

Did he know who with?!…

I needed to get Taylor out of here now…and I needed him to stay away from now on.

If my father suspected anything from me, I would be under a microscope. I would be watched wherever I went and everything would be reported to him.

I placed on my cold and detached mask…and sent my mate away. I almost broke feeling his pain and my wolf howled in distress having to hurt him…but it was for his safety.

As the days went on, the pull I felt to him was maddening. I could feel him trying to mind-link me and I knew if I reciprocated I’d cave and go running to him. If I did that, it would be sentencing him to death. I would be followed and my father would know.

…And what he would do to Taylor…

He wouldn’t be quick or merciful.

He would take his time. He would be cruel. He would be brutal. And he would make me watch every second of it.

I needed Taylor out of here. Out of the pack and free of the bond.

I had one person I could trust without question, my Gamma, Scott. He knew I was gay, he knew about Taylor…and knew the cost of helping me and did so anyway. While I arranged the money for my mate, he arranged some transport for him. Nothing so far had happened to my Taylor. How long would that carry on?

I ordered a couple of warriors to bring Taylor to the border. They were loyal to my father and I knew they’d report back like the loyal mutts they were. If Nicholas had any misgivings about me, hopefully after this they’d be alleviated.

When my mate was dragged roughly in front of me, I almost caved. Seeing his beautiful face for the first time in what felt like years, my eyes zoned in on his jaw where a dark bruise was forming.

Those bastards had hurt him!

It was a good job they were already walking away as I would have taken their heads if they were still stood nearby. I knew their faces and I knew they’re wolves, dark grey and russet coloured. I would end them at some point, I didn’t care how long I had to wait.

I didn’t know what the worst part of this was. Rejecting Taylor, or the fear in his eyes. He had never been scared of me. Not even when he shifted for the first time and I appeared out of nowhere for him. Both would haunt me forever, I could already feel it.

Calling him ‘weak’ almost broke every resolve I had in me. He wasn’t weak, he was the strongest person I knew. His determined resolve in everything was the bravest thing I had ever seen. It was easy to be brave when you were tall and strong, but to show such bravery as an Omega was inspiring. But that bravery would kill him. If I didn’t reject him, he’d insist on staying by my side and fighting my father with me. And I was nowhere close to being able to challenge him…yet.

I shifted as soon as I turned my back, to run away. If I stayed any longer I’d take him back and flee with him. I almost had. When he grabbed my hands I wanted to take it all back, run from here with him and never look back. I knew how to disappear, I knew how to hide people.

…But if I did that, who would look out for the members of this pack? Who would shield them from Nicholas’s tyranny?

It felt like my mate had died, half my soul would never be present again. I needed something to numb this pain, anything to forget this had ever happened or that Taylor had existed.

Three bottles of whiskey later, my mind felt like a fog, reality and dreams merged. He was the one thing I had in my life to cling to and to hope for…and he was gone…all because of her. She hung over me like a guillotine…and now my true mate was gone…it would only be a matter of time before I would be forced to mark her. What was the point in waiting? It wasn’t as though I had anything to lose anymore…I had already lost everything.

I barely remembered going to her cell. But I remembered everything vividly when I was woken violently the following day.

f**k, what had I done?…I almost marked another by force…that was the tip of the iceberg for my torment.

My father had worked on me personally for my ‘reckless mistakes’, though he had applauded my sudden display of bold aggression. The scars from the silver lashings still marred the skin on my back from the week I spent in the cells. But it didn’t compare to the pain from the absence of Taylor. My actions came back to haunt me daily.

That girl had been completely innocent. She didn’t deserve my stupid hate I felt towards her. She was a victim that I should have helped sooner, instead of being so fixated on Taylor. But at least now she was free and I would make sure, in secret, that she remained free. It had been self-centred to want to run away, to block everything out, to forget everything.

I was an Alpha. That didn’t give me a pass to do whatever I wanted. It was an obligation, to do what was right and needed.

As much as it broke me, letting Taylor go gave him the chance at true freedom…the one thing I couldn’t give him, at least not right now. Not with my father as leader. I needed to bide my time. I knew I had some support, but it was quiet support. I had to show those that were living in fear, that I could protect them, that they could depend on me.

…And when the time came, I would find Taylor and beg for his forgiveness…and pray that he wouldn’t find a second chance mate in the time being. As selfish as it sounded, I wanted his happiness to be found with me.

~~~~

Taylor and his new mates were long gone. Only Alpha Morgan and his Gamma, Shane, remained now. This pack seemed a world away from my own, so open and free. Hopefully, one day soon, with the hard work I put in, my pack would be this accepting and forward thinking.

“About nine months ago, my father was dealt with, with the help of a friend; he was the one who helped me track Taylor down…but I guess it’s all too late now…” I sighed through laboured breaths, after having told Morgan how I came to be Alpha presently and why I had had to reject Taylor all those years ago.

Rejections were a strange thing. Breaking the bond in such a way, especially one that was so strong from the start, affected the bond permanently. The scar left on the soul never truly healed and how people dealt with that scar…could be ugly.

My bond, currently, felt so strange, like it was trying to reach out to not only Taylor…but the two wolves who stood beside him…the two very handsome wolves. I hadn’t missed the hickeys on his neck; what was strange was I wanted to place my own alongside theirs…I wanted to place my mark on them as well.