His Fated Mate: A Werewolf Romance

Rowan

This was not the way I planned for Fiona to discover that were werewolves. However, the words were out there now, and Rian would face my wrath and consequences later. At the moment, I needed to come up with a solution to calm Fiona so I could call her father. I was itching to tell him I held all the cards and if Mr. Cormac Quinn wanted his daughter back, he would meet my demands.

Her face had lost all color as she sat staring at us with her mouth hanging open, and I feared she might faint. “Nice one, Rian.” I threw him a menacing glare. “You’re a proper idiot, mate! What were you thinking? Take a good gander at her… she’s in shock or something.”

Rian groaned and raked a hand through his tousled hair. “Sorry, but sometimes it’s best to just rip off the band-aid. Besides, you’ve had ample time to tell her, ya know? Instead, you put it off, and I’m sure she must have been wondering.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Fiona, pet… are you all right? I promise you are not in any danger from us.”

Seeing her sit in silence, staring off into nothingness, I knew it was time to take action. I approached her with slow, measured steps to ensure I did not startle her. “Rian is right, Fiona. You have my word that we won’t hurt you.”

Her dark blue, piercing eyes lifted and met mine. “I don’t believe you or any of this. Sorry, Rowan, but it’s all too much for me to fathom. You expect me to believe you are a freaking werewolf? Without pause, she broke into laughter.

Fiona threw her head back and shrieked like a maniac, the sound echoing around the room.

My brother’s big mouth had caused her to become hysterical. I peered over my shoulder and narrowed my eyes at him. “See what you’ve caused! She is experiencing a bout of hysteria or something.”

“I’m not hysterical.” Fiona wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes. “It’s just hard to believe. First, I see a vampire, and now werewolves! What’s next? Witches, monsters, goblins, and warlocks?” She winked at me.

The sarcastic wench.

“I hope not,” I answered. “We try hard not to mix with the other races since we don’t get on very well.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” she said in a dry tone. “Did you kill that vampire outside the club?”

“No, I just maimed him pretty good, since the tools to kill him were not with me. I’ve scoured the bars, clubs, and pubs to gather information about Sexflex and find out who created and is distributing it. That bloodsucker might have been a human before.” I shrugged.

“What do you mean?” she asked, confusion marring her forehead.

“Someone could have given him Sexflex, and it’s very addictive. After taking several doses, it turns humans into certain creatures. I’m not sure how it all works yet, and don’t know why it turns some into vampires and others into goblins. Hell, for all I know, it may turn people into werewolves, fairies, or witches. I don’t have enough information, but I intend to find out.”

“I see,” Fiona ventured. “Well, I wish you luck, but I want to take Kat home.”

“Right,” I said, gritting my teeth. Although I planned on sending Fiona home as soon as I got what I wanted from her father, my inner werewolf was protesting. I knew I had to let her go, mate or not. Still, the thought of releasing Fiona after finally finding my mate stung—it hurt. Honestly, my heart ached, and I yearned for her.

I stood and pulled her cell phone out of my back pocket. “I’m going to call your father now, and you must cooperate because he is holding some of my pack members as prisoners, and I intend to get them back by exchanging you and Kat.”

She jumped from the chair, and it toppled to the floor. “That’s absurd, and I don’t believe you!” I watched her sharp blue eyes cloud over as tears dripped onto her t-shirt.

“I’m so sorry, Fiona.” I felt drained and tired of all the anger, so I threw her a tight, sad smile. “Cormac has several adults and a few children as young as four. Their parents are going out of their minds, and, as alpha, they are relying on me to get them back.”

“My father has children held captive?” she sobbed. “I can’t imagine the man I know doing something so evil.” Fiona pulled her shirt up and wiped her nose. “Sure, he’s never been very affectionate, but my father isn’t cruel! He’s a good father who cares for me and Kat, too. Her parents died some time ago, and he took her in. Sorry, but this is so overwhelming. Why would he take your people? You said he was a hunter… a killer, so why would he start kidnapping?”

“Think about it, pet…” Rian approached us, and I knew if he called her pet or love again, I might lose all control.

I realized I couldn’t keep her, but she still belonged to me. If I told Rian she was my destined mate, he’d back off, but he would also badger me about sending her away—I knew him too well. It was clear he fancied Fiona and if I rejected her, I feared he would mark her as his, regardless. The thought left me ill.

“He’s not just holding them captive, Fiona! Your father is using them for bloody experiments!” I pulled at my hair and recognized that my rage was jolting Fiona, so I attempted to be kinder.

“NO!” she yelled. “He would never—”

Despite my efforts to be more compassionate, her constant naïve behavior was too much.

Her cell phone rang in my hand, startling us all. I glanced down and smiled at the contact name on the screen: Father. “Well, well, well, speaking of the Devil.” I grinned and answered the call. “Hello, mate. How’s the world treating Cormac Quinn?” I listened to his confusion for a moment. “No, you have the correct number. I’m assuming you want to speak to your daughter… Hold on while I put it on speaker.”

I tapped the speaker button and glared at Fiona with raised brows. “Ok, Mr. Quinn, she can hear you now.”

“What? Who is this?” he asked in bewilderment.

“Father, it’s Fiona.” She began sobbing, which was fine by me. It was essential the bastard recognize how dire this situation was.

“Fiona! What is going on? Where are you? Is Kat with you, and who is that man answering your phone?”

I turned the speakerphone off. “Ahhh, you wound me, mate. I was sure you’d remember me since I could never forget you, ole chap. Now listen up, Quinn… If you want your pretty little daughter back unharmed, you must release all my pack members, and they best be alive, healthy, and well!” I growled into the phone, awaiting his response.

“Kat?” I questioned with raised brows. “Yes, we have her here, too.” I glanced at Fiona with a frown. “I’m sorry, Quinn, but Kat isn’t available right now. You can speak with your daughter, dirtbag.” The conversation wasn’t progressing the way I imagined. The pompous prick seemed more concerned for Katrina than his daughter, so I put him back on the speaker.

“I will NOT release your precious pack members until I speak to Kat!” I watched the range of emotions cross Fiona’s face at his steel-laced tone and felt sympathy for her. It was as if someone was squeezing the heart in my chest. She hadn’t known about her father after all, and I felt like a proper asshole.

She approached me with long, angry strides and grabbed the phone from my hand. “Kat will be fine, but what about me? Not once have you asked about me! You really are the monster they say you are, and I spent hours proclaiming your innocence! How could you,” she seethed and began sobbing. “Do you not care about me at all?”

Fiona’s words tore at my heart, and I couldn’t bear to look at her.

“What do you mean, Kat will be fine?” he asked. “Answer me, Fiona, and stop all that blubbering. You know how I hate when you carry on with such dramatics.” I heard his sigh of disgust over the phone and wanted nothing more than to bloody his face for causing Fiona such pain.

My inner wolf was also bursting at the seams, hearing the vitriol in his voice, and I would relish the day I wrapped my human hand around the bastard’s neck. How dare he speak to my mate in such a way! It didn’t matter that I could never mark Fiona as mine. Hearing him belittle her caused my blood to boil, but I calmed myself by vowing to kill him.

“You’re a monster,” Fiona screamed, breaking my dark thoughts.

“Fiona!” His nasal voice filled the room, and my rage grew. “I’ve no time for this. What happened to Kat? And tell your new friends there’s no deal unless I get Katrina back untouched!”

“Katrina?” she ventured, her face scrunched in despair. “What about me, Father? Kat is fine!”

“They can keep you for all I care.” His voice sounded bored as he discarded his daughter like a piece of trash. “And if Kat is fine, I want to talk to her before I agree to anything! You can stay there with those mangey beasts, but I will get my Katrina back!”

I watched as she stood, her cell phone clutched in a shaking hand, mouth open, eyes wet and wide. Fiona seemed in shock, and I sensed her father had broken her heart, so I snatched the phone from her sweaty hand. “Listen here, you arrogant, disgusting bastard! Your precious Katrina could speak to you if she was responsible and smart, like your daughter! And they are both alive thanks to me and my brother. Katrina acted like a bloody eejit and thought it would be a lark taking unknown drugs from a bloody stranger last night, but Fiona knew better. That stranger gave her Sexflex and lured her to the back of The Magenta club!”

“Sexflex!” he yelled into the phone. “How many did she—”

“She only took one, but that’s not the point, old man. Katrina took it from a vampire!” I heard his audible intake of breath and knew I hit a nerve. “And before you ask… yes, he bit her and would have killed both girls had I not shown up when I did.”

“And I suppose you think I owe you something for this act of gallantry,” he snarled over the phone.

“Listen, you filthy gobshite… I want nothing from you except what belongs to me. After using a special serum to extract any impurities or poison from her neck wound, the foolish girl will be fine. But you know what to do if you want the girls back...”

“All I care about is getting my lass, Katrina, back. You can keep Fiona.”

“You will take them both or none,” I replied through gritted teeth. My heart wanted to take Cormac up on the offer and keep Fiona, but I couldn’t get past knowing my fated mate’s father hunted my kind. I just couldn’t, but my heart ached for her having such an evil fecker for a father.

“Fine, I will gather your property, and we can meet at—”

“No, I will call you back with instructions.” I ended the call. The narcissistic prick wasn’t calling the shots. I was.