Her Mates by Tamara White

Twenty-Five

“Can you hear me?” I ask Cam, shaking his shoulder gently. It’s been ten minutes since I healed him, and he still hasn’t regained consciousness.

“Maybe he’s sleeping? Let me slap his face. I’ve seen that work before,” Pete offers, hovering above us.

“If you slap me, then I’ll slap you back,” Cam replies, slowly sitting up. He groans, clutching his chest where the biggest fresh scar is.

“Are you okay? Does it still hurt?” I question, helping him stand.

“No, it’s all good, just stiff. Probably from you forcing me to heal so quickly,” he says, giving me a small smile.

“So, you’re definitely not in pain?” He shakes his head in response. “Good,” I chirp, shoving him hard in the chest. “Now what the hell were you thinking? Why didn’t you shift?” I demand. He could have shifted, but he didn’t, and I want to know why.

“Dani, calm down. I’m okay,” he soothes, trying to placate me.

“No, answer me! Why would you do that? I was watching you bleed out from silver wounds and you didn’t shift! I love you, and you were willing to die because of some stupid rule!” I screech. He watches me while I pant, trying to catch my breath to start yelling again.

He pulls me close, kissing me, and I don’t get the chance to start screaming again. I sigh into his kiss before I push him back, remembering I’m pissed.

“You can’t just kiss me and make it go away,” I snap, sulking as I turn my back on him.

“You love me,” he says softly, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

“No, I don’t. You heard wrong,” I reply defiantly.

“Dani, I’m pretty sure you said—”

“Pete, if you finish that sentence, I will make sure you can’t walk,” I threaten.

“I’m sorry, Dani, but you can’t hate me for long, you love me,” Cam whispers in my ear playfully.

I push away from his arms and walk toward his dad. I need to deal with this because I’m not ready to face my feelings for Cam or the others yet. Isn’t it too soon to love someone? It’s only been a week, but it feels like a lifetime.

“You coming? It’s time to deal with dear old Dad,” I call behind me.

There’s something satisfying about seeing Luke being held down by Tim and James. It’s like being a kid in a candy shop. Dad looks to be enjoying this too.

“Luke Bairn, Alpha King to our Alpha Pair, did you or did you not instruct your enforcers to kill my mate, your son, Cameron Bairn?” I question when I’m within hearing distance.

Sonja steps in front of him, ready to defend him. “How dare you treat our king this way?”

“And how dare you stand by while my mate is being killed. It’s clearly a violation of the trials, but you let it happen. I want the truth. If he didn’t give them the order, then he’s free to get up and I will accept any punishment he deems appropriate. But if I’m right, I want his authority stripped,” I demand, letting my wolf step forward to the front of my mind.

“Fine.” She waves me ahead to ask my questions. It looks like she wants nothing more than to stop me, but she can’t exactly do that since the whole pack is watching us. Not to mention the members from visiting packs.

“Oh, before we start. James? Do you want to tell everyone here what’s so special about me first? You know, the thing you said earlier,” I prompt, referring to our conversation about my powers. It will click in a moment.

Mitchell, Jonnie, Jason, Pete, and Nate fan out behind Luke, just in case he attempts to run. They all know what I’m talking about.

Cam stays by my side, staring down at his father in disgust.

“Well, as I explained earlier, you’re the most powerful of your line. What that means is you have abilities no other wolf has. You have ability to heal others, your wolf is more dominant so you can force your will, making a wolf tell the truth, and you will be able to scent lies,” he elucidates, listing off each of my new powers. What the others have figured out is that I know how to use my will to force him to tell the truth. I may not be able to scent lies yet, but I can force him to tell the truth.

Cam grips my hand, and I’m not sure if he needs comfort or if he’s trying to comfort me.

“Now, again, Luke, same question. Did you give the enforcers who fought with Cam knives made of pure silver?” I ask, pushing my will into my voice.

He’s visibly sweating, and I enjoy seeing him struggle.

“Yes,” he spits out, looking up at me with defiance in his eyes.

“Okay then, next question. Did you tell them to kill Cam?”

I’m pretty sure the whole pack is holding their breath, waiting for his answer.

“Yes,” he answers, paling considerably. There are gasps among the pack and most look outraged. Even the elders look shocked.

“Why? He’s your son, why would you want him dead?” I question, gripping Cam’s hand harder.

“Why? He stood in my way, and I figured if someone died in the trials, then it would be delayed until we find out if my mate is carrying the next Alpha Queen.”

“You would kill your son so you can lead your people a little longer? Even if your wife has a girl, the second trial has been completed, which means you won’t be able to stay on the throne unless I fail. What was the point?” I inquire, confused about his plan. It makes no sense.

“If my enforcers hadn’t failed me, then you’d already be dead, just like your mother,” he snarls, and I lose my shit.

I swing at him, tackling him out of the hold Tim and James have him in. I land three punches to his jaw before Cam pulls me off.

“It’s okay, you hurt him. Now we punish him,” he says in my ear, but that’s not enough for me. I want him punished for everything he’s done.

“No. I have a few more questions, then it’s up to you and the former Alpha Pair to punish him,” I address the elders, confident I’m making the right choice.

I’m too biased to give him a punishment, but the elders can do it. I trust that Monique and Walter will help them mete out the right sentence. If it was up to me, he would be dead.

“Okay, Luke, now that we’ve established you had something to do with trying to kill my mate and possibly my mother, confession time. Who have you killed in your life?”

“Zane, Ferin, Mela, and Blair,” he lists, trying to put his hands over his mouth to stop himself from talking, but James and Tim keep them at his side.

“Who were they?”

Neither of the first two names mean anything to me, but when Luke said Mela, Cam’s grip tightened painfully. Her name means something to him. And then there’s my mother. I knew he killed her, but having it confirmed makes me mourn her loss all over again.

“Zane and Ferin were my uncles,” he continued. “They tried to take the pack from me ten years ago. Blair was your mother and our deceased Alpha Queen. Mela was my daughter,” he replies, dropping a bomb on us.

“How could you kill Mela? She was stillborn,” Cam asks, demanding answers, but Luke just stares at the ground, not answering him.

“Answer the question, Luke!” I order, using more of my will than necessary. He whimpers and submits his neck before responding.

“We knew Carrie was pregnant with twins, so when she gave birth to Cameron first, we decided he had to be killed. It was the only way to guarantee Mela could rule as Alpha Queen. I fed you a bottle filled with pure, liquid silver, but somehow you had moved around in your crib. I fed your sister instead of you. It’s your fault she’s dead.”

I thought I would be the one to punch him, but Cam beats me to it. “Don’t you dare blame me for something you did. Mela could have been Alpha Queen. You didn’t need me dead for that. It’s your fault,” he screams down at him in a rage.

My poor mate has suffered his entire life believing he’s the reason his sister died, and now that he knows the truth, hopefully it will bring him some peace.

“I don’t know what’s more despicable. You planning to kill your own son or your mate helping you. Is there anything else you want to confess to the packs? How about what happened with my mother?”

“Your mother died because she was a slut who couldn’t keep her legs closed. She pretended to love me, only to trick me and choose your scum of a father instead. I’m glad I killed her. If I had found you, you’d be just as dead,” he sneers, and my dad clocks him.

I laugh abruptly and my mates join in. It’s nervous laughter from the absurdity of the situation. Everyone is taking a swing at the king.

“Is there anyone else who has a grievance against Luke? You can step up and punch him too,” I offer between laughs.

A few hands raise in the crowd, including James, my mates, Monique, and Walter.

“For now, I want him moved to one of the cages you talk about and held there until we can determine what to do with him. His mate can go too,” I announce, seeing Carrie trying to sneak off in the corner of my eye.

Jake creeps up behind her, grabbing her by the wrist, and starts leading her toward the house, while Tim and Dad drag Luke between them. It’s like he’s finally defeated.

“Thank you for dealing with this issue for us, Danielle. None of us realized just how bad Luke was,” Sonja comments, bowing her head in submission. I don’t believe it one bit, but now’s not the time for that. We still have the results of the trial.

“That’s okay, if you knew about it, then it would be so much worse. Now, can we get back to the trials?”

“Of course. We will go score each of your mates and be back with the results shortly,” Lance replies, winking at me and walking away, the other elders following closely behind.

I look around at the pack members and feel so badly for them. They appear scared and confused. A pack should be a tight-knit community, one that feels safe.

“Everyone, come gather around,” I call loudly, walking over to Laura’s side.

“Laura, I need your help. If I screw up, can you step in?” I request softly.

“Of course,” she agrees, squeezing my hand, “but you’ll be great.”

“Hello, I’m Dani. Most of you know who I am by now, and I just want you to know that everything will be okay. I may not have known much when I came here, but you are my people. I will do everything in my power to be a fit ruler for our kind and make things better for each person individually, not just for the good of the pack.

“On our own, we are weak, but as a pack, we are strong. In the last few days, I have seen so much dissension between the ranks as wolves fight among each other over mates, and spread whispers and fears about other pack leaders. Your own king is a murderer. This shouldn’t be the way we live.

“There should be harmony between each pack, making us a united front. I’m making it my promise, here and now, that when I am queen, we will be a pack in the true sense of the word. No more fighting, no more secrets, all our history out in the open.

“Until the trials are over, I’m appointing Laura and her mate Tim as my stand-ins. They will both be able to help you with any problems you have, and my mates here” —I gesture at Jason, Pete, Nate, Jonnie, Mitchell, and Cam who are all spread out around me— “will also help you. They’re alphas of their packs and can assist if Laura and Tim can’t.”

Cheers and applause rise up amongst the people surrounding me, making my wolf preen. She knows we will be a good leader, I just have to decide if that’s what I want.

Tim and Laura are more qualified for the position though. I still need to find out if they would be interested in the role. I’m not just going to push it on them.

“You did good,” Jason whispers at my side. I grin, glad I didn’t make a complete fool out of myself.

After what feels like a lifetime, the elders all come back out and the pack dissipates from around us, leaving my mates, Stephen, Trey, Rick, Laura, and Monique gathered close.

“We have voted. Stephen and Trey, you are no longer eligible for the Alpha King position as you were outscored,” Sonja announces, dismissing them.

I don’t even watch as they leave. They were playing us for something, so it’s better they’re gone.

“There is, however, a little problem with the remaining scores. Four mates won’t be going through to the next trial. Cameron was ranked highest with a score of forty-five out of fifty, so he’s automatically allowed into the next trial. The remaining five all tied with a score of thirty-six. You will have a choice to make—leave the remaining five and enter the next trial with just Cameron, or take all of them with you and forfeit your right as Alpha Queen. We will leave you for a moment to think it through before making a decision,” Sammy declares, before turning on his heel and taking the other elders with him, even if Jax is reluctant to leave. He probably just wants to be here while I have the agonizing experience of deciding what to do.

Monique, Walter, and Laura scatter, leaving me and my mates. What do I do? This isn’t an easy choice to make.

“Dani, before you say anything, let us each say our piece, and then we will leave you to decide. I just want you to know I care about you, but I think you should choose Cam. He’s so much better for you. We can still be friends, but he’s what’s best for you,” Mitchell announces, shocking me.

I thought he would want to be with me as well as the others. Is he saying he doesn’t want that?

“Mitch is right. I care about you too, I just don’t think I’m right for you. You’re a beautiful, strong woman that I would be proud to be with, but you deserve to be spoiled by one man. Cam is one of us, so I know he’ll take care of you,” Jonnie says, continuing along the same lines as his brother.

They both walk away, leaving me with Pete, Jason, Nate, and Cam.

“Sorry, firecracker, but I agree with them. You would be better off with Cam than all of us, even if it will break me apart to say goodbye,” Pete murmurs, pulling me in for a bone crushing hug. I breathe in his scent and try to keep the tears at bay. They’re all backing down rather than making me choose.

“See you soon, boys,” Pete says, clapping Jason and Nate on the back before joining Mitchell and Jonnie.

“Ah, sweet Dani. It was the best week of my life getting to know you. I hope you won’t hold this against any of us. You and Cam will make the best Alpha King and Queen the packs have seen in centuries,” Jason states, giving me a soft kiss on the cheek. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I saw a tear on his cheek.

“Nate, if you say no to being my mate, I’ll cry,” I warn him, losing my struggle to keep the tears at bay. How can they all just give me up? I thought they wanted us to be together.

“Oh, darling, come here,” he whispers, holding out his arms for me. I hug him, letting myself cry and my wolf mourn. She wants all of them just as much as I do.

“I really don’t want to let you go, but we’re only doing it for you. Remember that.” He kisses my forehead before briskly walking away, leaving me feeling cold and alone until Cam wraps his arms around me.

“You love us all, don’t you?”

I respond by nodding my head as tears roll down my face, feeling my heart shatter.

“Monique, can we speak to you?” Cam calls to her, making her perk up and head my way.

“What’s wrong?” she asks when she sees the tears on my face.

“They all chose Cam. They didn’t want me,” I answer, ending on a sob. Cam turns me into his chest so I can let out the grief I feel while he talks to Monique.

“They chose to walk away and leave her with me instead of making her choose. I called you over to ask if she can overrule their decision?”

At that, I perk up. I spin around, watching her, waiting for the answer. Maybe they can all stay with me.

“Yes, she can. They’re her mates, but if they truly don’t want to, then they don’t have to,” she replies, causing my hopes to rise and fall simultaneously.

“Thank you,” he says, dismissing her.

Once she’s back with the others, Cam tilts my head up to meet his eyes. “You have to tell the elders you choose all of them.”

“But they said they thought I was better with you. What if they just repeat that to the elders?” I question him, feeling defeated.

“Then you make them see that you want us all.”

I glance over at them and know I can’t be without them. How do I convince them?

Sighing, I run through my options when I notice the elders and everyone else heading back my way.

“It’s time for you to decide, Dani. What do you wish to do?” Sonja demands snidely. I guess bitch face didn’t want to wait any longer for my answer.

“I’ve decided I want all my mates or none of them. I won’t compete in the trials without them,” I declare boldly, staring at my boys all gathered over at the side.

Pete bolts away from them and picks me up, spinning me around before placing me on unsteady feet. He kisses me in front of everyone and I relax. He’s not mad, he really was just trying to do what’s best for me.

The others don’t even hesitate following Pete, making me cry happy tears. I expected a worse result, but they’re all over the moon.

“Very well then, you have your mates. I’m not sure what has been explained to you, but the next trial is a diplomacy ball. There, you will meet with each of the packs’ alphas. They will invite you to their pack where they will have an issue of some sort, whether real or fabricated, and it will be your job to offer a suitable solution. We will be accompanying you and your mates to each pack to judge your performance.

“We then review you on how well you completed a task, sorted out a disagreement, or set up a permanent solution. You are judged on whether it was the right thing to do and a variety of other factors. We can’t help you in any way, so be warned, whatever choices you make will impact our final review,” Jax explains, having softened a little. He actually smiled when my mates ran to me.

“Thank you. I wasn’t sure what the next trial entailed. I really appreciate the heads-up. Will you be staying here until the next trial?” I inquire.

“Yes, we will be staying, but we will have to send an envoy to Luke’s pack, letting them know why he won’t be returning. Everyone will want to hear his fate,” Lance responds.

“Well, if it’s okay with you, I would like permission to spend time with my mates until the trial.”

“Sure, that’s no problem. Go, enjoy your free time while you can. Once you’re queen, you will barely have time to wipe your own ass,” Sammy teases, making me laugh. He may look tough and intimidating, but on the inside, he’s a softie.

“Thank you,” I squeal, trying not to rush over and hug Sammy. I grab Cam’s and Mitchell’s hands, steering them away from the elders, while all my boys hurriedly follow me, their laughter trailing through the air.

It’s over. We can finally relax.

“Where are we going, firecracker?” Pete calls from behind.

“We’re going to watch a movie and eat. I’m exhausted from watching each of you risk your lives. Cam almost died. So we are just going to lie down, watch a movie, and sleep. Well, I am. You guys can eat. I’m sure you’re exhausted too.”

I’m most likely going to crash as soon as I hit the mattress. There’s no better place to sleep than being surrounded by my mates.

Afterword

Thank you!

Thank you, guys, so much for giving the new version of this book a read. I’ve learned many things since I first wrote this book, but I hope you all see the changes and think they’re for the better.

To the wonderful readers who have come back and reread this book so many times they can recite it word for word, it’s for you guys that I have put my heart and soul into perfecting this novel.

With Her Pack coming in the next four weeks, I hope you all enjoy your re-read!