The Great Escape Series

MILO

After giving the pack instructions on what to do with Ira, I quickly made my way into the forest. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could resist her, and it took every last bit of my control to turn my back to her.

“What the fuck are you doing? That’s our mate over there! Go back now!”

Igor was yelling and snarling at me for leaving our mate as he paced at the back of my mind, desperately trying to take over.

“No! She is not our mate! We had our mate and lost her, or have you forgotten that? Because I sure haven’t, and I will not dirty her memory by getting involved with a Hunter’s offspring!”—I snapped back at him in anger.

“She is not a bad person, Milo. She even saved one of our own. And I don’t care about her family; she didn’t want to be a part of it and came here. We should go back and claim her!”

I just ignored him and shifted, deciding to run and carry out a patrol. It was not my turn to do it, but I needed to do something or I would have gone crazy. Rage was coursing through my veins like fire, spurring me to go faster.

I was consciously running away from my problems. Even though it made me feel embarrassed since I was an alpha and we never ran away, I couldn’t stop.

I was terrified and, most of all, extremely confused. How can she be my mate? It must be a mistake, because I’ve already had one.

“It can happen,” Igor piped in annoyingly. I ignored him once again, and he huffed, pouting like a small child.

I knew he was right. It was incredibly rare but a second mate could be found, and it had happened a few times before. At the moment, however, I didn’t want to hear it.

What had happened three years ago still haunted me, and I couldn’t just let all that go and shack up with a child I’d only had one conversation with, if her ranting like a lunatic and me scaring her could even be called one.

What had drawn my attention to her was a small scar across her cheek. It was probably a few years old and looked like someone had slashed her across the face. It should have made her look ugly, but in my eyes, it only enhanced her beauty.

“See, you like her! I don’t understand why you are being so stubborn then! Now go back and claim her!” ~Igor said, yanking me out of my thoughts.~

“Just because I may find her a bit attractive does not mean that I will claim her, or that I even want to. Even if I could get over the fact that she’s my second mate, the fact that her entire family are Hunters is unforgivable.

“She may not want them now, but blood is blood. I could never get myself to trust her.”

My answer was met with no response.

Great, I guess he is going with the silent treatment now. Whatever, he is irritating after all.

I got up from my perch on the big boulder near the east border and proceeded toward the pack house.

“Milo?” I heard Lucas hesitantly calling through the mind-link.

“Yes?”

“Are you okay? You were acting strange when we came back, and then you ran off, so I got worried,” Lucas asked, and it made me smile even though I would never tell him that.

We had been best friends our whole lives, and even after I’d changed and become cold and distant, he never gave up on me. He was there, silent and at a distance, but always there.

“I am okay. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. Meet me in my office and bring your brother with you,” I said and cut off the link~.

I thought about telling him that the kid was apparently my mate but quickly dismissed the idea. Knowing him, he would be on my case even worse than Igor, and that was the last thing I needed right now.

He would just bug me to give it a shot and move on, but that was never going to happen. I had already made up my mind and nothing was going to change that. I would not replace her with a disgusting Huntress.

***

When I entered the office, the two brothers were already waiting for me there. I quickly snatched a pair of shorts from the couch and threw them on before getting behind my desk.

“Did you take our little guest to her room?” I asked Lucas, anxious to get that matter out of the way before getting to the questions I really wanted answers to.

“Yes, Alpha. I gave her the room across from Rafa’s as it has been empty since Dana moved out. It is also close to my apartment, so I can keep an eye on her,” he answered, but I could see that he was holding something back.

“And?”

He cleared his throat, shooting a sideways glance at his little brother before facing me. “The girl’s reaction to the room was a little unexpected to be honest.”

I scoffed and glared. “What? Did she think she was going to be staying in a five-star hotel?

“She should be grateful that I have even given her a room and not tossed her into the cell like I really wanted to,” I huffed as my anger returned with full force.

I knew I was right in not wanting to have anything to do with her. She was obviously arrogant and spoiled, and I detested her for it.

“Um…that is not what I was trying to say, Alpha,” Lucas responded.

I looked at him, frowning, and motioned for him to elaborate.

“At first, she didn’t believe that it was her room. After we assured her that it indeed was, she went quiet and turned her back on us. I thought the same thing as you, but then she turned around and we saw that she was crying.

“She thanked us like a million times and had the widest smile I’ve ever seen on her face. It was just strange, her excitement…like—”

“She acted like I did when I first got my own room; like it was the best thing that had ever happened to her,” Rafa butted in.

Lucas nodded in agreement.

I looked at them, completely confused. Why would she react like that?~ It just doesn’t make sense~.

“I think she was abused back home,” Rafa chimed in suddenly, making me freeze, while Igor growled in my head. “What?”

Rafa shuffled around in his seat, looking between me and his brother nervously.

“I heard her accuse her father of that when she was rescuing me. I was a little preoccupied at that moment, but I am sure she had mentioned something about the man beating her.”

At those words, my blood went cold. She was abused by her own father?~ What kind of a person would do such a thing to their child~?~ A Hunter~,~ of course~. For a moment, I had forgotten what kind of people we were talking about.

Well, she will be safe here. I may not want to have anything to do with her, but I will make sure nothing bad happens to her. She did save Rafa, after all. Yes, that’s why I am doing this. That’s the only reason.