Bonded ✔️

Chapter 14: Part One

As I waited for Rowan to join me in my office, I looked at the territory map that hung on the wall. A sense of dread had started eating away at me as I realized the enormity of the situation my pack was facing. Our lack of an ally made us vulnerable, which made me feel very uneasy. This was a situation that was far more important than figuring out how to make a relationship with Lincoln work; that was something that could be handled another day, after I had fulfilled my responsibility to my pack. 

My father's tattered map offered me some reassurance, because it reminded me that my territory was protected on two of its four sides by a network of rivers and mountains. The only immediate threats were Alpha Taylor and Alpha Connor; both men who had urged me to merge packs with them during our meetings. For now, I wasn't worried about Lincoln's dad, but I wasn't sure what to think of Alpha Connor.

"I am at your service, my dear Alpha," Rowan teased as he walked into my office. I rolled my eyes at him and walked over to sit behind my desk. He followed suit, sitting across from me and observing me with a serious expression. The safety of the pack was our number one priority, and I think that we both had realized that the insanity that had filled the last 24 hours had distracted us from that. 

"We never discussed the other meetings I had with the regional Alphas," I cut straight to the point. My nails drummed on the top of the oak desk in front of me as I formulated my thoughts. "Alpha Bennett was a dead end, that's never going to happen," I finally stated with a sigh.

Rowan nodded his head slowly, "We expected that though. He's the oldest Alpha in the region, and the likelihood of him ever considering you to be an equal was very unlikely," he voice was even as he smoothed my frayed nerves. "What about Alpha Connor?"

Rowan's mention of the Alpha brought the memory of our meeting to the forefront of my mind. I struggled to decide what to say as I recalled the meeting we had.

My hands rested calmly in my lap even though they craved to fidget from the nervous feeling coursing through my body. Despite the face that we had interacted with each other several times before this, and awkward silence filled the office. 

He was eight years older than me, but I was familiar with him from the years we had both attended summer trainings. He had been one of the young men I was forced to spar with. I couldn't remember much other than the fact that he always let me get a few punches in before taking me down. Honestly, he had been the only one who didn't seem to get some sick, sadistic satisfaction from beating me up.

This was the first time I had seen him since I was a 10 year old. I hadn't known it then, but once he found his mate his father had given him the Alpha position and the trainings weren't necessary anymore. Jackson had been cordial so far, but I wasn't sure yet how he really felt regarding the possibility of working together. 

"Relieved to be speaking to someone your own age?" He joked attempting to break the ice.

"I'll be relived when I get an ally, Jackson," I replied calmly. "However, I am happy that I don't have to worry about you being my mate. Where is she? I'd love to meet her after we finish here."

In all reality, I couldn't care less about his mate. I had promised Jonathan that I'd be diplomatic, so I was putting forth my best effort. I noticed Jackson's face drop at the mention of his mate. Confusion filled my thoughts as he rested his forehead in his hand, looking down at his desk.

Before he spoke a word, I already knew what he was going to say. I had seen that look before. It was the look of a man who had lost the most important woman in his life. "I wish you could," he cleared his throat and paused before continuing, "but she passed a couple years ago."

I shook my head and brought myself back into the present, "It's a possibility, but it's a delicate situation."

Rowan looked at me with a confused expression. Normally I would have told him about this already, but after discovering Lincoln was my mate I hadn't had a spare minute to think of anything other than him. I rubbed one of my hands across my chin, "He lost his mate a few years back."

"What's that matter?" My Beta commented in reply. 

I shot him a hard look, "Well, imagine the mindset you'd be in if you lost Leila."

A deep breath left his body, and one of his hands trailed to the back of his neck and rubbed it roughly, "Yeah, I guess I see what you mean."

"He offered us protection. I argued that I didn't want the protection, instead I needed the support of another Alpha," I explained. "Basically he wants to merge packs just like the other Alphas do, except he's saying he would let me maintain control over my people and the territory would remain ours."

"What does he get out of this," Rowan furrowed his brows,

I shook my head softly before continuing, thinking of how sad his face had looked during our conversation, "All he wants is companionship. Apparently ever since his mate died, the absence of a strong female has left his pack distressed. I would be there to help bring back a sense of normalcy, but there would be no romantic relationship involved between us."

Rowan leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling, "Damn, if you hadn't found your mate that would have been perfect." 

"Except I did," I glared at his chin, since he refused to look back down and meet my gaze, "and I plan on giving Lincoln the opportunity to prove that we can align with one another. If all else fails, at least there's another option on the table."

A brief period of silence filled the room after my proclamation. Rowan was right, Jackson's proposal would have most likely been accepted if I hadn't come to find out Lincoln was my mate. However, talking with my Beta about the situation had made it even more clear that something had to be done now if I wanted to keep my people safe.

"I'm going to find Lincoln," I stood up from my desk and walked toward the door without sparing Rowan another look.

"What's the rush?" I heard him call from behind me.

I stopped to pull open the door, and with one hand still grabbing the side of it I looked back over my shoulder to reply, "He needs to start working on an alliance between our packs, and before he can do that I have to mark him." 

Shutting the door behind me, I headed up the stairs to Lincoln's room. By the end of today I would have accepted my mate, and my people would be one step closer to gaining the safety I was working so hard to get them. 

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#198 in Werewolf, my babies you are the BOMB.COM.

This is relatively short because part 2 will be up tomorrow, and I promise it will be everything you've ever dreamed of ;)

Let me know what you think of Jackson (AKA Alpha Connor) and what this could possibly mean for Harley in the future! 

Much love <3