CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

«You should forgive and live on,» Lara tried.

It was a matter of her cubs' life. She needed to try her best at surviving and bringing them out of there. Even if it meant convincing a mad wolf to let them go.

«Forgive and live on? To forget and let Nathaniel Woods kill me just like my father was killed by his?»

«Oh, no,» Lara exclaimed. «I'm sure Nate will accept a truce! He's not the type to insist on pointless feuds, isn't he?»

«How well do you know him, Miss?» he scoffed. «Can you promise in his stead that he won't take advantage of the peace to kill me with a surprise attack?»

«Nate doesn't do surprise attacks,» she said. «He's straight-forward. And he doesn't do revenge, I'm sure of it.»

He was patient with the members of his pack, and he could wait for the right moment to act.

«Whatever,» the man said. «You're asking me to let go of my grudge and forget. I'm the one who lost my father, and my ancestor is the one who died. It's easy to speak about forgiveness from the other side when you're the one bringing harm.»

«That's not what I meant,» Lara replied. «I'm not talking about forgetting or forgiving... Just, stop hurting each other at once. It will do good to both Nate and you!»

«You talk too much, woman.»

She instinctively flinched, feeling her cubs gripping her shirt and growling at the man.

«Your role here is causing his breakdown, not tiring me out with your voice!»

She pushed the cubs back when they tried coming forward to protect her, and she faced him in silence with her eyes wide in fear but not wavering one bit.

The man stepped forward and bowed down to meet her expression.

«You're his precious thing,» he said. «As such, you're a precious thing for me as well. In another way, and with other purposes, though.»

He caressed her face with a finger, trailing her features and stopping under her chin. He pushed up, forcing her to raise her head and show him all of her stubbornness.

«I don't need the pups,» he decided. «Only the woman.»

Somehow, it didn't sound like he wanted to let the twins leave. As a reaction, Lara moved back, getting free from his touch and dragging her cubs in the corner. She hugged them, tightly, settled on not letting go.

«Don't hurt my kids,» she begged, but it didn't seem to work. «Please, don't.»

«I don't need them. Moreover, they're Woods. One day, they will kill my children - or they will try. Half-humans, at that. Isn't he even shy about it? What great fortune he has a human mate.»

«Fortune?» Lara repeated, dumbfounded.

«Yes! I won't need to use any odd or exhausting ways of torture with you. You're as delicate as a flower for a wolf. Hurting you won't be any difficult... As for the pups, I can't let them go. I wasn't going to bring them here, in the beginning, but they interfered. Now, they're a nuisance.»

«Hitting someone through the people they cherish is a low move,» she pointed out. «And you're a low person.»

Her pout made him chuckle, more amused than offended by her words. Nathaniel Woods's mate was an interesting person.

«Why don't you ditch him, ah?» he said. «He'll bring you more trouble than pleasure, believe me. And you won't feel the mate bond, so it won't be too difficult, all in all...»

«What are you talking about now?» she scoffed.

He had started threatening, repeating he would torture and hurt her badly. But then, at some point, he had decided to reason with her and convince her to leave Nate. For what reason?

Most likely, all he wanted was for Nate to suffer. It didn't matter how and why as long as he had some damage and pain.

«We have spent years apart, and Nate was just fine,» Lara said. «Your idea is stupid.»

«So, you won't leave him?»

«No, of course not.»

«What a pity,» he sighed. He liked her, a little. It was obvious what had charmed Nathaniel Woods. «Then I'll have to do it alone.»

Hearing his words, the twins growled and escaped from Lara's embrace. They tried cutting his trousers and skin with their claws, and they even bit his calves with their sharp fangs. Yet, the man didn't even flinch. He got rid of the pups by kicking them away, first one and then the other.

Scarlet bounced back, ending in her mother's arms. At the same time, Jaden kept his teeth deeply stuck in that man's leg. He needed a second attempt to send him flying.

«No!» Lara shouted. She followed her son with her eyes while he flew on the other side of the room. He hit a wall, and the sound of cracking bones made her blood run cold. What happened to her boy?

She shouted, grabbing her hair and almost pulling. Then, realising she could move, she ran to the corner next to her son.

Her fingers touched his arm, but she didn't dare move him an inch. Scarlet crawled to her, sobbing and whining.

«Why?» she murmured, her eyes becoming dark from the shock.

Jaden didn't move. His eyes were closed, and his hair messy. It looked like he was sleeping peacefully. There wasn't any grimace on his face, even if the impact must have been painful.

«What did you do to my son?» she said while tears started flowing on her cheeks. She knelt next to the boy, one arm gripping Scarlet by instinct, not to allow her to hurt herself.

«Uh?» the man hummed.

He opened his mouth to say something, but he was distracted by her face. Her expression, pure desperation, hit his nerves.

He couldn't stand to look any longer.

«Humans,» he mumbled to himself.

His shoulders drooping and his mood ruined, he turned on his steps and left the room, leaving the family again in the dark.

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