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Chapter 854: Crude awakening (2)

Arya was gaping at Michelle. Michelle was always calm and composed, a perfect Luna, and this was a woman with a belly full of anger who was baring her fangs to defend what was hers. And the worst thing was that Michelle's Alpha aura was pressing on Arya to the point of numbing her reasoning.         

Arya felt wronged. She had no idea who Keith was, nor did she feel the bond. Sure, he was handsome, but why would she side with a stranger over a man who practically raised her?     

Cristian was not an Alpha of the Spring Leaf pack when Arya was a child, and he kept an eye on her as she was growing up. But she couldn't see him as a father figure. Cristian was not much older than Arya when thinking in terms of werewolf aging. Fourteen years. When she is thirty, he will be forty-four, but... that will never happen. Arya knew that much.     

No matter how much out of reach Alpha Cristian was, Arya couldn't just accept a guy she had just met as her forever-mate. And they didn't even meet! She opened her eyes to see him attack her Alpha, and then he stormed out, and that was it.     

"How do I know he is my mate?" Arya asked Michelle. "What if he is with me because of my looks?"     

Michelle snorted, and she reached into her purse to fish out a hand mirror. "Your looks? Maybe you should see yourself."     

Arya opened the mirror, and her eyes widened in shock. She was mostly bandaged, and parts of her skin that were visible were bruised. She was a mess.     

"As for feeling the bond," Michelle said. "Close your eyes, Arya. Feel the emotions that are flowing into you. The man spent a day by your side. I'm confident your bond is strong enough to sense each other."     

Arya released a long breath and closed her eyes. She could feel the anger and confusion and… "He is hurt. He thinks I betrayed him."     

Michelle wanted to say that he was not wrong, but then she saw Arya getting up.     

"You should stay in bed."     

"No. I can't stay here. Not when my mate thinks I was siding with another man over him."     

"That's exactly what you did, Arya," Michelle said sternly. "You need to learn that actions have consequences. If you are going to keep your appearance of a prideful ice princess, you should stay in bed and let that man move on."     

Move on!? The idea of never seeing Keith again was making her stomach twist into painful knots. "What do you mean?"     

"Bond works both ways, Arya. You can feel his emotions, and he can feel yours. If you are not sincere, he will know. Don't insult the man who saved your life by telling him you care when you don't."     

…     

Outside…     

Keith stormed out of the pack hospital, and he stared at the dark sky while taking deep breaths.     

His wolf protested, urging him to return and be with mate, but Keith couldn't. He didn't want to go there and see his mate caring for another man.     

Keith looked at the Moon and wondered if this was the Moon Goddess' idea of a joke. Or was she set on torturing him?     

"Keith!" Alpha Cristian called while running toward him.     

"Stay away from me!" Keith growled.     

"Listen, let me explain."     

Keith snapped to look at Cristian. "Explain, what exactly? How are you going to explain that my mate prefers you than me? Are you sleeping with her?"         

"What? No!"     

"I never saw a she-wolf stand up for a man like that unless he is family or lover. Your scent doesn't match, so you can't be family. If you are not sleeping with her, how do you explain her behavior?"     

Cristian puffed his cheeks. "It's not like that. Arya is like a daughter…"     

Keith's ears were buzzing. There it was… the name… Arya. Keith told nurses not to tell him because he wanted to hear it from his mate, and this guy ruined it. Or maybe it was not important anymore.     

Keith knew that the man in front of him was Alpha Cristian, but he didn't care because, at that moment, that was not an Alpha of a pack but a man who had taken his mate away. And why was he still talking? Why was his face so gentle while talking about Arya?     

Keith saw red as anger and dejection swelled into violence.     

"You fucker!"     

Keith shouted and jumped on Alpha Cristian.     

Cristian dodged Keith's punch at the last moment, but the next one landed in Cristian's stomach, blowing the wind out of his lungs.     

Cristian staggered backward. "I don't want to fight you, Keith."     

"Too bad because I will fight you," Keith squeezed through his teeth and attacked again.     

Cristian started dodging, and when Keith punched his shoulder, he realized this won't end well.     

Cristian released his Alpha aura, intending to suppress Keith and stop this madness, but it didn't work. Keith didn't slow down, actually, it looked like his movements were getting faster.     

It was a long time since Cristian was pushed into a corner like that, and only defending would cause him to suffer a loss. How can he allow himself to be defeated in his own territory?     

With a deep growl, Cristian released his aura and turned to face Keith.     

…     

Arya stepped out of the hospital, unsure where to go. It took her a moment to notice a commotion on the right, and her eyes widened at the sight of Keith and Cristian going at each other.     

Arya held her breath, and her stomach tightened every time either of the guys landed a punch.     

What was this scene? How was it possible that Keith was not backing down?     

Even from that distance, Arya could feel that Alpha Cristian was using his aura, yet Keith seemed unaffected. Was he an Alpha also? No, there was no pressure other than Cristian's. It didn't make sense.     

Arya wanted to go there and ask them to stop fighting, but she knew that if she got closer, Alpha Cristian's aura would affect her. At best, she won't be able to move, and at worst, she might get hurt.     

This time, Arya could feel Keith's emotions, and she knew that he was confused, maybe even more than she was.     

She bit her lower lip while wondering what she should do.     

Shouldn't the mate bond be unconditional acceptance and love? Many guys who were (obviously) not her mate were swearing love and loyalty, yet her own mate was full of doubts.     

"Your mate is fighting for you. Because of you."         

Arya turned to see Luna Michelle talking.     

"What will you do, Arya? Do you have what it takes to be worthy of a man who showed commitment by saving your life, staying by your side, and fighting for you?"