The Mad Alpha's Chapter 40: Another Man’s Mark

Chapter 40: Another Man’s Mark

(CORRINE)

The way he looks at

makes

want to weep. It’s as if I’ve broken his heart. As if I said sothing so utterly cruel that he can’t wrap his head around it.

"Tell

how to prove it to you," he finally says. "Whatever it is you want—"

I shake my head. "I just want you to leave us alone. I want you to leave

and my son alone. I want nothing to do with you or the North. Finn and I live among humans now. My son will never have to suffer for having my blood running through his veins. He will never have to worry for his life because his father and his father’s people think he’s not good enough." Each word is another slash on my already battered heart. "You have the real princess now, your pureblooded woman, Locke. Go to her. Go to your queen. She’s waiting for you. Have a child with her. Make that child your heir."

"If you think I’m going to walk away from you or my son—" Locke begins.

I give him a hard look. "I accepted Erik’s proposal, Locke. I’m going to beco his mate. My son will be his heir. I will protect my child from you and the people around you at any cost to myself."

"Erik’s mate?" He gives

a dazed look. "How can you be with another man when you have a fated mate? You can’t accept another man’s mating mark!"

"Can’t I?!" I demand fiercely. "What would you have

do? Skip hand-in-hand with you back to the Northern castle where you imprison

and kill my son? Where you let Ravenna exact her twisted revenge on ? You want

to trust you?"

He stares at , speechless, and I let out a bitter laugh.

"I’m finally free, Locke. I no longer have to let you humiliate

just so that I can survive. I no longer have to live in a world where my only worth ca from being a substitute for another person." Hot tears spill onto my cheeks as I grab him by the front of his shirt, my voice breaking. "Nobody calls

worthless here. Nobody treats

as if I have no dignity. I work hard in this world. I’m respected. I have built a life for myself. And most of all, Locke, I’m free. From everyone. I don’t have to lean on you to survive. I don’t have to worry about what I might say to piss you off and make you finally get rid of . For the first ti in my life, I’m free. I’m never going to give this up."

I don’t know why I’m crying. Maybe it’s my wolf. The devastation inside

at knowing what could have been.

"Do you know what it’s like to suffer your whole life and then find your fated mate, only to be told that even they don’t want you? Do you know how small I felt when you said such cruel things to ? I can’t even put it into words. I can’t explain to you what it did to

knowing that I had no value as a person. Erik’s not going to mistreat . I know his people won’t harm my son.

I want to give Finn everything I never got. Starting with love. I didn’t even know what love was because I never experienced it, but I know the love I have for my son. He will never go without. I’m going to make sure he values himself, that he knows he’s important and cherished, and that the purity of his blood doesn’t matter."

"Corrine—"

I hold up my hand. "Thank you for saving , Locke, but it doesn’t change anything between us. I want you to go. I want you to leave

and my son alone. Stay away from us."

"Why won’t you believe that I never—"

"I don’t want to believe it!" I snap at him. "I’m not going to give you a chance. I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but I won’t let you succeed. I have my child to protect!"

Locke gets to his feet, and I feel both relief and a flicker of disappointnt. "Finn is my heir, Corrine. I have just as much right to him as you do, if not more—"

My head whips up to look him in the eyes. "If you even think about taking him from , you have no idea the hell I will unleash upon you. You will never take my child away from . He’s my son, not yours. Finn is going to be Erik’s child and his heir. Erik gave

his word that he will make it happen."

"Gave you his word, did he?" Locke stares at , his voice hard. "And you trust him so much because...?"

"He doesn’t look at

and see a substitute, Locke."

"Do you love him?"

His question takes

aback. "What if I do?" I demand. "What if I do love him? It’s got nothing to do with you. It has been eight years, Locke. I owe you nothing. You have your princess. Go ho to her."

"You love Erik," he says the words out loud as if he needs to hear them. "Why? What does he have that I don’t? I can give you everything. Status, wealth."

"Can you give

back my pride? Can you erase what Bella did to ? Can you go back in ti and heal my wounds?" I glare at him.

"Till the very end, I believed in you. I thought that maybe, just maybe, she was lying. But the seal on the letter—Rothan confird it. And how could Bella have done everything she did to

if not with your consent? No, you were complicit in it. And even now, you want

to pay for daring to give birth to your child and tainting your bloodline, don’t you? That’s why you’re here. You’re angry I didn’t die the way you wanted

to—"

"That’s enough!" he roars. "Enough! I never did anything—yes, I admit I was a bastard to you in the beginning, but I was changing. You changed ! I cared for you, and if you still can’t see that, then that’s on you!"

"You called

a tool!" I scream at him, agony sweeping through . "I heard you tell Bella I was nothing but a tool. So, why the hell are you standing here, Locke?! You have the real thing now. Go to Ravenna! Fuck her! Have your children with her!"

"She is not you!"

We stare at each other, our chests heaving.

My body trembles with rage and grief. "I won’t—I won’t let you hurt

again. I have far too much to lose this ti around. Just get out of my house."

I don’t know if I expected him to argue with

any further, but he doesn’t. Getting to his feet, he gives

one last look. "Eight years, Corrine. I’m willing to accept my bla in everything that happened, but I’m not going to let another man take you. If Erik so much as looks at you, I don’t care if I have to wage war against the Human Kingdom; I will not hand you over to him. You can fight this all you like, but you’re still my mate. That’s never going to change."

With that, he walks out the door, leaving

trembling behind him.

How dare he make a threat like that?! Who does he think he is?

I hear the front door close, and I struggle to my feet, only to collapse with a pained whimper. My abdon hurts.

Curling up on the floor, I groan loudly.

There are hurried footsteps, and Maya rushes in, her face white. "What are you doing down there? What did he do to you?!"

"N–Nothing," I gasp out. "Help

up!"

She supports my weight, and when I’m finally sitting on the bed, I ask, "Where is Finn?"

"He’s sleeping again. Your ex didn’t want him to see you like this. Locke kept him occupied for a while till he fell back asleep. That brute has been by your side since then. What did you ever see in a beast like that?"

I ignore her question, trying to think past the pain. "What ti is it?"

Mays checks her watch. "Three in the morning. I’ve been napping with Finn. I didn’t want to leave him alone."

You left him alone long enough for Locke to figure out that Finn is his son, I think bitterly. There’s no way I can undo that damage. I don’t think Maya realizes what has occurred.

"What are you even doing here?" I look at her weakly now, all the anger and excitent drained from .

"It’s a long story." She sighs. "Healer Jerry is on his way, though. I just got a call from him."

As she catches

up on what happened, I’m only half listening. If Locke is serious and decides to wage war against the Human Wolf Kingdom, I don’t think Erik will go to bat for . What am I going to do? How do I get out of this situation? I could take Finn and run. That’s one option, but now that Locke knows about his son and the fact that I’m alive, I have a feeling he’s not going to give up. He’ll track

down to the ends of the Earth if he has to.

I close my eyes. What have I gotten myself into?