Alpha King’s Wolfless Mate by Scarlett Higgins

Chapter 50 : Love Conquers All

**Nora POV

Blake’s fingers relaxed on my arm and he shook his head. He released a deep sigh and his eyes softened.

I bit the inside of my cheek, watching as he mastered his anger and kept himself in control. It was so different from when we first met. He’d been explosive and seemed to attack me for no reason at all.

He was trying so hard to keep himself in check.

Guilt flooded through me like poison. Blake had changed so much for me and I’d still run away. I’d left him in a very vulnerable situation.

Before I could stop myself, I stepped toward him and wrapped my arms around his n*eck. I pulled him close in a hug.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

Slowly, reluctantly, Blake brought his arms around me. His muscles tensed, tightening around my b*dy.

“I was scared of what would happen when you found your mate,” I blurted out, burying my face in Blake’s chest. “I didn’t want to selfishly keep you from her and I didn’t want to be heartbroken when you found her.”

“What?” Blake asked, his voice soft even though it was laced with surprise.

“With the Moon Dance, I thought you’d find your mate and I didn’t want to be abandoned again but I didn’t want our marriage to hold you back from finding true love,” I said, tears pricking my eyes.

Blake put one of his hands on the back of my head, still holding me close to his chest.

“I told you I didn’t need a mate bond.” Blake grumped, the sound shaking my bones.

“But what if you never really learn to love because you don’t awaken that bond?” I asked, all my worries and fears coming to the surface at once.

“Nora, Nora,” Blake purred, running his fingers through my hair. “I love you. I know I love you. No mate bond could tell me differently.”

My tears started to fall, dampening his shirt. I curled my fingers around his shirt, crumpling it up in my

fists.

“Did vou not trust me?” he asked gently.

“I did.” Sniffling, I tilted my head back and looked into Blake’s eyes.

They were so soft and comforting, my heart melted. I buried my face in his shirt again and sniffled, holding back the worst of my sobs. My b*dy trembled and Blake’s arms tightened around me.

“Then why would you think I want my mate bond more than you? Why wouldn’t you believe me?” he asked again.

“It wasn’t that. I did believe you but I thought it would be selfish of me to keep you all to myself. I thought it would be selfish to hold you back from your fated mate,” I explained.

Blake scoffed “But I don’t want anyone but you.”

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him, then held my face firmly between his hands. His thumbs gently brushed my tears away.

“If I found my mate, I’d reject her. I married you, twice, and I want my future to be with you. No one will change that and no one will take it away from us, okay?” he asked, his voice still comforting and soft.

He stared into my eves as he spoke and I couldn’t look away. I just nodded, accepting his declaration

as truth.

“But I… I don’t want to be responsible for another female getting rejected. I know what that feels like,” I said, voicing my last concern.

Blake smirked and shook his head. “You are something, Nora. There is always a chance that someone will get hurt. You chose to leave your mate bond behind after you were abandoned, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone and heartbroken the rest of your life.”

“What are you saying?” I asked.

Mv tears had stopped but my heart still pounded against my chest like a drum.

“If you could find love beyond your mate bond, then anyone can. If there comes a day when I find mv mate and reject her, she will still be able to move on and find love, just like you,” he explained.

I licked my l*ps and shifted my eyes to the side. I couldn’t turn my head with the way he held my face. The way Blake explained it made so much sense. I hadn’t considered that before.

Against all odds, I’d fallen in love with someone that wasn’t my mate. It was possible and rejection wasn’t the end.

“You’re right,” I said softly.

“Does that mean you’ll come home with me and stop running away?” he asked, grinning.

Before I could answer, there was a commotion in the clearing.

Several of Blake’s royal soldiers came out of the woods. They had Helen between them.

She had dirt smudged on her face and her clothes were torn. Her eyes stayed on the ground and she shuffled her feet when she walked. Helen looked completely defeated.

“What is she doing here?” I asked, looking at Blake.

“She attacked my queen. That is not something I’m letting her get away with,” Blake said. “Now, are you going to come home with me and be my wife again?”

My stomach fluttered and blood rushed in my veins. I sl*pped my arms around Blake’s n*eck and nodded.

“Yes, of course. I love you and want to be with you for the rest of my life.”

“I love you too,” he said.

He dipped his head and captured my l*ps in a long, slow k*ss. We could have k*ssed for seconds, hours, or even days. The world fell away and I lost all concept of time.

Blake was my future, my true love.

Helen’s sneer and sharp laugh pulled me from the moment.

Blake and I pulled apart and I glared at her.

“We could do without your input,” I said sharply.

“Seriouslv? What kind of king are you? That b*tch ran away from you, more than once, and you’re just going to take her back? Are you that whipped?” Helen snarled, challenging Blake.

“Get her out of here.” Blake hissed, nodding to his men.

“Oh, yeah, hide me away so your men don’t hear the truth about their King,” Helen jeered with a taunting smile.

Blake growled and advanced on Helen.

As soon as he stepped away from me, Helen screamed and launched herself across the clearing, right at me!

I held my arms up and thrust my palm into her chest. Helen groaned and fell to the ground. She jumped up immediately and tackled me to the ground. Biting and scratching, she clawed at me with her teeth and fingernails, still in her human form.

“Get off of me!” I snarled, grappling with her on the ground.

“You get everything. Everyone thinks you are so perfect! I won’t let you get away with this!” Helen snarled, scratching at my face.

I blocked her arm.

Suddenly, she was pulled off me.

Blake held Helen by the back of the n*eck, holding her feet just off the ground.

Her eyes bugged out of her head and she flailed her arms and kicked at the air.

“Let me go! Don’t you know who I am?” she cried.

“You’re nob*dy,” Blake snarled.

“How dare you!? Unhand me! Nora, you don’t deserve to be queen, you don’t deserve anything! It should be mine!” she wailed and cried, tears streaming from her eyes.

Her nose got red, her eyes puffy, and she broke down sobbing.

Blake and I exchanged a look.

I brushed the leaves off my clothes and stood up.

“What do you want me to do with her?” Blake asked, flicking his eyes to Helen.

I shrugged. “I shouldn’t be the one to decide her fate.”

“Let me go! You vile wretch! My father will…”

“Your father won’t touch me. He’s one of my subjects and he won’t commit treason after he finds out what you’ve done,” Blake threatened.

“Give her a chance to explain herself,” I said, crossing my arms.

Helen was my friend once. I’d been wanting to know what drove her to do such cruel and twisted things.

Now that we had her defenseless, it seemed like the right time to get answers out of her.

Blake released his grip on her and Helen fell to the ground with a heavy thump. She cried and moaned, collecting herself into a ball.

I stepped closer to her and Blake immediately got between Helen and me, protectively.

“She can’t hurt me now.” I said, putting my hand on Blake’s shoulder.

He gave me a hard look, but finally, he stepped aside.

I knelt in front of Helen and gave her a firm look.

She wouldn’t look at me, still crying and sobbing. Her hair was a complete mess and all her makeup was running down her skin. Maybe there was a time when she’d been beautiful, but now she was a complete mess.

“This is all you get, Helen. One chance to explain yourself. It could go a long way toward helping in whatever punishment the Lycan King decides you deserve.”

Helen’s eyes widened with fear.