The Quiet Giant's Mate Chapter 5 - Ivan

The Goddess has a very wicked sense of humor. She must to pair me with a Petridis. Not even the elder sister but the youngest. The one the older two and the entire D’Amore family is protective of. The only way this could have gone worse for me is if it was Delilah Fayte behind that mask.

Beta Alexander already doesn’t like me, which being his baby sister’s mate, will move me higher up his shit list. To make matters worse, Regina inherited a form of her mother and sister’s gift. So I’m stuck in a sitting position because, from my knees down, my body is granite. I don’t have much choice but to agree to her terms.

I still cannot fathom why she chased me down earlier if she knew who I was. I don’t get why she is insistent that I stay. As a member of the Incubi Beta family, she knows EVERYTHING that happened five years ago.

And sure, five years ago, she, Delilah, and little Suzie Walterson had fun dancing circles around me at the pack ceremony after the party. However, dancing around me with her friends when they were all kids is very different from being with me.

“Fine,” I grunted.

‘You need to say more than that. I’ll take over if you can’t say more than a few words to Regina. I can and will say plenty.’ Cain threatened.

I sighed heavily, shoulders sinking because it was not an empty threat. Cain is the loquacious one. He always had something to say. And knowing him, he would say more than I want and more than is necessary.

‘If I’m the one doing the talking, I can guarantee this night would end with our mate in our bed with a mark on her neck.’ Cain confidently boasted.

‘Like hell.’ I scoffed.

“Any time you and your wolf are done. I’ve got all night. It’s your legs at risk from lack of blood flow.” Regina shrugged as she casually leaned back in her chair.

That caught my attention. I was NOT aware the De Luca stone gaze or touch was that risky. I knew it could be permanent if not reversed, but is she serious? Would I truly be risking losing my legs?

“Are you serious?” I asked, looking at my granite legs and then at her.

“Of course I am. You’re used to how Zoe and Mama’s power works. Mine is different. They can’t localize what gets stoned,” She explained.

“Because they paralyze the whole body, it preserves the person. I’ve only stoned your legs, so no blood is flowing into your calves and feet. Soo…” She tapped her wrist as if she had a watch.

“Tic Toc, my quiet giant.” She smiled.

I furrowed my brow at her pet name for me. Or I assume that’s what she intended as she used it possessively.

“Fine. I won’t leave.” I conceded.

Her whole face lit up as she smiled. With a blink of her eyes, my legs were restored, with only some granite dust on my pants and the floor as evidence it had ever happened. That and the tingly feeling you can get in an extremity deprived of blood. It’s probably good that I can handle almost any pain inflicted.

“Are you okay? I didn’t leave your calves and feet in granite too long, did I?” She asked as she rubbed at my calves as if inspecting them.

I arched my eyebrow at her tiny delicate hand, unable to cover the side of my calf muscle. It only went to show how bad this pairing is. I’d break her without even trying. She wouldn’t even survive the mating. This is nuts that I’m even thinking about that. I completely blame Cain for putting the thought of her in my bed in my head.

‘Right. It’s all my fault. Has nothing to do with you checking our mate out and noticing the curves of her body.’ Cain scoffed.

“I’m fine,” I answered.

‘What did I say? You need to talk more, or I’ll take control, and then we’ll see if she’ll break or was truly made for us.’ Cain warned.

“You wanted to talk. So stop touching my legs, and let’s get this over with.” My words came out gruffer than I meant, but her touching me, even through the fabric, drove me up the wall.

“There’s no need to be rude. Was me touching you a problem?” Her head cocked slightly, and I’m sure I’d see her eyebrow raised if the mask wasn’t in the way.

“No. And I wasn’t trying to be rude,” I grumbled.

“You wanted to talk, so talk.” I gestured for her to carry on as I moved my legs out of reach.

She sighed and sat back, placing her hands in her lap. I appreciate that she ensured her hands were where I could see them, but Cain was livid. He was growling at me for making her stop touching me. Cain didn’t want her to stop touching me. He wanted her to touch me more and preferably with fewer clothes. He can shove his ideas where the sun doesn’t shine.

“Why did you think I wouldn’t want you?” Regina asked, cutting straight to the heart of it.

“Given that you know me, you know exactly why.” I shrugged one shoulder.

“I wouldn’t be asking if I knew why. I can make assumptions, but that isn’t a definitive answer.” Regina rolled her eyes.

“If you have it in your thick skull, I wouldn’t want you because of the war. Then you are as dumb as my brother says.” She shook her head. “And we both know you aren’t.”

“I have blood on my hands, Regina. Blood that will never wash clean.” I shook my head as I looked at my hands.

I may not be able to see the blood, but I often flash back to it. I sometimes will see the blood of my packs’ Beta couple stained my hands after I crushed their skulls. I am not the sort of man anyone should be with, least of all someone as innocent and delicate as Regina Petridis.

“So what? Many people have killed someone.” Regina rationalized.

“You don’t get it.” I groaned as I quickly stood.

“I participated in a coup d’etat. I killed my pack’s Beta couple. I killed Tomaso and Areti, a couple I had known my whole life. A couple that I called Zio and Zia.” I managed to keep my voice down, not wanting to cause a scene.

“Ivan, sit back down,” Regina commanded as she pointed at the floor.

I wanted to ignore her command. It’s not like her words had any official hold over me. I could walk away. I had even plotted out my exit path. But I had said I would stay, and I am a man of my word. So with a heavy sigh, I sat back down.

“I know what you did. I also know why you did what you did.” She smiled softly, and I saw her hands twitch like she wanted to reach out to touch and comfort me.

“I know you wanted to protect Amelia. I know you wanted to protect the Madonie people. I know you orchestrated the underground railroad Gildo ran. He was the face, but you were the brains.” She said.

“That changes nothing.” I sighed, looking away from her, and instead focused on one of the floating candles above us.

“It changes everything.” Regina declared moments before I felt the surge of the mate bond.

Her soft hands cupped my chin as she looked down at me. Sitting on the floor or lying down was the only way anyone could look down at me. Even if I wanted to look away from her blue eyes, I couldn’t. Her face was so close to mine that it filled my view. Our faces were so close, our masks were almost touching, and I could smell the spearmint toothpaste she must use on her breath.

“By your way of thinking, my Zio Alec is a monster undeserving of love and his mate. And that’s not true. What blood my Zio has spilled is far greater in volume than you, but all were down for the sake of others. What you did was terrible, and I’m sure it haunts you, but it does not define you.” She passionately argued.

So, she had me there since I couldn’t speak against Alpha Alec. I mean, I could in my head. But I’m not dumb, least of all dumb enough to speak ill of my Alpha’s father, let alone to the man’s niece. She’s already turned my legs into stone once tonight. I don’t want to know what else she’d do if I were to insult her family. Plus, Alpha Alec is much older than I am, and even if half the rumors about him are true, he’s killed many, including his parents.

“Nonetheless, I am a war criminal. I am, at best, tolerated by my people. I survived the war and shall spend the rest of my days under house arrest because Alpha André deems it so. And he only let me live for my sister’s sake.” I reminded her as I attempted to lean further away to escape her touch, as it was making my brain fuzzy.

My plan needed to be better thought out. I should have realized it when Cain was silent. He would not have silently let me extract myself from this situation. He’s a wolf, and he wants one thing… his mate. So, in hindsight, I should have seen this was coming, a setup as it were. My sudden movement caused a domino effect.

My head hit the wall, and she slipped forward as she tried to stop me from leaning away. That distance that separated our faces was gone, our masks collided, then our lips met - awkwardly with the masks, and the only reason she didn’t land in my lap was that I grabbed her waist to support her.

The whole series of events caught me so caught off guard that I didn’t manage to keep Cain in check. He had me pull her into my lap instead of holding her waist to keep her away. And before I could stop him, my head angled to make the kiss a kiss so our masks weren’t in the way. Regina didn’t seem to mind as she giggled and then moaned against my lips as her hands moved from my face to around my neck.

‘You’re welcome.’ Cain snorted.

When my brain gets out of this mate bond induced haze that kissing her and having her so close had caused, I’m giving him a long lecture about consent and not taking control of my body unless it’s life or death. And I do not think this is a life-or-death situation. It might have been if Alexander had been here. He’d have been livid to see me kissing his little sister.