CHAPTER FOUR

After Rachel's revelation in the car, the rest of the two hour trip was definitely quiet and very uncomfortable. It looked like Tyler wanted to talk to me, but it was something that we would need to do in private. I didn't want to have a get-to-know-you session in the backseat of the car with his fiencee in the front seat of the car. 

When we finally got back to his place I was amazed. His packhouse was a mansion, just as big as the one that I was living in at my old pack. 

Cade got my bags out of the car on his own and he took them inside and Tyler came and opened the door for me. 

" Do you like this?" Tyler asked as I looked up at the house. 

" What about me?" Rachel yelled from the front seat of the car. And we both turned to look at her. Tyler huffed and stalked over to the car and opened the door for her. 

She daintily got out of the car and walked into the packhouse as well. And Tyler put his hand on my back and led me up the stairs. 

When we walked inside there was a grand foyer but the whole house was an open plan living. The kitchen and bar area was off to the left and the home theatre was off to the right. 

Tyler took my upstairs to the third floor and he took me to a room where Cade had put my bags.

" This will be your room for now. My room is next door but obviously it will be you're room one day too. I don't want to rush you into anything." He explained. 

" I appreciate that. Does Rachel live here?" I asked a little nervous.

" No. She hadn't moved in yet. She still has her place in town." He says. 

" OKay. I just don't want anyone shooting daggers at me at every chance." I explain.

" She can't hold this against you. No one planned on me meeting you at that party. I've been to that packhouse a few times but I've never seen you there before. Never even picked up your scent before." He says.

" I always try to stay out of the way. Either in our apartment or just out of the packhouse altogether. So I'm not usually in the main area." I clarify. 

" That makes sense. Well, you probably want to shower and get changed. I can't imagine that dress is too comfortable." He says. 

" It is getting a bit tight." I say. 

" Alright. We can talk later." He says and he leaves my room. 

So I had a quick look around my massive bedroom with my four poster bed that had a canopy over the top of it and in the large walk in robe and in the bathroom. So I went looking for my toiletries bag and I put my pyjama's on the bed.

I went to have a shower and I washed the make up off my face but I got out of the shower as quickly as possible because it was stinging my skin. And when I got out I towel dried my hair and as I was walking out of the bathroom I was still wrapping the towel around myself, thinking that I would still be alone, until I heard a growl come from my bed. 

I turned quickly and say Tyler sitting on the side of my bed and I looked down at the towel. I was still wrapping it around me, so he saw more than I wanted him to. 

He got up and stalked towards me and I got really nervous and really scared and started backing away from him. But he grabbed me gently by the arm and stopped me from moving. 

He grabbed another towel and wrapped it around my waist and pulled up the towel that I was already wearing to cover my breasts but to reveal my torso. It was completely covered in bruises. I don't think there was any patch of actual healthy skin on my torso. There were bruises on top of bruises. In all different stages of healing. 

" Did your dad do this?" He growled and I could see his eyes going black and then back to green. Which meant that he was fighting his wolf for control. And all I could do was shake my head yes. " And the broken ribs? When did that happen?" He asked. 

" This morning. Before I went to school." I whisper. I was terrified now. I was sure that he was going to reject me. No wolf, especially an Alpha, wanted a damaged mate. And he raised the bottom towel a little higher to see the bruises on my legs. 

" How long has he been doing this?" Tyler asked.

" Since my mother died. When I was 6." I say. And he let out a much louder growl. 

" Why aren't you healing? Bruises should be gone in a day. He shouldn't have had the chance to beat you again while you still had bruises." He says confused. 

" Wolfsbane and silver." I say.

" What?" He yelled.

" He doused my food in wolfsbane and silver. That is whenever he fed me." I say. 

" What does that mean?" He asked exhaling heavily.

" I only got fed one a week. Twice if I was lucky." I explained. And he noticed another weirder looking bruise on my upper arm and he was trying to figure out where that came from. 

" I can't figure this one out." He says.

" I don't want to talk about that." I say. 

" I'm you're mate Tessa. And you're Alpha. Someone hurt you and I need to know about it." He says.

" It doesn't matter anymore. They're back at my old pack. And I'm here. Unless you're going to reject me now." I murmur.

" I will never reject you. But I do need to know if you need a doctor. What is this bruise from?" He asked.

" An injection of wolfsbane. To make me more compliant." I say looking away. And he looked at me weird before it finally regestered what I was talking about. And I could see his whole body shaking. He was really fighting his wolf for control. 

I started shaking and moving away from him but he saw me and regained his composure. 

" I'm sorry. Was it your father that wanted to make you more compliant so he could do that to you?" Tyler asked with a shaky voice.

" No. It was Mason." I said just above a whisper. 

" The guy that your father promised you too?" He asked. And I shake my head yes. 

" And Levi and Lochie." I say. And this time he punched a hole in the wall. And I jumped at the noise and I closed my eyes waiting for what was coming next. I was backed into the corner of the room and I still had my eyes closed when I slid down the wall to the ground. 

" Oh shit. Baby. I'm so sorry. Look at me. Open your eyes." Tyler said crouching down in front of me and all I saw were his beautiful green eyes. " I didn't mean to scare you. I promise, I will never do anything to hurt you." He says. 

" No Alpha wants a damaged mate. So just reject me and send me back." I said. 

" There is no way in hell that you are going back there. And I am not rejecting you. You're not damaged. This shit was done to you and you didn't ask for it. It's not like you went around sleeping with every guy in the pack. You were attacked." He says. 

" Can I get dressed now? Please?" I pleaded. 

" Yeah. Of course you can." He says standing up. And he helped me up. So I grabbed my pyjama's and took them to the bathroom. I put on the loose fitting shirt and tracksuit pants and then came back to the bedroom. 

I was surprised to see that Tyler was still there. And someone knocked on the door but Tyler answered it and it was a women that gave him a tray of food and some drinks. So he closed the door and he put the food down on the desk in my room. 

" What's all this?" I asked.

" Well, neither of us got to eat at the party. So I thought you might be hungry. And I promise that this shit has no poison in it." He said through gritted teeth. 

" I know. I would be able to smell it. I've gotten good at that. Smelling wolfsbane." I explain.

" I bet you have. Come on, let's eat." He says. So I went to go and sit next to him while we had something to eat. 

" So, what do you do for fun? If you ever have time for fun." He asks.

" I like to draw. I love sketching." I say. " Do you have any hobbies when you're not being an Alpha?" I asked.

" Not really. Just hanging out with my mates. That's about it." He says.

" There's nothing wrong with that." I say. 

" I'm surprised that wasn't you're answer. You are a teenage girl." He says.

" I only had Bella. It was us two against the world. The other kids at school are too scared of my dad and the Alpha to really be friends with us." I say.

" That sucks." He says. But I just shrug my shoulders. Someone else then knocked on the door and Tyler went to answer it. " Go away Aria." He says. But she pushed the door open and ignored Tyler. 

" Hell no. I want to meet our new Luna. And there she is." Aria says coming inside the room. 

" Hi." Is all I can manage to come out with. But she runs over and hugs me really tightly and I hiss a little in pain. So Tyler rips her off me. 

" I'm sorry. You'll have to excuse my cousin Aria. She doesn't know when she's not wanted." Tyler says. 

" Screw you. I wanted to meet the Luna and I wasn't going to wait until tomorrow morning. Cade told me that you were a looker sweetie, but you are so much more than that." Aria says looking me over. 

" Thanks. I guess." I say.

" Aria is also mated to my gamma Carter. So she lives in the packhouse and you will never be able to get rid of her." Tyler explains. 

" Well, I am just so happy that he found you because if we had to put up with that other piece that he was going to marry as our Luna then I'm pretty sure we all would have run for the hills." Aria says very openly. And I looked at Tyler expecting him to go off his head at her for talking about Rachel like that. But he just stood behind her shaking his head. 

" You've met her now, so you can leave." Tyler says. 

" No, actually I can't. Rachel is downstairs ordering everyone around like she is still the future Luna. And she is also telling people not to stop their plans for the wedding. Rachel thinks that the wedding is still going to take place." Aria says.

" I told Rachel before that the wedding was off. It has to be." Tyler says. 

" Well, she didn't get the message." Aria says. 

" I'm sorry Tessa. I'll be back shortly." Tyler says leaving my room. And Aria stood there in my room but I didn't know what to say to her. This was pretty uncharted territory for me.

" Are you always this quiet?" Aria asked.

" No. Not until I get to know people and know what I can get away with." I explain. 

" That's smart. Come on, we don't want to miss the show." She says grabbing my hand. 

We walked out of my room and down to the first floor landing and Tyler was in the foyer with Rachel and she was crying and clinging to Tyler. 

" Rachel. I told you. I have found my mate now. The wedding is off. I will start cancelling everything tomorrow. It can't happen now." Tyler says calmly. 

" But I love you Tyler. Why would you do this to me? Do you think my brother would want you to treat me like this?" Rachel asked.

" You're brother respected the mate bond. He would understand. I think it's best that you go home tonight. You're not staying here." Tyler says. 

" Bue I've been sleeping on the first floor for the last three weeks while planning the wedding." Rachel says.

" Exactly. Now there's no wedding. So there's no reason for you to stay. You need to leave. Now." Tyler says finally prying her arms off of him. 

I didn't understand it but for some reason I hated seeing her with her arms all over Tyler like that. And he was just allowing it. He wasn't trying to push her away. 

I know that this had to be hard on her and he was probably trying to be considerate. But he hated it when Mason was touching me. Don't get me wrong. I hated it too and I was glad that Tyler stopped him. But it was the same thing. He didn't like another man touching me, so why should I be tolerable of her touching him. 

Everyone knows that if you are dating someone and they find their mate then that's it. You bow out and let them have their mate bond. That's how it happens. How it is meant to happen with decent people anyway. 

I was starting to wonder what the hell I got myself into here. But I saw Tyler usher Rachel to the front door and when he turned around towards the stairs he saw me and Aria standing there. Aria had a look of satisfaction on her face. But I wasn't sure how I was feeling. I was just watching with a blank expression on my face.