Ch. 7 True Mates

Saoirse’s POV

We were at the Council headquarters to hear their verdict. Mom was trembling, her eyes swollen from too many tears. Dad sat beside Elder James, the head of the Council, looking smaller than I had ever seen him—older, tired, ashamed. My chest ached, and I couldn’t stop my own tears. Renzo’s arms tightened around me as we sat in the crowded chamber, forced to listen.

Council member Patrick was merciless. His voice rang cold through the hall as he questioned my father.

“According to our investigations, Mr. Colin, you found your mate when you turned eighteen.”

Both Mom and I gasped.

“Tell us what happened to her. Remember—you are under Alpha’s command. You cannot lie.”

Father’s gaze drifted toward us, dark circles shadowing his eyes. For a brief moment, pity tugged at me. But then he spoke.

“I rejected her.”

A wave of shocked whispers filled the room until Elder James silenced them with a raised hand.

“And why,” he asked evenly, “would you do such a thing?”

Dad’s voice broke with desperation. “She was human! I found her by the river one afternoon. Curiosity got the best of me, and when I approached, I realized she didn’t feel the mate bond the way I did. I was furious. All my life I had loved Aela, and I believed she was meant to be mine. Instead, the Goddess gave me a mate who couldn’t even sense the bond because she wasn’t of our world. So I asked her name, rejected her on the spot, and left her standing there. From that moment, I swore I would take what was rightfully mine.”

“What you thought was rightfully yours,” Elder Patrick corrected, his tone sharp. “Tell us then—what did you do to win Aela’s favor, Mr. Colin?”

Dad swallowed, his voice low but steady.

“I was a year older than Ronan and Aela. I saw how close they were, and I knew they would be mates. I couldn’t allow it. Even before I found my mate, I planted lies and misunderstandings between them. When Ronan confessed he wanted to ask Aela out, I told him she disliked him. And when Aela admitted she had feelings for him, I told her he found her annoying.

Still, they came together for a time—until Ronan was taken by his uncle after becoming an orphan. He wrote to Aela, sending letters through me. But I never delivered them. Instead, I forged my own letters, making her believe Ronan wanted her to forget him and move on. That was my chance. I took it.”

The room erupted again, but this time it was Mom’s sob that silenced everyone. She broke down, and Ronan—unable to restrain himself—rushed forward. He gathered her in his arms, and she clung to him, burying her face in his neck. I could see, even through my tears, how much he adored her.

Elder Patrick’s voice carried over the quiet.

“In conclusion, you manipulated and preyed upon her grief to secure her loyalty. Ladies and gentlemen, when Ronan returned to claim his mate, he discovered she had borne a child with Mr. Colin. My final question is for Aela herself: Why did you reject your mate then? And would you willingly go with him now?”

Mom’s voice shook as she raised her head. First, she looked at Dad… then at Ronan.

“I… I was blinded by Colin’s lies. Not long after Ronan left, I discovered I was pregnant. But before I could carry that child to term, grief stole him from me. The pain of Ronan’s supposed rejection was unbearable. I told no one except my mother.

Colin comforted me. He gave me the love and attention I craved. In time, I married him. When Ronan returned, I already had Saoirse. I was still grieving, still blaming him, and I refused to risk my baby’s happiness.

But now I see the truth. I wish Ronan could forgive me. And if he will have me… I want a second chance.”

Dad roared, the sound animalistic. Guards restrained him as he fought against his bonds, his eyes wild as Mom and Ronan kissed deeply in front of us all.

“Aela! No! You can’t do this! I did everything for you! Saoirse—sweetheart—tell your mother not to do this!”

Silent tears streamed down my face, but I couldn’t move. Mom only clung tighter to Ronan.

“With what right, Colin?” Ronan’s voice thundered across the chamber. “You destroyed my mate. You cost us our child. That pain will never fade. But now, we are together, and I will make her mine again. I will fill her arms with children and give her the peace you stole from her.”

“Fuck you, Ronan!” Dad snarled. “She’s mine!” He thrashed and kicked, unhinged.

“Order!” Alpha James rose to his feet, his authority cutting through the chaos. “The Council has reached its verdict. Ms. Aela and Mr. Ronan will be provided every resource to begin a new life together, here or in their homeland. Ms. Aela—you must reject Mr. Colin now. Then you and your mate will seal your bond.”

Mom stepped closer. Dad’s lip trembled, eyes full of desperate hope.

“Aela, baby… please…”

Her voice rang steady, despite the tears. “I, Aela Thorn, healer of the Moon Shadow Pack, reject you, Colin Thorn, for the crimes of killing my child and forcing me to reject my true mate.”

Dad let out a guttural, soul-ripping roar. Ronan wasted no time—he sank his canines into Mom’s neck, claiming her. She marked him back, their bond flaring bright. Dad collapsed, writhing in agony as the mate bond shattered.

Alpha James delivered the final judgment. “Colin Thorn, you are sentenced to one year in prison, followed by relocation far from your former mate. The Council will attempt to locate your true mate once your sentence is complete. We cannot compel her, as she is human, but we will try. This meeting is adjourned.”

I rushed to embrace Mom and Ronan as we left the chamber together.

In the weeks that followed, I watched their love bloom. Mom glowed with happiness I had never seen before, Ronan never far from her side. Renzo moved me into a room at the Alpha’s mansion to give them privacy. Six months later, Mom and Ronan returned to Ireland to start anew. She was already pregnant, and Ronan doted on her every step. Grandma Maeve was overjoyed. I promised to visit soon.

Meanwhile, I went back to high school within the Pack. With Renzo here, life was bearable. I still visited Dad once a month. Each time, he looked worse. The Goddess herself seemed to punish him for defying the mate bond.