The Alpha’s Fated Mate Is an Outcast

Alexis stood by the side, shifting nervously from one foot to another, eyes fixed on Keelion Fane, who'd been silent now for close to thirty minutes. He was rubbing his temple, seeming to be in deep, serious thought, and that couldn't help but worry her, momentarily distracting her from the rising heat in her belly. 

Was he planning on what to do with her? Like maybe ordering her death, considering she was an outcast—a taint to their kind? Would he send her away? What exactly would he do to her? 

Her teeth bit so hard into her bottom lip, that it bled a bit, nausea rising to her throat. 

His face was unreadable—she couldn't tell what he was thinking, and having to stand there for thirty minutes and counting in silence wasn't helping.

Death or the penalty of being sent away, neither was a good option. Where would she go? Who would she find? What other race could she join? The humans—

"Come over here." Keelion's gaze snapped over to her.

She jolted. 

"Me?" she asked. 

"Is there anyone else here with us?" 

She sank her teeth into her lips, hesitation flickering in her eyes. "I should really come over there?" 

Keelion glared at her. "Do you want me to repeat myself?"

"No," Alexis whispered. 

She took steps over to him, but the moment she stood in front of him, she fell to her knees, crawling closer and grabbing his thighs.

The man drew his head back, taken aback, bright glacial eyes widening. He cocked a brow at her. "You—" 

"Please don't kill me," she begged, her thick dark lashes framing her light brown eyes. "You can't kill me, please. I-I have my mother out there! Like I told you, I don't have a father, and she's all alone. I can't leave her, please, I beg you."

"I know you have no reason not to get rid of an outcast like me, I-it's your pack after all, but please, if you could just…pretend that you never found out what I was, if you could just let me go and pretend I never existed. Please…I'm begging you. I don't want to die." She shook her head. "My mother needs me, please…" 

Tears from the fear she hadn't realized was welling inside of her, bubbled in her eyes, breaking and falling.

Keelion's brow fell, and his lips thinned. "If I let you go, you'd continue pretending you're male, a beta? You'd never let anyone find out you're an outcast?" 

Alexis frantically nodded her head. 

He grabbed her by the chin, tilting her head to the side. His eyes shifted to the mating mark, brows furrowing at the fact that it had fully formed. She was stuck to him, at least until the mark faded, and he was more than sure a mating mark lasted more than a month. 

He asked, "Do you think I can have you killed even if I want to?" 

"I-I don't understand," Alexis whispered. 

"I can't," Keelion said. "I marked you, and it is the first time I have ever marked anyone. That aside, we are mates. I don't know how, since you don't have a wolf, but the mate bond is there. And having you killed or hurt in any way would be bad for me. Very bad. The pack can't have their alpha acting insane, can they?" 

His voice was intimidatingly calm. 

Alexis gulped. 

"Does this mean…you won't have me killed or sent out of the pack?" 

Keelion stared at her, considering his options. If his pack ever even knew of this situation, they would want her killed. Outcasts were a no-no, a taint to their kind. What's more, to end up being a mate to their alpha? They would never accept that. 

So of course the safest option would be to send her away even if he couldn't get rid of her. But then again, he couldn't do that—he needed her with him, at least until the mating mark faded, and then he could break the bond. This was his very first marking; he would lose his mind if she were far from him.

On the other hand, if word ever got out of what she was—of the situation between them…

"You're going to keep pretending to be a beta." 

She blinked at him. 

He said, "I'm not going to have you killed or sent away, but you're going to keep pretending to be male, except with me, because if anyone finds out what you are, you won't have me to worry about. Do you think the pack would ever accept you—an outcast as a mate to their alpha?" 

Alexis shook her head. She knew that was very much impossible. "No." 

"Then you should know the dangerous situation you're in. And if you fuck up, I won't be able to save you." 

"Even as my mate," Keelion added, gaze cutting to her golden mop of curly hair. "You wouldn't even have the option to be sent away."

Alexis inhaled sharply, rapidly nodding her head. "I understand, I understand." 

He went silent for a while, parting his lips to speak, but then a knock came at his door. 

"Sir." 

Both of them glanced at the door at the same time, and without even waiting for his words, Alexis quickly crawled over to hide behind the king-sized bed, heart rising to her throat. 

She slapped a hand over her mouth, holding her breath and keeping silent by all means. 

Keelion stared at the bed hiding her frame for a few seconds, before he stood up and walked over to the door, opening it.

It was the man from earlier—his personal man, Augustus. 

"Any problem?" 

Augustus bowed, rising with a light furrow to his forehead.

"There is a woman out there, and she claims her daughter is…here. That you're holding her, sir…"