The Mad Alpha's Substitute Bride-Chapter 43: Not Your Mate

(CORRINE)

Erik looks resigned upon seeing Locke beside me. There is a young man standing next to him. He looks to be in his mid-twenties, with soft golden curls and blue eyes concealed behind square, thick-rimmed glasses.

"Corrine, this is Cassian Vayne. He’s Jerry’s nephew. Cassian works in my intelligence division, and he will be the face of the task force."

Cassian beams at me, a dimple showing in his right cheek. "Thrilled to meet you, Corrine. My uncle talks about you a lot."

He reaches out to shake my hand, and Locke growls, "Put that hand down."

"Locke!" I hiss.

He huffs and looks away, a scowl on his face.

Cassian appears alarmed. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you, King Locke. I’ve just always admired Miss Hale—"

"Why don’t you keep your feelings to yourself and just do what you’re told." Locke bares his teeth at him, and I glare at Locke, a warning growl building in my throat.

He glances at me and then looks away once again, muttering something under his breath.

I exchange a look with Erik. Locke’s going to be a problem. There’s no doubt about it. He’s not going to make this easy.

Cassian excuses himself, leaving Locke, Erik, and me alone.

Erik rubs his temples. "We agreed that you would be involved with this, Locke, but if you start attacking every male just because they speak to Corrine, it’s going to cause issues."

"I have no problem with anyone speaking to her," Locke retorts, "as long as they keep it professional. But I don’t understand why she even needs to work on this matter. Isn’t one attempt on her life enough? If I had it my way—"

"But you don’t have it your way, do you?" I decide to speak up, my eyes glittering with anger. "Why is he here, Erik?"

"He wants to be part of the process—"

"He has no business being in this meeting," I argue.

"It is my business to watch over my mate," Locke states emphatically. "I am not your mate!"

I shoot back. "Your mate is Ravenna!"

Locke goes rigid but doesn’t respond. He has not once denied his link to her. How convenient.

"I have accepted Erik’s proposal," I explain, staring at him. "Very soon, our fated mate bond will disappear. So, get over yourself. There is nothing between us."

Locke’s eyes dart toward Erik. "If that bastard even thinks of marking you—"

"If he doesn’t, I won’t lead this investigation." I throw this out there, and Erik freezes.

"We never agreed to that."

"The terms have changed," I respond firmly. The king of the Human Wolf Kingdom gives me a wary look, and I continue. "You dragged me into this, Erik. You’re the reason Locke knows about Finn and why he’s threatening to take my son from me. You said you would protect us from him. Unless you’re backing out—"

"I’m not," Erik says hurriedly. "I’m not. You have my word."

"You fucking bastard!" Furious, Locke is about to leap at him, but I step in his path, blocking his way.

"That’s enough!"

He freezes, his fist suspended in mid-air.

"This is my decision," I tell him. "Not yours. I am not your subject or your prisoner anymore, Locke. Get that through your head. Whatever you’re trying to do isn’t going to work. So, stop it before I decide to take Finn and disappear. This time, I’ll make sure you’re never able to find us."

His face turns white, and he lowers his fist. "You wouldn’t do that."

"Try me."

"I’m his father!" Locke’s voice is filled with anguish, and it takes every drop of willpower not to let his pain get to me.

I can’t trust him. What if it’s an act?

I don’t care if he is Finn’s father. I will never subject my son to anything that can harm him.

I turn my back to him. "You’ve done enough damage to me, Locke. I’m not going to give you an opportunity to hurt our son. You have Ravenna. Have children with her. Have your heirs with—"

He grabs my arm, forcing me to face him again. "Is that what this is about? Ravenna? I’ll throw her in a dungeon. I’ll do to her what she did to you! She and Bella will pay—"

I shove his hand off of me. "If you intended to make them pay for what they did to me, you would have done so long ago. But Ravenna is living in your castle as your queen, isn’t she? And Bella is still alive, isn’t she?"

When he doesn’t say anything, I laugh bitterly.

"Let’s be honest, Locke. You don’t want me back. You want to finish the job. You can’t bear the idea of having me out here, alive, of having had your order disobeyed. You can’t tolerate the existence of a child with tainted blood—"

"That’s enough, Corrine!"

It’s not Locke who raises his voice, but Erik. Locke is silent, his lips pressed together so tight that they’re white. He looks tormented.

"That’s quite enough," Erik says, disapproval heavy in his tone. "You’re being unfair here, Corrine, and you know it."

My jaw tightens. Perhaps I was a little cruel with my words, but I didn’t give Locke even a taste of the torment I went through. "Fine. But I want him to stay away from me."

Erik sighs. "Locke is the one providing security for you and Finn. He and his people will be guarding your home." I open my mouth to protest, but he lifts his hand. "I’m not going to argue with you about this. It’s already decided. Before you start panicking, he is not going to be able to take you or Finn to the North without my permission. Since Finn was born here, he is one of my subjects. If Locke tries to remove him against your will or mine, it will spark a war, and I’m sure King Locke doesn’t want that. So, you have no say in the matter. It’s either this or you move into the palace."

I stand there, open-mouthed, not knowing how to respond. Moving into the palace is not an option. I don’t want Finn’s entire life to be disrupted. "Fine," I repeat through gritted teeth.

Erik’s voice becomes gentler. "Look, I know you’re angry, but the people who attacked you might try again. Think of Finn. For one moment, only consider his safety. Who better to protect him than his own father and the king of the North Kingdom?"

He studies me, and I glance at Locke, who’s watching me.

"Locke is an experienced warrior. If anybody can protect you two, it’s him. Don’t think with your heart but with your head. Can you name any other person within the Human Wolf Kingdom that you trust enough to protect Finn?"

My lips part again, but I have no answer. Because the truth is, I don’t know anybody who is as strong as Locke.

"I am personally guaranteeing your safety, Corrine. Nothing will happen to you," Erik insists.

I look between the two men. Do I really have a choice? A flicker of helpless anger passes through me. Decisions are being made for me. It pisses me off. Even now, my reins are in somebody else’s hands.

"Fine," I repeat for the third time. "Now, is there anything else you would like me to do here, or am I allowed to go back home? With your permission, of course."

Locke opens his mouth, and I give him a nasty look.

"If I were you, I’d shut up right now." I start to head toward the door. "I’m leaving."

"Corrine—" Erik begins, and I shoot him a look of loathing.

"This is your fault, Erik. I don’t know what I was thinking when I made this agreement with you. I should’ve known better."

I ignore the hurt look on his face. I’m supposed to care about how everyone else feels while they all have the right to trample on me? I stride out of the room toward the palace garden, anger bubbling inside me.

"Finn!" I call out, my voice a little too sharp for my liking.

My son rushes over to me from where he was playing near the gazebo. "Are we going home?"

"Yes."

"Is he coming with us?" He lowers his voice, and I realize he’s looking at Locke, who has followed me outside.

"Yes."

When Finn looks excited about that, I feel a wave of nausea. I want to tell him not to get attached to Locke. I want to warn my son to keep a safe distance from that man. But the words don’t come out.

Getting in my car, I don’t bother asking Locke to join us. He can find his own way back.

***

As I stir the pot, I glance at Finn, who has had his nose glued to the kitchen window ever since we got home from the store. "Finn, get away from there."

He looks at me, not listening. "He’s been standing outside for hours, Mom. He’s out there every day. It’s been, like, a week. Can’t we invite him in?"

"No," I reply shortly.

"Why not?"

I move the spoon around a little more aggressively in the meat stew.

"He didn’t even have lunch, and now we’re having dinner, and—I can take a plate to him!" He gives me a hopeful look.

I set down the spoon and turn to face my son. "Why are you so concerned about him?"

Finn shrugs and looks back out the window. "I don’t know. He seems kind of lonely."

His words take me by surprise, and despite my reluctance, I walk over to the window and peek out. Locke is leaning against a tree across the street. That seems to be his preferred spot. His eyes are pinned on the house.

I thought for sure he would try to talk to me, to get me to listen or to convince me to change my mind. But he just watches the house like a silent protector. It doesn’t sit well with me. It would be easier to remain angry if he at least tried to invade my personal space. I need to take out this anger on somebody, preferably him, but Locke doesn’t want to play along.

He does look a little lonely.

As soon as the thought strikes me, I shake it off. No. I’m not going to feel sorry for him.

"Come on, Mom. Let me take a plate to him. He hasn’t had anything in forever. I never see him eat." Finn nags me with a persistence only a boy his age could have. When he was born, I altered his birth certificate date with Erik’s help, just a minor precaution. In the eyes of the world, he’s still seven. Not that it matters now.

"No." My refusal is weaker this time around. "But why?"

I give him a stern look. "I have my reasons. Now go clean your room and wash up. Dinner will be ready in half an hour."

Sulking, he heads toward the hall, but not before muttering, "You’re so unfair."

He’s stubborn to a fault. I wonder where he gets that from. I shoot a dark look Locke’s way.

I don’t know how to explain to my son why I’m being this way. I can’t tell him how terrified I am, given how Locke’s actions seem genuinely protective to everybody else. But I can’t believe that. Before I left, I believed the same thing, that maybe he did care.

And where did that leave me?

I’m too scared to even consider believing that Locke had nothing to do with what happened eight years ago. What if I trust him now, and it’s all just lie? The consequences would be long lasting. But no one seems to understand that. Probably because nobody else, aside from me, has anything to lose.

I hear a knock, and before I can even turn around, Finn’s bouncing footsteps reach my ears and he’s opening the front door.

"Finn!" I call out in exasperation. He’s not supposed to open the door to anyone.

I’m already heading over when I hear him shout out, "Mom, there’s a lady here!"

A lady? She must be a saleswoman. Odd time to show up, though.

Wiping my hands on the dish towel, I walk toward the door. "We’re not interested in anything you’re sell—"

The words get stuck in my throat when I lay eyes on the woman standing on the front stoop.

Shock has me staggering backward. Eight years has aged the woman who once looked after me, the one I still miss. Fine lines, graying hair. But those kind eyes are the same as always.

"Sigrid," I breathe.