Page 9 of His Bullied Fated Mate

Now I stiffened. I thought about Mom’s phone call last night. Had something happened, and that was why she wanted me to come home? But she would have told me. Right? If someone was seriously going on, they would let me know.

“The bonds are failing, and shifters are losing control over themselves. It’s a problem, and even you can’t tell me you don’t care. Anyone could get hurt, and that means your parents.”

I threw my jacket over the chair and set my coffee down. I crossed my arms. “What do you want, Riley? I know you didn’t come all the way out here to chat about the pack. Why are you here in my workplace? Why are you here at all?”

“I need your help.”

I blinked and waited for him to start laughing like he couldn’t contain his laughter. But his face remained dead serious, and my stomach dipped. He was serious. I shook my head. “No.”

“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.”

“I’m not going back. You are the Alpha, right? That's what you were working so hard to be. So, you can figure it out. Wouldn’t want a human to come and fuck something up now, would you?” I snapped the words at him, and I waited to see a reaction. But there was none.

Riley knew how to hide what he was truly thinking. He’d been doing it since before high school. I wasn't going to let him come in here and fool me into agreeing to anything.

He moved a couple of steps closer to me. “You can be as angry as you want, but do you honestly think I would come up here because I want to? I’m not lying. I’m here because the pack needs me too. And your brother is part of it. Your parents, too. It’s only a matter of time before your parents' bond starts having issues. Only time before your brother starts becoming the person who attacks others. I’m here because you are the last person who can help.”

Something shifted in my stomach. I wanted to ignore his words because I had spent years putting everything behind me. But when it came to my family, I would never be able to just leave them behind.

I swallowed. “What exactly are you asking for, Riley?”

“I need you to come back with me. I need...a second set of eyes on the situation.”

I chewed on my cheek, taking him in. He looked sexy in his outfit, and I hated it. I hated how great he looked. His brown hair was shorter than it was before, but it was still slightly curly. He was clean-shaven, and as he crossed his arms, I could see how muscular he was. I started at his hands, realizing how large they were.

I quickly shook my head, trying to ground myself. Why was he asking for me? Didn't he think there was anyone else in the pack that could help? No, there was more he wasn't telling me. There had to be more that I wasn’t aware of. But could I risk it? Did I really want to ignore him? Could I?

I ground my teeth together and turned storming back out. I could hear Riley following a few steps behind me. I walked towards the front desk where the receptionist sat.

She looked up at me, and I forced a smile. “Can you call Scott and let him know I need to take some family leave. My mother has fallen ill, and I need to head home.”

“Oh god.” She covered her mouth. “Of course. I’ll give him a call right now.”

I turned to find Riley standing in the doorway now. I walked past him, grabbed my jacket, and threw it on. I grabbed my coffee, glaring at him. “Lead the way, oh mighty Alpha.”

The drive was quiet. I didn’t say a single word to him, but Riley sure talked. He told me how this had been a problem for a while, and they were doing everything they could to figure it out. The council told him just a few days ago that things were getting out of hand.

I stared outside the window, watching the city disappear from me. I was hardly listening as my stomach churned, going over what I was agreeing to. I chewed on my cheek, suddenlyrealizing I was going back. After all these years of avoiding it, I was returning.

I felt my phone vibrate and watched a message from Scott pop up. He was wishing me good news and to keep him in the loop. I could see Riley glance over, and his teeth clenched.

“Who’s Scott?”

“It’s none of your business.”

His dark eyes narrowed on me. “Are you in a relationship?” His voice came out tense, and I didn't understand why.

I snorted. “It's none of your concern.”

I watched his fingers tighten on the steering wheel. “I’m serious, Janella. Are you in a relationship?”

I typed a quick thank-you to Scott and set my phone back down. “First off, that’s my boss. Not that it’s any of your business. And second, you don't need to know my relationship status.”

I stiffened when I realized we were pulling into town. My eyes took everything in, and my past came creeping back in. I remembered walking the street and keeping my head down. Parking at the school and wishing I were at home. Endless hours spent trying hard just to survive.

I squirmed in my chair as he headed down a street. It was exactly as I remembered. A large white building with a couple of flags in the front. It had a beautiful garden with flowers and shrubs in the front.

I frowned, confused as he parked in front of City Hall. “Why are we here?”