Page 17 of His Bullied Fated Mate

I felt my stomach twist up.

“What do you feel like eating? They haven’t changed the menu. You liked the veggie burger from here, right?”

I looked outside the window and spotted Riley walking down the street. Someone was walking with him, and theylooked deep in conversation. I could see his brows were knitted together as he spoke, looking like he was serious.

My mother kept talking, but my eyes tracked him. He held that grumpy expression as he walked, but I could see her cared. He paused when kids threw a ball across the street. He made sure they didn't run in front of any cars as he grabbed the ball.

“Janella?”

I turned my gaze back to my mother, who raised an eyebrow at me. “I asked if you like a veggie burger?”

I nodded. “Yeah, sounds great.”

Chapter 5 - Riley

I pulled the meeting room door open, and inside I found Troy sitting in a chair waiting. The other chairs were all empty, which told me he was the first to arrive. He raised an eyebrow at me, and I rounded the table, pulling out a seat across from him. I knew to still keep some distance between us and hoped he didn't jump the table.

He smirked. “Smart move putting a table between us.”

“I know you're angry, but it wasn't like I had options.”

He ground his teeth together. “You could have chosen not to drag my sister into this mess after she worked so hard to get out of this place.”

I sat down. “I did what my pack needed, Troy. How can I keep my pack in check if I can't even keep my temper under control?”

“Step down,” he snapped back. “That's what you should have done.”

I leaned back. “Be angry all you want. She made a decision. She didn't have to agree.”

He leaned back in his chair. “As true as that is, I'm still angry. You didn't give my sister a choice. I know that your ass lied to get her here. You used her fear of losing us to get what you wanted. That was an asshole move.”

“I knew she wouldn't come otherwise. And I wasn't wrong. This is affecting everyone, Troy. It's only a matter of time before your parents or you start having issues. It's not just about me.”

I felt my anger flare up. I took a deep breath to calm myself, wondering why my anger hadn't calmed more. Thecouncil said once my bond was put into place, my anger and the unsettling in me should be better. But I wasn't sure if it had. I was starting to wonder if they had been wrong.

Before I could say anything, the door opened, and the others started to come in. There was Titus, with dark ginger hair and a dark tan, and Luke, who was tall with black hair.

“Morning, guys.” Titus pulled a chair out and slid into it. “Glad to see you two are still alive.”

I glared at Titus, but Luke smirked. He sat down next to Troy and patted his shoulder. “How are you holding up?”

“Besides that fact, my sister was forced into a marriage? I'm peachy.”

“Can we get started with the meeting?” I asked, eager to get this over with.

“Eager to get home to the wife?” Titus teased.

“I swear to god, Titus. I will punch you.”

“Let's just start,” Troy asked. “We were here to discuss several matters such as the bonding issue.”

The room fell quiet, and I swallowed. We all had been hit hard. Some of us were worse off, depending on the help our packs were able to give. I was grateful that the infirmary I had was equipped with witches and shifters. The women who ran it were quick, and their skills were beautiful to watch.

I didn't know if the others were as lucky.

“We've had more members coming forward who feel their bonding starting to shift between each other. I have married couples that are starting to grow impatient.”

“We all have married couples that are impatient,” Titus said, waving a hand. “We all have unhappy members. The problem is we still don't have an answer.”