Page 56 of His Bullied Fated Mate

“She doesn’t!” I snapped, not even letting her finish the sentence. “For one, you would smell it.” Janella’s magic wassweet like honey and spice. “And if you all know that to possess dark magic, we would feel it. If she were evil, we would know.”

“If she hasn’t come into her magic fully, we wouldn’t.”

“She clearly has tapped into it if she was able to throw Dustin across the street. And I don’t see or smell anything evil coming from her.”

They fell silent.

“Now, if you’ll excuse us. I need to have a conversation with my pack.”

I grabbed Janella’s arm and pulled her outside. We headed down the hallway and towards the front door. But as soon as we got outside, a crowd was waiting.

I spotted Lucas and Tyler, who were talking. “She’s evil.”

Pure rage filled me, and I pulled my hand free from Janella. The crowd’s eyes went to me as I walked towards Tyler and Lucas.

“Riley, don’t.” Janella grabbed my hand, pulling me to a stop. “Don’t please. It won't change anything.”

That was just it. It did change everything. This wasn’t like before. I wasn’t a teenage unable to think properly. I was an adult. I was the leader and I wasn’t going to stand for this.

I stared at them as they turned around, realizing we were there now. I saw red. I wanted to murder them for causing issues like this. For making Janella feel like she was less.

“Get out of my face,” I growled at them.

Lucas was starting down the steps, but Tyler didn’t. He puffed his chest up. “You’re protecting a witch over your pack! Don’t you see how much of a disgrace that is?”

I looked over the pack, taking in their faces. Some were mortified, while others looked angry. I could see heads nodding in agreement with them. It was clearly that they were divided.

If only they knew the truth. How we were fucked if it wasn’t for Janella. I had ripped her away from her home because I had thought about the pack. I had made her come here and give up her life for this pack. And they couldn’t even stand by her. She had given so much for them, and they didn’t even know it.

Part of that was my own doing. They only saw half of the problem.

I let go of Riley's hand and grabbed Tyler, yanking him towards me. I bared my teeth. “If you so much as utter my wife's name in the wrong manner, you are going to pray to god I don't find you. I have no restraint when it comes to protecting.” I shoved him back, letting him tumble.

I then turned to the crowd. “And I am protecting her. Because without her, we are fucked. Six months ago, we had a man lose his mind because his bond with his wife failed. This incident repeated. Over and over, people were starting to feel an imbalance in their emotions and their shifting abilities. We have had our bonding corrupted, and it's fucking up our abilities as shifters. It’s slowly ruining our bonds and breaking apart our pack.”

I looked at Tyler. “Go to the infirmary and see it for yourselves. We have members who have killed because they lose control of their wolves. Suddenly having the taste for blood. Wanting a woman who isn’t theirs. Going complete animalistic. I have scars from holding members back from killing their loved ones.”

I could hear murmurs in the pack.

“So, instead of looking down on Janella, you should be grateful she didn’t put up more of a fight coming here. She’s part of the answer to keeping this pack safe. And if anyone has a problem with that, they can answer to me.”

I grabbed her hand, pulling her away with me. I felt my hands shaking. I was so angry. We rounded the building before she ripped her hand free. I turned to her and froze, seeing she was shaking with anger.

“Are you insane!” she snapped.

I frowned at her, confused. I thought she would have been happy that I was standing up for her. I wanted to protect her.

“What?”

“Why would you act like I’m above everyone else in your pack?”

“Because you're my wife, Janella. I was making sure they knew not to screw with you. I don’t want them to treat you badly. I don't want whatever happened to be worse.”

“And they are going to think you don’t side with them. They are going to think I matter more.”

“I’m not siding with them! They had no reason to treat you like that. Tyler and Lucas were trying to tell everyone that you're evil. I was telling them the truth.”

Her hands curled into fists. “Stop it. Just stop acting as if you care.”