Unforgivable

III. One Step Closer - Part 15 - You

The day after the campfire, Mara had redoubled her efforts in anticipation of the attack by the black paw pack. Enjoy her mate would have to wait... Sage seemed calmed and Aaron wondered why he was so calm and sure that everything was going to end well. What did he know that the rest of them didn't. It annoyed him that he wasn't in the loop. He suspected it had something to do with Mara, but still, he was his Beta, he deserved to know! Orion had told him to trust his Alpha couple but that was easy for him to say because he knew a lot more.

What was certain was that Sage's mating with Mara had brought him a certain serenity and Aaron had high hopes of getting back the best friend he had known in high school. It was incredible how Mara's return had worried him, but now everything seemed to be back to where it should be. He had a wonderful and unique mate, he got along very well with Orion. Now he was really happy with the way things had turned out.

They were eating together, when they were interrupted by a guard working at the border. A vampire was asking for entry and wanted to talk to Mara. Mara was only half surprised to hear Lincoln's name. She asked the guards to accompany him to Sage's office. Lincoln was not happy to see Sage with Mara, but Mara refused to meet him alone.

"Why are you here, Lincoln?" Mara cut him off from his complaints. Sage could sense her annoyance even though she again displayed nothing.

"I'd like to offer my help with your problem with the black paw pack." Lincoln explained.

"No." Mara replied, surprising Sage and Lincoln with her emphatic response.

"No?" Lincoln repeated.

"Everything has a price with you. So you need something from us while we don't need you."

"I have information about the attack. Attack that's imminent, for the record." Lincoln offered.

"In two days, if it doesn't change one more time. You're not giving me any news." Mara retorted.

"I can get the vampire cover to stand down." Lincoln said.

"You must be really desperate to try and make yourself useful like that. What do we have that you want?"

"You expect me to believe you don't already know what it is about?" Lincoln sighed.

"I have my suspicions but I want to hear you say it." Mara told him.

"I want the freedom to come and go in your pack's land as I want." He asked, again demanding.

"Why? What is so interesting here?" Sage asked.

"He has his eye on a she-wolf. Why her? We both know she's not your beloved. You lost yours a few years ago." Mara answered for him.

"Do you believe in second chances?" Lincoln asked them.

Sage nodded. He was so grateful to have had one with Mara.

"I feel a bond with her. I can't explain it, but ever since Lila, my beloved, disappeared, I've never felt this way. I never thought I would feel this way about another woman. And yet..."

"Who is she?" Sage asked. Lincol stared at him warily.

"Your sister, that's why he didn't want you here." Mara answered again for him.

"I'd forgotten how direct you are. Sometimes beating around the bush softens things up." Lincoln muttered, annoyed.

"No!" Sage replied.

"It's her choice Sage, not yours." Mara warned him.

"She just rejected her mate. It's way too soon!" Sage replied.

"She felt that connection too. Judging by her reaction on the nightclub surveillance video. You don't choose when you meet a new chance of love. Yes it's probably too soon but that's for her to decide." Mara explained.

"Does that mean you'll allow me to go as I wish?" Lincoln asked hopefully.

"That's up to Sophia." Sage replied. He didn't like all of this but Mara was right. He couldn't interfere with his little sister's love life, as tempting as that was.

"Thank you!" Licoln replied as if it was already done.

Sophia was surprised but pleased to see Lincoln in her brother's office and immediately agreed that he could come and court her. From her demeanor and her flushed cheeks, there was no doubt that she had indeed felt a bond with Lincoln.

Once they were alone in the office, Sage turned to Mara, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"About what?" Mara asked her confused.

"Sophia, the eminent attack. Pick one." He retorted.

"Oh, that! Sophia because I wasn't sure of anything and she needs anything except for you to barge in and ask her for an explanation that she doesn't owe you. As for the attack, the date has already changed over seven times. I didn't want to worry you for nothing, especially as everything is ready. We'll announce it tomorrow so as not to worry the pack for nothing, but everything is in place. We're more than ready."

"I'm not worried. Just annoyed that you didn't warn me. We're a team, I need to know everything!"

"Sorry, bad habits die hard. I'll try to get you involved in everything. Although when it comes to Sophia, I know I made the right decision. You're too implusive."

"I'm not like that!" Denied Sage.

"Really?! You're going to tell me you didn't almost jump down Lincoln's throat when you found out it was Sophia he wanted to pursue."

"Absolutely not!" He denied it again.

"So the mate bond lies?" Mara teased him.

"Fucking mating bond." Sage muttered.

"You love it." Mara smiled at him.

"Damn right but still!" He replied before kissing her.

"Is this guy dangerous? You don't seem to really like him." He asked her after a few minutes of peaceful silence.

"I take it you mean Lincoln?" Mara asked him, he confirmed by nodding his head.

"Lincoln is a very powerful vampire who only serves his own interest. You can't trust him because if it brings him more to turn against you he will do so without a shred of remorse. Lila's death at the hands of her brother devastated him."

"His own brother killed his beloved? In that case, Sophia is in danger, no?"

"No, her brother Alexander got what he wanted: that Lincoln would not be a threat to his takeover. Lincoln was in line to become the next king of the vampires. By killing his mate, Alexander is guaranteed that Lincoln will never be king even if he takes a new beloved. Furthermore, as selfish as he is, Sophia's interests and needs will come before his own no matter what. He loves fiercely. He will kill any threat real or not before thinking of the consequences. Even more so with what happened to Sonia."

"You believe in second chances then?"

"In certain circumstances, such as theirs - unfairly losing a beloved or having an asshole as a mate - yes, I believe in it. I'll show you the video, you'll understand."

"I believe you. And with Sophia's reactions, clearly something is going on between the two of them, that I like it or not... Besides, it also means he's not a threat to the pack, or even an ally if as you say my little sister's needs will be close to his heart."

"Indeed, he's an ally now. A powerful one." Mara agreed.

"We need to let my parents, Aaron and Orion know about the attack." Sage added.

"You're right. Let's do it now." Mara replied.