The Beta's Broken Mate (Book 3 Of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 31

Ragnar walked back into Cora's room after his conversation with Alpha Trent. She had finished her plate, and was sitting curled up with the blanket wrapped around her. "You're back," she smiled.

"I didn't go far. Just outside your door. I spoke to Alpha Trent." Ragnar sat back down in the chair he had vacated earlier, yawning again.

"Is he going to let me join the pack?" Cora asked hopefully. As much as she wanted to stay with Ragnar, she knew her chances of going to Regal Eclipse were pretty much non-existent. And she didn't want to be a rogue. Not after what she'd been through. She needed to find some stability somewhere else away from The Vail Pack.

"Actually no. You're going to go home with me for now," Ragnar told her.

She blinked in surprise, though she hadn't missed the for now part. "Why?"

'Don't complain. Just go with him,' Missy told her. 'We'll be safer there than we will be anywhere else, and you know it.'

He chuckled, and then explained to her what was happening. By the time he was done, she was in tears.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know this was going to be such a big deal or cause so many problems," she whispered. Why had she even left home? She didn't understand why they wouldn't just let her go. She wasn't Jasper's real mate.

"Why does Robert want you back so badly?" Ragnar asked her curiously.

"It's not him, it's Jasper. He's been fixated on me for years and what Jasper wants, Jasper gets. It's always been that way. His parents have always given both him and his brother anything they want. My parents encouraged the mating because it would raise their status in the pack. It's all they ever spoke to me about and the moment I turned eighteen, they expected it to happen. The ceremony was arranged and everything, even though I never agreed to it. It was just expected. When I refused, my parents told me if I wanted to remain their daughter, I would mate with Jasper. So I left." She wiped at a tear falling down her cheek and sighed, leaning back against the pillow. Her life had been so exhausting for the last three years. She'd just wanted to be a normal teenager with normal parents, but instead they'd been obsessed with her mating with the Alpha's son. It wasn't even like she'd become Luna either. Jasper was the youngest.

"Does Vail typically arrange matings?" Ragnar asked. He was not a fan of arranged matings. They never seemed to work as well as expected. It was always best to be with your fated mate, and he couldn't wait to get back to his own. His thoughts drifted to The Redwood Pack out in California. Their Alpha had just arranged a mating for his own heir. He honestly thought it was going to be a disaster of a mating, especially since Cassius had been forced to reject his fated mate.

"Sometimes, but not very often. I think it happened more in the past. I told my parents I wanted to be with my fated mate. Jasper has a violent personality. He's abusive and cruel. There's no doubt in my mind that he would have beat me," she whispered. She'd seen him beat on other members of the pack. Jasper was very large and strong.

"Have you met your fated mate?" Ragnar didn't like any of what he was hearing. It wasn't unusual for Alphas to spoil their children, but to encourage behavior like Jasper was exhibiting would be bad for the pack, especially if something were to happen to the Alpha's eldest son, and Jasper took over. It could be disastrous.

"No. My mate is not in my pack." She sighed. "Not that it matters. I don't think I want to meet him now."

"Because of what's happened?" Ragnar asked her with concern.

She didn't respond and looked away from him. Who would want her after she'd done the things she'd done? Or when some lunatic Alpha was obsessed with her? They'd be better off rejecting her.

Ragnar moved over to the bed, sitting at her feet. "Cora."

She looked up, brushing away her tears.

"If your mate is worth anything, none of this will matter to him. You will be the most important thing to him." He stared at her. "I'm going to bring you back to Regal Eclipse because we can protect you better than any other pack out there."

"I don't want to cause problems for your pack," Cora said quietly. The last thing she wanted to do was be an issue for the royal pack. Pretty soon everyone was going to hate her.

"Alpha Robert started causing issues when he put out a bounty on you and made a threat against the other packs. He's the problem, not you." Ragnar told her quietly. "No one is blaming any of this on you."

Cora's shoulders sank in relief. The last thing she wanted to do was go back to her pack, but she also didn't want others to die because of her. "You're sure about this?"

"I've already texted my Alpha. He's aware you're coming," Ragnar reassured her. "We'll take care of you."

'We need to go with him,' Missy told her. 'It's important that we do.'

'Why?' She wasn't quite sure why Missy was so adamant about going.

'Because that's the only place we'll be truly safe. I refuse to mate with that imbecile. If you mate with him, I will disown you,' Missy retorted.

'You can't disown me,' Cora told her. 'But don't worry. I have no intention of mating with him.'

'I know,' Missy said, warming Cora.

"When will we leave?" Cora asked. The sooner they got out of here, the better. She wanted to be as far away from Jasper as possible.

"I need to eat and sleep. I haven't slept in about 36 hours," Ragnar admitted with a yawn.

"Ugh. Why?" Cora curled her lip in disgust. She liked that Ragnar spoke to her like she was an adult, and didn't ignore what she had to say, unlike her own parents.

He smiled. "Lots going on." He yawned again. "Will you be okay here if I go back to my room?"

No. I don't trust this place. But she couldn't be demanding of the Royal Beta. He was giving her a place to stay. It was bad enough she was causing the Royal Pack the problems she was. "Yes, I'll be fine." She had to be. She couldn't live her life in fear. Plus, Regal Eclipse was located in Pennsylvania which would be quite a distance from The Vail Pack. Much further than Texas.

Ragnar stood. "Okay, I'm going to text my pilot and let him know we will leave in six hours. So I'll see you before that. Get some rest. The flight back is about three hours."

"Okay." Six hours and she'd be away from here. She wanted to ask him if she could go with him. She'd feel safer and maybe be able to sleep. She already knew she wouldn't sleep in the clinic. Too many people were in and out and who knows what could happen. Cora jumped when a knock sounded at the door again, and Emma poked her head in.

"Beta." She nodded to Ragnar and then checked Cora's IV. "It's empty, so I'm going to discharge you. Your body should have you mostly healed in the next twenty-four hours."

Cora sighed a small sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Once she had the IV out, Emma gave Cora a small sideways hug. "Take care of yourself, Cora." She smiled at her and left the room.

"Well you might as well come with me now," Ragnar told Cora.

Cora smiled in relief and got out of the bed. "Let's go, please."