Leonidas ✔️

Chapter 21 - Eleanor

Darkness terrified me when I was younger.

After my father, and his daily beatings, being left in the dark constantly became a normality to me. This darkness, however, was different. The main difference between the two is that I won't be punished when I awake. At least I don't think so.

Alpha seemed worried about me before I fell unconscious, and it made my wolf howl in delight. There was a tingling sensation throughout my entire body, and it made the darkness warmer than the cold darkness I was familiar with.

Soon enough, the tingling disappeared, only to be replaced with the coldness of the basement floor. A humming sensation began to vibrate my entire being, then the tingling came back and everything was warm again.

Suddenly, my neck tensed, and I was lying on the basement floor again, my father's hand around my neck. I gasped, my eyes opened, and I froze: I was looking into the eyes of my mate.

"Leo."

His eyes widened at the name, but nothing was said. In my peripheral vision I noticed Ana and Jackson were huddled to the side, watching with mouths open.

"Don't call me that." His jaw clenched so hard, I was afraid it was hurting him. I reached my hand up, hesitated, and brought it back down.

I pushed myself up using my hands and scooted to the other end of the couch. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down in submission.

Nothing had changed.

"Yes, Alpha." Ana wrenched herself out of Jackson's grip and stormed towards us.

"I cannot let this happen anymore! Leo, by pushing her away and not doing anything to help her, you're hurting her!" Jackson muttered under his breath and stood, wrapping his arms around his mate to pull her away.

"You're just like them!"

Leo stood, and let out a growl that resembled the loudest thunder I'd ever heard.

"I would never be anything like them."

Ana also let out a growl, and thrashed against her mate's arms.

"You have no idea! You are so naive when it comes to women! What we went through is not something that can just be forgotten, I should know. It took my months to heal, and those were just physical wounds."

My mind blanked at what I assumed was a slip-up. Had Ana been in my pack?

"Ana?" I whispered.

Her head turned towards me, features softening and body going slack. Jackson hesitantly let her go, keeping close to her just in case she lashed out at Leo again.

"Were you in my pack?"

Jackson gave me a sad look, and that gave me my answer.

"How-how did you get out?" Her gaze grew even more sad, and she crouched in front of me. Ana's hands reached forward and grabbed mine, clenching them so hard I thought they might crunch mine.

"You got me out, remember?" I shook my head, so she sighed, gulped, and began to speak once more.

"It was about a year and a half ago, we were in our lines and I smelt Jackson," behind her, Jackson smiled a little, "I got too excited, and the guard took me to the back to punish me, and you helped Jackson find me. Do you remember now?"

"I could never thank you enough for that day, Eleanor. Ana wouldn't have survived much more, I was able to get to her just in time." Jackson's face dropped, then quickly turned into one of anger. He pulled Ana towards him, and she turned to grip him tightly into a hug.

"You have no idea what we've gone through, Leo," she paused and turned in Jackson's grip to look at my mate, "and you never will."

Leo looked at me, then back at Ana and Jackson. I couldn't tell if he was looking on in disgust, or confusion, but the room was silent for a few minutes while he stared.

"Leave Ana and I alone, please." My mouth opened slightly in surprise, but Jackson didn't look fazed by the words my mate spoke. Jackson left Ana, whispering words of encouragement in her ear, before picking me up and carrying me like a child. His eyes glazed over as he walked, and I looked down at my chest in defeat.

My mate was never going to want me.

I began to squirm in Jackson's arms, and the glazed look went away. He looked down at my face then let my stand on my own. I lowered my gaze in submission.

"Why did he ask Ana to stay?" Jackson's hands grasped both sides of my face and pulled it up until my eyes met his.

"You know you don't have to do that around me, right?" I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"There's no need for an apology. He's taking about your old pack with Ana. I'm praying this helps him understand what you've both been through."

"How much did she tell you?" Jackson smiled at me, though I could see the pain he was trying to mask in his eyes.

"Everything. She told me everything."

A tear escaped my eye, and while I was quick to catch it before it rolled down my cheek. Jackson saw it and brought me into a hug. Leo's door clicking open broke us apart, and Jackson was quick to get to his mate's side.

Without speaking a word, he wrapped her up in a hug and lifted her off her feet. Ana was carried away, and Leo and I were left in silence.

"Come." His right hand motioned to his office, and he took a step back to allow me to walk in front of him.

I continued to walk until I was standing in front of his desk, then stopped and twisted my hands together nervously. The room was filled only with the sound of his footsteps as he walked until he stopped on the other side of his desk. He cleared his throat then sat in his chair with a loud huff.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you, Eleanor. I have no clue what to do now." I would never get tired of hearing his gruff voice, especially when he was saying my name. I peeked up at him, and he was staring to the side as if he was trying to avoid looking at me.

"I don't know what you mean, Alpha." A growl began to sound deep in his throat, but it was cut off as he swallowed.

"I mean I don't know what to do about us, Eleanor."

"It's not necessary to take that tone with me, Alpha." Before I was finished with his title my hands clamped over my mouth as I gasped. His eyes flew to make contact with mine, and I could see that his wolf was trying to take control.

"You may be my mate, but that tone will never be tolerated. Is that understood?" His voice was deep and dark, a promise carrying through his words. I frowned.

"From what I understand, Alpha, in this pack males treat women with respect. Clearly that isn't true." I thought this pack would be different from my old one, but I was wrong.

"Reject me, Alpha. I no longer wish to be a part of this pack." His nostrils flared as he stood abruptly, leaning over his desk.

"You will never be leaving this pack. Ever!"

"You don't even want me here, as a mate or as a simple human being." He stopped after what I said, and sat back down in his office chair.

"Go." He said as he waved his hand as if shooing me out of the room.

"No. I'll only leave if you reject me first."

He smirked, look away from me once again.

"That's a shame. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."