Leonidas ✔️

Chapter 23 - Eleanor

I had finally, finally, gotten the courage to stand up to my mate. It felt good!

He'd tried to dismiss me, but I wasn't having it. I wasn't going to leave until he rejected me, or promised to treat me like a mate is supposed to be treated. I wrapped my arms around my midsection, comforting myself and standing by my decision.

"I said get out!" I flinched back, Leo's command hitting me in the face, but because we were mates it didn't effect me in the way it should have.

I stood my ground, but flinched once again as the door to my mate's office was slammed open.The door almost hit me so I took a small step to my right, wanting the ground to swallow me whole when two men and a women entered the office.

The first man had greying hair and a smaller build, unlike the other man with him. Both the man and the woman behind him were built like giants. They were almost as tall as Leo, but their muscles seemed bigger, if that was even possible. I gulped.

"Actually, it will be you who is leaving, Alpha Leonidas." Leo stood to face him as the man and woman, who appeared to be there to protect the man in front of them, searched the room with their eyes.

"You'd better have a good reason for bursting into my office, Councilman Harry, because I'm in the middle of a dispute." I almost took a step back, but forced my body to stay where it was; Leo and I would clearly be having another dispute later.

I had never heard of the council, but power was rolling off of the man—Harry, in waves.

The male guard turned around and caught sight of me, his lips twisting into a smirk. I opened my mouth a little and tried to breathe, but it was becoming difficult. In the distance I could hear Leo and the councilman arguing, but my skin was prickling when I felt his gaze move up and down my body.

I was trying to keep quiet, but the man just wouldn't look away. I squeezed my eyes shut, and a whimper managed to escape me.

I looked up to see everyone's heads turning towards me, and quickly looked and the floor again. I clenched my eyes shut, whispering a quick prayer to the moon goddess to get me out of this situation.

"Who is this?" The question came from the councilman. I saw, while looking at the ground, that the man that had been looking at me was taking a small step away from me.

No one answered the councilman's question, and I clenched my fists as the councilman turned back to Leo. He asked again.

"Well? Is this your dispute I was interrupting, Leonidas?" Leo, once again, refused to answer the councilman.

Harry turned to face me again, took a step towards me, and abruptly placed his hand out. I flinched back, taking a deep breath, then looked down again so that my hair would cover my embarrassed face.

He released a growl louder than any of Leo's causing me to flinch again. Loud noises meant yelling and yelling meant punishment, and I began to shake uncontrollably.

I could hear them talking, faintly, but a ringing had begun in my ears and I clenched my eyes shut, trying to force it to stop.

I felt the guard's gaze on me, again, and looked up hesitantly. Everyone in the room was staring at him, not me, as his gaze flipped back and forth between Harry and I.

"Alex, what is going on here?" Alex looked down and my line of eyesight followed his to the shuffling of his shoes.

"I was simply looking at her, Alpha, and she whimpered." I looked down, yet again, and began to beat myself up. He wasn't even threatening me! What were you thinking?