Chapter 49 The Truth
Calhoun's POV
Kristen is sobbing as I hold her close without even a care that people are watching us.
I don't want to think about how badly she feels right now. Her body is trembling against mine as she continues crying silently. How dare they look at her this way when it was the other girl who started it? They don't even have any right to be judgy, most of them would've done worse if they were in her shoes.
She dodged every bite and gave the girl a good bite because her wolf was more powerful, they had no right to stare at her with hate and disgust.
If only they know how much she means to me, how I'll keep accepting her the way she is. To me, none of them can even measure up to her.
"Let's get you out of here," I tell Kristen, after pulling away from the hug. Because I don't give a flying fuck about anyone here. She needs to be away from them to know she's not a bad person or in the wrong to be defensive by fighting back.
They made my girl feel like a monster.
And it's upsetting to see her break down like this.
"I'll take her home, myself," Natalie volunteers, it's the first time she's speaking to me.
How quickly she was able to catch up with us is worth questioning, or maybe I didn't sense her coming because I was so focused on Kristen.
"She needs me by her side," Natalie adds.
And Kristen flinches as she stepped on a nail when she hears this from her mother.
I've never seen this reaction from her before, it's all new. More like there's something I don't know.
"Everyone, I apologize for my daughter's behavior. She's not always like this. I'm sorry for the damage she's made," Natalie clasps her hands together as she addresses the crowd.
People don't even say anything, they just remain in their standing position, staring at my mate with contempt. And it's taking everything within me to stay put and not yell at them to stop, since it's making Kristen feel worse.
At the command of Alpha Gregory, men arrive to pick up the injured girl from the floor and they take her away.
Her blood is dripping from her body, staining the floor as she's being held out.
Something which gives out that the bite from Kristen's wolf is deeper than what we all expected.
"Let's get you home, shall we?" Natalie smiles at her daughter.
But terror is evident in Kristen's eyes as she looks at her mother. It's almost like when someone is left out to be with a malicious flesh-eating monster.
Did something happen between the two of them? Kristen clearly doesn't like the idea of Natalie taking her back to her apartment.
Even my Beta has his scowl deep on his face as he focuses his gaze mostly on Natalie. I can't call her my wife anymore because she doesn't deserve to be.
Worse, Kristen trembles when Natalie puts her hand on her shoulder.
I don't have a good feeling about this. Kristen cannot be left alone with her even though they're both mother and daughter. "I'll take her," I say after clearing my throat.
"No,"
"I don't think she wants to be around you right now."
"Who are you to say that, Calhoun? I'm her mother and you're her stepfather."
"We shouldn't do this here."
"What do you mean by that? You don't want everyone to know you've been fucking your stepdaughter!?"
Gasps flow around.
And I can barely believe my ears.
Natalie just told everyone about me and Kristen, how was she able to find out?
Was it Bruce who told her, or Kristen herself?
She's known this entire time, that's why she fucked big Tony and helped him escape?
So many thoughts are slamming through my mind.
But one thing is for sure, I'm not scared.
Kristen clamps her hand to her bloody mouth as her eyes water with more tears.
"Fucking hell, sleeping with both mother and daughter?"
"Where's your morals, Kristen? Spreading out your legs to your stepfather?"
"Have you no shame?"
"How could you do this to your own mother?"
"You ruined Layla's funeral."
Kristen's feet sink under her and she drops to the floor, sobbing with her small hand fisted to her chest.
She had no idea Natalie would say things out loud for everyone to hear, and now she's being insulted.
It hurts to see her this way, knowing she's not even at fault.
The cat has been finally let out of the bag.
Even Bruce is facepalming in distress, Alpha Gregory has confusion on his face as he looks at me, and the boy, Ben, stares at Kristen with distaste.
"You're worse than I thought,"
"Enough!" I roar and silence falls immediately.
"Kristen and I fucked and so what? Most of you have done even worse than me." I harden my jaw after saying this.
"She's your wife's daughter and you're supposed to be her stepfather."
"She's my mate, damnit!" I say at last.
Gasps flow around for the second time and Kristen tips her head to look at me with wide eyes.
It's clear she didn't expect me to make it known to everyone, but I did it so they would stop with the insults and accusations.
"I realized we were mates before I even married Natalie, okay?" I continue, glaring at each of their faces.
"I seduced Kristen myself and I fucked her, so shift the blame on me and don't insult her any more."
I can see Natalie, looking like she just caught a cold. She never expected to say any of this, that I am mated to her daughter.
Serves her right.
Because she thought she could publicly disgrace both me and Kristen.
Now the truth is out.
Natalie wasn't expecting it to hit her in the face like this. She can cry all she wants and tear down the walls, it's none of my business.
"The moon goddess knew I was marrying Kristen's mother, yet she made us mates which proved that I never should've been with Natalie in the first place.
"Kristen is my mate and there's nothing anyone can do to change that, whoever has a problem with her will have to get through to me."
"There's no hiding anymore," I say more to myself than Kristen because I'm done with all the bullshit. I am not Alpha Calhoun for nothing, I'll use my power to protect her if need be.
My anger subsides a little when Kristen lets me carry her. The old her would've stopped me, but this new her let me.
I ignore everyone's gaze as I take her straight to my car, the one both Natalie and I came with.
It's not like I care, she can find other means to get home, Bruce is here and helps be of help to her.
Like I told her earlier, there'd be no need for hiding anymore. We're mates and I'm glad everyone knows that. Mostly Natalie. No more pretense, I'm divorcing her and that's final.
Kristen hasn't spoken a word since I started driving, she's been silent the whole time, staring out the window.
I wonder what's going on in her little mind.
If she's recalling what happened.
Still, hating on herself and feeling like a monster?
I want her to talk to me. To tell me about her worries and her fears.
But I doubt she will.
She didn't even bother to ask me where I'm taking her when it was something she would have done a long time ago.
"Don't you regret what you did in front of everyone?" She asks me quietly, without turning to face me.
"Telling them we're mates," she continues and rubs the side of her arm.
I throw a glance at the road ahead of us before returning my eyes to her.
"I could not let them abuse you like that, it upset me to see you in pain."
"And then you took me away," Kristen says as if she's talking more to herself than me.
"I did the right thing as your mate," I tell her. She doesn't even know I'll do even more if something like that happens again.
"I wonder how much it feels now if she hates me more than before because she already told me she's aware we had sex and now she knows we're mates. She'll kill me if she has the chance to."
Hearing Kristen utter this makes me wonder about the kind of relationship she's had with Natalie, as her daughter. No mother would indeed be happy if she found out her daughter slept with her husband, but the way Kristen talked about Nathalie murdering her is way too intense.
"I won't let anyone hurt you, Kristen. Nor will I let things kick off like the last time. I know what I want and I don't care what anyone thinks, they can go fuck themselves for all I care." I assure her, meaning every word.
But Kristen doesn't say anything. She just searches through my eyes to detect if I'm lying or not.
"Just don't overthink things, stay and let me prove to you how much I care," I add, hoping she'll take this to heart.