Chapter 244 - His Mate or His Girlfriend

Aria's mouth hung open in complete shock as she took in a naked Brad, desperately reaching for a sheet to cover his lower torso while the color drained from Melanie’s face. It took a minute for Aria to completely take in what was going on before her very eyes.

“YOU!” Aria finally exclaimed murderously, stalking towards Brad as fire lit her eyes.

Brad, for his part, stood firm and tried to look as dignified as he could while half-naked. Nevermind the fact that she’d just seen him totally naked.

“Your brother’s gotter a bigger package,” Aria spat with a sneer, referring to having slept with Beta Tony a long time ago.

Melanie gasped in shock. Aria swung her head and looked at Melanie as if Melanie had just betrayed her.

“How could you?” Aria asked angrily. “How could you do this? With him? Anyone but him Melanie....”

Melanie took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

“What’s wrong with this?” Melanie asked calmly, gesturing towards Brad and then herself. “You just admitted to sleeping with Beta Tony? I can’t do the same?”

There was a challenge in her voice.

“That’s different!” Aria roared, her gaze back on Brad.

“How so?” Melanie asked rationally.

“Because Tony didn’t mean anything to me!” Aria spat. She pointed a finger at Brad accusingly. “He made your life hell in high school!”

“He did,” Melanie agreed, crossing her arms over her sheet-clad body.

“You hated him!” Aria added for good measure. “But don’t you dare think I couldn’t tell the way you rushed to save him after he was injured during your coronation! I knew it then! I knew there was some type of silly high school crush going on. Your feelings for him will get in the way of your judgement when it comes to protecting your people! I knew he was your weakness! I just didn’t expect you to act on your stupid obsession and risk the well-being of our coven! He’s egotistic, toxic and totally unsuitable for y-”

“Enough!” Melanie yelled, standing up angrily. Her eyes turned yellow as her wolf fought to be let out. Melanie used her wolf's rage to spur her own.“How does sleeping with my mate risk the well-being of my coven?!”

Aria stopped short, looking at Brad again. This time, she looked at him differently. almost as if in a new light.

“He’s your mate?” Aria asked, swinging completely around to look at Melanie assessingly. Her voice was different now, more calm. “Why didn’t you tell me that when I asked you the first time about your mate?" Aria queried.

Melanie swallowed and realized she'd have to admit the ugly truth to Aria as well now.

“I wasn’t sure if we would actually be together. I thought he’d reject me eventually,” Melanie admitted. “And when I realized that he actually loved me…” Melanie’s lips trembled momentarily as she looked up at Brad. “…I realized I want to protect him from the danger that came with being my mate.”

Brad looked back at her with his loving gaze.

“But he’s supposed to protect you!” Aria exclaimed excitedly. “Don’t you see? Your mate will make you stronger. Your wolf will be stronger and so will your witch powers. If your mate is nearby, no one can place a spell on you to harm you. And once he marks you, you’ll be practically invincible! Dark magic won't work on you if you're marked.”

Brad looked at Aria excitedly.

“Well then, what are we waiting for? That means I need to mark her!”

“You do,” Aria nodded in agreement. "You should actually do it now."

Brad looked at Aria as if she'd just told him Christmas would be early this year.

Melanie blinked in confusion. Not two minutes ago, they were sworn enemies. Now, all of a sudden, it was like they were best buddies. Brad stalked over to his mate determinedly, eyes on her neck. It looked like he was about to make good on Aria's orders. Melanie moved back, clamping a hand over where his mark was supposed to go.

“Not yet,” Melanie stated firmly, warning Brad to back away.

“Let him,” Aria cut in briskly. “You’ll heal faster too if you’re marked. A hybrid's mate is very special. If you had told me this before…” Aria trailed off and looked at Brad apologetically. “Sorry, I just thought maybe you were using her to make sure she helped the wolves fight Sybl. I didn't think...” Aria trailed off in embarrassment.

Melanie narrowed her eyes. She knew that Aria had been kind enough to not finish the sentence. The fact was, nobody could have thought that Brad would ever actually be interested in her. Guys like Brad dated leggy blondes who belonged on the runway. While Melanie had grown into her own, her body was not runway ready. Her hips were way too wide and her face could never handle too much make-up. She was the opposite of Brad's type.

“For me there is no one else but Melanie,” Brad said firmly, also realizing that Aria had found it hard to believe Brad might actually be interested in her. “It has nothing to do with her being a Coven Head. She's a powerful witch and I'm proud of how far she's come. But I wanted her even when I thought she was an omega," Brad emphasized this, fixing his gaze on Melanie. "I told you as much before the rogues attacked the high school." Melanie nodded, confirming Brad's words. " And for what it's worth, I’ve been the one telling her stay back and let us wolves fight it out. It’s not her fight. I don’t want her risking her well-being. But she’s stubborn,” Brad argued.

“She really is,” Aria agreed.

Brad and Aria shared a look of understanding. Melanie simply rolled her eyes. Great, it seemed that the two had formed a partnership already. Might as well make it official with a peace treaty the way they'd been against each other before, Melanie couldn't help but think darkly.

“Once you’re done talking about me like I’m not here,” Melanie stated angrily. “I’m going to go take a shower. Aria, please do not tell anyone about this,” Melanie implored.

“I won’t, but you need to have a mating ceremony and a marking sooner rather than later,” Aria responded sternly.

Melanie looked away momentarily, giving Aria all the information she needed regarding Malenie's stance on Brad marking her.

“We’ll figure that out later. For now, I need to shower and drink some coffee,” Melanie argued. Head held high, Melanie finally made her way to the attached bathroom.

Brad stood there, awkwardly, his wolf wanting to follow Melanie but wondering if Aria would be angry with him for doing so. It didn't look appropriate.

“ Well, what are you waiting for?” Aria asked in exasperation. “Go take care of your mate,” Aria added, shooing him away.

Brad grinned. Aria was actually pretty cool. The older witch left the room, murmuring a locking spell behind her so that no one would interrupt Melanie. She then told all the other Council members that Melanie was not to be disturbed for another few hours.

Melanie, for her part, enjoyed her shower with Brad. Especially after he figured out the settings on the detachable showerhead and used it to make her come atleast three times before pushing her against the tiled wall and entering her. Afterwards, he lathered up her body, paying extra attention to her chest. By the end of the entire shower, Melanie had about ten extra lovebites peppered all over her body.

Afterwards, Brad carried her into the room and, with a disgruntled expression, put the appropriate lotion to help make the bite marks disappear.

“People can’t see them,” Melanie spoke sharply.

Melanie did notice that Brad purposefully left the mark on her abodmen and one on her inner thigh. Since the marks weren’t anywhere visible, she decided to let them stay. Finally, Brad allowed her to open a portal for him to go home. But not before deeply kissing her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Melanie said sweetly, looking up at her mate. “Tonight, I have a budget meeting. But tomorrow I can maybe visit you?” she asked hopefully.

Brad kissed her forehead.

“See you tomorrow,” he affirmed before disappearing into the portal.

Melanie watched him go, a silly grin on her face. Goddess she loved her man.