Chapter 480 -
~ACE BLACKNER~
"Fuck." I growl. "Should I just forget I ever saw her?"
"I think it would truly make your life easier." My brother admits. "Ever since I found my mate, my life has been a damn mess. I wouldn't want the same thing to happen to you."
"But father would be disappointed in me if he discovered I found my mate and didn't bring her back to him." I point out.
He nods, "I know that much, but if you value your peace at all, it's best that you leave things as it is and pretend you never saw her."
He was right. I saw what happened to each of my siblings and vowed to stay away from that kind of trouble. It wouldn't do my family any good. I didn't have the time for this kind of stress, I needed to do everything in my power to protect my siblings, they needed me and I couldn't be there for them if I had to worry about a mate and what would happen when father got his hands on her.
"Fuck." Nathan growls suddenly. “I don't think you want to see this right now.”
I stiffened; the tone of his voice told me that we were most likely in trouble. I had enough trouble to deal with already. First I got that woman pregnant and now I found out that she somehow knew my mate. What was the connection between the two of them? From what I'd witnessed, it didn't seem like the two of them liked each other at all.
"What's wrong?" I ask him as I begin to examine our surroundings for any sign of danger. I was always prepared for the unexpected, of course, nothing could have prepared me to see my damn mate today. I thought I came here to spy on Nicole, instead, I found someone I never wanted to find.
“I can see a few of our men." He informs me. "Father has sent some of them to spy on us."
Damn it.
Out of all of the days, why did it need to be today? Ever since Arthur basically left everything behind to be with his mate, my father doesn't trust the rest of us; he thinks that we would do the same thing. To prevent that, he's been keeping a close eye on all of us. At this point, it was becoming a fucking pain in my ass. I didn't need a fucking babysitter.
"That's not good," I tell him. "If they've been spying on us this entire time, they may already know that I found my mate. This means that we have no choice but to take her back with us before they can do the same."
Nathan sighs, "I'm warning you, brother. I saw what happened to Arthur; you saw it as well. The mate bond is not something to be taken lightly."
I nod, "I know, but it doesn't look like I have a choice in the matter, does it?"
"It would seem that way." He says as he points towards the entrance of the academy. "It looks like your mate is about to leave."
"We must get to her before father's men get to her," I inform him.
"We can't do it out in the open." He tells me. "Everyone that attends this academy is from influential families, we have no information on her family. If they know we are the ones that took her, we may bring unwanted attention to our family."
Unwanted attention was the last thing we wanted right now after what happened with Arthur in the past.
"The second she leaves the academy, we will intercept her vehicle and take her," I tell him.
He nods, "Sounds like a plan, brother. Congratulations, by the way."
I ignore the urge to hold him by the throat and squeeze tightly. His sarcasm was not appreciated right now. This wasn't a joking matter. I had to find a way to control this aching pain in my chest. Mates were our weaknesses, and that's why getting rid of them was always the right move to make. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy to ignore feelings this strong.
I follow closely behind her as she exits the parking lot.
"Don't make it too obvious," Nathan warns me.
"I honestly don't think she's paying attention to her surroundings right now." I point out. "She's crying hysterically, and I wish she'd just fucking stop because it makes me angry." RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only
I should not be this affected because of a stranger's tears. I've been taught to ignore feelings this strong, but this was the first time I had any real experience from those lessons.
"Do you see father’s men behind us?" I ask as I look in the rearview mirror.
"No." He answers me as he looks behind. "Father most likely wants them to be as inconspicuous as possible."
I saw my opportunity to stop her around a corner, and I mashed down on the accelerator and pulled in front of her vehicle. I hear a loud screech as she presses on her brakes before it comes to a complete stop.
I didn't waste any time as I got out and opened her door. Her eyes are wide, while her face is covered in tears. My jaw clenches as I pull the cloth out of my pocket and cover her mouth. She struggles against my hold before her entire body goes limp.
"You drive her car," I inform Nathan as I move her to the jeep.
I try not to let the feeling in my chest get to me. Her nearness was affecting my focus, and fuck me, I knew this was going to be much harder than I ever expected.
I had to take her back to our home; father would have to find a way to deal with her. It would be out of my hands the second I stepped into our residence and handed her to him.