A decision, now.

Joye

The confusion on the Alpha's face was almost comedic. But I dare not find myself amused else I might meet my end.

"What are you saying Kaelan? Can she be mated to two different people at the same time?" He asked in confusion.

"I do not know, but I'm certain that she's my mate." Kaelan established once more in confidence.

"That's nonsense. She was mated to me first, I'm her real mate!" Ethan argued. Never in my life did I ever imagine that Ethan would fight for my custody the way he was doing right now. The old me would have been head over heels for him at this moment. But after the stunt he tried to pull yesterday, I came to finally see him for who he truly was.

A disgusting harasser who had no respect for the female gender.

"That's enough for now." The Alpha stopped the arguing duo from speaking any further. Then he turned to me and softly he asked. "Do you have anything to say regarding this matter Joye?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but another voice interrupted me almost immediately.

"There's no need to seek her opinion in this matter. Her opinion doesn't matter anyway." It was Aurelia who spoke.

I watched as Kaelan's fists tightened in rage, and I could tell it was taking everything in him to maintain his composure. If we weren't at a dinner table, I had no idea what he would have done to Aurelia.

"Silence!" The Alpha barked at her, subduing her almost instantly. I saw her shudder in fear under his cold gaze, which threatened to dispose of her if she spoke out of line ever again. His reaction came as a shock to me, but I was satisfied. It was good to see somebody scold Aurelia for her cocky and bratty attitude.

"Join me outside for a moment, Joye." The Alpha requested and I nodded in compliance.

Slowly, I rose from where I sat and followed him out of the dining room, into the lonely hallway. I could already guess the questions he wanted to ask, and honestly, I wasn't prepared for them one bit.

He allowed me to regain my composure, before throwing the first question at me.

"Tell me, Joye, is my son Ethan your mate?" His eyes were bright with expectations, did he want me to be his son's mate? Or was I reading his expressions wrongly?

I wanted to answer 'Yes.' But the Luna's threat came ringing in my ear. She had warned me never to speak of Ethan as my mate, and now I was confused about the answer to give. I feared that disobeying the Luna was going to land me in jail once again, but at the same time, I didn't want to lie to the Alpha. He seemed like a nice man.

"Yes," I replied with a nod. "But he denounced me as his mate," I added for clarity.

"That's okay." He replied with a little disappointment in his voice. "And Kaelan, is he your mate?"

This question was trickier to answer than the last. I felt a tug for Kaelan. But unlike Ethan's, it wasn't that strong. There was a feeling inside of me, but it wasn't so strong that I would consider it a mate bond. But regardless, there was a bond, so I should answer honestly.

"I feel a bond between us too. Honestly, I'm just as confused as everybody is." I answered truthfully.

"I see. I guess it's up to you to choose who you're going to be with. I'll let you decide in front of everyone so they can be aware of your choice." The Alpha informed before gesturing that we returned to the dining room.

I bowed slightly in respect to his decision before finally returning to the dining room. For once, I had the authority to make my own choices.

Everywhere was quiet when we entered, but the silence and pressure seemed to get denser. The atmosphere was cold with toxicity from Aurelia and the Luna, but I managed to breathe through the friendly aura being radiated from Kaelan.

"I've had a word with Joye, and it seems that you both are correct. She does indeed feel a mate bond for the both of you." The Alpha announced.

"She's probably lying," Aurelia muttered. She said it in a whisper, but everybody heard her. However, nobody heeded her words any attention. Right now, she was meaningless in this discussion.

"However, Ethan denounced Joye as her mate. Is this correct?"

"That's...that's correct," Ethan said in a disappointed tone. "But..."

"No buts!" Kaelan interjected. "If you've denounced her, then there's no need for us to argue any further." He stated. He turned towards his assistant and gave him clear instructions. "Aiden get the car prepared. Once we finish up with the deal here, we're leaving with Joye immediately."

"Understood." Came a fervent reply from the assistant before exiting the room.

"The moon goddess has decided to bless me with her after you rejected her. Certainly, you did not expect the moon goddess to leave such a beautiful lady without a mate?"

Me? Beautiful?! I knew I was good-looking, but this was the first time someone aside from my mother has ever complimented me on it.

"Not so fast Kaelan, we still have to hear from Joye before you conclude on anything." The Alpha cautioned. "So tell us Joye, who do you choose as your mate?"

I froze momentarily and took a glance at my two potential mates. On one hand, was my childhood crush, who was nothing short of a monster now. And on the other hand, was a stranger whom I barely know. He appeared nice for the moment, but I knew better than to conclude on first impressions only.

"I would love to discuss this with my mother before I can finalize my decision. If you don't mind." I requested. And to my surprise, my request was granted. I didn't want to get over myself for the little leniency I was getting. These people weren't good, and I always reminded myself of that singular fact.

After I received permission, I quickly hurried to the servants' wards and headed to my mother's room.

"Mother, it's me, Joye," I called out after knocking a few times without reply. I could hear her sobbing behind the door, and I knew she was crying on my behalf. She worried too much about me, and I told her it wasn't good for her health.

"Angel, is that you?" My mother always referred to me as her angel. She felt that I had so much potential, but I couldn't see the things she saw in me.

"Yes, mama," I replied from outside before she finally opened up. I threw my arms around her immediately and wiped her tears away before scolding her. "I've told you not to worry about me. I'll be fine Mama." I assured her with confidence.

"I know, I know. But I can't help myself. You've endured so much." She said in her defense before starting her daily assessment of me.

"You look happy, angel. Is there an occasion I am not aware of?" She inquired as she lead me to settle on her bed. She poured me a cup of tea before settling behind me to caress my head.

On my way here, I had stopped to put on clothes that hid my scars from the naked eye. I couldn't risk her finding out that I was beaten yet again, she wouldn't be able to control herself.

"A lycan king has come to take me as his mate," I answered before taking a sip from the cup.

"Isn't Ethan supposed to be your mate?" I watched as she asked, her face, visibly surprised.

"It's complicated," I replied. "I feel a mate bond for the two of them."

"Interesting. And what was your reply to this Lycan king?" She asked.

"I haven't given him a reply yet. I came to ask for your decision on the matter mama. What should I do?"

"Why not accept to be his mate?" Mama suggested much to my surprise.

"What about Ethan? Also, I barely know this Lycan king. I'm afraid Mama."

She kissed my forehead and stroke my hair gently.

"I told you that you're made for greater heights, didn't I?" I nodded affirmatively.

"Then you should accept the lycan king to be your mate. Ethan has shown in many ways that he's unfit to take care of you. I understand that he's a stranger, but if he fought the Alpha's family for the custody of a total stranger, then he's somebody I can consider better than Ethan."

Mama wasn't wrong. Kaelan was nice, comported, and generally a good man. Unlike Ethan. The dangers of going home with a stranger were grave, but what's life without risk? I knew that nothing good would come from me picking Ethan as a mate. But with this stranger, there were possibilities.

I wanted to believe that the possibilities that came with Kaelan would be positive. But unless I accepted him, I would never know.

"Thank you, mama," I said in appreciation. Her words were the only ones I could trust. And they were the only words that kept me going despite everything I had been through.

After I was done discussing with my mother, I hurried back to the dining room where everybody sat waiting for me. My mind was already made up, and I wasted no time in breaking the news to the others.

"I've accepted Kaelan as my mate, and I would love to leave with him"