All Chapters of Mated To My Beta Stepbrother: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

“The soul reading is not painful but it can be emotionally intense because it requires you to lower all your mental shields and allow the Alpha’s magic to examine your true feelings and intentions,” Elena said while watching my reaction carefully, “You’ll need to think about your relationship with Killian and focus on the genuine emotions you feel for him, and the magic will translate those feelings into images and sensations that everyone present will be able to perceive.”The fact that my private feelings would be displayed for public consumption made me feel sick to my stomach, but I understood that this was necessary to prove that our bond was authentic and not based on manipulation or coercion. Elena continued explaining that after the soul reading there would be a period where the Alpha and council would deliberate privately before announcing their decision, and if they ruled in our favor then we would proceed immediately to the final bonding ritual.“What exactly happens durin

Alpha Daemon stood from his throne and descended the steps until he was standing directly in front of Killian and me, and I felt a surge of magical energy emanating from him that made every hair on my body stand on end.Elena had warned me that the soul reading would be intense but nothing could have truly prepared me for the sensation of having Alpha Daemon’s magic probe into my mind and heart while searching for the truth of my feelings.“Adele you must open yourself completely to my examination,” Daemon instructed as his eyes began to glow with an otherworldly light, “Do not try to hide or control what I see because any attempt to deceive during this process will be immediately apparent and will result in the automatic invalidation of your bond.”I nodded and tried to relax my mental barriers even though every instinct was screaming at me to protect my privacy and keep my innermost thoughts hidden from scrutiny.I felt Daemon’s magic washing over me like a wave and suddenly images

The bite when it came was sharp and burning like fire spreading through my veins from the point where his teeth had broken my skin, and I gasped and would have fallen if Killian hadn’t been holding me steady with his arms wrapped around my waist.I could feel something flowing from him into me through the wound, and I knew it was the wolf essence that Daemon had mentioned. As it spread through my body, I felt the mate bond between us explode into something so intense and overwhelming that I lost all sense of where I ended and Killian began.Images and emotions that weren’t my own flooded my consciousness and I realized that I was experiencing Killian’s thoughts and feelings directly through our newly completed bond, and I could feel his love for me burning bright and fierce alongside his relief that I had survived the marking.The pain from the bite gradually faded into a dull ache and was replaced by a strange tingling sensation that seemed to be emanating from deep within my cells a

The names Elder Thomas revealed caused an immediate uproar in the hall as pack members reacted with shock that the conspiracy had reached so deeply into their community, and I saw Daemon signal to guards stationed near the exits who immediately moved to secure the three accused traitors before they could attempt to flee.Selene had gone pale and was staring at Thomas with an expression of absolute horror, and I realized with a start that Catherine was her mother and that learning about her parents’ betrayal must have been devastating.Within minutes the three additional conspirators had been dragged before the Alpha and thrown down beside Thomas, and all four traitors now knelt in a line while the pack pressed closer with bloodlust and righteous anger radiating from the assembled wolves. Killian left me and made his way to where they were and when I saw that his face was streaked with tears as he looked down at his uncle with a mixture of grief and fury.“How could you do this?” he a

“Eventually once you’ve proven yourself and gained more control over your wolf form the restrictions will be lifted and you’ll be able to maintain relationships with humans as long as you’re careful,” Killian said gently, “Many pack members have human family or friends and they manage to balance both worlds successfully, so this isolation is only temporary.”I tried to take comfort in his words but the reality of how completely my life had changed was starting to sink in and I felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of what I had committed to.As usual, Killian sensed my distress through our bond and he pulled me into his lap and held me close while making soothing sounds against my hair, and gradually I felt my anxiety begin to subside as his presence grounded me.Tyler came to the apartment at noon, with supplies and equipment that would be needed for my first transformation including thick padded mats to protect me from injury if I thrashed around during the shift, and medical supplies i