"Remember I told you she was innocent," Alan, who had seemed to regain his control, spat at them.
He was doing his hardest to resist the impulse to transform into his wolf form one more time. His wolf's rage and his heartbreak were both tangible sensations to him.
'She was innocent and was unaware of our mother's disappearance. If she rejects us, I'm burning this place down.' Alan couldn't help but smile as Scott continued whining in the back of his head.
Simon was the first to tell him, "Sorry, man," and the rest soon followed. James was too nervous to say a single word- his attention got fixed on Alan's mate, and when he tried to look elsewhere, his eyes met Jordan's eyes which were also watching him keenly.
Elizabeth, who had regained control, told them to carry her downstairs after listening to what they had to say.
They had already asked the servants to take the day off, so there were none to send. Alan didn't want to go and call Eleanor.
He didn't want James getting anywhere closer to her either. To him, she tried seducing him, and he couldn't even resist.
If his elder brother was able to steal and snatch someone else's mate, James could also have that trait.
Jackson, Jordan, and James were brothers. Their father was the past Beta who lost his mate when James was just one year old. He sorted to mixing wolf-bane with Alcohol so he could get drunk and waste his days away.
His brother, Elizabeth's husband and past Alpha, died after a few years and that only made matters worse for him. When she knew how young his children were, she brought them into her home and took them as if they were her children.
"Fine, I will go," Daniel got up to leave. He hadn't personally interacted with her much and thought she wouldn't be as mad as she would be with Simon.
In a few minutes, they both walked the stairs, with their foot steadily stepping each step.
Scott continued to hop and shout, 'All mine! Alan, all ours!" as Alan's stomach began to churn and tie up in a knot.
Now that he wasn't mad at his mate, Simon could see the delight in his brother's eyes. They were sparkling and dazzled by Eleanor's beauty, and he could hardly take his eyes off her.
When Simon first saw his mate, he experienced the same sensation. He had the impression that every time he saw her, it was the first time.
'You already marked her, right?' Alan, who was still swooning over his mate's beauty, was mind-linked by their mother.
She could smell her son's scent, which was floral and citrusy and blended with the young lady's minty scent, even from the stairway.
As she pushed Andrew from the seat next to her, their mother said, "Hello, come sit."
They all laughed, though Eleanor wouldn't have known because it was mind-linked laughter.
"I'm sorry this is how things have turned out." She pleaded as Eleanor sat next to her, "I would like to apologize on behalf of my boys."
Eleanor grinned warmly at the older woman.
The elderly woman smiled bigger and said, "I love your hair."
Eleanor turned to give the woman a close examination. She looked more to be the older sister of the men due to her stunning beauty. She welcomed strangers with a beautiful smile. Her beautiful, dark hair went nicely with her complexion.
Eleanor wanted to add, 'Too bad you gave birth to gorgeous but brutal males,' but she merely responded, "Thank you."
Alan heard her without her knowledge and grinned.
When the others noticed Alan grinning while examining his shoes, they understood he had read her mind and was mind-linking with him to share what his mate had thought.
He glanced at them for a short while and ignored them.
Even Elizabeth thought her question, "I hope you have eaten already," sounded strange, so she laughed.
"Where were you, with due respect?" She made a direct statement. Even though she seemed to like the woman, her voice sounded grave and her face solemn.
Everyone gazed at her as if she did not get taken as a hostage in exchange for their mother's abduction.
Why was she still there if their mother was at home and secure? Why did their mother have to apologize on their behalf?
Why were they all behaving as though she was a visitor who received unjust treatment because she failed to give prior notice?
Her mind got overrun with questions, and she could feel her blood boil. She inhaled deeply to keep her rage under control.
She didn't want the older woman to feel awful because of her outburst. No matter the cause, she wasn't going to ignore it. She looked at each man while gritting her teeth.
Her nostrils blew up, and she was breathing with bloodshot red eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry," She said through a brief burst of laughing, "You know, us ladies prefer alone time, and having raised these guys, I wanted- No, I deserved-that."
Eleanor nodded as if she could understand what she meant. She tried to smile at the woman and James. Even though the young lady was dying inside, Eleanor tried to smile, but Alan could feel Eleanor's emotions.
She couldn't help but think of her little sister back home.
"I'll come back and choke the life out of you guys if I go home and discover even the slightest scratch on my sister or dog. So please pray they're okay." Her threat did not catch them off guard.