London Hale

"Stop calling that slut your mate? Everyone knows how loose she is and how hard it is for her to keep her legs closed. Or maybe it's just you who aren't man enough for to satisfy all her desires. You can call me if you need some help." Bryce smirked and Ignored him.

This wasn't the first time he said something like this, and this will definitely not be the last until I somehow prove to them how wrong they are to keep judging my mate.

The condescending look in his eyes and the light scoff he gave off after his taunt had me balling my fists and gritting my teeth. He gazed at me boldly, not looking apologetic in the slightest, which pissed me off more.

I despised his guts and confidence when he spoke his mind and brushed it off like he never said anything offensive. He was very good at hurting someone's feelings with that sharp tongue of his.

"I really don't know what you were thinking when you decided to accept the mate bond and mate her. Leah is a slut, my friend, and we all know that once a slut is always a slut, no matter how respectable you might try to make her." Vince added, and I looked in his direction and watched him nod his head in total disapproval of my decision.

I was shocked to see Vince siding with Bryce. Both were my best friends, but Vince and Bryce never seemed to get along. According to him, Bryce was an arrogant and inconsiderate son of a bitch.

But when it came to my decision to marry and mate Leah Flesker, both men could apparently put aside their differences and jointly taunt and scold me.

Who knew.

I ignored both of them, hoping that they'd take the hint and drop the topic, but curse my luck, Bryce seemed to be all out to run me dry of my self-restraint.

It would be a shame to have to throw a punch at him for the umpteenth time since he came back from his trip.

It wasn't worth it. I should learn not to let his words or those of others get to me.

In as much as Bryce was an asshole, he was that extremely blunt fellow who always told the truth to you, no matter how inconveniencing and ugly it might be.

Expect Bryce to have you rethinking stupid decisions through his very coy mannerisms. He may be straightforward, but he has sly ways of getting you to pull yourself back together whenever you're about to dive into something stupid.

"Of all the stupid things you've done, London, this just tops the list. I was away for just one month on spy duties, and you go ahead and make the dumbest decision of your life, and now look at you," He drawled with a big eye roll.

"How is Mrs. Hale taking it? Not likely, I presume." He asked, and the corner of his eyes dropped on me.

Ever since he got back from his trip, he hadn't let me live it down, and it irked me. The mate bond was a beautiful thing, and although I never really felt desperate to have a mate out of the three of us, I was the first to find mine.

Bryce, on the other hand, despite being a jerk, was actually a softie when it came to the topic. He wanted a mate bond just like his parents and was eager to get that. He wanted to find the one he would love and cherish forever, so I don't understand why he doesn't want me to enjoy mine in peace.

My mother came to mind at his mention of her, and I sighed knowing that she hasn't taken my calls ever since I decided to take Leah as my mate last month against her disapproval three months ago when I found out she was my mate.

Both she and Vince gave me a thousand and one reasons why it was a horrible thing to do, but I didn't see it that way. Leah had a tough time growing up, and certain decisions caused by unsightly situations led to her becoming a slut for easy cash.

However, now she's not a slut anymore because I've given her a home, a name, and a husband who earns enough to make her comfortable. She was still a human and a woman regardless of her past, and I wasn't one to defy the moon goddess because of something so frail. I just wished my mother and friends would understand.

"Obviously, Mrs. Hale is not taking it well. She refused to attend the wedding ceremony." Vince chipped in while adjusting his boots in preparation for our journey home, and Bryce scoffed yet again, not caring about my feelings.

"I'd be surprised if she did. Did you attend, Vince? I wouldn't dare attend such a wedding if I were in her shoes; it's truly embarrassing." He cocked his thick black brows at the blonde, peering at him intently with his amber eyes.

"What was I supposed to do? The idiot was so adamant on making me his best man, I had to, or else he and his bride would be the only ones present at the alter without a witness present," Vince said and shot me a disappointed gaze.

That was all it took for me to snap.

"Do not talk about my mate like that. We've all made terrible decisions; what matters is how we try to correct them. I'm tired of everyone having something condescending to say about my marriage to Leah! Vince, if you didn't want to be my best man, then you should have stayed home." I yelled, facing both of them.

Vince sighed heavily, looking a little guilty. He faced Bryce, who shook his head and threw a tilted head my way.

"Look, London. It's not like we're trying to hurt you or anything; it's just that you're the beloved Gamma of the Nightwalker pack, so it's only fair to say people are constantly worried about you. You deserve only the best because you have sacrificed a lot for the pack. You deserve a mate who will love, respect, and cherish you." He patted my shoulder, and I could feel the deep sincerity dripping through every word.

"And to be honest, Leah isn't the one to give you that. I'm saying this as your best friend, someone who cares about you." He offered me a weak smile, his green eyes glistening under the moonlight.

"Why is that? Because she was once a slut? A call girl? Who are you to keep judging her? I told you all that she is a changed person," I gritted.

"You haven't heard the recent rumors?" Bryce cocked a brow at me, and I looked at Vince, hoping for a more detailed explanation, but he threw his face away.

"What rumours?" I questioned, returning my gaze back to Bryce.

"It's been going around that she's been having something to do with Connan, the beta, and Alpha Preston. Apparently it started way before your engagement to her and has continued after your marriage to her." Bryce explained while I glared at him.

I walked up to him, barely refraining from ruining his pretty face with heavy punches. How dare he keep talking down at my mate like this? She isn't a slut anymore and should be given a chance to prove her worth.