Page 14 of Dark Auctioned Mate

On the third morning, he came downstairs a few minutes past six to find Alanis already at the counter with her back to him, wearing one of his shirts that hit her mid-thigh, revealing creamy smooth skin, which he would very much like to have wrapped around his face, and a pair of leggings that belonged to his sister, which he’d left in the dresser. Alanis turned around, having heard his footsteps—he realized she was much more observant than he thought. She held out a mug without a word, and Rael silently took it, nodding in appreciation.

Then, she went back to whatever she was reading at the table—a book she took from his bookshelf. He quietly sat across from her and drank his coffee in surprisingly comfortable silence. It was like they were a couple.

Alanis ate at irregular intervals. Sometimes, Rael would wake up in the middle of the night and find her eating a snack. Sometimes, she had nothing but a sandwich all day. He could barely keep up. She rearranged the things on the kitchen counter, and when he moved them back, she did it again. She was also mapping out all exits in the house. He noticed because he was watching her. He suspected that she was keeping something from him. He hadn’t figured it out yet, but she was wound too tight to let anything slip, and he was not going to push her on it. She had every reason not to trust him yet, and forcing information from someone who wasn't ready to give it was a bad idea. He was good at waiting.

He also found out just how much Alanis loved to argue. The other day, they were arguing about whether to keep the blinds in the room open or closed at night, and she firmly held her position about keeping them open. Something about natural light. It was the opposite of what Rael wanted. But he always found himself looking forward to their next argument, and his wolf had no restraint.

His wolf was clear about what it wanted, but Rael knew that Alanis wasn’t ready for the kind of intimacy that happened after bonding. But he could admit it was hard watching her prance around the house, resisting the urge to sink his cock inside her.

***

The next day, she came downstairs to find him at the table with files strewn around. They were files on his mission.

“So, you’ve really been on this for almost a year.” She stated after taking a seat at the table and going through the files for the past thirty minutes.

"Yes."

"And your pack was being framed for it the whole time."

"Yes."

"That's why you went to the auction, because you needed evidence of who was actually running it to clear your pack's name."

"Yes."

She pressed her tongue against her cheek and told him, “You’re good, but you missed a layer in the third shell company chain.”

"Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

***

His brothers arrived a week later. He was in the yard when they pulled up with two trucks coming from the south. Silas—his older brother and the Alpha and ruler of the pack—was the first to step out. His dark blonde hair shimmered under the sunlight. Elle, his mate, and Luna followed behind him with a small smile on her face.

Silas looked at him the way he usually looked at things when he had several questions and was deciding which one to lead with. But he was also Rael's brother, which meant the look he was giving Rael right now was less Alpha-to-pack and more older-brother-to-younger-brother-who-has-done-something-requiring-explanation.

He walked forward and gripped Rael’s shoulder. “Brother. We need to talk.”

Rael nodded and watched as Javi climbed out of the second truck with their sister, Sara, and Elle’s adopted brother—August Jones, behind them. Javi was the youngest Weston brother. His hair was a light shade of blonde, almost white, and his dark blue eyes were always full of mischief and rage.

"You blew the venue," Javi said as he walked closer.

"Yes."

"Tell me you at least got the coordinator."

"No."

"Rael. We've been at this for a year. A year. That auction was the closest we've been to—"

"I know what it was." He gritted out. "I was there."

"Then why—"

"Because there were women in a holding area who were about to be handed to buyers." He looked at his brother. "That's why."

Javi held his gaze for a moment, then exhaled and looked at the sky. He wasn't wrong to be frustrated. Rael understood the consequences of his actions.