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When he looks at me, it's with pure hatred.
"Tell me, Cross. How many times will you show up uninvited before you stop pining after my mate?" I ask before he can get another word out. It's the easiest way to keep ahold of the upper hand now that we've caught him off guard right out of the gate.
"What's going on, Tess?" he asks, completely ignoring me. "Are you in trouble? No one could figure out what happened or where you'd gone. And couldn't you hear me talking to you across the link?"
I'm not sure she realizes it, but she leans into my side as he bombards her with questions.
Whatever he thinks he's going to accomplish by coming on so strong, it's having the opposite effect. I don't do anything to stop her, and yet Tess, all on her own, makes no effort to answer him. That seems to sink in for him quickly.
"I don't get this," he says, clearly growing frustrated. "A few days ago, I thought we were…"
I nearly come out of my chair at his unfinished insinuation, but stop short when Tess lays a hand on my knee. I glance over to see a faint blush blooming on her cheeks, but she doesn't move her hand. She clears her throat softly.
"Callum, please don't push this. All it's going to do is hurt everyone involved. I'm not coming back to the East Terrace Green Pack." She hesitates but not long enough for anyone else to get a word in. "In fact, I'd like it if you would sever my pack bond."
"You're kidding," he says, walking further into the office.
"I'm not." She sounds resolute, too. I'm just glad to hear her being stubborn with someone other than me. Even more so because it works to my benefit if she's pack-less.
I can feel myself grinning like an asshole, and it's enough to make Cross turn the full force of his anger at me.
"I don't know what the hell you're doing here, but I know there's no chance Tess decided to come stay here with you after what you did to her. You can't just take back a rejection, you asshole. And you're going to answer to the Luna Sovereign for this. I've told her everything I know so far, and she wasn't pleased. Clearly, something isn't right. And Tess's sister is in mourning, she should be there for Tasha. At home. Where she belongs."
He sounds so irrational ranting like that, but I do my best to keep up with what he's saying. Of course, I already know he went to the Luna. That part is no surprise. But I try to make sense of the other thing. Tasha—I catalogue that name for later.
"I don't belong there," Tess says firmly. I can't help but notice her wording—she didn't say she belongs here, either.
I've got time to work on that. If I want to. Fuck, the lines are getting blurry.
"This is ridiculous," Cross says, directing his words at us both. "I'll be back with Tasha next time. Then you can decide if you're really going to turn your back on your sister for a man you clearly don't belong with."
The words fall heavily between the two of them. All he's doing is alienating her further.
"For the last time, Cross, we're done discussing this." Instead of continuing to entertain him, I call out, "Luca?" knowing he'll be within hearing range.
He immediately appears on the other side of the glass and moves straight to the doorway.
"Luca, we're done here. Maybe you can explain to Cross the consequences should he continue to trespass on my territory." With a sneer at Cross himself, I add, "Maybe next time try an E-mail."
Cross opens his mouth to protest—or maybe to try to plead with Tess some more—but Luca skillfully maneuvers him out of my office. Another point in Luca's favor for keeping him around, despite how pissed I still am about his interest in Tess.
At least he knows how to stay in his own fucking lane once corrected.
The second they're both out of sight, Tess gets up from her chair and moves away from me. So much for our brief moment of solidarity. Every time I think we're getting somewhere, she puts that distance back between us. It would be a lot easier to just wash my hands of her.
Then she walks toward the window, the light shining in on her to make her look so angelic and soft, and damn if I don't think about keeping her all over again.
It's the Luna Sovereign's fault. And Tess's scent. If it weren't for that damn book and how good this woman smells, it would be so much easier to walk away and wash my hands of all the problems cropping up now.
Instead, I'm only a few hours away from facing the Luna herself. And I'll be damned before I let her take anything away from me. Not my pack, and certainly not Tess.
I need to figure out what the hell I'm going to do to ensure Tess is on her best behavior. There are no other options.
* * *
I don't broach the subject until we're in the car an hour later. She hasn't spoken a word to me since Cross' visit, but I can practically see the wheels turning in her head, so I try not to take it personally. Whatever made her run is clearly weighing heavily on her.
Later, I'll need to figure out the details behind Luca finding her out on her own. But for now, I just need to get us on the same page.
