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“Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.”
“I guess we need to give the people what they want,” he whispers sheepishly, his fingers gently pushing back my tawny waves behind my ear. I lean into the intimate touch, so teasingly soft, my mind still catching up to what’s going on around us. Thoughts of Everett still linger in my mind as Monte draws close and my stomach twists with guilt.
I tilt my head up to him, my lips parting as his lower onto mine. The kiss is tender and sweet, stoking a building flame of desire within me. The pack members around the room erupt in a round of whoops and cheers, and I pull away from Monte. I can’t help the smile that stretches across my face, the soft kiss bringing back memories of us as teenagers, before our lives changed irreparably. But that’s all it is, nice. It fills me with a sense of nostalgia, unlike the powerful hold that Everett’s presence has on me, wrapping me in the fiery ice of his allure. I fight to focus on Monte, to push thoughts of the savage alpha from my mind, but it seems impossible with him so near.
I can feel Everett’s eyes on me, burning a hole in the side of my face as I take my seat, but I refuse to look, refuse to let the guilt curling in my stomach take hold. I hate that the mate bond makes me feel like this already, that I can’t be as enamored with Monte as I already am with my intended stubborn mate. Thankfully, the servers choose then to stream from the hallway, taking the attention off me. Their arms are laden with black steel dishes presenting an array of food piled atop them.
I really have to speak with Everett about who decorated this place. I mean, there are design elements other than monochromatic and chrome. Catching myself, I barely stop from chewing my lip, not wanting the nervous gesture to make me look weak, and instead chance a look over at Everett. I watch him surveying his pack, his words replaying in my mind.An agreement to work together—he had alluded to one, yet we haven’t actually discussed anything. Monte had made it seem as though Everett would be content to be included in the talks with the bears, and be held as an equal in the negotiations, in place of the engagement. But Everett never actually agreed to this change in contract.
“We truly have an agreement?” I whisper, not wanting to be overheard by his pack, already digging into the dishes being set before them. Apparently they’d done away with the tradition that the alpha is the first to eat, which is fine by me. I’ll need to become more accustomed to his new way of running a pack, the way of the future, as it’s been far too long since I was included in pack festivities.
“Who am I to get in the way of true love?” he asks wryly, bringing his glass of wine to his lips. He takes a long pull before placing it down, a drop of wine still clinging to his bottom lip. I grip the table, holding myself back from leaning over and pulling that lip between my own, tasting the robust red on his plump mouth. Instead, I watch, ravenous as his own tongue sweeps out to lick the drop up, and I need to suppress the groan that begs to slip out. “But if I do find out that this is a ruse, then the original deal will still stand.”
His words pull me from the lust fogging over my mind as a chill sweeps over me. For him to say that—does he know? Has he guessed that the engagement is a ploy to get out of marrying him? How long has he held these suspicions? Had he picked up on it during our earlier meeting, or was it now, by the tentative way Monte had held me, the too soft kiss, nervous and unsure.
I wipe those thoughts from my mind, letting anger wash away the fear and doubt. Especially when we both spoke the words of rejection, we had both made it clear that we wanted to sever the bond. He would hold me to a deal that was made without my knowledge, a deal clearly against my will? So I focus on his declaration that I would need to marry him if this engagement was not real. My hands clench into fists under the table.How dare he?
He must see my face growing red with rage as he cuts off my words before I even have the chance to pin him with a cutting retort. “What? You shouldn’t have any issue with that unless you’re admitting you’ve lied to me.”
Amusement dances in his eyes as he takes another sip of wine, his keen gaze assessing me, taking in my telling body language. Fuck, it had been a test. A way to gauge if his suspicions were correct, and I just planted the seeds of doubt with my reaction.
“Of course not,” I say, swirling my wine. I tamp down on the urge to blindly grasp for Monte’s hand, knowing he’ll analyze that move as well. Instead, I put a lid on my emotions, letting a cool, calm façade wash over me. “As I said before, Alpha Whitlock, my objection is that I’m not an item to be bartered. So if you continue to refer to me as such, I’m not sure this agreement will work out.” The words slip out a bit louder than I thought, and voices quiet around us, tension hanging thickly in the air. Monte’s hand clasps my shoulder and gives it a tight squeeze in both warning and support. I need to tread lightly here. I don’t want to ruin this alliance, but I have to fight back on this to cover up the anger.
“Well, I’m not sure I would want an agreement with someone who would openly lie to my pack and me. So you see, a binding partnership would be the only way to proceed in that situation.”
My jaw grinds, but I take comfort in the fact that either way, he wants the partnership between our two packs. “I guess it’s a good thing no one’s lying then,” I say, taking a long sip of my wine and letting the movement take away some of the anxious energy thrumming through me right now.
“I guess so,” he murmurs, taking yet another sip of his own wine before inclining his head. Voices pick up around the table again at seeing the acceptance in their alpha’s gesture and his relaxed posture. The cool glint of suspicion has fled his gaze, instead replaced with intrigue and desire, allowing me some relief.
I’m not sure if that look should terrify me or excite me because, honestly, right now, it’s doing both.
Ihavetosay,the Whitlock pack really knows how to throw a celebratory dinner. Each dish of food is incredible, the perfect mix of high-end dishes mixed with comfort food. The pack carries on conversation with a sense of comradery that I know is missing amongst my own, and that is something that will need to be rectified. Slowly, however, as to not make the older betas of my father’s generation think I’m weak enough to be overtaken.
I’ve only been back with my own pack and engaged in wolf society for a few days now, but I’m beginning to see everything is a balance. I need to say the right thing, act the right way, and not let too many emotions show with all eyes on me right now. To be stoic yet kind, fierce yet understanding. Honestly, it’s all becoming exhausting on top of the loss of my father and the sorrow surrounding my mother’s death bubbling back up to the surface. And although I still have a role to play with this pack, it’s nice to be able to unwind a bit and be drawn in by their informality.
The servers circle the table collecting the plates, and I thank them all after indulging in a piece of chocolate cake. The female, Delilah, who had poured the wine, made sure to give me one of the biggest slices. She was even caught off guard by the beaming smile I gave her when she placed it before me and promised to wrangle the largest slice from the kitchen staff the next time I’m here.
The words had sobered me though. This is not my house or my pack, and I have no clue when I might be welcome here again.
“You know you’re welcome anytime, right?” Everett murmurs, softer than I would have expected, clearly seeing the look of longing that crossed my face.
“We have our own pack,” Monte cuts in before I even have a chance to respond. His fingers twine with my own, the gentle gesture so at odds with the sharpness of his words.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Everett bites back, his lips pulling back to bare his teeth at Monte. I look back and forth between the two males, a predatory gleam in both icy blue and amber eyes. Nope, this is not happening. I won’t allow them to get in a fight over me when neither holds any true claim—well, none that I’m ready to accept.
“We should really get back to the details, Alpha Whitlock. You know, the ones you said we would discuss if we came here tonight.” I grind out the words, letting my earlier annoyance wash over me again. That’s what I have to focus on. Keeping my pack safe from the Langley sleuth and finding my father’s killer have to be my two top priorities right now. I can’t allow myself to be sucked in by this alpha, this pack.
I slide my chair back, about to make my way to his office and demand we make a plan, when his hand grasps my wrist, stopping me in place.
I glance down at where his rough palm touches my skin, his large masculine hand dwarfing my wrist and making his size very apparent. Pushing down the heat that ignites inside me, I swallow thickly at the press of his skin against mine, hating the effect he has on me.
“Ah-ah-ah, I know you’ve been out of wolf society for a while, but the party doesn’t end here,” Everett whispers, leaning closer to me. My eyes flick up to meet his and everything else melts away. I stay locked in his gaze until the meaning of his words dawn on me.
“How do you know that?” I demand, keeping my voice low. As far as I knew, my father had kept my location secret. Wrenching my arm from his grip, I back away from him, needing to put some space between us, to pull in a full breath of air. Monte’s hand tightens on mine, reminding me of the rest of the room outside of us.
“You don’t think I would agree to marry someone without doing any research, do you?” Everett laughs coldly before leaning back in his seat.
My brows furrow at his admission, the first weakness I’ve allowed display tonight, his words catching me off guard. He hadn’t said that earlier, he hadn’t admitted to doing any sort of research or reconnaissance on me. I had no idea he had known me further than my name, my family, and the power it held.
