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That has me feeling confused. "You're lying."
"I'm not."
He's not yelling at me or screaming, or even trying to force himself on me like Norman has attempted to do multipletimes. In fact, all he seems to be trying to do is have a calm conversation with me.
I close my eyes briefly.
I need to relax and stop letting my emotions guide my reactions. I've faced plenty of tough negotiations. I should simply treat this as one of those moments. Fated mate or not, my life cannot change. The blood debt tying me to the Moore family will not be erased. I will always be a slave.
I open my eyes, and my heart feels more steady.
"Fine." I meet Adam's gaze. "Let's say I believe you. So what?"
His brows furrow together. "What do you mean, so what? I'm your fated mate, Cynthia. We cannot stand on opposing sides. You're working for my father and supporting him when your loyalty should be with me."
My lips curve in a painful smile. "And what? You think Jonathon is going to let me come and work for you? You think it's that easy?"
"I think that my father is trying to usurp my position as the future alpha, and as my fated mate, I think you should be supporting me instead of Norman," Adam says firmly. "I am the rightful future alpha, and I have done far more for this pack than my father ever has or Norman ever can."
I press my lips together into a thin line.
He's not wrong. Even I've heard of Adam's success stories in the pack. He had introduced several reforms into the pack which have grown our pack by leaps and bounds. His social work in the pack is unparalleled, and a very sore point for his father.Jonathon has done nothing much for the pack, financial or social. But when the time comes and he nominates Norman as the next alpha, overturning traditional pack laws, there will be an uproar since the scale will weigh heavier for Adam's deeds.
I am aware of all that. I also know that if Jonathon succeeds in putting Norman in the alpha seat, this pack is doomed. The only thing is that I don't care. Nobody has ever cared for me, so why should I care about them? Not one packmate has vocalized the public abuse Norman puts me through. Everyone knows that Jonathon never does anything when the issue of Norman's violence against me is brought up. But not once has anybody mentioned it to the pack elders or tried to force Jonathon into a corner so that he actually deals with the issue. Nobody has ever questioned why I wasn't allowed to take classes with the other shifter children, or why I have not once seen the pack healer for an annual check-up, which is mandatory for every other wolf.
So, let them burn.
Even if it comes at the cost of my freedom.
I cross my arms over my chest. "I don't care about who becomes the next alpha. I care about this deal, which is the reason I'm here. Norman messed up the negotiations, but KDL Foods has plenty of resources that your company has yet to acquire. If you let us take you over then your company gets a better chance to succeed."
Adam's lips curve, mockingly. "How generous of my father? And where will I be in all of this?"
"You will, of course, be involved."
"Don't lie to me, Cynthia," Adam sneers. "My father fully intends to steal my company and toss me out so that he can claim all the success I've had over these past years. You must be very loyal to dear old Dad for you to be willing to stab your own fated mate in the back like this."
I grind my teeth. "I'm doing my job, and if you look at the numbers, you are nowhere near the success KDL Foods has managed to achieve in the last two decades."
"And where is your success now?" Adam gives me a cold smile. "You've lost contracts due to my brother's brazen attitude and arrogance. You've started cutting corners and skimping on quality, and as a result, a portion of your customer base has shifted to my company."
A flush of humiliation crawls up my neck as I curse Norman silently.
"It's just a temporary fluke due to a change in management," I counter.
Adam scoffs, taking a seat across from me. "Don't insult my intelligence, Cynthia. Maril Food has been around for a couple of years now. We're making a name for ourselves in the industry. We've begun providing food to human schools for shifters, using the label of 'special dietary needs'. We're a pioneer in this. Nothing your company has done can even begin to match what we are doing for ourselves. So, what can you truly offer us?"
The taunting edge of his voice makes me want to kick him. But the fact is he's not wrong. If a couple of years ago I had sat before him with this offer, I would have been able to make a more convincing argument. But Norman has single-handedly dragged our reputation through the mud. He's wrecked years of my hardwork, putting me in a position where I cannot even face the customers I had once signed on.
"Tell you what?" Adam leans forward, grinning. "If you can convince me on even a joint project with KDL Foods, I'll consider your offer after seeing how your company works on that."
I stare at him for a couple of seconds, feeling a hint of doubt crawl into my head, "Why're you throwing me a bone when you so clearly don't want anything to do with KDL Foods?"
Adam's smile broadens. “This is the first thing my fated mate has asked me for. I can’t let you walk away from here empty-handed, now can I?”
My heart trembles at the easy affection in his voice, and for a moment, just a heartbeat, I feel a stab of wistfulness.
I've never gotten an ounce of affection from anyone, and the way he's so casually treating me like I somehow matter to him, makes me want to weep. It takes me a minute to compose myself, and I’m about to say something when there’s a knock on the door.
