“I’m planning our mating ceremony…” she began with a fake smile.
“There will be no ceremony,” I stated flatly.
“Draven, she’s my only daughter,” Howard interjected. “If she’s becoming the Luna of Storm Valley Pack, there must be a proper ceremony.”
I leaned forward, allowing my Alpha energy to fill the space between us.
“Alpha,” I muttered in a low tone to remind him of my position.”Don’t forget who I am.”
“Here’s what’s going to happen. We’ll go to the Elder council and sign the papers with full money separation and clear rules about what I will and won’t do. I already bought a house where we’ll stay until this maybe pup is born. Let me be clear, you’ll have your space, and I’ll have mine.”I looked straight at Ella.
“We’re only living together because of this so-called pup and my duty to the pack. Nothing more.”
“But I thought we would live in your family’s pack house,” Ella’s mother finally spoke,”That magnificent home with all its history. My daughter deserves that.”
“Your daughter will never set foot in my family’s ancestral home,” I replied coldly. “That house is reserved for my true mate and legitimate heirs.”
“Alpha Draven, a mating bond doesn’t work like that,” Howard said.
“In this case, it will,” I answered firmly.
Then the restaurant filled with Ella’s loud crying.It wasn’t real crying but the screaming of someone who always gets what she wants. People at other tables looked at us.
Ryan sent me a mind-link, “Accept the mating ceremony but buy time. Use planning as an excuse to delay the mating for three months. We might find proof that Elder Howard stole from pack companies and betrayed the pack before you’re legally mated.”
It was a good plan. Howard and Ella had given me something to use.
“Fine,” I said, my voice stopping Ella’s crying fast. “I’ll agree to a ceremony, but only how I want it.” Ella stopped crying and looked at me, still sniffing.
“And what do you want?” Howard asked carefully.
I sat up straight,”The ceremony will be in three months. My mating ceremony planner will handle everything to make sure it looks good.” I meant I wouldn’t let their bad taste make my pack look bad.
“No, in three months everyone will see Ella is pregnant,” her mother said.
I laughed hard. “Like she’s trying to hide it? It’s either this way or no ceremony.”
“I accept!” Ella said fast, before Howard could say no.
“Good,” I said, getting up. “The matter is done. My planner will call you. Ryan, let’s go.”
“Wait, Draven,” Howard called my name.
I shot him a sharp, warning glare. He hesitated, then corrected himself. “Please… wait, Alpha Draven.”
“We still have lots to talk about.”
I let out my Alpha power,”We have nothing else to talk about.”
“Your house, the trip after mateship, how you treat my daughter…” Howard said.
I looked at him so cold he got smaller in his chair. “How I act won’t change. There’s no trip. And the house is already picked.”
I moved closer, “Don’t think I’m weak because I follow pack rules, Elder Howard. I’m doing this only for the maybe baby, not because I respect you or am scared of you.”
I stood up straight and nodded to Ryan. “Everything is done. Goodbye.”
As we left, everyone in the restaurant watched us. Ryan and I went back to the office and got lunch brought to the meeting room.
“Three months,” Ryan said as we ate. “That gives us time to find out exactly what Howard and his daughter are up to. The pup will be big enough then for DNA testing to prove if it’s really yours.”
“And to find a way back to Caroline,” I said quietly, thinking about those green eyes I loved so much.
Howard’s POV
On my way to the office, I kept thinking about that ridiculous lunch yesterday. I wanted to kill that arrogant Alpha. The things he’s been saying and doing to me and my daughter only intensified my hatred for that privileged pup.
But I couldn’t eliminate him yet,I needed him to mate with my daughter and ensure she bears an heir with the Thorne bloodline.The Thorne name opened many doors throughout pack territories and would guarantee that everything that fool has would belong to my daughter and grandson, and consequently, to me.
The worst part was that he managed to postpone the mating ceremony by three months. This delay was frustrating my plans, but my daughter had to throw a fit over a damn ceremony. However, in the end, it was better that this ceremony be grand and pompous, featured in all the pack newsletters, just as little Ella wants. This way, there would be no doubt that my daughter would be the Luna and mother of a legitimate Thorne heir.
But there was still one thing-I wanted that pack house, his parents’ ancestral home. A beautiful property with centuries of pack history and power! After his parents died in that “accident,” he closed up the house and moved to that little penthouse. And now he wanted to stuff my daughter into some crummy apartment too. But my little Ella was clever; she assured me she’d handle it.
I was arriving for another day of work at what would soon be my company and pack. My plans wouldn’t take long to materialize. That idiot Alpha thought he was so smart, but he couldn’t even figure out who set up that bland no-scent Caroline, even though he discovered she hadn’t cheated on him and brought her back. He had no idea what was happening right under his snout.
But something’s bothering me-the renovation on my floor never ends. It’s been a month since they started, and there’s no sign of completion. Sharing the floor with marketing has slowed down my business. I had to be much more careful now; there were too many people from outside my department whom I don’t even know. Plus, Alpha Draven came up with new guidelines because of some new system they were implementing, and Gilbert thought it better to pause transactions for a while. Well, he’s the accounting director, so he knows what he’s doing. Besides being my packmate whom I trust.
Today I was going to pressure Draven to clear my floor. And to lift the overtime ban. Since he prohibited entry to the building at night and on weekends, it’s been harder to swap documents for fraudulent ones.
Come to think of it, there have been many strange changes in the last month. Maybe he was suspicious, but if that were the case, he would have exiled me already-he can’t stand me. I would pressure him to return to the old rhythm.
The downside was that without Linda, I have lost my source of information from the Alpha’s office. That incompetent woman,did she really have to assault that freak of a newcomer? Of course, he wouldn’t let that slide. Now that stupid Linda is completely useless to me; she only served for some silly things my daughter wanted, nothing more. But she kept mind-linking me all the time, such a nuisance.
I parked my car and walked from the parking lot toward the Thorne Enterprises building, which was also getting on my nerves. Ever since I lost my designated pack-elder parking spot at the company, I’ve had to rent a space in the lot a block away. What a hassle and a complete waste of an elder’s time.
I was almost at the entrance when I noticed that idiot was waiting for me. I’d been dodging and stalling her since she got fired, but today she showed up here. Linda really is too stupid. If we were seen together by another pack member, it’ll ruin my plans.
“Elder Howard, don’t even think about pretending you didn’t see me. Come on! I need to talk to you,” she hissed, careful not to be overheard.
“Linda, this isn’t the place. There are pack members everywhere.”
“I don’t care! I want to talk to you now! Let’s go to that little coffee shop across the street. Nobody from our pack goes there at this hour. Move it.”
“Fine.” I sighed in irritation and crossed the street.
We entered the coffee shop and ordered two espressos. A quaint little place. We always came here to handle emergencies. It’s quite discreet. Usually, the owner is alone and always focused on her crossword puzzles, sometimes so distracted she doesn’t even notice when we call her. The scent blockers I always carry made sure no one could trace our meeting through lingering smells.
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