“Give her time,” Joseph counseled,his hand firm on my shoulder. “She’s hurt,but the Moon Goddess doesn’t bring mates together without reason.”
“The boy,” Alaric whispered in my mind as I took another drink. “There’s something about the boy we’re missing.”
I didn’t understand what Alaric was trying to tell me,but as the alcohol numbed my pain,I promised myself I wouldn’t give up on Caroline. Not now,not ever.
Draven’s POV
My head felt like it was being split apart by an axe. This hangover was why I normally stayed away from heavy drinking. But after Caroline turned me down yesterday,I’d spent the night drinking with Ryan and Joseph until we all blacked out. F
“Just kill me now. This headache is torture,”I groaned as Ryan stumbled into my office with Clara’s help.
Clara helped Ryan fall onto the couch next to me while Rose,our cleaning lady,came in with a tray of hangover cures,trying not to laugh at our state.
“Some hangover,Alpha! And Beta Ryan isn’t looking much better,” Rose grinned. “You’re not young wolves anymore. I brought bins in case your stomachs rebel,just like your mate did.”
Clara burst out laughing while Ryan and I just looked at each other miserably.
“Rose,I’m only letting you get away with this because you’ve known us since we were kids and Clara’s leaving soon,” I muttered,watching Rose smirk from the door.
“Both of you,take these,” Clara ordered. “Time to fix this mess. You’re supposed to be pack leaders. What would everyone think seeing you like this?”
“Caroline ‘ll never forgive me,Clara,” I whined,forgetting all about being an Alpha.
“Mine won’t either,” Ryan groaned beside me. “That Silver Creek Pack girl I’ve been chasing all week turned me down too.”
Clara handed us each some orange juice mixed with herbs to help clear our systems.
“And you thought getting drunk would help either of you?” Clara asked,shaking her head.
“Maybe they’ll feel bad for us when they see how much we’re suffering,” Ryan said hopefully.
“Not unless they’re crazy!” Clara laughed at our misery. “Eleanor told me Joseph’s just as bad as you two. Did he get his heart broken too,or was he just drinking for fun?”
“How do you know about Joseph?” Ryan asked,confused.
“Eleanor told me,” Clara said with a knowing smile. “She also told me some interesting things about Caroline,Draven.”
“I’m in hell,Clara,” I moaned pathetically,my wolf Alaric feeling just as bad.
“Here you go,boys,” Rose said,coming back with trash bins. “If you get sick on my clean floors,you’ll be cleaning it up yourselves,Alpha or not.”
By the time Ryan and I recovered enough to function,the workday was practically over. We decided to head home early to prepare for Clara’s farewell party that evening. Ryan and I had planned to take her out for dinner first as a distraction,since the party was meant to be a surprise.
I spent the whole day calling Caroline,but every call went to voicemail until I couldn’t leave any more messages.
That evening,Ryan and I picked up Clara from her place,telling her we needed to grab some papers from the office. We had a big party hall on the sixth floor,something my mother had insisted on years ago for pack and client events. When we walked in,Clara was completely surprised. She really hadn’t seen this coming.
The room was full of employees,clients,suppliers,and friends,all there to thank Clara Reed for everything she’d done for our company and pack.
Ryan and I were talking with Kyle and her husband Luke,a nice couple,when I looked past Luke’s shoulder and felt myself tense up.
“Kyle,how many guests was Howard allowed to bring?” I asked,frowning.
“Just one,like everyone else. Why?” Kyle looked confused by my sudden mood change.
“Because his annoying daughter is here with him,” Ryan said,suddenly looking less hungover and more irritated. “We’ll have to deal with her today,Draven.”
“I can’t stand that she-wolf,” Luke muttered. Even though he doesn’t work at Thorne Enterprises,he’d met Ella Howard enough times to know what she was like.
Howard and his daughter walked over to us,both reeking of their usual arrogance.
“Alpha Draven,with all these important guests here,why waste time with two regular employees?” Ella said,looking down her nose at Ryan,Kyle,and Luke.
“You’re the only waste of time here,Ella,” I said coldly,Alaric angry at her disrespect. “Watch your attitude.”
“Don’t speak to my daughter that way,Alpha,” Howard jumped in to defend her. “She’s just being honest.”
“Show some respect to my pack members and their mates,Howard,” I warned,letting my eyes flash. “And where’s your mate? This isn’t a matchmaking event.”
“Diane wasn’t feeling well,so Ella came instead. She wanted to say goodbye to Clara too,” Howard said,acting like everyone loved his daughter. Clara had never liked her,even when they were kids. And honestly,I was getting really tired of Howard too.
“How convenient,” Ryan said,not hiding his disgust. He hated them even more than I did. We were planning to fire Howard,but with the financial audit happening,we had to wait. “We should go.”
Ryan,Kyle,and Luke walked away,leaving me with the Howards. I wasn’t staying either. I turned my back,a clear sign of dominance to any wolf,and moved through the crowd,stopping to talk with our allied pack members.
Later,I went out to the balcony for some fresh air. A waiter brought me a whiskey. I took the drink and stood there looking at the city lights,thinking about Caroline and Liam.
When I went back inside,something felt off. The room started spinning like I’d drunk way more than one glass. Maybe my body was still recovering from last night’s hangover. As my vision got blurry,I knew I needed to find Ryan to take me home before I made a fool of myself at Clara’s party.
Draven’s POV
I stumbled through the party hall,my vision getting worse with each step. Was yesterday’s hangover still affecting me? But that didn’t make sense,I’d only had one drink. Alaric was trying to warn me about something,but his presence felt distant,like he was behind a thick fog.
I needed to find Ryan urgently. The room tilted dangerously as I searched the crowd,faces becoming indistinguishable blurs. My Alpha strength should have metabolized whatever alcohol I’d consumed,but instead,I felt weaker by the second.
Suddenly,I felt slender arms snake around my waist and caught a whiff of overpowering floral perfume that made my stomach turn. Before I could react,Ella Howard was pressing herself against me,her voice grating in my ear.
“Alpha Draven,you don’t look well. Let me help you,”she purred,her grip surprisingly strong as she guided me through the ballroom.
I tried to protest,but my tongue felt heavy in my mouth. “Need… to find… Ryan,” I managed to slur.
“Oh,I’ll take care of you much better than Beta Ryan could,” she said,dragging me toward the exit while smiling and nodding at guests we passed. Alaric was howling in protest,but I couldn’t access enough strength to break away from her.
As soon as we cleared the crowd,Ella pushed me against the wall in the corridor and pressed her mouth against mine. The taste of her lipstick made me gag,and I tried to push her away,but my arms felt like they were filled with lead.
“Stop,” I growled weakly,but she ignored me,calling the elevator with one hand while keeping the other firmly around my waist.
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