Page 132 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

“Why?”

“Because, one, you turned twenty-one and need to shout it from the rooftops, and two, you need to stop moping about that boy. If he can’t realize what he’s missing out on by ignoring you, then you need to move on.”

I gaped at her and gave an incredulous laugh. “I’m not… I haven’t—” I shook my head and sighed. “Fine. Fine. You know what? You’re right. I deserve to have fun for my birthday. I’m not going to let him ruin it,” I said with more confidence than I felt.

“That’s the spirit!” Imogen declared. “Now, let’s go shopping for club outfits!”

CHAPTER 45

WESLEY

“What the hell is taking her so long? Where the hell is she?” Alpha Pierce growled as he paced back and forth in the conference room, his hair disheveled from running his hands through it over and over.

I stood off to the side, leaning against the wall with my arms and legs crossed, my gray suit jacket thrown over one of the few chairs in the room.

My mom and Fiona had cleared out the conference table and most of the chairs and rearranged what was left for this charade of a mating ceremony. The only people in attendance were my parents, Alpha Timothy, and Reid.

Seb and Nolan were in the city, at the club. Maya had approached me on Thursday, telling me of the mass text sent to every member and employee of the Redwood Forest Ballet Company inviting them to the club for Haven’s birthday. I immediately enlisted Seb and Nolan to go stand watch for the evening, even though my dad said not to.

But I knew it would be the end of our charade, since King Malachi had called my dad to let him know they would send someone to apprehend Alpha Pierce at the ceremony. And I wasn’t willing to spend an entire night knowing Haven was out at some club. Alone. Wearing Selene knew what and being ogled by men and werewolves and potentially other supernaturals as well.

My lycan had snarled and raged in my head at that thought, and his tantrum was only sort of calmed because he knew Nolan and Sebastian would protect her.

They had used scent blockers. Just in case someone from Pierce’s pack was there. Then, they’d gone to the club in town early to set up camp in one of the more private VIP booths that still offered a view of the club floor.

I’d had high hopes that we would wrap everything up nice and tidy in the early evening, and I’d be able to sneak away. Maybe even catch Haven before she made it to the club so I could talk to her and explain and beg for her forgiveness. But as had been the case, more often than not, luck was not on my side.

Not only was King Malachi’s representative from the palace late, but Nicole was late as well. Timothy was close to blowing a fuse, a vein pulsing in his forehead, and under the calm I presented on the surface, I was a raging storm.

My lycan paced back and forth in my head, unable to settle, more on edge than I’d felt him in weeks. My skin prickled, and I felt as though I might shift at any moment.

I gripped my arms with my hands to keep from reaching for my cell phone that I’d dug out of my dresser that morning so I’d have a way to stay in touch with Nolan and Seb. Under any other circumstance, I’d be texting them every five minutes to make sure everything was fine. Then again, under any other circumstance, I’d be with them instead of at the packhouse. I’d be with her instead of pretending to be engaged to another woman.

“How much longer do we have to wait?”I asked my dad through the mindlink.“Can’t we lock him in one of our cells?”

“No, and you know that. We have no authority to do so. The king would question every piece of evidence we gave him. We have to do this the right way.”

I clenched my jaw but didn’t argue further. The right way. The right way had only gotten us so far. Not just with the situation with Pierce but with so much more.

It shouldn’t matter if we locked him up. He was a piece of shit. The evidence Ben gave us proved that.

Not only had he been funneling money from their businesses into the pack funds and his personal funds, but he’d also received money from numerous sources for letting them use his pack as a “holding area” for “merchandise.”

We hadn’t been able to ascertain whether that merchandise was drugs or people or both, but it didn’t matter. It was illegal, shady, and would be what brought him down.

I didn’t want him on our lands any longer than necessary, though, which was why I was so frustrated that both Nicole and the council representative were late.

I was worried Tim would take off to look for her if she took any longer, and we needed him there when the council member arrived. Otherwise, he might catch wind of it and flee before we got him cuffed and behind bars for the night.

“I swear to Selene if that girl doesn’t have a damn good reason…” Alpha Timothy muttered under his breath, his head shaking.

I narrowed my eyes at him, daring him to finish that thought. She may not be my actual mate, or even who I would take as my chosen mate for real, but she had helped us and shown she had good intentions. I would not stand for her father threatening to harm her.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to say anything to him in her defense, because the door opened just then, and she stepped through, Benjamin with her.

But my relief only lasted for a moment. Because as soon as she was in the middle of the room, we all noticed something different about her.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” Alpha Pierce roared as she approached him, her head held high, his eyes wide and wild. “You stupid, stupid girl!” he added, raising his hand to strike her.

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