Page 32 of Mating at Midnight: Book 1

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Ms. Cross,” I return. “You are not responsible for her actions. Trust me, Braxton has recently been put in the same position by someone who I thought was a friend but saw things differently in his head.”

“Is that so?” she questioned, looking at Braxton.

“It is,” Braxton nonchalantly replies. “No one tries to claim the woman the Gods have made for me.”

Ramona sighs, “Well, I’m glad you have enough sense to fight.”

Not sure if the others noticed it, but I caught the way Ramona side-eyed Bryant. Her reaction only adds to my questions for Braxton.

“Ramona,” Bryant warns, staring straight in her eyes. “Braxton and Nyah will be fine once Braxton removes the negative bullshit from their lives.”

“And I have no doubt they will be, but I want Nyah to know that up until that final moment when the bond is sealed, her mate can walk away if he chooses too. That’s not to say Braxtonwill follow in his father’s footsteps on that aspect, but it could happen.”

Bryant slams his palms on the table. “You’re out of line, Ramona.”

Ramona says, “Am I Bryant? I’m just trying to prevent the next generation from being like father, like son.”

Braxton intervenes, clarifying, “There’s no father like son, whatever happened between the two of you has nothing to do with me. All my life, the two of you have been a part of it, which I am grateful for. Outside of that, I’m appreciative that you kept it away from me, but at this juncture, it’s not about you all. It’s about me and my mate. Whatever you have going on can be brought up at the next tribunal meeting.”

“And I will,” his mother said. “I only have your best interests at heart.”

“And I thank you for that mother, but after Megan’s exhibit of disrespect and grandeur, she can no longer be around me or my mate. I can’t put up an argument if you choose to keep her on as your assistant. My only request is if we have any meetings together, she isn’t present.”

Ramona nods. “That I can honor.”

“Thank you,” Braxton sends back to her.

The mood shifts when the waitress enters to hand out menus.

After browsing over it, I look at Kenia and I ask, “What are you going to get?” I should have asked Braxton, but I was still in my feelings,

With her eyes still on the menu, Kenia replies, “I think, I’ll have the rib eye with a baked potato, and steamed vegetables.”

“I’ll have the same,” I tell the waitress. “Except with my baked potato can I have extra sour cream?”

“Absolutely,” the waitress says, jotting down the extra info on her pad.

I nestle in my chair after handing the waitress my menu. Today has been one I never would have expected. There are so many unanswered questions playing ping pong in my head and if I had to narrow down the most demanding two, they would be, “Why did Braxton keep me from giving Megan the ability of brandishing a disability placard in her car? The next is obviously to find out why his mother abhors such disdain towards his father. Once I get an understanding about that, it saves me from making a trip to Texas to finish what I started with Megan.

One thing that plays repeatedly in my head is something daddy told me and Kenia.

“You are Alpha females. Many eligible males, Alpha or not will be vying for your attention. Your job is to deny those who aren’t appealing to you. Everything else will seem good at first but male wolves will have skeletons in their closets and will fall out. It’s up to you to decide how to go forth.”

Chapter 17

Braxton

I never thought my mate would have to get physical to defend our relationship. The way she ended shit with Fonda had me smiling from ear to ear, but with Megan challenging her, it turned out to be something I didn’t anticipate.

During our late teenage years, Megan and I started messing around. I guess because our mothers were so close and hers would always bring Megan to our house during the summertime when she worked for my mother. Although I found Megan very attractive, I never promised a future of us being together. Our situationship had always had that understanding. We knew we weren’t mates, so it was established long ago that once we officially found our mates things between us would automatically end.

I cut things off with Megan months ago because she started getting clingy and acting like she was my Alpha Female. It was as if the terms we discussed prior had gone out the door with her. True, I hadn’t found Nyah then, but something in my gut was telling me to distance myself from Megan. Maybe it was the Gods preparing me for when I crossed paths with Nyah...I don’t know.

Either way, Megan showed her ass, and I will not tolerate that type of disrespect towards my mate. My mother should have left her ass in Texas. Mother was coming to meet with family, so why bring her? I’m still a little peeved about that shit.

Nyah played nice throughout dinner, but I felt the agitation emitting from her. I knew she had questions, and like I told her, I would answer any she asked. One thing I won’t do is keep any secrets from my mate and hope she felt the same with me.

When my mother said the ‘Like father, like son’ bullshit, I had to bite my tongue before addressing her. I have much respect for my father and my mother but promised myself a long time ago that if I found the one that is destined for me, I would never treat her the way my father did my mother.

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