Page 37 of The Wolf She Shouldn't Desire

“Pretty sure that’s exactly what it means. I don’t answer to anyone but my father for one, two I take care of my duties and responsibilities, and three I do it without compromising the safety of the coven unlike you. So, why don’t you run off to your little boy band group of buddies and spare me your useless lecture?”

He smirks again at me suddenly, defying the expectation I had of getting under his skin that usually causes his face to pinch in an unattractive manner. “And why don’t you run off to your daddy because he isn’t too happy with you right now.” He clickshis tongue in a tsk, tsk manner. “Abandoning your post is a big no, no Talia.”

“You tattled on me?” This time I’m the one sneering at him.

“Ireportedyou,” he states.

I look at him in disgust and move past him. Like I said, fucking asshole. If I could, I would have ripped his head off a long time ago, but sadly, I’ve been told not to by the man I come face-to-face with once I push through his office doors.

“Father,” I state in a flat tone, letting no emotion to bleed through.

He stares at me from his chair behind his desk. He has a glass tumbler in his hand and one leg is crossed over the other making him look relaxed, but I’ve learned over the years his tells of a finger tapping the glass and the creases at the corner of his eyes that point to the contrary. He is in fact far from relaxed and happy at the moment.

“Devin tells me you weren’t at your assigned post tonight. Explain.”

I have no clue what Devin told my father other than I was not at my post, but based on the timing, he told me of when he went looking for me, he couldn’t have seen anything that occurred when I interfered with the vampire trying to attack Jordan or Jordan picking me up before he ran towards the safe house where we ended up at after I was shot. There’s no way I can tell him what happened truthfully either, or else that would raise questions and suspicions I don’t want to deal with at the moment, if ever.

“There was a situation with a vampire who tried attacking me and led me on a chase away from my post.”

He stares at me for a few seconds, and I start to feel uncomfortable like I’m under a microscope as I know he is trying to assess if there is any fault in the explanation I have given him.

“The vampire was dealt with?” he finally asks.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“Why was Devin looking for me instead of staying at his post, though?”

“That is a good question,” is all he says as he looks down into his glass as he swirls it in his hand.

My eyes narrow with suspicion. “Did you send him to spy on me?”

He looks up sharply. “Is there a reason I should be sending others to spy on you, Talia?”

“No.”

“Then why do you ask that?”

“You and I haven’t been getting along well lately, and you haven’t seemed very trusting of me of late since our last discussion.”

“Ah, our last discussion,” he repeats back to me.

“So?” I snap at him.

“So what?” he calmly asks.

“Are you having others watch me and check on me?”

“No.”

We stare at each other intently. I’m not sure I can trust his answer, though. Like I said, he hasn’t seemed very trusting of me lately.

I reach out down the bond.Danny?

I’m here. Something wrong?

I quickly give him a summary of what has happened since I came back to the coven house.I need you to talk to the others and see if any of you can determine if my father has anyone in the coven watching me…discreetly please.

---