Page 15 of Wolf Traded
“That’s the deal. She chooses me or exile from pack life for the rest of her life. He doesn’t want a reminder of her and the way he so brutally humiliated her. I think he’s scared of something but I don’t know what.” I scrub a hand over my face sighing out a breath.
“It’s not important right now. Whatever Grayson has planned we will face it head on. All that matters is you find her and bring her home. I will do as you asked, alpha and make sure your rooms are ready for your arrival. Will she need clothes?” She raises a skeptical brow and I nod.
“Once she agrees, I don’t plan on staying long. We will also need preparations started for a private mating ceremony to be held within two days time. We don’t have long before the summit and I need to make sure she is my mate before we go. There’s no telling what Grayson might do at the summit if not.” I will kill him if he tries anything. He’s no match for me but still. I don’t want to go to war.
Angela runs in the opposite direction of the woods toward the town and the Inn that we are staying presumably to gather our things before she heads back. I turn back toward the dense forest and jog into the trees. My night vision activates in the darkness and I continue to move until cream fabric catches my eye one hundred feet into the canopy of trees. Her scent permeates the air.
I make my way to the torn fabric and know instantly that she wasn’t attacked the seams ripped as if the garment was torn from her body. She shifted. Her paw prints in the dirt a few feet away heading east prove that.
Stripping out of my clothes, I let the shift overtake me and fall on the hardpacked dirt on four black paws. The scent of vanilla leads me into the forest and hot on her trail.
My wolf whines as he follows her trail. He wants to find her as much as I do. He already sees her as his which will be a problem if she would rather go rogue than be my mate. Would she rather be a lone wolf than be with me?
Insecurities that I have never felt before rear their ugly heads. She wouldn’t pick being a lone wolf over me, would she? My reputation is brutal and ruthless and I lead with an iron fist but surely that would be better than being alone in her shame.
Her soft almost silent footfalls sound in front of me and I bank left to head her off at the pass.
Jara’s wolf takes up a defensive position as I make myself known. Good. She has some defensive skills at least. She looks in my eyes barking out a warning and if I could grin in wolf form I would. She doesn’t recognize me and I don’t see why she would. I have never met her in wolf form like this. Her wolf is a russet brown so beautiful she makes my heart skip a beat. Even my wolf is in agreement that she’s mine.
He’s a little irritated that she won’t back down but he also sees her as a challenge. He will make her submit to him just as easily as I do her human body. I have no doubt this beautiful creature will be mine as I attempt to herd her back to the pack house where Grayson will give her a choice. She can either be mine or be exiled from society forever.
It takes longer than I like to herd her back to the pack house considering she is continuously trying to get past me and go the direction I’m blocking. I see it in her eyes when she finally gives up and resigns herself to going back to the pack house. It’s okay little mate. If I have it my way this will be the last time you see the inside of the pack house. I will make sure that idiot Grayson never hurts you again.
Will she choose me? Or will she choose the life of a lone wolf? I pray that the answer is obvious but it really isn’t. Only time will tell.
Grayson stands on the back steps of the packhouse with a gleeful smile on his face. I don’t know why the man is so proud of his actions or the outcome. I growl low in my throat but my future alpha female doesn’t seem to notice as she holds her head high and walks toward her former alpha.
“Go get dressed, Jara and meet us in my office,” Grayson dismisses her the second he sees her but I can still see the humor and giddiness in his eyes. What does he think is going to happen to her in my pack?
The rumors about my previous intended mates flit across my memory causing me to flinch. Does he really want her dead? I wonder how far he would go to make that happen as I shift near my clothes and pull them on.
“You sure about this, Archer? I can still exile her. I mean strength isn’t everything.” Is he blind? Jara is the most beautiful creature I have seen close up.
“Yes, I am sure. My wolf won’t take anyone but her. To him she is ours. She’s beautiful and strong and you are a weak scared fool for rejecting her.”
Is that why he said he would rather she be exiled so no one and nothing can protect her from the life of a rogue? What is this asshole planning and how can I stop it?
8
JARA
Grayson is waiting for us outside the back door of the pack house. His hands in the pockets of his tuxedo pants looking casual. I don’t know how I ever thought he was gorgeous. I don’t know how I never saw how cruel he could be. My wolf growls and whimpers as the black wolf nudges me forward and something about his presence calms her slightly.
“Go get dressed, Jara and meet us in my office,” Grayson says turning his back on me and walking into the brick building. The outward show of disrespect should bother me but it doesn’t. I already know this man has little regard for me and my feelings with the public humiliation.
I can’t help but wonder what fresh new horrors he has in store for me as I pad to the room that I was getting ready in just a few short hours ago. How did my entire life get turned upside down in a matter of minutes? And why did Grayson have that strange wolf bring me back here. I’m rejected, disgraced. Did he do it just so he can torment me some more? Should I run now before everything gets worse?
I vaguely recall my mother screaming before I ran into the woods. He didn’t do something to her, did he? Did he bring me back just so I can see him punish my family for no good reason except sticking up for me?
Breathing out a shuddering breath, I shift into my human skin and hastily put on my jeans and T-shirt I wore to the pack house earlier and tie my shoes. I’m glad I wore my tennis shoes here because it will be a lot easier to run if Grayson has something even more sinister planned.
Squaring my shoulders, I decide to hold my head high no matter what he has planned. He attempted to break me with his humiliation, but if anything, my resolve is stronger. I will do what needs to be done. Even if that means becoming a lone wolf. Grayson will not break me.
The halls are eerily quiet and I wonder where the pack is. Are they out enjoying the feast my family helped prepare? Wouldn’t put it past them to revel in my pain. The closer I get to the office the more raised voices I hear. My mother is the loudest and I can’t help but wonder what she is doing here.
“Mom,” I ask as I push the door open. “What are you doing here?”
I would be lying if I said I am not nervous for her. She is openly challenging the alpha and that terrifies me. Grayson clears his throat and I finally look around the entire room. My dad is standing next to my mother looking worried as he looks back and forth between me and someone on the other side of the room. Curious, I turn and notice Alpha Archer standing there as imposing as ever. His face is carefully blank and I wonder not for the first time what is going on here.
