Page 16 of Wolf Traded
“What is this, Grayson?” I turn to the alpha with a raised brow and it’s not lost on anyone in the room that I didn’t use his title while addressing him. Too fucking bad. He left me to be exiled and rejected me in front of the entire pack. He is not my alpha anymore.
“You dare disrespect me?” Grayson growls.
“Like you disrespected me, your fated mate in front of the entire pack not hours ago? I’m already dishonored by you, Grayson. There isn’t much worse you can do to me now.” I shrug.
“I can have you executed for such insolence.” A growl fills the room and I turn my head sharply at Alpha Archer.
“It was you that brought me back.” I raise a brow at him as I get a whiff of his scent.
“Yes, I have a proposition for you. A way to bring honor back to your family.” His voice is quiet but firm.
“Why?” I ask completely taken aback. Why would this ruthless alpha care about my family and myself being dishonored? It doesn’t make any sense. Archer shrugs.
“If you agree to come with me and be my mate then your family will still have the honor of being related to the alpha female of my pack and you will not be exiled.”
My mother gasps shaking her head but I’m in shock. What would an alpha want with a reject like me? Is it really as everyone says that his previous mate killed herself rather than be mated to this man?
“Jara, no. We will be fine.” My mother says shaking her head with tears in her eyes. My dad wraps her in his arms but I can see the sadness there too.
“At least this way she won’t be a lone wolf, love. We will be able to see her.” He whispers but everyone in the room can here.
“Jara,” Archer says softly almost imploringly. “You are too strong to go rogue. This is the only option where everyone is happy.”
I think on his words. I don’t want to go rogue but do I want to be the alpha female for the Everette pack? It would be way too close to Grayson for comfort but what is my alternative? My family will all be stripped of their status and be dishonored.
I can live with being mated to a brutal savage alpha if it means that my family is safe. “What do you think of this, Grayson?” I raise an eyebrow.
“I would rather you be exiled from pack life all together.”
My mother growls and starts to lunge for him but my father holds her back saying soothing words in her ear. I know this is destroying her but I wish she would stop challenging him over it.
“What would your parents say to you, Grayson. You rejected a precious gift the fates have honored you with. You disgust me.”
“Mom, stop.” I hold up a hand begging her with my eyes to let it go. I have no idea how I’m so calm in all of this I just keep thinking about this one opportunity to restore honor to our family. What if Archer is as bad as they say? What if taking my own life is better than staying with him. Somehow, just looking at his blank almost bored expression, I can’t see how that would be the case.
“I will not stop, Jara this is a disgrace. If I had a way to get in touch with his parents, I would. How dare you dishonor us this way and then the only other option is a brutal savage alpha to save us.”
“I’ll do it, but you will not retaliate against my parents for what happened here today, Grayson. They acted out of grief for their only child who you yourself humiliated in front of the entire pack and the neighboring alphas.” I raise an eyebrow at him and he smirks.
“You have my word, Jara.”
“Your word means absolute shit to me. I want it in writing.” He had no problem making me believe that he cared about me or that this bond meant anything to him. He lied and then broke his promises in front of everyone. I will not let that stand when it comes to my mother’s safety.
“No, Jara, don’t.” My mother breaks away from my father and wraps me in her arms quietly sobbing into my shoulder.
“It’s okay mother, nothing could be worse than staying here and being mated to him. At this point I would take anything over that.”
“So what is your answer, Jara?” The way Archer says my name makes me shiver. I look up into his dark eyes wondering what this alpha could possibly want with me.
“Here,” Grayson shoves a hastily written piece of paper into my hand with his signature and his alpha seal at the bottom. His promise not to retaliate against my family. I nod.
“I’ll go be your mate, Alpha Archer.” I barely get the words out before he is on me. Whipping me over his shoulder and barreling from the room. “What are you doing?” I shout but the words are lost to the sound of my mother once again screaming my name.
Archer grunts but otherwise doesn’t say a word as he ambles into the forest. I have no idea what his deal is and why he seems to think it’s okay to just throw me over his shoulder like this. “Where are you taking me?” I yell kicking out at him. Squirming as best I can to get this caveman to put me down.
“Jara, stop.” I feel the slightest bit of his alpha command wash over me and I growl. “If you’re not careful, I’m going to drop you.”
“I didn’t even get my things or say goodbye to my family.” I continue to struggle and his arm tightens around my thighs.
