Page 17 of Wolf Traded
“You will get new things in our pack. You will have everything you require.” He murmurs but doesn’t slow his pace. I guess that’s it. I’m going to a new pack literally hours after being rejected by my fated mate.
“Archer, what about my family?” I ask and feel pretty undignified talking to his ass right now. He grunts something unintelligible as he continues his swift pace.
I knew the Everette pack was close but I never realized how close we are to the brutal pack leader since we don’t do much interacting with them.
We break through the tree line and I still can’t see much except the ground and Archer’s exceptional ass. He does have a nice ass. I shake my head to clear it of the lewd thoughts. How can I be thinking about that with my entire world crumbling and turning upside down?
Archer barks orders at a few pack members and all I can see is their feet as they scurry away from him. A door slams as he moves into a house causing me to flinch but I still can’t make anything out as he stomps up a set of stairs and into a bedroom closing the door behind him and tossing me on a bed that feels like a cloud.
“Where are we?” I ask as I look around at the richly decorated bedroom. Forest green and cream couches dot the space next to a roaring fire and the entire room looks like it is a log cabin with exposed beams at the ceiling and light wood walls. The mahogany four poster bed with hunter green silk sheets takes up most of the space. It’s elegant and rustic at the same time and obvious this is a man’s bedroom.
“You’re in my rooms. You will stay here until after the mating at sunset tomorrow.” He grunts and turns to leave.
“Wait, tomorrow?” I splutter. “Are you sure there’s enough time?” I wring my hands together. Shit. I didn’t think that it would happen this fast. “Shouldn’t we wait until I can get acclimated with the pack? Give me a few more days, Archer. My whole world was just turned upside down.”
I know begging is beneath me and I can tell by the look on his face that it’s a lost cause. He has his mind made up and there’s nothing I can say to make him change it. “No. we will be mated tomorrow at sundown no excuses.”
He walks swiftly out the door and I hear the click of the lock behind him as he goes. He locked me in his bedroom. Why? Does he think I’m going to run? Where would I even go. I have nowhere and no one. The only reason I’m not disgraced right now is because he offered me this role. I would never risk my family by attempting to flee from him.
He can’t really be as bad as the rumors say if he saved my family from the life Grayson wanted for us all, can he?
It’s not looking good as I pace the large room. I try the handle experimentally but it’s locked just as I thought. Anger bubbles up in me as I flop back down on the bed in a huff. He wouldn’t even let me say goodbye to my parents, to reassure my mother that everything would be okay.
A scream of rage, frustration and heartbreak bubbles up inside of me and I let it all go as I flop down on the bed. I haven’t given myself the time to process everything.
Even the run in the woods was spent thinking of my next move but now in the quiet of this room that smells like sandalwood, musk andhim, I give in even just briefly.
I give in to the urge to mourn my old life because in just a few minutes, I’m going to have to put the alpha brave face back on and meet this new challenge head on.
I have no idea what being his mate will entail but I just hope I can make it through this without losing my mind or my life.
9
ARCHER
Ihave no idea what got into me. I can’t help myself when it comes to the strong beautiful female. I know I should have waited and let her say goodbye, but her mother was trying to change her decision only minutes ago.
As soon as she agrees my wolf begins thrashing in my head growling and demanding that we take her home. My entire body goes rigid just before I lunge grabbing her. Her mother shrieks but I barely register the sound as I throw Jara over my shoulder and storm out of the room.
I let her kick and scream only telling her to stop when she begins fighting me. But, I never stop. My wolf won’t let me stop until she is safe in my home. In my pack.
As we break through the tree line my wolf snarls at my pack members watching me curiously with Jara’s pert ass flung over my shoulder and my arm tightens around her thighs as she continues to scream and attempt to wiggle away.
“Back to your homes, now.” I bark and they scramble to do as I command. They fear me and what will happen to them if they do not obey my commands. My wolf can’t stand the thought of other males looking at her until I make her mine.
I need to lock her away or my wolf may try to claim her immediately. I can’t give her much time to acclimate to the pack because the treaty negotiations are only a few days away, but I can give her the night to process what is happening.
My feet pound up the stairs to my bedroom. It’s the only place where I can keep her safe until the mating ceremony. “Where are we?” Her voice comes out strong even if it sounds a bit wobbly. I watch her eyes as she surveys my room and I’m not sure why I hold my breath waiting for her reaction.
Should it matter so much? I will let her change anything she wants. I wasn’t lying when I told her that I would get everything that she requires. “You’re in my rooms. You will stay here until after the mating at sunset tomorrow.”
Her expression turns to horror. “Wait, tomorrow? Are you sure there’s enough time?” She wrings her hands together. I don’t really understand the problem and furrow my brows. “Shouldn’t we wait until I can get acclimated with the pack? Give me a few more days, Archer. My whole world was just turned upside down.”
I stare blankly at her. I feel terrible but my wolf will not relent. The mask is firmly in place as I respond, “No. we will be mated tomorrow at sundown. No excuses.”
I don’t wait for a response because no matter what, I know I won’t like what she has to say to that and it’s already done. There is no amount of begging that will change my mind once it’s made up. She will need to learn that about me. This isn’t a debate. I am alpha. My rule is law.
I wince as a guttural scream fills the house and hang my head letting that one sound tear through me for just a moment. My shoulders slump in defeat wondering if what I did here was nothing but selfish. Should I have let her run and be exiled? No. She doesn’t deserve that. As soon as she processes what happened today she will know that I only have her and the pack’s best interests at heart and I will protect her no matter the cost.
