Page 32 of Wolf Traded
I know this already. I don’t want to start another fight though when everything has been civil the last day or so. I just want to get through the summit without any incidents and go back home to figure out my place in the pack.
Home? Has it really been a home? Does it feel like home already?I’m not even sure where that thought came from but I guess it is my home now even if it doesn’t really feel like it yet. It will eventually, right?
We make it to the meeting room just as the six other alphas are walking through the doors some with mates and some without which makes me wonder if what Rochelle said was true. Grayson and another alpha whose name I don’t know are without mates so why would it matter if Archer doesn’t have one? Or is it just weighing on him because of what has become of all his other choices in mates?
Is Archer just paranoid or are the other alphas just so threatened by him that they hold him to a higher standard or is it more than that?
I see alpha Kyle and his mate Bonnie and nod to them as Archer leads us to our seats. The room is bright and airy with huge floor to ceiling windows that overlook the ocean. Archer’s seats have the windows behind us and I can tell he’s tense. I don’t particularly care for the open glass at my back either and I’m sure this is meant as a power play with the rest of the alpha council.
They are going out of their way to make him uncomfortable and I straighten a little in my seat as Archer helps me into my chair before Archer takes his own. I lock eyes briefly with each alpha except for Grayson. I can’t look at him right now. The rejection is still too fresh in my mind. Archer looks at me pointedly. I smile back at him and avert my eyes from all the alphas.
“What is she doing here?” Grayson sneers and I shoot him a dark look. I hold his eyes a second longer than is appropriate and Archer squeezes my thigh beneath the table.
“Mates are welcomed at the peace talks, are they not?” Archer says pointedly turning his head so everyone can see his mate mark. I do the same and a few gasps fill the room.
“You were mated?” Kyle asks me staring at me in the eyes.
“That was part of the deal so I didn’t have to go rogue after a very public rejection from my fated mate, but you already knew that.” I raise an eyebrow at Alpha Kyle. He doesn’t get to judge me when his friend did what he did and I had to pick between impossible choices.
“She’s a rejected mate who was the bottom of the barrel for Archer who had several mates die on his watch she shouldn’t even be here.” Grayson growls and even Kyle looks a little taken aback by his friend’s words.
“We are here for peace and you object to Alpha Archer’s mate? Weren’t you the one who offered the deal to give her family honor if she took this deal?” An alpha I don’t know who sits at the head of the table raises a skeptical brow at Grayson.
“Yes, I offered that but I didn’t think Alpha Archer would make her his alpha female. What a disgrace.”
Archer stands up angrily and I put a hand on his arm in reassurance. I don’t want the talks to devolve in the first five minutes because of me. “I am a strong alpha female. I didn’t deserve what my fated mate did to me just so he could continue to fuck the females of the pack.” I say quietly as I stand up from my seat.
“Alpha Archer saw in me what the fates did and saved me from going rogue. I am most grateful to him but I didn’t have any say in being rejected by you, so you shouldn’t get a say in whether I am here as the Alpha Female of the Everette pack.” I hold his gaze longer than is appropriate but no one not even Grayson says a word until I sit back down threading my fingers with Archer’s under the table. I’m hoping the show of strength will get the summit back on track and notice the other four alpha females smiling at me. Even Bonnie nods to me in understanding.
“I believe with that speech, Jara of theEverette packhas a right to be here as the alpha female of the Everette pack. Do we all agree?” The alpha at the head of the table asks and everyone but Kyle and Grayson nod. Kyle’s mate looks at him briefly before shaking her head. I wonder what more is going on here. Is there some bigger plot going on to take over the Everette pack?
What about Angela and the Cubs and all the pack members I’ve met that didn’t outright hate me from the beginning? Will something bad happen to them? I hope not.
I barely listen as I eat and the trade talks start making my head spin. So many of these alphas are set in their ways they won’t even trade with Archer. He uses human technology and they refuse to adapt. I wonder what will happen to these packs in the future if our territory is encroached on by humans. What will happen to all of us sitting in this room?
“Shouldn’t we at least try to adapt a little bit?” I ask at the same time Kyle starts to speak and I cringe. Well shit. We spoke at the same time so there is no way he can see it as a slight, right?
“What the fuck, Archer? Has no one taught your reject not to talk over an alpha?” I look between the two of them but they are not looking at me. They are looking at each other.
“What?” I ask softly. “I didn’t mean to disrespect you, Alpha Kyle. I didn’t realize you were going to speak at the same time as me.” I chew on my lip as I watch the two alphas square off. Archer looks over at me with distain and I shrink under his gaze. How had I been so comfortable with him only hours ago and now I feel like he is angry with me?
“What the fuck is she doing interrupting an alpha? Grayson is right. She is a disgrace as an alpha female.” Me and all the other females gasp at his words, even his own mate as she watches him from his side.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you, Alpha Kyle. I meant to explain myself. I don’t want to be an alpha female for anyone but Archer. I didn’t mean to interrupt. We both spoke at the same time.”
“You’re right, Jara, there is no reason for this.” Alpha Kyle’s mate says as she glares at him but he continues glowering at me.
“It was obviously an accident.” The head of the council’s mate says looking at him pointedly.
“She is new and should have known her place during these negotiations. Archer is at fault for not explaining things to her.” The head of the council says brusquely and if Archer could kill with his gaze I would be dead. Well isn’t this just great? He isn’t even trying to defend me.
“And what exactly dear mate is the alpha femalesplaceat these negotiations?” She glares at her mate. This woman is a total badass and I like her a lot.
“I refuse to continue talks with that disrespectful bitch in the room,” Kyle shouts and even though Archer is angry with me he’s on his feet in a second his hands balled at his fists at his sides.
“What she did wasn’t intentional, but continue to dishonor my mate and you will deal with me.” He practically roars the words staring Kyle down. How the hell has this devolved so quickly? Why are tempers so hot? Did they come into this meeting looking for an excuse to hurt Archer and the pack?
“What are you going to do, Archer? Start a war over a stupid rejected female who doesn’t know when it’s okay to open her mouth? I’ll give you a hint, the only time a female should open her mouth is to put a dick in it.” Grayson chimes in and all the females in the room gasp. I’m supremely thankful in this moment that I didn’t mate with him. I have never known this ugly cruel side of him.
