Page 35 of Wolf Traded
“My mate won’t talk to me and it’s all your fault.” He growls. “She says I’m acting like an overgrown toddler.” Lynn chokes out a laugh at his words. “See? Your mate is turning all our women against us.”
“Oh please,” Lynn says waving her hand in the air. “Jara has done nothing wrong. She took a deal to restore honor back to her family after your friend brutally humiliated her but you still call her reject. I think she was brave and still is brave trying to talk some sense into a bunch of Neanderthals stuck in their ways.”
Her words hit me in the gut but I still can’t get over my anger and embarrassment from what she’s done. Now it’s made it worse and the mates are letting them know they are being hard headed. This doesn’t bode well for any talks of peace this weekend.
“Thanks for the talk, Lynn. I need to go have a chat with my mate.”
“Yeah maybe teach her some fucking respect and show her her place.” Kyle grumbles but I ignore him. Jara’s place is at my side and if she has something to say as far as I’m concerned she can say it as long as we are in private.
“Go easy on her, Alpha Archer. She meant no harm.”
“I know, Lynn. I know,” I say but still I’m fuming and I don’t know who I’m more angry at, Jara or Kyle.
19
JARA
There’s a pounding on the door to our suite but I know better than to open it. It could be any one of the alphas come to tell me where my place is. The memory of Grayson who I once thought I loved telling me the only time I should open my mouth is to suck a dick still makes me shudder. How could I have ever thought I loved that man?
He openly had sex with pack whores the night before our supposed mating. The idea makes me sick. I mean wolves especially unmated wolves are extremely open with their sexuality and often have orgies during the moon festival but we were supposed to be fated. My disgust wars with my relief that I didn’t actually mate with that barbaric asshole.
“Jara, I know you’re in there.” Grayson’s voice grates on my nerves. He’s the last person I want to see right now. “I watched Archer leave. Open the door. I want to talk to you.”
“You think I’m stupid, Grayson? I’m not opening that door,” I yell back at him. He’s gotta be fucking stupid if he thinks I’m just going to open the door. This was deliberate. He waited until Archer was gone.
“Open the damn door, Jara. Now.” He roars and I nearly jump from the couch but stop and cock my head to the side. That’s an ingrained reaction since he used to be my alpha. I wonder if his alpha command ever worked on me?
“You’re not my alpha anymore Grayson, I don’t have to listen to you anymore.” I yell back at him. “My mate definitely wouldn’t want you alone in my suite with me but if you would like to chat then you’re more than welcome to sit outside the door until he comes back.” I grin at the growl I hear from the other side of the door.
“What the fuck are you doing outside my door, Grayson?” Archer yells then there’s a thud. “Did my mate let you in?” The door knob rattles then there’s another thud that sounds like Grayson was dropped like a sack of potatoes.
“No, the stupid bitch wouldn’t let me in,” he coughs between words then grunts again.
“Call her that one more time, Grayson and I will castrate you. Have fun fucking pack whores without a dick.” Archer rumbles before unlocking the door and opening it. “Get away from my room and don’t come around my mate again without me present.” He slams the door in Grayson’s face and turns the lock.
His eyes are still cold and hard as he looks at me. I changed into one of the skimpy pajama sets Angela had found for me. It’s a light blue silk tank top and sleep shorts. My legs are folded under me on the couch but I see him eyeing them. “Did you open the door dressed like that, little mate?”
“I haven’t opened the door at all.” I answer with my head held high. I hold his eyes as long as is appropriate and he nods in understanding.
“I can’t believe you humiliated me like that, Jara. It’s not just speaking over Kyle but speaking out of turn at all during those meetings makes me look weak. If I can’t control my mate I can’t control my pack.”
“Control your mate?” I ask dryly. “You wouldn’t have to control me if you would have told me how to support you during that shit show.” I am using my calmest voice but inside I’m livid. How can he expect me not to mess up if he doesn’t communicate the rules to me?
“You said you knew how things worked.” He throws his hands up in the air clearly frustrated. “You said you have been learning from a young age what is expected of the alpha female.”
“Not in a hostile situation like this.” I yell back. “I was taught to always put my pack and my mate before all else and they were disrespecting our ways. They are my pack, right? I am the alpha female. Most of those people welcomed me and were nicer to me than the people in my old pack. I didn’t like the way they were shaming you. Refusing to trade with you because you are smarter than they are.”
His cold mask is in place and I have no idea if I’m even getting through to him. “I mean, it doesn’t matter anyway right? I’m only your mate because you needed a mate before the peace talks. You don’t need me. Any woman would have worked for your goal.” I’m right up in his face my arms crossed over my chest to keep a little space between us.
“Well, what are you saying, Jara? You don’t want to be mated to me? Well too fucking bad. You made this choice. I wasn’t forced on you. Are you even mine, or is this some game Grayson is playing on me? Did you let him in this room?” He’s glaring at me but his eyes tell a different story. I’m not sure if it’s anger sadness or hurt I see in his dark depths.
“Do you smell Grayson in this room? Did you forget our mating? You took my virginity you overbearing asshole.” For the first time since we started this fight I tilt my head down. Why does this have to be so hard? Why can’t he just tell me what he needs?
“Prove it,” he says pulling my arms from their crossed position and backing me up to the wall.
“Prove what, Archer? I don’t know what you want from me,” I whisper trying to hold back the angry tears in my eyes.
“Prove that you’re mine. Prove your loyalty.” His hands land on my hips and it becomes clear what he wants I bring my hands up to shove him away from me but his own snap up and curl tight around my wrists. I wince as he squeezes them the one already bruised throbs under his touch.
