Page 12 of Wolf Trapped
Rochelle glares at me but quickly averts her eyes before turning and stomping into the woods without comment. That female is starting to be more trouble than she’s worth. I thought Arthur was handling his daughter. Maybe she is beyond help.
I strip out of the athletic shorts and shift back into wolf form, still perplexed by the lack of scent and where that damn wolf disappeared.
I run the perimeter of the pack lands but don’t pick up the strange scent again. Where did he go? Is he a spy from another pack? I wouldn’t put it passed Greyson or Kyle to send wolves to dig up dirt on me. I need to ask Jara if the wolf she saw reminded her of anyone from her old pack.
I break into a sprint and am back at the house within minutes, shifting on the back patio and pulling the shorts back on. The scent of sauteed mushrooms and steak makes my stomach growl as I stroll into the kitchen, where my mate dances to a song by Fallout Boy. I lean against the door watching with a slight smile on my face. She is adorable when she cooks.
She turns with a plate and screams, nearly dropping it, but my reflexes are quick, and I grab the plate before it falls. “You scared the shit out of me, Archer.” She puts a hand on her chest.
“Sorry, mate. I was enjoying the show.” It’s strange, but smiling has become easier since Jara came into my life.
“You just like embarrassing me.” She blushes bright red. It stains her cheeks and travels down her neck.
“You turn the prettiest shade of pink when I embarrass you, though.” I step into her space and grab both plates taking them to the dining table. I try to make it a point to be home at dinner time now since I know it pleases my mate to feed me. My wolf isn’t complaining, either.
I can’t make her happy in every sense of the word, but I can do this. I can have a meal with her.
“I have a question,” I say, cutting into my steak.
“What question?” she raises a brow at me as she pops a mushroom into her mouth and groans at the taste.
Gods above, I forget how difficult it is to get through dinner when she makes those noises.
Clearing my throat, I ask, “Did that wolf today look like or smell like anyone from your old pack?”
“No.” she shakes her head. “I have never seen or smelled that wolf before.”
It makes sense. Jara was well-loved in her old pack. It would make sense that she knew everyone. “Did you sense anything from the wolf?”
“He was glaring at me with hatred. I probably would have had to fight it had Angela not shown up. His wolf was bigger than mine, but I don’t think it was stronger.” She stares at her plate, spearing a mushroom and popping it in her mouth. Her quiet confidence is one of my favorite things about my mate, and it's well deserved.
“Where is Angela?” I ask, finally noticing the absence of my beta. She is supposed to be protecting my mate. My fist tightens around the knife in my hand, turning my knuckles white. If Angela left my mate unprotected, there would be hell to pay.
“She had gone to the restroom before you walked in. She may have heard you and left to give us alone time.” Pink stains her cheeks again, and I’m momentarily struck dumb at how beautiful she is.
“I wanted to ask her about the incident with Rochelle.” Jara stiffens at the other female’s name.
“She went looking for you? Angela told that stupid female to go home and lock her door.” She stabs her fork into a piece of cut steak and shoves it into her mouth, chewing angrily.
“She did. She also said you were disrespectful to her. I don’t have to remind you that we treat pack members with fairness and respect, right?” The words tumble from my lips without a thought, and I cringe internally. Why did I have to go and ruin things by being a dick? Jara pales, and her knife clatters to her plate as she glares at me.
Jara scoffs. “Yeah, if asking why a female wants to track down my mate and being completely ignored as if I don’t matter is me being disrespectful to her, then asking her if she wishes to challenge me… you know what? Never mind. I don’t need to explain myself. You want to hear it from Angela anyway.”
She continues cutting her steak and eating in silence. I want to ask her what she means, but I don’t want to start another fight with her.
“I didn’t believe her, you know,” I grumble, my attention never leaving the delicious meal.
“You have a funny way of showing that.” She says reigned. She shakes her head and goes back to her meal.
It was exactly as I expected, but I still want to hear it from Angela. “I’ll be back. Stay inside and keep the doors locked.” I grunt, standing with my plate and taking it to the kitchen.
I rinse the plate and set it in the sink, grabbing the counter with both hands and hang my head. I was an asshole in there, but I can’t let my mate forget who is in charge here. I can’t show weakness even to her.
Jara doesn’t respond as I walk out the front door and make my way across pack lands to Angela’s cabin. The lights flicker in the window as I reach the cabin at the edge of the pack.
It’s strategic in a way having the pack beta at one end of pack lands and the alpha on the other. I knock on the door and wait for her to answer. The door swings open, and she groans. “What do you want, Archer? I stayed until you got there.”
“I know, but I want a brief on what happened with Rochelle.” I raise an eyebrow at her answering growl.
