Page 9 of Wolf Trapped
He would probably laugh in my face and tell me I can never see them again. I huff out an aggravated breath. I pick a light sundress and put it on when a knock sounds at the door. Before I can call out for them to come in, Angela opens the door. She has an annoyed look on her face, and I roll my eyes.
“You suck at timing, Jara.” She crosses the room to an armchair that sits at the table.
“I figured he would be easier to deal with after we mated?” I shrug, and Angela doesn’t even attempt to hold in her loud cackling. “What? He usually is in a better mood.” I cross my arms over my chest, irrationally angry at Angela.
It’s not her fault, but she shouldn’t be laughing at her alpha female though I would never pull rank with the beta. We have been somewhat friends over the weeks I have been here. I scowl at her, and she chuckles more.
“You were nose to nose with a strange wolf, and you think the alpha is going to let you anywhere near alphas who were downright disrespectful and predatory to you?” Angela rolls her eyes. “You have met the alpha, right? He’s having a hard time not locking you in your room with the threats against the pack. Be smart, Jara.”
I huff out angrily because as much as I want to pout and throw a fit, she’s right, and I hate it. I wish I would have pushed this before the pack hunt.
“You don’t understand, Angela. My mom begged me not to take Archer’s deal. She is probably terrified right now.” I sigh and straighten the bed.
My mother is most likely worried sick, and I hate that this is probably hurting her not knowing what’s happening in my life. I need to reassure her that this really was the only decision I could have made that day. Even with his challenges, I am starting to understand Archer better a little every day, even if I don’t always agree with him.
“Why? It was either mate with Archer or exile. To me, that’s a no-brainer.” Angela folds her hands on the table, genuinely curious.
“I know, but the rumors about him being so ruthless his previous mates killed themselves. She is probably worried sick.” I grab a pillow, hug it close to my body, and sit with a huff on the bed.
“You know those aren’t just rumors.” She stops widening her eyes in fear that she said too much.
“I don’t believe that happened the way everyone thinks it did.” I stare at Angela. The way Rochelle acts like she has a right to be territorial over Archer and the fact that she was the only one to see Eloise jump makes me suspicious, but I can’t outright accuse her without proof.
“What do you mean?” Angela stands, crossing her arms over her chest.
“C’mon, you can’t tell me that it’s not odd that Rochelle was the only one there when she supposedly jumped,” I huff. There I said it finally. That thought has been niggling at my mind for weeks.
“I mean, she’s a vengeful bitch and too self-important but is she a murderer? I am not so sure.” She chews her lip thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t let anyone else hear you making connections like this. That’s a huge accusation to be throwing around.”
“I never would have thought the unmated females in my old pack had it in them to shred my mating gown or sabotage the day so fully, either. Given the right motivation, people are capable of anything, Angela.”
“You’re not wrong; it’s just that her parents are loyal to Archer, and he respects them greatly; throwing around accusations like that when there’s no proof will put the alpha in a precarious situation.”
“I won’t say anything unless I find proof.” I nod, bringing the pillow to my nose and breathing in Archer’s spicy scent. It calms me, unlike anything before. I fluff the pillow and place it back on the bed before standing and smoothing out the comforter that is rumpled from our mating.
“Good. Now how are you going to improve Alpha’s mood?” She grins, and I scowl at her.
“Is he even in the house, or did he go for a run, gods know where?” I raise a brow at her, and the expression on her face tells me how dumb she thinks I am. “Of course, he went for a run.”
“Can you blame him? He doesn’t understand why you are upset. He is all about protecting his pack.” Angela shrugs.
Everything she’s saying makes sense, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to tell my family that I am safe here. “Okay, I get it. For now, but seriously he’s going to keep me from my family forever.”
“I don’t think that’s true. I just think it’s complicated right now.” Angela pats my shoulder, and I huff out a breath before opening the bedroom door and walking down the stairs to the kitchen.
I open the fridge pulling out the bowl of marinating steaks that I set out this morning to defrost and season. I pull the grill rack from the kitchen cabinet.
“Are you staying for dinner, Angela?” I call out to the beta.
Her stillness has me turning to her. She’s staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the woods. “What is it?”
I squint into the nearby trees, wondering what she sees because I see nothing. Is the strange wolf back and watching the pack house? What the fuck does the wolf want? I want to go out there and chase it down to ask what he wants and force him to shift, but Angela will stop me before I get two steps out the door.
“What?” She jumps, startled.
“Did you see something in the woods?” I squint, trying to see anything out of the ordinary, but they are still.
“It must just be the craziness of the day.” She shakes her head. “There’s nothing there.”
