Page 22 of The Wolf's Bullied Mate
His father… the piece of shit… how could he have abandoned the two of them, thrown them aside like they meant nothing? If I ever got my hands on that asshole, he wouldn’t stay breathing for long.
How could anyone hurt a woman as sweet as Pauline?
After we signed the document, Pauline, then myself, the agent, spoke up again, “That’s all I need from you. I’ll arrange everything else with the alphas of both packs. You can proceed with the marriage as soon as I have both of their agreements.”
I nodded. I knew Ryder would quickly approve the agreement, and I hoped the same could be said for Lone Bite’s alpha.
“Do you want to stay here while we make the arrangements?” The woman looked at Pauline.
She bit her lip, looking down for a moment. Then, she seemed to have made up her mind because she looked at me with a confident expression. “I brought a bag with necessary items for Ray and me, as per Mrs. Ellen’s suggestion. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like for us to stay here.”
I couldn’t stop the smile that came to my lips. Pauline and Ray would be living with me sooner than I had thought. “Yes, that’s no problem. After we get married, I’ll arrange for the rest of your belongings to be sent here.”
She gave me a small smile. “I would appreciate that.”
“I’ll get the bags then,” I got up, moving to the front door. The agent followed behind me.
She unlocked the trunk, and I took out a sizable traveling bag—a single one—that felt way too heavy for a lone woman to carry. Had Pauline really come here so well-prepared and ready to live together?
The fact that she hadn’t planned on leaving after arriving made me happy, though I couldn’t quite place why.
I said my goodbyes to the agent, and Pauline waved at her from the door. I carried the bag inside.
“I’ll show you to your rooms in a bit,” I told Pauline. “But before that, would you like to eat something?”
Her stomach chose this moment to rumble. She blushed a deep red, and I chuckled.
“I guess that’s a yes,” I said.
“Y-Yes, I’m hungry,” she said.
“I’ll make us lunch then,” I gestured to the kitchen. “If you wouldn’t mind watching me cook, please come along. I’d like to talk to you.”
She nodded. We both went to my large white kitchen, which opened to the dining hall where a table for six stood. Pauline took in the surroundings.
I had to ask. “So, what do you think?”
“About what?” She gave me a puzzled look.
“The house, for starters,” I gestured around.
“It’s much bigger than I would have expected for one person,” she said.
“I bought it knowing I would look for a mate to share it with at some point.” I went to the kitchen and started taking out ingredients. “How do pancakes with maple syrup sound?”
Pauline’s eyes shone even more brightly. “Ray loves those.”
I smiled. She seemed happier each time something that would be good for her son happened. I would have to pay close attention to figure out what made Ray happy so I could make sure to do those things as much as possible. Maybe then I would see a joyful Pauline more often.
She had this aura of sadness that clung to her like something burdened her terribly. Was it became the father ofher child had abandoned the two of them, or did her problems run deeper? I wanted to find out what made her so gloomy soon so I could help her. I wanted to be the man who protected her from any outside threats as well as her own demons, if she would let me.
I started making the pancakes, and Pauline sat down at the kitchen island, watching me cook.
“So, how was your life after moving to Lone Bite?” I figured that subject would be as good a conversation opener as any other. After all, we hadn’t seen each other since she had moved to the other pack.
I soon realized the question was more difficult for her than I had expected. Her expression shut down, and her shoulders slumped. The terrible burden she carried became noticeably heavier.
“It was… okay,” she said in a small voice.
