Page 36 of The Forbidden Wolf

“Rude!” Kenzo smacked the back of his hand against Sebastian’s ass. “Tell me to move so your better half can sit down.”

Sebastian slapped Kenzo’s hand away with a growl. “Kenzo, move.”

Kenzo jumped up and offered me his chair with an over-the-top flourish of both hands. Standing, he was about three inches shorter than me and built more like a pit bull than a wolf. I gave him a gracious smile as I accepted the chair, but he was already looking past me, flashing a flirty wink and grin at my assistant.

“Go wait for Elyse in the lobby,” Sebastian told Ruby. “I’ll deal with you later.”

“He’ll do no such thing,” I assured her. “But yeah, I’ve got it from here.”

No doubt glad to leave, Ruby curtsied and high-tailed it out of there. Sebastian plopped down in his chair, and we immediately went back to glowering at each other.

“Don’t undermine me like that,” he said.

“Don’t kidnap me like this,” I shot back.

“Oh snap!” Kenzo mussed Sebastian’s hair as he strolled around the table to take the empty seat between Yara and the handsome middle-aged male on Sebastian’s left.

“I didn’t kidnap you.” Sebastian swept his waves backs into place.

“Um… who locked me in my room?

“I claimed you, as is my right, and your father didn’t challenge me, as was his. Ergo, this was all handled quite properly, if somewhat unconventionally, and I would appreciate it if you stopped insinuating that I am some sort of criminal before our mateship ceremony this Sunday.”

“Sunday?!” I shook my head. “No. No way. I am not mating with you in a week—”

“There’s no point in waiting.” Sebastian took a long sip of coffee from a plain white mug. “Seven days is quite a generous courtship, considering your sister and I were expected to mate sight unseen, don’t you think?”

My molars scraped together. Kiana’s threat lay flat against my thigh inside the right front pocket of my jeans. I had come down here to give him fair warning, but it occurred to me now that I could just… not. If I allowed my twin to take him by surprise and force him to keep his word, I might even be forgiven. Especially once she smelled that I remained unmated. I could go back to the Bronx, back to my room.

Back to Blaze…

Off to my right, Max heaved a noisy sigh. “Enough, son. There’s no need to take your frustration with me out on your female. I’ve already admitted that mistakes were made in planning this arrangement, as I’m sure Alpha Phelan would also. But what’s done is done. Bitterness is no way to begin a fated mateship!”

Sebastian’s cold gaze slid to his plate. I twisted in my chair to face the Alpha, fully intending to tell him what no one had bothered to ask me last night. Sebastian was not my fated mate. Any attraction I might have felt in the beginning was purely superficial and waning dramatically with each successive encounter. Pretty soon I wouldn’t even think him pretty at all.

But as soon as I got turned around, Max’s eyes fell on my shirt, and he broke into a wide smile. “Duran Duran.” He pointed the knife he’d been using to butter a fancy little biscuit at the other male across the table. “Now that was the pinnacle of human civilization.”

The other male lifted a glass of orange juice in a silent toast. He smiled kindly when our eyes met, perhaps even affectionately, which seemed terribly strange, and yet the vibe wasn’t the slightest bit creepy. He felt quite safe, actually.

“I hate to break it to you though, but I think you got a cheap knock off,” Max said through a mouthful of biscuit. “They spelled hungry wrong.”

Kenzo laughed. “It’s a joke, Pops.”

Max frowned. “What’s funny about not knowing how to spell?”

Sebastian’s fork clinked loudly against his plate. “It’s a portmanteau, Father. Hangry is when you’re so hungry that you’re angry.”

“Ohhh.” Max lifted his furry eyebrows in wonder. “How clever! I’m going to start using that. Hangry. You hear that, Yara?” He touched his mate’s arm. “From now on, if I’m in a bad mood, it’s just because I’m hangry, okay?”

“Yes, dear.” Yara patted his hand. “Like a wolf. I know.”

Max threw his head back and laughed, spewing biscuit crumbs like a fountain. Coughing, he grabbed his own glass of orange juice and chugged. When he was finished, he pounded on his chest and said, “Whew. You just about got promoted to Alpha over that one, Sebbo.”

Sebastian groaned, and when I begrudgingly spared him a glance, he had his elbow on the table, and his forehead planted in his palm. He pushed a chunk of runny egg around his plate without picking it up. Like some sort of surly teenager. I suppressed a smile. Did he not want me here because he was embarrassed of his dorky family?

“Elyse, if you’re hangry, feel free to clean Kenzo’s plate.” Max tapped his fork on the half-full dish in front of me. “His wolf’s getting a little—what was that other funny word you taught me, son? It’s on the tip of my tongue.” Max snapped his fingers.

Sebastian sank lower in his chair and mumbled, “Chonky.”

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