Free Web NovelChapter 26: Yes and No
James
It had been twelve days since James left the pack. Since he left her. His dreams had been plagued by her crying face every single night, and the weight of regret was a physical thing, a stone in his gut. He hadn’t meant what he said, not really. But both he and his wolf had been incensed by her defiance, her disrespect. He’d left instructions that she was to be treated worse, a test to break her spirit. The males could taunt, could push, could make her feel cornered, but they were explicitly forbidden from actually touching her. Anyone who disobeyed would be dealt with on his return, and there wasn’t a wolf in his pack crazy enough to cross him on that.
He’d been forced to visit a few of the legitimate businesses he ran as a front and attend some inter-pack meetings. James was getting cross-eyed from staring at the endless stacks of paperwork. All he wanted was to get back home and bury himself between Trishelle’s thighs. He knew some groveling would probably be necessary. Maybe a large bouquet of flowers would do the trick. After all, women were simple creatures, easy to please. And if that doesn’t work, he’d just fuck her into submission. That’s what omegas needed anyway. They just needed to be shown who’s in charge, to have their natural need to submit activated. With that solid, comforting plan in place, James returned to his work with renewed vigor, thoughts of Trishelle, writhing and begging for his cock, driving him on.
His Beta, Juda, knocked on the door and entered, bearing more of those cursed documents. James glared at the poor pieces of paper with such heat it was a miracle they didn’t spontaneously combust. "Damn it, how much more of this do I have to do? It feels like you’ve personally cut down every tree within a thousand miles just to punish me with this never-ending task."
Juda simply chuckled, unbothered by his Alpha’s mood, and placed the new stack on the already teetering pile.
Pausing at the door, Juda turned back. "Alpha, just a reminder that the Alpha of the Goldmoon Pack is scheduled to visit in two days’ time."
"What? Two days?" James slammed his hand on the desk. "How the hell am I supposed to finish all this in two days?" Damn it. If that was true, it meant he would have to hold back on seeing Trishelle, at least until after the diplomatic niceties were over. "Ahh... get out so I can get it done."
"Yes, Alpha." Juda bowed slightly and left, closing the door with a soft click and a barely concealed chuckle. He had deliberately left all the paperwork for the last leg of their trip. He knew his Alpha, and he knew James was bothered by the way he’d left things with Trishelle. Juda had done his own digging and had discovered that Richard, one of the pack’s enforcers, had orchestrated the whole thing, including spiking her drink with the drugs that forced a female’s heat. What surprised him was learning that his Alpha had given Richard tacit permission to do something to make Trishelle his. Because of that, Juda wasn’t sure how to bring it up with James. Maybe once they were back home, things would work themselves out.
Meanwhile, James sighed and, with a surge of determination, got back to work. He knew if he left anything for later, Juda would just bring it back with him, and once he was home, James didn’t want anything taking up his time. Especially not when he had his future Luna to woo.
Thankfully, James finished the work in the nick of time. Juda was excellent at planning their route, so their last stop was just three hours from pack lands by car. James used the drive to finish reading the final proposal he needed to review, shooting off an approval email with a flick of his thumb. Once that was done, he turned his attention to the file on the visiting Goldmoon Pack. Juda had received their final confirmation and was busy making preparations back at the pack house. They had indicated a slight change in their numbers, but it was nothing that couldn’t be easily accommodated.
Trishelle
Trishelle was busy in the kitchen, a whirlwind of controlled chaos. She was preparing the late lunch for the visiting delegation as well as for the Alpha’s return. Based on the information shared through the pack link, both parties were due to arrive within the hour. She had already made the lasagna, its cheesy top bubbling golden brown. Steamed vegetables glistened next to roasted pork, and grilled chicken sat glazed with a sweet and tangy pineapple sauce. A large, crisp salad was chilling in the fridge, and a perfect lemon meringue pie, its peaks toasted just right, sat cooling on a rack. For good measure, she had baked a variety of scones and cookies in case there was a need for snacks during the talks in the office, and the coffee percolator was already gurgling, filling the air with its rich aroma. She had even gone to the cellar and retrieved some of the classic wines to go with the meal, but also had chilled fruit juice ready for those who might prefer it. Years of being the pack’s cook, of learning under Rosie’s patient guidance, was the only thing that made this monumental task manageable.
Trishelle had heard the Goldmoon Alpha was single, and for once, the pack’s females were too busy preening and priming themselves to pay her any mind. It was also a blessing that Sammy was still here and was more than happy to help her in the kitchen. Thanks to him, the preparations had gone twice as fast.
Sammy hummed a tune under his breath as he chopped vegetables beside her. The first part of his plan was complete: getting time off. With his impressive track record as a pack enforcer and undercover operative, it had been surprisingly easy. All he had to do was remind Gamma Steve of a promise he’d made after a mission a few months back that had yielded great results for the pack. Steve had promised him anything, within reason, and since Sammy never took time off, he’d asked for three months. Three months. He hoped that within that time, he could get Trishelle out of the pack and set up somewhere safe, far away from James’s reach.
They were just finishing up when a mind-link informed them that the Alpha’s car had crossed into the pack’s land. Hearing this, the rage that had been simmering in Sammy’s gut flared hot, and with it, his primal desire to do bodily harm kicked in. He stopped chopping, his knuckles white on the handle of the knife. Planting a soft kiss on Trishelle’s brow, he took off his apron and left the kitchen without a word, heading straight for the back door and into the forest.
"Sammy!" Trishelle called after him, but he didn’t even pause.
Sighing, she figured he needed to cool off. It was probably for the best. At least everything was ready. She sniffed under her arms and decided she should at least take a quick shower to freshen up, just in case she was called to serve. Trishelle really hoped it wouldn’t come to that. The mere thought of seeing that bastard of an Alpha was enough to make her stomach turn. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Taking a quick, hot shower, she got dressed in a pale-yellow dress that was a size too big, but she cinched the waist with a simple brown belt, giving it some shape. She wore her only pair of decent brown sandals, both of which had been donated items. Brushing out her hair, she quickly wove it into a French braid, tying the end with a small piece of yellow ribbon and letting it drape over her right shoulder. Pleased with her clean, presentable look, Trishelle made her way outside just in time to see the Alpha’s black sedan pull up into the driveway.
James
James saw his pack members gathered to greet him, a sea of familiar faces. Before he could open the car door, a flash of something yellow caught his eye. Peering through the crowd, he found the source. His breath caught in his throat. Trishelle. The dress was simple, maybe a little big, but on her, it was stunning. The yellow made her skin glow, and the braid drew his eyes to the elegant line of her neck. He froze, his hand on the door handle, when he saw the look on her face. It wasn’t the defiance from before. It was worse. It was a carefully constructed mask of indifference, but her eyes... her eyes held a deep, haunted pain that he knew he had put there. He knew he couldn’t face her, not right now, not empty-handed. He quickly mind-linked one of the warriors near her. "Get her back inside. Now."
Once she was gone, her yellow dress disappearing through the kitchen door, he finally got out of the car. He was immediately slammed against it by a force that was focused entirely on his cheek. The punch was so hard and fast his head snapped to the side. Before he could get his bearings, he felt another one land on the other side of his face, quickly followed by a sharp, brutal blow to his stomach that drove all the air from his lungs.
