Free Web NovelChapter 36: Lavender
Trishelle
Trishelle had been sitting in the Councilwoman’s room for the past ninety minutes, and every minute stretched like an eternity. She wondered what they were discussing in that study and whether it concerned her. Restless energy thrummed through her veins as she tried to distract herself by examining the room’s elegance - the dark, polished wood gleaming in the lamplight, the thick velvet curtains that pooled on the floor, the mingled scent of lavender and old books. Yet none of it held any appeal. How ironic that she had spent years complaining about the dark, cramped space they had shoved her into, yet at this moment, that tiny room was all she longed for. It represented safety. Familiarity. This place offered neither.
A gentle knock sounded at the door, and the pretty she-wolf, Alexa, poked her head inside.
"Hi, are you feeling better?" she asked, genuine concern creasing her brow.
"Yeah, I am," Trishelle answered, her fingers twisting the hem of the borrowed shirt, "but I’m just wondering what’s going on."
The shirt was soft, expensive silk from Cynthia, paired with comfortable leggings from Alexa. The older woman had taken one look at the plain, rough clothes the male omega had brought and scoffed, sending him away for something more suitable. Trishelle had never worn anything so fine, and the unfamiliar luxury made her feel like an imposter.
"Well, that’s why I’m here," Alexa said gently, watching as the young woman stiffened at her next words. "My grandmother is calling you to Alpha James’ office."
Alexa knew, with a certainty that settled like a stone in her gut, that the Alpha was spouting nonsense. She had seen too many manipulators in her time not to recognize one.
Clearing her throat, Trishelle asked, her voice barely a whisper, "Am I... am I needed there?"
A pang of sorrow struck Alexa. It was clear as day that Trishelle would rather go anywhere else in the world. The fear radiating from her was almost palpable.
"I’m afraid so, Trish," she replied softly. "There seems to be a dispute, one only you can rectify."
Shoulders slumped in defeat, Trishelle trudged after Alexa down the long hallway, her footsteps heavy with dread. Whatever awaited her, she hoped it would be resolved quickly so she could disappear back into the shadows where she belonged. Alexa knocked on the study’s heavy door before opening it and ushering Trishelle inside. The young woman entered, keeping her eyes glued to the ground, as she had been taught to do in the presence of Alphas. Years of conditioning weren’t easily undone.
She caught that amazing scent again - a mix of pine and rain and something wild that called to a part of her she didn’t understand. The fragrance wrapped around her like a promise, but she resisted the pull to turn toward the man who released it.
"You called for me, Alpha James?" she murmured, her gaze fixed on the intricate pattern of the rug beneath her feet.
"No, my dear," Cynthia’s voice answered, warm and firm. "I was the one who asked for your presence since the matter concerns you."
Keeping her eyes downcast, Trishelle nodded, her heart hammering against her ribs. Inside the room, Bradley’s wolf was going crazy, clawing at his control. His mate stood right in front of him, and yet she refused to meet his eyes. The rejection cut deeper than any physical wound. Was she turning away from him? Was it possible that because she had slept with James, she would choose him instead? These thoughts plagued him like poison, and he looked at his adoptive aunt helplessly. He didn’t want to force her if she’d already made her choice, yet the only hope he clung to was that she wasn’t looking at that bastard James, either.
Cynthia saw the hopelessness etched on her nephew’s face and took charge. Standing, she walked to Trishelle and gently placed two fingers under her chin, raising her head with maternal tenderness.
"Look at me, dearie." She waited until Trishelle’s wary eyes met hers. "These two men, Alpha James and Alpha Bradley, both claim that you are their mate. Now I know that you don’t have your wolf, but even in cases where humans have been mated to our kind, the mate bond can be felt. Could you tell us if either one of them is right?"
Trishelle looked at the woman, her mouth falling open in shock. They both claimed her as their mate? Her? Be the Luna of an entire pack? The concept was so absurd it bordered on cruel. She was nothing - less than nothing in this pack’s hierarchy. Taking an involuntary step back, she shook her head, a denial of the very concept. It was impossible that either one wanted her. This had to be some kind of twisted joke.
When she made that move, Bradley felt like she was rejecting him, and he couldn’t hold back the low, pained whine that escaped his lips. The sound was raw, vulnerable, completely unbefitting an Alpha.
The sound startled Trishelle, and as her head snapped in Bradley’s direction, she felt that familiar pull - a magnetic current that drew her gaze to his like iron to a lodestone. When their eyes met, it was as if time stopped. The world fell away, leaving only the intensity of his stare. His eyes were a deep amber, flecked with gold, and they looked at her with such longing it made her breath catch. She could feel her heartbeat accelerate, pounding so hard she was certain everyone could hear it, and goosebumps raised on her arms. She knew instinctively that this man was the wolf from earlier, the one whose presence had silenced the chaos. In his gaze, she found something she had never experienced before - a sense of belonging. All her fears began to melt away like snow under spring sun.
James saw the way they were looking at each other, and he knew he needed to act, and fast. The connection between them was undeniable, dangerous to his plans. Clearing his throat, he stood and rounded his large desk, inserting himself directly between them and breaking their connection. It was a good thing they hadn’t touched, or else it would have been harder to interrupt. Physical contact would have sealed the bond in a way words never could.
Taking Trishelle’s hand, James tried to ignore the way she flinched at his touch and hoped it went unnoticed by the others. Her skin felt cold in his grip, lifeless compared to the warmth he’d seen in her eyes moments before.
"Trishelle, my dear," he began, his voice dripping with false sincerity, "I know that since I was a pup, I have not treated you the best. And I know that as your Alpha, I did not stop the mistreatment you received from the other members. Please know that it was all from the strange feeling that I had from my youth, feelings that I could not decipher."
He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it in a gesture he hoped looked chivalrous rather than calculated.
"It’s only recently I’ve realized that I always had feelings for you but was too young to understand them, so I acted out," he continued, the lies flowing smoothly from years of practice. Seeing the disbelief on her face, he pushed on. "I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’ve been in love with you for a long time, and I just didn’t know what to do with it. I guess part of the reason was that I didn’t think my father would have approved of you, but he would have been wrong. The way you helped others when we were preparing for the party recently, the same members who treated you badly, is proof of your caring heart and forgiving nature. I know that these are great qualities for a Luna."
He slowly, dramatically, knelt on one knee before her, looking up at her with what he hoped was a contrite, loving expression. The performance was flawless, rehearsed in his mind during the long minutes before she’d arrived.
"So, Trishelle, I seek your forgiveness and humbly ask, in front of our distinguished guests, would you do me the honour and become my mate and Luna?"
Trishelle was shocked, along with everyone else in the room. Her mind reeled, unable to process the absurdity of the situation. freewёbnoνel.com
"What?" The word came out strangled, barely audible.
James continued, his voice smooth and persuasive, each word carefully chosen. "Don’t you think it would be a great way for me to make up for my deplorable behaviour? This way, you will immediately gain the respect you should have received all along. I know that having Rosie as your guardian would have made you sensitive to the areas that I may have missed. With you by my side, our pack can flourish and prosper."
Bradley was chewing the inside of his cheek to keep from roaring, tasting blood as his canines threatened to descend. First, James had blocked him from staring into the calmest, storm-grey eyes he had ever seen, and now he was proposing? The audacity was staggering. If his aunt weren’t here, he would have repainted the walls with this brazen fool’s blood. Every instinct screamed at him to act, to claim what was his. All he wanted to do was grab his mate, shift, and run straight home, yet he held his breath, waiting to see what her response would be. He hoped that she was smarter than the status they had given her, that she could see through James’ transparent manipulation, but the confused, overwhelmed look on her face was making him lose hope all over again. She looked like a cornered animal, and it broke something inside him to see her so lost.
