“Want to go to a table? Somewhere quieter to wallow,” He nudged me.
“Sure,” I actually enjoyed his company. After that horrible pickup line, things only got better.
“Then we can plan your ex-type person’s demise,” He winked.
I snorted, “I really doubt you could take him down. He is untouchable.” I sighed, to everyone except his beautiful mate with eyes so gorgeous they would haunt my dreams.
“Try me,” He put his hand on the small of my back and lead me to a corner.
My eyes opened against my will. I had to figure out what where that dull pounding was coming from. Gray light was trickling through the curtains in a room I didn’t recognize. The dull pounding was in me, it was me.
Confusion helped pull me from the fog for a moment.
Everything smelled like a.lcohol and, oh Goddess, s.ex. My mouth tasted like cotton, and memories came crawling back. Some memories at least, there was a lot that I couldn’t piece together, and the memories I did have were fuzzy.
The last thing that I remembered was laughing with Caden, his arms wrapped around me outside the bar and my lipstick smeared on his face.
I turned over groaning as the throbbing that reminded me of all of my poor choices. He wasn’t in bed next to me.
I survey my surroundings, light walls, and floors, cabinesque. The edge of a thick rug, but I couldn’t lift my head to see how big it was, nor did I care. I couldn’t tell if this was a hotel or his house. I needed to find my clothes, and my phone and figure out where I was. I reluctantly dragged myself up picking up pieces of my clothing that I could find strewn about the room, I had to steady myself a few times bending known made me lightheaded. Thankfully, my phone was in my pocket of the pants I was wearing. Besides some drunk texts to friends describing Caden and what I wanted to do to him, I didn’t do anything else incriminating.
I took a quick shower that helped a tiny bit with the tiredness and pulled back on my clothes that smelled like stale beer. I couldn’t wait to get home, and in fresh clothes and crawl in my bed. I hoped I wasn’t too far from my packhouse.
“Hello, sleeping beauty,” Caden walked in the door as I was pulling the towel off my hair. I jumped for some reason I wasn’t expecting to see him again, “I brought coffee,” He handed me a mug and I nodded in a silent thank you. “Hows the head?” He flashed a smile, and I groaned over the mug.
“How are you not dead?”
He shrugged crossing his arms, his muscles flexed, and I had a few flashbacks of last night that sent something settle deep beneath my stomach.
“Where are we? I think I need to take a nap.”
“My bed is open to you any time of day or night,” He raised an eyebrow his voice low.
I swallowed, “Thank you for the offer, but I think I need to die in peace.” I also felt like I should apologize for last night to Caspien and his mate. Regardless of what we were, he was still my Alpha, and I didn’t want to be on bad terms or have his mate mistake my intentions. “Fine, I can drive you.” He helped me up off the bed.
“I can get a taxi it’s fine.” I waved it off. I didn’t think I could force conversation.
“I’ll arrange it then,” He pulled out his phone and led me from what I now assumed to be his room.
It opened to a large hallway and I followed him down a large open staircase. This wasn’t just his house, this looked more like a packhouse.
“Beta,” An omega nodded to him as we descended the stairs.
“Beta?” I asked him, my brows furrowing. I tried to wrack my memory for if he mentioned that last night. Was that something I was supposed to know?
He shrugged, “Nothing compared to your kinda Alpha ex, but-” His lips curved up in a playful half smile.
“What?”
“Alpha Dracos, I mean, talk about a complex. I almost couldn’t bring myself to sleep with you. I didn’t want you to compare us.” He nudged me, “I’m joking, of course. From the moment I saw you, I wanted you.”
I couldn’t pay attention to what he was saying after he mentioned Caspien. I didn’t remember saying who I was upset about, but then again, there were huge chunks that I didn’t remember. I rubbed the side of my face, frustrated with no one besides myself. “Where are we?”
“Black Stone. Not too far away,” He winked, “Feel free to come back anytime.”
“I’ll think about it,” I tried to give him a smile but I was still trying to process everything with a pounding headache.
A taxi was waiting outside the packhouse, thankfully.
“Well, thanks for everything.” I handed him my coffee mug, and he pulled me in for a hug.
“Anytime, Rachel. Taxi is paid for.” He opened the door for me.
I laid my head back reeling from last night and this morning.
I dragged myself to my apartment at the packhouse and drank more water than I had in my life before slumping into bed.
When I woke up I felt a lot better, besides a deep feeling of embarrassment but I couldn’t place. I got ready and reluctantly linked Caspien, asking if I could talk to him and his mate. He told me he would meet me in his office, and I headed out, wanting to get this behind me.
I took the pack elevator, having to get clearance from his secretary before I was allowed up, then I had to pass his security and another secretary before being allowed into the hallway of his office.
It was so strange, I was used to using his private elevator that opened right to the other side of the floor. I felt like such an outsider, a regular pack member, which I guess was.
I held my head high as I walked up to his door of his office. It was ajar, and he sounded pissed. Maybe this wasn’t a good time.
“How the hell did Alpha Jasper tell about Emmett being a blessed wolf?” He growled, the walls of his office shook, and my stomach tightened with fear. I had never heard him so angry.
“No one outside of us knew, and we just found out. Would your parents?” I heard Holden ask.
“Why the hell would they?” Caspien shot back, “Black Stone hates my dad and the feeling is mutual, and Willa’s parents wouldn’t have ties with them unless they let something slip.”
“Not that I know of.” Her voice was hard but cracked a bit, “They haven’t even told anyone from our pack where I am now; I doubt they would call everyone they knew about Emmett.” I heard a voice that must belong to his mate, to Willa.
“So then how the fuck did they find out? I want every piece of footage from this packhouse scoured. No one is leaving until we find out who is spying on us. We definitely have a mole, its the only option.”
Black Stone. Caden. Shit.
I felt nauseous and it wasn’t from the hangover anymore. My head felt flushed, and a cold sweat prickled across my body. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes before pushing the door open.
“Um, that might have been my fault, actually.” I said looking at my feet.
When I looked up five pairs of eyes turned to me, and Caspien’s went pitch black. Anger rolled off of him, all directed towards me.
(Willa)
Our parents let us sleep in, and it was almost noon when I managed to peel myself from Caspien’s warm embrace. Sleep still clouded my mind, but I felt better than I had in weeks. This all felt so normal, and I was craving normal.
Our parents were all there with us at his place; he had more than enough space for us all. I didn’t have to try to impress them. I didn’t feel on edge. I could breathe with his parents, and they got along so well with mine despite their vastly different upbringings. Caspien stiffened for a second where he was sitting next to me on the couch before leaning down to whisper in my ear, “Rachel wants to meet with us,”
I sighed. I didn’t want to deal with whatever it was she was going to say, but I wanted to put her behind us for good.
“Me too?” I had to make sure I was hearing him right, “Did she actually ask to meet with me?” I didn’t want to be dragged along if she only wanted to talk to him.
“Yes,” he kissed the side of my cheek and pulled me up, excusing us.
He wrapped his arms around me as we stood behind his desk, waiting. The phone rang, and Caspien grabbed it, frowning.
“Alpha Dracos,” He pushed a button to put it on speaker.
“Ah, hello, Alpha Dracos. This is Alpha Jasper.” Caspien tensed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.