47

EASTON
Despite my tough front in her presence on the day I had been so brutally rejected, the following days had been nothing short of hell. There was the denial phase where I just sat around and wallowed in disbelief, refusing to come to terms with the fact that my mate wouldn’t want anything to do with me. I’d done nothing to be deserving of such a fate. Anger had followed, flipping tables and cursing at everything and anything, but really, the main focus of my anger had been Zane because, first and foremost, how dare he?
What right did he have to lay a claim on my mate and, what’s worse, she was nothing more than a slave to him, the woman who was my destined other half. Just the thought of it had me reeling, and it was going to be the final push I needed to wage a war against Zane and everything he stood for. I was more than ready to assemble my men and go to war immediately, but Black had a different idea, one that was as ridiculous as they came, but with a promise of less bloodshed and a reunion with my mate.
I couldn’t keep calm as I paced around the conference hall where I was to meet with Zane’s people. I had gone ahead to agree with the new plan, which involved agreeing to an alliance with the Blood Moon pack as a way of gaining his trust and finding his weak point, sure it would be easier to take him down if I could continue with this act long enough to get him to lower his guard. But did I really have the patience for that when it came to my mate?
The other day when he had come around to brag about his supposed new position, I had, for the slightest amount of time, considered negotiating a price for her, but I hadn’t even found the right phrasing for such demeaning words at my mate before he went ahead to lay out his threats and plainly asked me to stay away from his priceless slave, who was also his mate, but I guessed he hasn’t counted on me knowing that. That had thrown me into another dilemma, his words were unlike ones any master would use with regard to what was supposed to be a mere slave to them. I wondered if the possessiveness had more to do with them being mates and not just his fragile ego. She was unmarked as far as I know, and I wondered if she was aware of their matebond since she was clueless about ours. That encounter had left me with more questions than answers.
There was virtually nothing I’d craved more for the entirety of my existence than to be with my mate, happy and in love. I’d been playing it safe for far too long, and today she was going to be here. Whatever would come out of today would determine my next line of action.
If she rejects me a second time, then I will be forced to take matters into my own hands, taking what rightfully belongs to me from Zane, who obviously has no regard for her if her remaining a slave in his pack was anything to go by.
“You know… normal people, do think, or ponder….. whatever it is you’re doing right now, without having to destroy a piece of furniture each time, you should try it sometime.” Laycon sasses, effectively pulling me out of my reverie “Now I have to get this replaced before the guests arrive,” he sighs loudly before walking towards the door only to stop for a brief second to give me a deadpan look, “and can you please try not to destroy anything else till I get back.” He says, and I scoff in reply.
“This ain’t right. Does this seem right to you? According to Black, they should have arrived atleast about an hour ago, so what’s keeping them? Do you think Zane had a rethink and decided to cancel the whole thing? No… he wouldn’t want to do something so stupid, he needs me, he needs everything I can offer. Being the right hand of the Alpha king isn’t all there is to power. He fucking needs me,” I rambled under my breath, resuming my nervous pacing.
“I swear by the Moon Goddess, if he tries anything stupid or dares to break the truce, I will lead my men right to his door and we won’t leave until that godforsaken pack is up in flames and with Eleanor by my side,” I growl, fist balled at my sides.
“Easy there, tiger, I doubt Zane would have a reason to change his mind so suddenly. Besides, if there were a change in plans, I’m sure we would have been informed immediately and, given that there has been no such news, I’m certain there is no reason to be panicked. The truce is still in place.” Laycon assures with a nod and I roll my eyes.
“I’m not ‘panicked’, I just don’t understand why they’re being so long.” I all but grumbled and he shrugged this time.
“Well, it’s a fair distance, and you know how those roads are,” he answers, still so oddly calm as he closes the distance between us, holding my gaze as he says his next words, “Be so serious right now, Easton. You’re acting like a new bride. Are you that excited about seeing her?” He asked and I nodded, seriously.
“Yes.”
He groaned, and I could tell he would facepalm right in front of me if he could, “Good gracious Goddess, Easton, she rejected you without batting an eyelid just a while ago, yet here you are waiting on your toes for her, have some self-respect, would you?” Laycon says, his words were light-hearted, but I still felt my brows furrow as I replied, jaw tight.
“It’s different this time. I can feel it.”
“Different!? How!? What exactly do you mean by ‘different’, because I sure as hell do not see any part of this ending any better than it did the last time. All I see is a crazy Alpha, stubbornly in love with a she-wolf who seemingly wants nothing to do with him. You’re intentionally refusing to let it sink, that’s what I think.”
“Well, you’re wrong. It’s different, because this time, I won’t give her a chance to reject me like before. I will make sure today ends on a good note for both of us and that would only happen if she accepts me. I just need to speak to her, you’ll see.” I answered with a determined smile on my face. Laycon, on the other hand, remained unimpressed.
“Can’t you just reject her? Let it go this time. I’m sure your next mate won’t be such a pain in the ass,” Laycon suggested, and a low growl bubbles in my chest, not liking his words or his stance in this matter. It wasn’t that easy to just let a mate go. I had only just found my mate after a lifetime of waiting, and I wasn’t just going to let her slip away. He says ‘next mate’ like it was just a random person you pick off the streets and not the actual universe aligning to give you one that is yours and should forever be. It was both inconsiderate and insensitive of him.
“I expected better from you, Laycon,” I said, letting my disappointment show. “If it were that easy to find a mate, you wouldn’t have had to watch me fruitlessly seek mine thus far. I’m not letting her go. I won’t.” I finalized, and he took a step back, head bowing in a manner that suggested he’d dropped the argument.
“I will go see that the furniture is replaced before your guests arr-”
“She is here!” I exclaimed loudly, cutting Laycon off as he paused to raise his brows at me as I sniffed the air excitedly, a broad smile stretching my features, “She is here, oh Goddess, she’s actually here. Okay, wait. What now, what do we do next? Do I go out now? Yeah I should, it’d be rude not to, obviously, they’re here to see me.” I rambled on, feeling my palms grow clammy as my excitement had my heart beating impossibly faster. She was here, right now, for the first time, in my home, where she should rightfully be and the thought of it was almost making my feet bounce in elation. There was suddenly a hand on my chest, belonging to my Beta, and I gave him a wide-eyed look.
“Calm down and try and compose yourself, Goddess, you’re acting a mess. I will go usher them in,” Laycon offers, and immediately turns around, kicking the broken side stool under a table. He stops in front of the door once again to spare me a glance, “When I said compose yourself, I meant it. You don’t want your mate seeing you act like an overexcited spoiled brat, she already saw you as weak, you don’t want to further confirm her suspicions.” Laycon says seriously and with that, he walks out and shuts the door with a loud bang.
As much as I hated to admit it, I knew he was right. The reason Eleanor had spared me on the day of our encounter for rejecting me was more or less her calling me spineless and weak. I admit I’d been a bit overzealous, and rightfully so, to find my mate, but that looked to terrify her more than anything, not wanting a weakling for a mate after being subjected to Zane’s wicked ways.
If I weren’t careful enough today, she just might end up getting more reasons to not even look my way and I couldn’t have that. I was not going to have a repeat of that day, never again. I had everything under control, obviously, but having a mate and getting to meet her under these circumstances were definitely new to me, and I wasn’t entirely to be blamed for not knowing how to act. It wasn’t like I’d had any practice whatsoever. Sure, my heart was beating wildly due to my currently adrenalized state, but they could hear and misunderstand it for fear or worse, weakness which was pretty distasteful for a supposed Alpha.
I obviously needed to do better at calming down, so I left things over to Scar for a bit and that was the best possible decision as I could feel my heartbeat evening out. He doesn’t take over, but he does enough to hand the reins of control tightly back into my palms. By the time the door is pushed open, I’d been seated on my throne, my pheromones, heavy and thick with authority permeating every surface of the room and I watch as they slowly begin to file in. Only mildly interested, but that was, of course, until my eyes locked on her. Eleanor.
She looked to have changed quite a bit since the last time, though skinnier now, she still radiated that same beauty that deprived my lungs of every bit of air the second I set eyes on her. She still had an effect on me like she did back then, so much so that it felt unfair, but I didn’t care.
I would give myself to her, body and mind without her even asking. That was just how gone I was. Someone started to speak from a corner of the room and there was a whole lot of movement and while I pretended to pay attention, I really couldn’t give a quarter of an entire fuck, too entranced by Eleanor and scanning through my brain for excuses to get her alone.
All the girls laid out in front of me looked stiff and all their movements were in sync, almost animated. I hated that, knowing well just what Zane must have put them through to have them so docile.
I was brought back to reality by Laycon’s panicked cries in my head and that had thankfully done the trick just in time to hear Mark’s last words. And with the help of Laycon’s interpretation, I was able to give an answer after getting out of my seat, practically itching to be closer to my mate who had been made to stand in another line behind the first one. After an annoying back and forth with the Beta, I was finally able to send them all away, along with my sentinels and Laycon.
I mentally heaved a sigh of relief when it was now just us in the room. I could sense her fear, and could almost hear the wheels in her head whirl almost violently. I distractedly wondered why I could sense her emotions when she was close by but was met with radio silence whenever she was far away, almost like she did not exist whenever she was away.
I wanted to feel and know everything when it came to her, her emotions, her excitement, her sadness and her happiness. I want to be able to know what she feels, when she feels it and be able to share in it. I scolded myself, reminding myself how close I now was to her and how I couldn’t mess things up this time. I could hear her heart racing and couldn’t help a satisfied smile. I didn’t care if it was out of fear, anxiety or whatever. Hearing her heartbeat and being so close, I could almost feel her body heat was more than enough for me right now.
I craved so desperately to reach out and feel the soft skin of her cheek in my palm, to tuck the strands of her hair behind her ear and then maybe pull her into a hug to feel her against me, but I knew I would be wrong about that. She would not want or appreciate being touched out of the blue and without permission. If only she knew just how important she was to me, I just needed her to say the word and I would be ready to go against the world for her.
I could be the solid ground she could walk on, I could be the wall she could lean on, her weapon to fight all of her battles. I could be all of that and more if she would just let me. I just needed her to take my hand and leave the rest to me.
Hoping to ease her nerves, I regarded her with a bright smile, speaking in the most tame voice I could muster, “Shall we?” I said, swiftly turning around and starting to lead the way. She followed quietly until we were on the far east side of the pack, a safe place where I knew no one would find us.
I abruptly pull to a halt, not at all expecting the collision as she bumps into my back or the soft groan that follows, but I break into an endearing smile anyway.
“I’m sorry,” she blurts out as I turn to face her, refusing to meet my eyes as she continues, “I’m sorry for bumping into you just now a-and for the humiliating words I said to you back then, I accept my faults, and I’m ready to face whatever punishment you deem appropriate for my crimes and I know I’m in no place to tell you what to do after that, but please, please don’t call off the alliance because of me, I’m so sorry.” she sniffles, bowing her head deeper and I felt my face fall.
“I can take whippings if that would help ease your anger, I’ll take it quietly, and I promise my wolf would heal me fast enough for Beta Mark not to even notic-”
The last of her panicked ramblings are mumbled into my chest before they are cut off by surprise as she was now trapped between my arms, her breath hitching at the suddenness of the action. I knew I had promised to remain in control of my emotions, but her words and hearing her voice laced with tears had my heart squeezing so tightly that I did the first thing I could think of to offer comfort, to her, and myself, no matter how selfish it may sound. I felt both elated at the fact that she was letting me see into a little of her emotions and sad that her thoughts had taken on such a drastic end. I wanted to be there for her, not scare her into believing I held any ill intent or malice toward her.
“Shh!” I cooed as I gently held her head, feeling her chest rise and fall against me, “You’re okay, I didn’t bring you here to hurt you. I’m sorry I even let you think like that. I’m sorry. Let it out, you can cry and let it all out when it’s just us. I’ll be here to hold and protect you through it, I promise.”