“Ms. Palmer. I see you’re awake.”
Jackson quickly walked over to Taya and looked her up and down.
He’d returned to the suite earlier today to check on her, but she was sound asleep and he didn’t want to wake her.
Instead, he’d quictly left the room-even though he was pretty sure that a herd of wild horses couldn’t wake her. He’d gone into the the Sterling pack’s Arcadia offices for a few meetings and then went back to check on her.
To find that she was still sleeping.
Part of him had wanted to wake her the second time to make sure she was okay, but the other part of him was irritated that he even cared, that his wolf was driving at him to keep checking on her.
Now, he’d returned for a third time. Seeing that she had finally woken up, he couldn’t help but feel relief. He had never seen someone who could sleep so soundly.
Wolf shifters didn’t do that. They were too attuned to their surroundings, their hearing too keen, their sense of self-preservation too deep.
Jackson stood there staring at Taya, his wolf a bit on edge as he examined her for anything amiss. He narrowed his eyes on her.
She looked pale and tired, too thin, but otherwise fine.
Taya swallowed and nodded, and Jackson saw the muscle in her jaw tick. She was annoyed with him, wanted to get away. He could sense that she was antsy.
“Thank you for letting me stay here for the night. I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”
She started to walk toward the elevator and escape him when Jackson remembered what Eric had done. He reached a hand out to grab her elbow and stopped her.
Taya’s eyes widened and she looked down at his hand. He quickly let go of her, not meaning to frighten her.
“Before you rush off, I have something to tell you,” he said.
“Yes?” she said tentatively.
“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? We can talk while eating. My treat.”
Taya’s expression hardened, and Jackson couldn’t read her eyes. Da mmit, he wished she were a wolf.
He’d be able to command her to have dinner with him.
“There’s no need, Alpha Sterling. We can talk right here.”
Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a low, frustrated growl before he took out his phone. He showed Taya the photo Eric had taken.
“Eric…the doctor who came last night. He took a picture of us and sent it to a few people. Unfortunately, someone in the group took it upon themselves to share it with others, and now it’s everywhere on social media.”
I glanced at the photo.
Jackson was standing next to the bed and looking at me. It didn’t look like a big deal to me at all. I was fully clothed, and so was he.
“I’m sure you’re able to have it dealt with,” I said with a slight shrug.
For an Alpha of his power and wealth, I’m sure it wouldn’t be difficult for him to have something like this removed from whatever social media sites it was on. And even any blogs or gossip sites it might have reached.
“I’ve already dealt with it. No one else will spread it.”
“That’s good.”
I turned to leave, but Jackson stopped me again.
“Let me take you to dinner. Consider it my apology for Eric’s disrespect.”
I shook my head. “No, thank you. I need to go to the office.”
“I’ve already taken care of that. When I saw that you weren’t awake this morning, I called Ms. Thorin and let her know you wouldn’t be in today.”
I was stunned for a moment. I didn’t know whether to be angry at his overreach and pleasantly surprised by his thoughtfulness. Lila must have messaged before Jackson had called her.
Narrowing my eyes, I stared at him. He’d been very clear five years ago that he didn’t want to see me again. After all, what could be more clear than trying to ki ll someone?
So why was he helping me now?
He’d now asked more than once for me to have dinner with him. And if he was still anything like the man I remembered from years ago, he wouldn’t give up until I said yes. His stubborn streak was a mile wide-which probably made him a good Alpha in some ways, when it came to standing up for his pack.
Letting out a sigh, I nodded.
At this point, I was too curious to not go.
As soon as we exited the elevator in the lobby, we bumped into Griffon.
He wore a black suit, which matched the look on his face.
The moment he saw us, his dark glower turned into indifference.
When my eyes met his, I felt the blood drain out of my face.
I immediately lowered my head and looked at the ground, panicked. I dared not raise my head to look at him again.
Subconsciously, I hid behind Jackson’s body, which was much larger than mine.
Please, please, please don’t let either of them say anything, I prayed to the goddess.
Jackson stretched out his hand. “Alpha Knight.”
Cr ap.
Looked like the goddess wasn’t on my side right now.
I peeked around Jackson. To anyone else, Griffon looked flat and emotionless, ever the stoic Alpha.
But I knew better.
His eyes had that steely glint they got when he was trying to hide his wolf. That hint of silver.
Griffon glanced down at Jackson’s hand and didn’t make a move to extend his own, instead just raising an eyebrow and looking down to Jackson’s hand and then back up to Jackson’s face.
He didn’t say a word.
Jackson took it in stride and simply shrugged and lowered his hand. I’m guessing he’d heard plenty about Griffon’s coldness. Frankly, I was surprised Jackson had even attempted to shake his hand, given Griffon’s arro gant reputation.
Griffon looked beyond Jackson-to me.
“Ms. Palmer.”
Once Griffon addressed me, I couldn’t continue to hide behind Jackson. Especially since I’d noticed that other pack leaders were milling about the lobby.
I greeted Griffon respectfully. “Hello, Alpha Knight.”
Griffon turned his body slightly toward me and looked me up and down.
“You’re really something, aren’t you?”
He pushed past me and walked into the elevator.
Clearly, he’d misunderstood what he thought he was seeing. But I didn’t need to explain myself. We were over, and Griffon didn’t want me anymore. Nothing I did was his business.
Jackson raised an eyebrow and looked down at me, seeing as he was over a foot taller than me.
“Well, Alpha Knight doesn’t seem very friendly to you. You and him…” He didn’t finish his thought, but I knew what he meant, and I wasn’t going to sugarcoat my answer.
“Everyone in this circle knows that I’m a pro stitute.”
Jackson didn’t expect Taya to be so straightforward, and he was a little shocked by her answer.
However, after the photo of Taya and him made the rounds, several higher-level wolves from different packs in Arcadia sent him messages saying that she was Roman’s woman.
Even in Wolverly Capital, Jackson had heard of Roman’s anties. He knew Roman was ruthless with women-human and she-wolf alike. Any woman who was willing to be involved with him were doing it for his money.
And since Taya had been tied to Roman…
It seemed that the orphanage director hadn’t lied. She really did just want to marry into a wealthy family.
No wonder she disappeared five years ago when she hadn’t been able to fo ol him, deciding to move on to her next target.
But he’d never expected Taya to actually admit to what she was doing.
He hadn’t met a woman who was so brazen about her actions.