Shane
We’re on our way.
This better not be a lie, Duke.
She said her name was Adea. Do you know her, Alpha?
What does she look like?
She’s short, has long brown hair, and brown eyes. Is this who you’ve been looking for?
I won’t know until I see her. Bring her to me.
Yes, Alpha.
And Duke?
Yes, sir?
Untouched. I need to confirm if it’s her.
At this point, I’m hopeful as fuck that it’s her. If it isn’t, the bitch who used her name will wish for a quick death. Today is not the day to test me. I don’t like fruit to be dangled in front of me just to find out it’s a fucking rock. If it isn’t her, I’ll throw her to the dogs and watch as they tear her apart. If it is her…. Fuck. I’m already hard.
The sound of the little clock on my desk tick-ticking fills the room. The only other sound is my slow and forced steady breathing. Wheeling around, I face my back to the door and look up at the sword placed above the fireplace.
My left leg is the only telltale sign of my nervousness as it bounces up and down. It’s as if the world refuses to continue as I wait for their arrival. My mind and heart are at war with each other.
My mind screams that if it is her, we might be surrounded by Desert Moon without even knowing. My heart bleeds at the thought of it being her. If she’s finally come back to me, I’m going to link Devin and call it a day.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to stay behind this desk knowing she’s home. Images of all the things I want to do with her flit through my mind. I want to walk around the pack with her, take her through the forest she always ran through, and have dinner with her at the table. I want to show her off to the pack, give her her rightful place by my side, and take her to bed.
We’re in the packhouse. Where can we find you, Alpha?
My office.
In the blink of an eye, there are footsteps down the hall. My nails dig into the armrest of my chair. The sound of footsteps died out on the other side of the door and I hold my breath when the door finally swings open.
I make out the sound of slow cautious steps of three people as they make their way into my office. I give her time to look around the room and myself time to steady the beat of my heart.
I needed to see her. When I can’t wait any longer, I swiveled around in my chair. As I stopped, my eyes landed on her. The air is stolen out of the room and I forget I need it to breathe.
I can’t stop staring at her, I refuse to blink, afraid she’ll be gone when I open my eyes. It’s her, really her. My Adea is home, on my territory, and in my office. I’ve waited so long for this moment that I can hardly believe it’s real.
***
Adea
Less than twenty-four hours after the meeting at the Alpha’s table and I had somehow managed to leave Desert Moon pack, enter Half Moon, and stand in front of Shane. How did I get here? For a moment, Shane didn’t move, his gaze slowly trailed down my last-minute wardrobe ensemble. It was as if we were the only ones in the room. The two rogues were long forgotten.
Shane wasn’t wearing the same thing as yesterday. Today he was dressed comfortably. A tight-fitted black t-shirt sculpted his body showing off his arms. His hair was free of gel and his wavy hair was close to curly as it fell around his face.
Something flickered in his eyes, not recognition but acceptance. As if he only just realized I was real. He was on his feet, his chair slid back and collided with the fireplace behind him. Standing, he was wearing dark gray sweatpants. He leaned forward, his muscular arms flexing as he put his hands on the desk in front of him.
“Come,” he demanded.
I blinked twice as I registered his command. Painfully, I swallowed the lump in my throat as I blinked back at the man I’d come here to see. The same man who had made my life difficult, the one who tortured my friend and killed the people who raised me when I was orphaned.
In another life, I could have felt happy to see him. In an alternate reality, he could have symbolized home. But this wasn’t an alternate reality, this was reality. In front of me stood the man that frequented my nightmares.
His gaze bore into my own and I knew what he wanted. Goddess, I knew. I didn’t have to ask, I didn’t have to wonder. After the last year, you think things would have changed but no.
Shane stared at me, daring me to resist. This was a test, had to be. One to see if I’d come back willingly. If I wanted to crawl back to him as his loyal pet. He was feeling me out and I felt the familiar pull to obey.
Noting my hesitation, his eyes flashed with what I would call excitement. Of course, he was excited by my perceived show of disobedience. This would only give him the opportunity to educate me and put me in my place.
But I refuse. I was no longer that girl that fell to her knees for him. No, he would have to force me to my knees. I was not going to make this easy for him. I wouldn’t bow down to him today. I fought the urge to obey and kept both of my feet planted firmly on the ground. Shane never liked it easy and I wasn’t going to start now.