Nicolas POV
“Enter,” I yelled in frustration as the next round of urgent knocks occurred.
I cannot put this off any longer.
When the door opened and I saw who was standing outside, my mood plummeted to my shoes.
“F*ck!” I cursed under my breath.
There was trouble coming on the horizon.
“Nikkie!” I became frozen, hearing the familiar high-pitched voice that set off alarm bells in my ears.
The smallest she-wolf I have ever laid eyes on entered the office. Her red lips were painted with a broad smile, expressing her immense happiness at seeing me.
My heart skipped a beat when I got a glimpse of her large, gentle baby blue eyes-they were so vibrant and happy.
“I cannot believe this is happening,” I whispered to myself. “She can’t be back. I must be dreaming!”
I stared in disbelief as the tiny 5’0 foot girl took another step closer.
She has changed a lot.
Her once short dark chocolate brown hair was now longer and fell past her shoulders and hung down to her slender waist. She still had her button nose and her cheeks’ natural rosy glow.
Unwillingly, my eyes fell on her enormous breasts-they were bigger-much, much bigger!
“Terra?” The girl, who was now a woman, grabbed me by the neck, brought me down to her level, and pressed her lips to mine while I muttered her name under my breath.
“Yes, silly,” she proudly announced, happy that I recognized her. Her hardened nipples brushed against my chest. “Have you missed me? I certainly did miss you.”
I felt queasy all of a sudden and did not know what to say.
“Don’t be rude,” Ray warned. “It is not her fault.”
“I know,” I stopped Ray.
I was not in the mood for a lecture. I had to know why she had returned out of the blue. She was not welcome here.
I had known Terra since we were young, but it was not a pleasant experience.
The year she turned fifteen, her parents were killed in a rogue attack, and she moved in with her aunt. Since then, I have not seen her.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, gently pushing her away. Her sickening sweet perfume was adding to my nausea.
“I came to surprise you,” she said, tapping my chest with her red-painted index finger. She licked her lips sensually, swept her long, chocolate-colored hair over her tiny shoulders, and looked directly into my eyes. “Your father predicted that you would be working in your office! He said you would be happy to see me.”
I felt a shiver go down my spine when I realized the opposite was true.
Was I still the object of her obsession?
“My father?” I asked, attempting to remain calm.
Ronan shot to his feet and lunged for the door.
“Yes,” Terra answered, placing her handbag on my desk. “He informed me that you are up for grabs at the fundraiser, and I am hoping we can work out a deal before I have to compete with other people to win your hand.”
“Did he call you?” I asked.
Ronan gripped the door handle and froze.
“No,” she replied, glancing over her shoulder. “It was Beta Ronan. I learned about the fundraiser from him.”
That immediately took the wind out of my sails, and I turned to face Ronan.
He looked like a deer caught in headlights, and it ignited my anger inside me.
“Tell me she is lying!” I let out a roar over the mind-link.
Ronan turned to face me slowly.
“In theory, she is not lying,” he curtly shot back, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. “But allow me to clarify.”
“You better do, Beta,” I ordered. “If not, I will take away your rank.”
With a nod, Ronan went back to his seat, and I turned back to Terra.
“Thank you so much for stopping by, Terra,” I said, trying not to let on how angry I was. “However, I have an urgent meeting with Beta Ronan right now, and I cannot waste any more time.”
“Oh,” Terra said, turning to face Ronan. “I believed Beta Ronan was heading out.”
“No,” I replied, taking her purse off my desk and giving it to her.
Terra drew back her face in frustration.
“She seems upset,” Ray said. “Perhaps take her out to lunch.”
“That will not occur!” I hissed as I opened the office door and gestured for her to leave.
“So, are you throwing me out? I just got here!” She gave an enraged hiss. “And that after spending two days traveling to get here?”
“Sorry,” I shrugged. “I need to take care of some pressing packing business. Now, if you would excuse us, I have a lot to do.”
Terra clenched her fist and charged at me. She had the appearance of a woman on the rampage.
She stopped abruptly and turned back to face me.
“How about lunch this afternoon?” She attempted once more, tracing her index finger across my chest. “I will ensure that it is worth your time! Perhaps later on, we could have dessert in my room.”
“She is flirting with you,” Ray said, laughing, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
“I have too much work to do,” I said, making an excuse.
“You must eat at some point,” she stated.
Terra raised her head and met my eyes.
Was she attempting to intimidate me, or was she attempting to seduce me?
“She has guts!” Ray mused. He was enjoying the stare-down and could sense the heated emotions that were building up.
Oh Goddess, please assist me right now!
“No, thank you!” I said, indicating for her to go.
She let out a furious hiss.
“I will let your father know that you did not comply,” she uttered. “He will be upset and want to speak with you.”
“You are free to do so,” I said, maintaining my cool. “However, I am Alpha, not him. My life is no longer in his hands.”
Terra screamed like a crazy bitch, stumped her feet on the ground, hissed in frustration, and bolted out the door.
“I suppose she was not expecting that kind of response?” Ray commented.
“Not at all!” I snickered. I am not going to allow Terra to control me. I am not interested in her.”
With a sigh, I crossed my arms over my waist and peered out the office doorway into the hallway.
Terra was almost at the elevator. She abruptly stopped, pressing the call button with fury. When the elevator took too long to open and admit her, she hissed in annoyance.
Terra looked up and saw me staring at her and her red lips turned into a menacing smile.
“Alpha Dalton, this is not the last time you will see or hear from me!” She sneered in anger. “I will be your mate the next time you see me!”
“She does not know when to give up, does she?” Ray remarked, growing irritated.
“You don’t know half of it!” I replied.
When Terra eventually entered the elevator and the doors closed behind her, I let out a breath of relief.
“Lisa,” I called to my secretary, and the young woman looked at me. She appeared somewhat perplexed. She was unaccustomed to wolves howling at me in the hallway as they left my office.
“Yes, Alpha?” In response, she looked from me to the elevator for a split second.
“Make sure I do not have any unexpected guests again,” I gave the order. “I do not care if my father arranges the meeting. I am not interested in having them.”
“Alright, Alpha,” Lisa answered.
“How about Zara?” Ray asked.
“What about her?” I replied, confused.
“What happens if she stops by to visit you?” He asked.
“I do not think she will ever come here by herself,” I answered.
Ray shot me a frustrated look. “Are you certain of that? Zara’s behavior is not predictable. She can change her mind as quickly as we can shift.”
Ray made a valid point.
I let out a sigh and returned my focus to Lisa.
“Luna Zara Silverwood is the one exception to the rule,” I stated. “She is free to come and go as she wants. She does not require an appointment.”
Upon my return, I found Ronan still seated in the office. I closed the door behind me and headed to my desk.
I was now boiling inside. Why did Ronan do this to me?
Doesn’t he recall her previous activities before she went to live with her aunt?
“Can you imagine the consequences when Zara finds out about this?” I let out a roar, clenching my fists, my veins bursting with rage and frustration. “Explain! Right now!”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about Zara,” Ray commented. “She will have that little girl for breakfast. She cannot compete with her.”
“Your father gave me a list of packs to call,” Ronan started.
“And???” I snarled as I could feel my hands turning into claws. I was furious, and Ronan would have been extremely fortunate to survive today.
“He ordered me to call Terra,” he continued. “He provided me with her phone number. He stated she is an old friend of yours and…!”
“Seriously!” I lashed out in anger. “Terra was the girl who would always follow me around when we were younger. She is the one who took pictures of me and strained my relationships with all of my friends, even my closest ones!”
“Is she the stalker you used to have?” Alarmed, Ronan inquired. “The girl who left love letters and her underwear in your locker…”
“Yes!” I threw my hands up in the air and hissed. “She is exactly that girl!”
Ronan’s eyes widened as he started to comprehend. I guess he was thinking back to a specific night.
“I am sorry, Nicolas.” He stuttered nervously. “I had no idea that it was her. Your dad provided her phone number. I didn’t have a choice. I was ord-”
“Stop!” I growled and ran my hands through my hair.
This was a conscious move on my father’s part, who used Ronan to carry out his dirty work. He also knows that with Terra around, there is no way I could sneak around and see Zara.
Now all I need to do is figure out a way to outsmart them.
****