*Grayson*
Hell no.
“Forget it,” I said flatly, rising to my feet. I moved towards the side of the table so I could leave the room but she immediately jumped to her feet to stop me from walking out. I paused, her raised hands just a hair’s width away from making contact with my chest. I dropped my gaze down to her hands and then back up to meet her eyes. She tentatively lowered it, taking a step back to put some distance between us.
The air crackled.
Her eyebrows lifted. “Just hear me out,” She said calmly. “Please.” I laced my arms across my chest, spreading my legs apart and signaling that she could go on. She mumurred her thanks and pushed her hair behind her ears, taking a deep breath. At least she didn’t seem all that surprised by my reaction. It was a good thing she had known better than to think I would easily agree with her suggestion. Aside from the fact that it was going to cost a whole lot of money getting the cameras, there was no way I would ever be comfortable having her monitor the Pack like that.
It was too much of an invasion.
“Grayson,” She started, stopping instantly when she realized she had called me by my name. I didn’t think it was the first time it had happened but she didn’t so rarely that it was always a big deal whenever it happened. She slanted her gaze sideways, wetting her lower lip with her tongue. All the muscles in my body tightened in response, my eyes following her movement like I was suddenly under some kind of spell. “I’m not going to lie to you, we’re not exactly going anywhere with the tests-”
That caught my attention.
“Why?” I asked, cutting in. I walked closer to the desk, half sitting on it and folding my arms again. I noted the movement at her throat, the way her lips thinned, the way she fisted and unfisted her hands loosely. She didn’t have an answer to my question, I could tell. I had the guess that she was as bothered about it as I was. It should have calmed me down but if anything it only made me more stressed about the entire situation.
Did Trevor really choose the best person for the job?
Or had he let his dick get the better of him?
I ran my gaze down Keera’s body, a little distracted by my thoughts. Even while she was wearing fitted leggings and an oversized shirt, she looked hot enough to confuse any man she wanted to. “Please stop,” She warned quietly, her plea reflected in her eyes. Our gazes crashed, the both of us acknowledging the fact that things could easily take an entirely different turn if we let it. “You asked why we haven’t really gone anywhere with the tests,” She reminded me.
I motioned for her to continue.
She blew out a frustrated breath, smoothing her forehead with her fingers. “I think the victims. . .” She faltered at the stormy look on my face. Those ‘victims’ had been people with dreams and families and friends who loved them. It might not matter to her and the rest of her team but it mattered a whole lot to me and my pack. “I think they were injected with something that’s not exactly known to us humans,” She explained.
Not known to them?
I released a heavy breath, going back to take my seat. She mirrored my movement, sitting across the desk from me. “Why do you think that?” I asked.
“Well, we tested them for every bacteria known to man and none of them turned up positive,” She bent her head to the side, looking lost in her own thoughts. “We even had Elena give us the ancient book on every other inhuman illness you could guys get affected with, but it didn’t turn out to be that either.” I held back my chuckle from how she’d described the book. She would freak out if she knew just how long that book had lasted. “If we set up cameras around the pack, trust me, it would make things a lot easier.”
The gentle tone of her voice surprised me. It wasn’t everyday Keera spoke convincingly to someone. Did she really think putting cameras around the pack was a good idea? “Can we talk about this some other time?” I questioned. I would need to bring the matter up with the council before a final decision was taken about it. “I’ll get back to you in a day or two.”
She gave me a nod, hurriedly pushing her chair back with her legs and getting to her feet. It took everything I had in me to not chase after her as she fled the room. My hands were curled fists by the time she’d closed my office door behind her. I sucked in a fortifying breath and released it. She could run but she couldn’t hide. She needed to know that there were other forces driving her emotions now. Greater forces. Forces of the mate bond.
It was only a matter of time before she stopped resisting them and caved completely.
***
“That’s not entirely a bad idea,” Ryan said thoughtfully. We were in the downstairs kitchen, having drinks and talking about quite a lot of things. There was no one else in the house so we didn’t have to worry about being overhead. Ryan lowered his hand, his glass making a clinking sound as it met the marbled island. “Yes, they would have too much knowledge of a lot of people’s routine even after the case was over,” He drawled lazily, “But that would be nothing compared to catching the killer.”
Same thing I’d concluded after thinking about it for the better part of the night.
I pushed myself off the fridge, pulling it open and taking two apples out of it. “We still have to take the matter up with the rest of them,” I tossed one to him and he easily caught it. “Though I’m positive we could get them to agree to it.” I took a bite of the fruit, thinking as I ate. “It had seemed like such a bad idea when Keera mentioned it.” Ryan raised an eyebrow at me. “Funny how taking the time to think things over gives you a different perspective.”
He went quiet, simply studying me. I was about to ask what he was thinking when I heard his next words. “Seems you and Keera have been getting along these past few days.” The curiosity in his voice was as clear as day. I took the last bite of apple, deciding that today was as good as any other day. Hell, I wasn’t even sure why I’d kept it from him so long. I’d just been too occupied with everything going on in the pack, it hadn’t seemed like a big deal at the time.
Especially since I already knew from the start that nothing could ever work between us.
“Keera’s my mate.” I deadpanned. Ryan jerked back in shock, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. The apple in his mouth fell off with how much he’d widened them. His reaction made me think I should have been a little more subtle with my declaration instead of being so blunt. He bent at the waist to pick the fruit up and then trashed it before fixing his attention back on me. His mouth opened and reclosed repeatedly as he struggled to find the right words.
“You’re joking,” He finally said flatly. I arched an eyebrow at him. Did I look or sound like I was playing around? His eyes widened again, surprise taking over his expression. “Dear goddess, you’re serious.” He mumurred beneath his breath, watching me closely. I gave him a second to take the information in, pouring myself a glass of cold water. He extended a hand for one so I handed it over to him. “Let me guess,” He said after placing the empty cup on the counter, “I’m the only one who knows about this.”
“You are,” I confirmed. “And I’d like for it to stay that way.” I added, shooting him a knowing look. He knew I was trying to tell him to not say a word to Ginny or anyone else. He gave me a small salute in return, but the confusion remained on his face. I huffed out a breath. “I found out when I went over to have a meeting with the team. It was the first time I was seeing her again in six years,” I explained, running my finger around the rim of a small basket in the kitchen.
I waited for him to do the math and reach the same conclusion I had. I hadn’t known Keera was my mate in the past because she hadn’t been twenty one yet. It seemed like ages ago now since my wolf hadlicked up the scent of his mate and gone crazy. Lavendar and lemon. I’d realized later after I’d gotten my bearings it was exactly what she smelled like. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Ryan asked. As if he suddenly realized why I might have chosen to remain silent about it, he added, “To me?”
His mouth pressed into a firm line and frowned, his eyebrows forming a deep V shape. He was hurt. I released a deep breath. “I had never intended to keep it away from you, I swear,” He had to know that. There was no reason for me to hide the truth from him. He was my best friend. “I’d just been too concerned about the pack to bother about a mate I knew I was definitely going to reject when the time came.”
That gave him pause.
His eyes narrowed. “Reject?” He repeated. “Why would you reject her?” He shook his head. “Yes, you and Keera might not like each other or get along, but that does not change the fact that she is your fated mate.” His voice was firm and he gave me a look that made me think he really wished he could shake some sense into me. Did he think I hadn’t already thought it all through?
Over and over again?
I ran my hand down my face. “It’s not just about getting along, Ryan.” My voice was tight and strained. I was already tired of the subject from how much I thought about it. “She’s fucking human!” I almost yelled, containing the urge even though we were the only ones in the room. “You and I both know mating with a human is strictly forbidden.”
Ryan stared at me disappointedly. “You’re really going to let that stop you from being with your fated mate?” He chuckled humorlessly. “To think that I’ve been praying that the goddess brings your fated mate to you and she’s been here with you all along but you single handedly decided to ignore her and treat her like trash!” Trash? Now he was just being extreme. “You know what I think, Grayson?” He didn’t bother waiting for a reply. “I think you should man the hell up and fight for her.” His voice was daring. “If the goddess had given Keera to you as a mate then she’d definitely done it for a reason.”
Yeah, right.
I grinded my jaws, wanting to put an end to the conversation. “You’re forgetting the real problem, Ryan,” I informed him. “The real question should be whether or not Keera is ever going to be willing to leave everything behind, her life and all, just to be with me.” I saw the moment doubt seeped into his expression.
We both knew it was something Keera would never do. She would never agree to get turned and leaving my duties as Alpha was impossible. Not only would I be leaving the pack unprotected till they could find a new leader, I would never truly be able to forgive myself.
The front door opened and Keera’s team arrived back.