Chapter 12: Lance

"Really, Lance? Re-fucking-ly? Aaargh..."

I buried my face in my pillow and tried to calm my racing heart. Chiara had just been here.

In my room.

With me.

Alone.

My mate had just been here, and all I could muster was a poor joke that wasn't even funny. It had sent her away, scurrying like I was the plague-walking. Damn it. I sometimes hate myself so much.

Or more like always.

Groaning against my pillow again, I recalled our conversation. I dissected it like a fucking mortician in loved with his cadaver. Because, let's be honest, I totally killed it—in a bad way.

First observation: Chiara was used to being dragged around. That information made my wolf growl in anger, and my mind immediately summoned the image of Adrian manhandling my mate. I gripped the sheets and willed my anger to simmer. It wasn't like I could just march back to the mansion and fight the Pack Alpha for Chiara's honor. It would only end with us both dead. I could worry about and protect her in a way that wouldn't endanger us.

This brought me to my second observation: Chiara came to me willingly. The wound from the branding iron wasn't honestly that bad. It hurt that much, which was true, but I've had worse. Still, seeing my mate worried enough about me to the point that she would actively and voluntarily seek me out? It sent me to cloud nine. My room was still filled with the smell of roses. I hadn't even touched the chair and supplies she used, just to preserve her scent. It was intoxicating, and I couldn't get enough of it.

But that only led me to my last observation: while it was... vaguely clear that she cared about me, why wasn't her wolf reacting to our mate bond? We were fated. She should be able to feel the connection by now. And yet Chiara still appeared to be oblivious to it.

Did her concern come from the relationship we've built in the short time we've been together? I highly doubted it. I'd like to believe we were on friendly terms right now, but I didn't see it as something that could cause this much reaction.

So, what the hell would have happened if it hadn't been for those things?

I closed my eyes and let my body relax in my bed. My mind was riddled with questions, but those could wait. Tonight, I'd simply savor what had happened and hope for the best.

***

Unfortunately, hoping for the best didn't work.

At the crack of dawn, Adrian had, in his words, fucking "summoned" me into his office. Connor came banging at my door, demanding my presence immediately and to follow him to his boss' room. I was tempted to tell the pup to just fuck off and deal with it, but Connor was persistent.

I was standing before the Pack Alpha's office door, more than an hour since he called for me, and still waiting. I was sure this was a power-play-kinda thing, like how the big bad boss got off messing with their henchmen.

I had to give it to Adrian because he was seriously pissing me off right now. The only small ray of sunshine in this otherwise bleak situation was seeing Connor beside me suffering as well. I guess being the Pack Alpha's first cousin meant jackshit.

"Any idea when the boss will finally grace us with his presence?" I nudged Connor, who was close to dozing off.

He jolted awake and frowned. "The Pack Alpha will see us when he wants to."

"Come ooon. That's a pretty shitty point of view. You're fine with someone wasting your time?"

"Adrian isn't wasting our time," Connor snapped, and then he shrugged, looking away from me. "He's probably just busy. Right. He's just busy."

I scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that since you're just such a good puppy, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry. I'm what? What?"

The door suddenly opened, revealing a man clad in a black suit. Someone likely important, though I couldn't care less to know. He jerked his head, motioning for us to get inside. As we entered the room, he closed the door after us. Adrian was sitting behind a large oak desk, a glass of bourbon already in his hand.

"Ah, Lance. Welcome again to the Galway Pack," Adrian drawled while swirling the bronze liquid.

The fucker had the audacity to look surprised to see us.

"What do you need," I asked, then in a voice filled with fake sweetness, I added, "Pack Alpha."

The smile Adrian gave me was all bare teeth. "Hm, straight to the point. I like that."

He stood up and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling windows covering most of the walls of his office. We were high enough to see a bird's eye view of the whole compound. Below us, the low-ranked shifters towed away their days like clockwork machines, never stopping, never resting.

"My wife is going to social luncheon in Hoult. The city's governess has personally invited her," Adrian began explaining. "I normally won't allow her to go, but I need Hoult's support. They hold significant influence over all the imports and exports going through the surrounding cities."

He wouldn't 'allow' Chiara to go... as if she even needed his permission to do whatever she wanted.

Adrian's back was turned on us, and my wolf growled within me, urging me to show how careless and bad Adrian's decision was. Against all the blistering rage, I told him to shut the hell up.

"I want you to escort her," Adrian continued. "After all, I did assign you as her personal bodyguard. I expect you to be in your best behavior."

Adrian's request showed me that he knew nothing of Chiara's unexpected night trip to my room. He wouldn't be asking me to spend more time with her if he did. I was almost disappointed that he didn't know since it would've been thrilling to rub that his supposed wife was seeking me in his face.

He finally looked back at us again. I grinned at him and shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Why not? Although I thought you're going to ask me for... something else."

"Hmm, about that," Adrian's eyes flicked to Connor. "I'll talk to you soon, but some things are still a work in progress."

I observed the Pack Alpha, deep blue eyes holding no hints, and an impassive face. An answer that was purposely vague.

Connor knew nothing, then, and he wasn't someone Adrian wanted in on the fun stuff.

I could use this information later.

I cracked my neck from side to side and rolled my shoulders, trying to look relaxed. "Is that all?"

Adrian's eyes twitched, which just made me grin wider. He sighed and waved his hand to dismiss us. "Connor will be accompanying you. Go."

I was more than happy to leave that dreary office.

Connor walked alongside me, his preppy energy back in full force. He was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Is it your first time going out? Calm the fuck down." I shook my head at the puppy, but he just ignored my pissy mood.

"What? You've been to Hoult? Have you? Have you?"

"You mean you haven't?"

"No!"

That explained the excitement.

"It's a boring city."

"They said they have trees for skyscrapers."

"Not exactly trees..."

"They even said they have floating gardens."

"Where the hell are you even getting your information?"

I watched Connor run the rest of the way towards Chiara's room. Sighing, I followed after him at a much slower pace. It seemed our day was actually just starting.

Perhaps... it wasn't still too late to hope for the best.