Chapter 21

SAMANTHA

~So, this is the notorious Celeste. That explains the obvious animosity being thrown my way.~

~Ugh, of course she’s gorgeous.~

~Don’t let her see that she’s got under your skin…~

I forced a small chuckle. “Oh, yes. It was quite…amusing,” I lied.

“So, you enjoy being a plaything?” Celeste said with a sneer. “How pathetic. I expected more from an alpha.”

“Excuse me?”

Despite my bravado, I winced at the thought of them together.

~He went back to her again and again. There’s obviously something more between them. There has to be.~

~“No”—~Ayisha shook her furry snout—~“he only wants you now.”~

Celeste shrugged a shoulder. “He always comes back to me. This time won’t be any different. I thought I’d do you the favor of warning you.”

In a split second, I was in her face. Ayisha was pounding against my consciousness, itching to tear Celeste’s head off. I could feel my hands morphing into claws as I struggled to maintain control.

~“I’ll kill her!”~ Ayisha roared, flashing visions of her gruesome plans in my mind.

When I finally spoke, my voice was low and deadly:

“From what I gather, ~Celeste,~ you were nothing more than a fling who didn’t have the self-respect to walk away from a man who saw you as nothing more than a good lay.”

“If you fell in love, that’s your problem. He made it clear there would never be anything more.”

Celeste’s smile wavered. “You’ll know exactly how that feels soon enough,” she spat. “And I’ll be there to warm his bed when he’s done with you.”

I paused. She was trying to provoke me. This realization helped both Ayisha and me to calm down a bit.

~I am the alpha of this pack. I submitted my challenger and condemned the woman who wanted to kill my family. I refuse to be disrespected.~

The only way to handle her was to show her that I knew my worth to Emerick.

“Okay, Celeste. I’m sure you’ll enjoy cozying up by the fireplace together as well. Maybe while looking at the picture of his niece on the mantel.

“It’s adorable, isn’t it? We looked at it before we went to bed last night.”

Her face fell, and I knew I had hit a nerve. She had never been invited to his home, let alone spent the night.

~At least in that regard, Emerick had been truthful.~

People had started to gather around us, pointing and whispering, so I kept my voice quiet when I said, “My relationship with Emerick is none of your business. You will back off.

“Come at me again, and you’ll deal with my wolf. The same wolf you watched defeat Gregory the other day.”

I stepped back and saw that Celeste’s lip was trembling. She took in the crowd around us and straightened her shoulders.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Cassie weaving her way through the group.

“Nothing to see here, folks!” she announced, flashing a smile. “Carry on with your business.”

The crowd began to disperse, though I sensed some reluctance.

~Hoping to catch a bit more of the drama, I guess.~

“Are you okay?” Cassie asked quietly as she leaned in.

I nodded, afraid that I might fall apart if I dared speak. She looped her arm through mine and looked at Celeste impassively as if to assert whose side she was on.

Celeste’s face turned such a bright red, I thought her head might explode.

Without another word, Cassie and I turned to leave just as Emerick came storming down the hallway. He took in the scene and made a beeline for his ex.

He began to shout, “I told you—”

I cut him off by stepping in his path. He looked down at me, still fuming.

“Take me home,” I said, loud enough for Celeste to hear.

He looked at me, over at Celeste, then back at me again before nodding. He bent down and gently kissed me before taking my hand. “Let’s grab your bag on the way out.”

I watched as Celeste’s face contorted. She covered her mouth as she rushed down the hallway in the opposite direction.

“And Celeste?” I called after her.

She froze.

“The next time you address me, it will be as ~Alpha~ Paulson. Do I make myself clear?”

She bobbed her head once before making a hasty exit.

I reached for Cassie’s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thank you,” I told her.

She winked at me. “Don’t mention it.”

Her eyes wandered over Emerick, and she pouted her lip. Instead of saying anything, she bowed her head in my direction before quickly taking her leave.

I watched her retreat, wondering what she’d just left unsaid to the man at my side.

Emerick and I grabbed my bag and then headed toward his car. Neither of us said a word until the engine was running and we were pulling onto the main road.

“I’m sorry, Sam,” Emerick said.

I turned to face him. “For which part?”

“All of it.” He put his hand over mine. “That she confronted you with it like that. And that I didn’t realize how I was treating Celeste or that her feelings for me were so strong.

“Mostly, I’m sorry that I wasn’t the man you deserve before we met.”

“There seems to be a lot of it going around,” I said, as much to myself as to Emerick.

He peered at me.

“My father underestimated me and hid a whole part of my existence from me. Emilia was betrayed by Stephen in the most brutal manner. You, whether you realized it or not, used Celeste.”

He was quiet for a beat, then said, “You know, I never really considered what would happen if I found you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, if I had known you were out there, it would have seemed like a gigantic waste of time to pursue any other woman.

“I never imagined I would feel this way about anyone. Now it all feels unbelievably stupid.”

“Well, Em,” I said slowly, searching for the right words, “I honestly don’t know what to say. You’re the first real thing I’ve had since Travis died, and I’ve tried not to feel like a fool all day.

“During Celeste’s little show, I realized she was just doing and saying whatever she thought might come between us.”

I turned toward Emerick and waited till his eyes found mine. “Is this real?”

“Without a doubt, Sam.”

I nodded but still felt the same prickle of doubt. Even though I was sure I didn’t want to end things between us, I didn’t know what it would take to move past it. I imagined it would take some time.

Emerick cleared his throat. “I take it you turned down Alpha Jackson’s proposal?”

I laughed. “Uh, yeah. If you would’ve stayed, you would’ve heard me tell him to shove it.”

He chuckled slightly. “What was in the contract?”

I shrugged. “Oh, you know, just the usual fine print for werewolves, I imagine. His son would assume the alpha role of both packs, Luke would have to forgo any claim to the alpha title, yada yada.”

“That’s bold.”

“Yeah, it is. Especially as theirs is the smallest pack on the continent. It makes me wonder what the others might have planned.”

Emerick stilled. “What do you mean?”

“Stephen and my dad both warned me wolves would come from all over to take advantage.

“Perhaps winning the challenge has made some second guess their strategy, but if Alpha Jackass thinks he has a chance, I wonder what some of the bigger packs are thinking.”

Emerick grinned. “Alpha Jackass, huh?”

I shrugged. “Seems fitting.”

“It does.” He nodded. “What advice did they give you?”

“Dad said to watch my back. And Stephen…” I bit my bottom lip. “Stephen suggested I find a mate.”

“Hmm,” he murmured.

“What?” I asked.

Emerick took a deep breath. “Honestly? If we were having this conversation under different circumstances, I would ask you to be my mate.”

“Em, that’s a lifelong commitment,” I said quietly.

“I’m aware.”

“We barely know each other.”

We pulled into his driveway, and he cut the engine.

When he turned to face me, his expression was deadly serious. “If it would keep me from ever having to listen to another man, or his father, ~propose~ to you, I would cut off my left arm, Sam.”

I rolled my eyes. “Em—”

“No, Sam. How could you even entertain that?”

“I didn’t,” I snapped. “I wanted to know what he was after, so I played along. If you had kept your composure, and I hadn’t been so ~distracted~ afterward, I would’ve told you.”

Emerick stared forward and out the windshield. I could see the muscles in his jaw ticking.

“I’m not going to stand by and watch another man try to take what’s mine,” he said. It almost sounded like he was growling.

“Are you serious?” I squared my shoulders with him. “What do you think happened with Celeste today?”

His eyes burned with fury as he tried to find a response. “Touché,” he finally grumbled.

“I have to be able to do my job,” I said. “I have to be able to keep the pack safe without you standing in my way.”

“Sam, I will always stand in the way to protect you from danger.”

For a few seconds, we sat in silence, listening to the tapping of light rain on the windshield.

“What if the terms had been acceptable?”

I frowned at Emerick, not quite understanding his question.

“What if he had wanted to make you the alpha of both packs?”

Now it was my turn to stare out the window.

That was the million-dollar question.

Although I had been pretty sure Alpha Jackson was trying to take advantage of me, I was somewhat relieved when Emerick left the room while I reviewed the contract.

I had a duty to my people to do what was best for them. Merging the two packs might have been something to consider had it not required that my pack bend to the whim of a weaker leader.

“I don’t know,” I murmured.