Page 35 of Ruthless Reign

"Girl, I don't envy you. I mean, besides being worshipped by multiple men which sounds incredibly hot, I can't imagine how much stress you've been dealing with. And now all this on top of that."

I reposition my hand, clutching hers as I give it a squeeze back. "It hasn't been easy," I confirm. "And I don't know how to feel about any of this—abouthim."

"I know he's being a butthole right now," she whispers, stopping for a brief moment to glance around to make sure noone hears her speak about him that way. "But I promise he's not all that bad. He's actually really nice most of the time."

"The niceness doesn't worry me," I reply, a tight smile breaking free. "One of my mates is as cranky as they come. But it's the way he went about this."

Annabelle leans down, lips closing over her straw. "Mm, yeah. I'm with you there. But at least you know where you stand now."

I lift a shoulder, shrugging. "I guess so. But it doesn't help the fact that I need to decide what to do—and quickly."

"Because your alphas are coming?"

"Yeah. And because I need to go back home. It would have been so much easier if I had more time to process this."

"Definitely," she mutters, pausing as her eyebrows pull together. She looks deep in thought, staring at the corner of the café. As quickly as it happens, she's back with me. "Your alphas are nearly here."

I realize that she must have been mind linked, my heart beating frantically. "Really?"

She nods. "They are about to enter our territory. I'm supposed to take you to Alpha Cade to greet them."

"Greet them?" I repeat, baffled.

Annabelle stands, pushing her empty glass away from the edge of the table. "For when they arrive. We're under strict instructions to be hospitable."

I scan her face desperately, wanting to confirm that she's telling the truth. She gazes down at me, waiting patiently.

Pushing back my chair, I quickly stand. "Alright. Lead the way."

I find Cade in front of the house, this time surrounded by five other people. A few I recognize, but some are new faces.

When he sees me approaching, he mutters something to Sawyer, stepping away from the group.

"How was lunch?" he asks warmly, digging his hands into the pockets of his faded, washed-out black jeans.

I sneak a glance at Annabelle before answering. "It was good."

He nods happily. "Great. I'm hoping you'll wait with me until Lex and Maverick arrive." There's an undertone to his voice that I pick up on immediately.

"So they don't attack?" I question sternly.

"Exactly. And so that they can see that you are alive and well."

I can't help the small scoff that slips out, along with a tiny smile. "Alive, yes.Well—that's questionable."

Cade smiles at me, locking eyes with mine for a few seconds before he turns his attention to Annabelle. "Thank you for your help. You can head off back to work."

Annabelle nods, reaching out to give my shoulder a squeeze. "Thanks for a nice lunch date. Hopefully I'll still see you around."

I watch as she moves past us, heading over the group that Cade stepped away from. She makes a beeline for the man next to James, leaning up to kiss his cheek. His dark brown eyes sparkle at her, as he pants softly, like he just got back from running a marathon. His arm slings around her waist as he bends down to whisper something in her ear.

A rogue smile must appear on my lips as I watch their exchange, Cade lowering his voice.

"You have a really beautiful smile."

Instantly, it vanishes, my face hardening as I throw my walls up despite the weird flutter in my chest. "You're lucky that she's so nice."

Cade laughs, the light-hearted sound making my stomach clench with conflict. "She's lovely. And an absolute saint for always helping out. My office would be very disorganized if it wasn't for her skills and willingness to file all the boring paperwork."

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