Page 34 of Claimed By the Wolf
“He already suspects I might be sending him a spy, which is why he’s being so cautious,” I explain. “He’ll reject anyone else I send, because I have already convinced him that mating with my Beta’s sister will be the best road to peace for both of ourpacks. And if he learns that Brynn is my mate, things could go wrong for whoever I do send. Tonight, we’ll attend the party, and there’s a chance she’ll stay on at the ranch. If she’s away from me, no one will ever know we’re mates.”
“What if he finds out she’s your mate while she’s there?” Brax barks. “Did you think about what’s going to happen to Brynn then?”
I give him a wary look. “That won’t happen. We’ll work on a way to… to break the bond.”
It fucking kills me to say that when her pheromones still overpower me. I want nothing more than to escape this room and run back to her right now. But that’s impossible.
I storm out of the room, but not before I give Connor a murderous look. I’ll deal with him later.
Alone in my office, I text Brynn, my concern for her paramount.
Me:Are you okay?
She must have been waiting by the phone.
Brynn:No. Are you?
I sink back in my chair and look at the closed office door, grimacing. Instead of responding by message, I call her, needing to hear her voice.
“Hi,” she mumbles into the phone. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“I doubt I will either.” After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, I add, “I’m sorry.”
“Why? You didn’t do anything I didn’t want to do.”
“I am the Alpha. I should have been stronger.”
“Stop with that,” she begs me, her voice cracking slightly, and I close my eyes, rubbing the space between my eyebrows.
“I needed to feel you once,” I rasp. “I don’t regret it. At least we’ll have the memory of that…”
She draws in a shaky breath, and it takes everything in me not to fly out of the packhouse to be with her.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispers. “I don’t know?—”
“Stop!” I command, and she falls quiet, her uneven breathing the only sound I hear for a long minute. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”
“You’re right. I should get some sleep before tonight.”
“Brynn…”
“Goodbye, Nox.”
The words are so final, and they crack my heart as we hang up.
CHAPTER 10
BRYNN
Positioned between Brax and Connor, I’m marched like a prisoner up the interlocking driveway toward the stone-faced entrance of Emeric’s sprawling ranch home. For the third time, I look behind me. Dozens of vehicles line the area, a combination of motorcycles and expensive sports cars, SUVs, and sedans. Some of them I recognize from Ember Hollow, our pack members emerging from the interior to join the party with us, but none of them are the faces I want.
My brother nudges me onward gently.
“Come on,” he growls. “Keep going.”
I smooth my sweating palms over the short pleats of my dress and bow my head as I struggle to compose myself. I’m surprised my knees aren’t visibly shaking when I look down.
Hints of music drift out from inside the glass doors, the atmosphere much lighter here tonight than it had been the last time, but I can’t enjoy the savory smells of delicious barbecue filling the air, or the peppy country twang piping out from the speakers.
