Page 16 of The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate
“It’s the middle of the workday!” I point out.
“Work is over in thirty minutes, and you texted ‘crisis level high,’” Violet counters. “Wine is appropriate.”
I can’t argue with that logic.
We settle around my desk, them in the chairs, me perched on the edge. Anne pours wine into the coffee mugs I keep in my desk drawer while Violet dishes out pasta.
“Okay,” Anne says once we’re all situated. “Talk.”
I tell them about the meeting, about proving myself to Lucas, about Darius making us both stay afterward.
“He knows something’s up,” I finish. “He doesn’t know what, but he can tell there’s tension.”
“Did you explain?” Violet asks.
“No.” I stab my fork into my pasta. “If Lucas won’t acknowledge the mate bond, I’m not going to be the one to expose it.”
“That’s fair,” Anne says. “Though it might have been satisfying to watch him squirm.”
“Tempting,” I admit. “But I have to work with him for the next month—or more, if we proceed to phase two. Making him look bad in front of Darius wouldn’t help matters.”
Violet nods approvingly. “Smart. Keep the high ground.”
“Speaking of the merger,” Anne says carefully, “have you thought about your team? Who you’re taking with you to Silvercrest?”
I have. I’ve been thinking about little else during the hours between the meeting and now.
On my tablet, I pull up the list I’ve been working on. “David from operations—he’s been with Moonvale for fifteen years, knows our systems inside and out. Elena from finance—brilliant with numbers, unflappable under pressure. James from security—Kain recommended him personally. And probably Rachel from pack relations—she’s young but sharp, and she won’t take shit from anyone.”
“That’s a solid team,” Anne says.
“It is,” I agree. “And once they’re gone, I’ll be left alone for the rest of the time, embedded in my apathetic mate’s pack.”
“You think he’ll make it difficult?” Violet asks, concerned.
“I think he’ll be professional,” I say. “Darius made it very clear that’s required. But I don’t want professional; I want Lucas to tell me why he doesn’t want me! Am I not good enough?”
Anne reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Never say that! Of course you are!”
“He wants you,” Violet says with certainty. “He’s just running from it.”
“Well, he’s about to run out of places to run,” I say. “Because in a few days, I’m going to be living in his estate house. And he can’t simply ignore me the whole time because the mate bond isn’t going anywhere. I’ll make him face it.”
Anne grins. “That’s my girl. Take the bull by the horns.”
“Always,” I agree.
Soon, I’ll be in Lucas’s territory, and he’ll be forced to see me every day. So maybe, just maybe, I’ll finally get some answers.
Chapter Five
Lucas
The day to head back home to Silvercrest has arrived, and I am still mentally preparing myself to share my estate house with the mate I’m trying to avoid.
I have not seen her since I agreed to let her come, and that was entirely by design. I did not return to the Moonvale headquarters building, as there was no need for me to, and the Goddess being merciful, Sienna did not come to the alpha’s mansion despite the luna being her friend.
Without meaning to, my eyes land on Sienna in the crowd of people bustling about, preparing to leave. The sight of her immediately excites my wolf, and I have to fight to keep him in check so that I don’t react visibly.
