Chapter 27
Ethan
My father hums in disapproval as we enter my house. The staff stand, lined up to greet their former Alpha, yet he still sweeps a disinterested gaze over them. Once they left the pack to come with me, he decided to think of them as gone permanently but they’re not. They will return when I do.
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“We have matters to discuss before we return to the pack and meet with the Elders about the Lycan King Election,” my father states as we enter my home office. “Your mother wanted to meet with you, but Beta Ryan told her you were too busy.”
A sharp glare finds me as he sits behind my desk.
“The company is taking a lot of time, but I’ve also been meeting with the other Alphas and the elders. In fact, father, I met with the elders just the other day,” I tell him, standing before my father. He takes the center spot in the room, something he always does when he sees himself as the most important in the room.
He was a good Alpha, but he’s had a hard time letting go of the power position.
“Your mother and I were talking about the qualifications for the election, and we find one you’ve fallen short on.”
Of course there is. I have to force myself not to roll my eyes at his words. Since my brother came along, all they’ve pointed out in me are my flaws.
My father, ignoring the annoyance I know is wafting off me, pulls a folder out of his bag. He then slides it across the desk and pins his gaze on me again.
“Your mother and I have put together a list of eligible Alpha daughters for you to choose a mate from,” he says, flipping the file open. A stack of papers with women’s pictures, names, and information lay within the folder.
When I don’t move to accept their “gift,” my father frowns at me.
“To become the Lycan King, you must have a strong Luna at your side, and these ten are the best we could find. Your mother spent hours checking on their backgrounds, breeding, and abilities,” he informs me, and I can’t help but feel a sliver of disgust when he says breeding. Like they’re some sort of cattle to be traded.
Without waiting for a response, he closes the file, stands, and puts it in
“You must pick soon.”
my
hand.
***
“I’ll be on a business trip for a week,” I tell Fiona, squeezing the phone between my ear and shoulder as I fold yet another suit into my luggage.
My father gave me no time to tell Fiona in person which irked me, but I didn’t show it.
“I’m leaving Ryan in charge while I’m away, so if there’s anything you need at work, he’s your go–to,” I explain. I wanted to tell her this in person, especially after our misunderstanding. “Understand?” I ask when she doesn’t reply.
“Y–Yeah, Ethan. Thanks for letting me know,” she says softly. My wolf scratches at my mind, annoyed that we didn’t sneak out to see her, but I shoulder him off.
“Sneak out? What are you, a pup?” I ask him.
“She’s our mate, and we won’t see her for a week.”
“She’s not our mate,” I growl back, closing our mind link.
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Chapter 27
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Sighing, I switch my phone to the other ear and listen to Fiona breathing quietly. She hasn’t said anything else, and I want to ask if something is wrong.
The jumble of emotions that hit me after our kiss last night sent a tornado of confusion through me. We’re supposed to be non–emotional with this relationship, but I can’t help but feel things are getting a little more emotionally charged after her confession yesterday.
“Fiona?”
“Yes”
“Stick with Ryan.” I don’t know what else to say or what she wants me to say. Yesterday messed my plans up, and now my thoughts are all over the place.
Maybe taking some space from her for the week will be good for both of us.
Fiona
“You ready to leave?” Ryan asks.
Shoot. I spaced out.
“Just a second, Ryan,” I mumble, mentally berating myself for getting distracted by Ethan being gone. I quickly finish typing out an email asking the client if they would like to schedule a meeting for next week when Ethan is back.
“I am now.”
He waits patiently, like he did yesterday, until I gather my things and follow him downstairs. Yesterday and today were a bit uneventful in the office without Ethan.
I glance at my messages again and sigh. I’ve sent him three messages since he left, and he hasn’t answered any of them. I thought he would at least keep in contact while he was gone, but I guess I was wrong.
This business trip came out of nowhere, and I thought it was odd he didn’t bring me along as his secretary. Is it my lack of ability? Or is he going to use the time apart to sleep with other women? Is he going to come back and be the cold, unattached CEO I met first?
The unread messages taunt me, telling me he doesn’t need me or think about me. I’m nothing but a sex partner for him, but I don’t want to believe that. There’s something growing between us whether we want it there or not… and I think I like it.
“How was your day?” Ryan asks, pressing the lobby button in the elevator.
“Good,” I answer. “And yours?” I’m not sure exactly what he does here, other than help Ethan run the company while he’s gone. He has a high position, but he’s never mentioned his title.
“It was fine. I’m dealing with the usual complaints from employees and clients,” he answers.
“Complaints? What exactly do you do here?”
“I- Ethan didn’t tell you?”
I shake my head.
“I’m the COO, a Chief of Operations, kind of like a Vice–CEO if you want to think of it like that,” he answers.
“Oh, so you basically do the same job as Ethan just more on the technical employee side of things?”
“That’s right,” he says, smiling. I nod, understanding now why Ethan would leave him in charge. When I first met Ryan, I thought he was a driver.
Chapter 27
As we step off the elevator into the lobby, my attention is immediately drawn to Angela who is strutting across the lobby with a suitcase in tow. When she sees me, she grins and makes a beeline for me and Ryan.
I’ve been avoiding her since I heard her and Jessica talking at dinner.
“Ryan, could you drive me to the airport?”
I glance at Ryan, who stiffens beside me.
“Sorry, Angela. I’m driving Fiona home,” he answers curtly.
“But I need to get to the airport. My flight leaves in an hour and I can’t miss it. Ethan is waiting for me to meet him so I can
“So, you can what?” I ask, unable to stop myself from interrupting.
Angela smirks, crosses her arms over her chest, and turns to me.
“Didn’t you know? Ethan asked me to join as his stand–in secretary,” she tells me. “He needed someone more familiar with the business to help.”
Jealousy, red and hot, bubbles through my veins. Did he leave me here so he could go somewhere with Angela? Is it even really a business trip?
“Angela, don’t you have anything better to do than lie?” Ryan asks, his eyes sending a warning glare her way.
Angela smirks again and waves a plane ticket in our faces. It’s too fast for me to see anything other than the authenticity, which makes my stomach clench. Is she really meeting Ethan or is she lying?
Gripping the strap of my purse, I try to fight off the unease and disappointment that rises within me. He’s not mine, so I shouldn’t be so upset.
“Get out of here, Angela,” Ryan demands, waving her off. His hand rests gently on my back as he guides me around her and to the front doors.
Angela gasps in outrage and stomps off, taking her luggage with her and shouting that she’ll find another way to the airport.
“She isn’t going to meet Ethan,” Ryan tells me, and I look up at him. “I promise. Her ticket said she was going North, and Ethan went West to take care of family business.”
“Family business?”
Ryan nods. I don’t know anything about Ethan’s family, but if they’re like him, I’m sure they’re successful and powerful.
“He didn’t bring you along because he’ll be gone so long and because this trip is to help his family. Angela is going on a business trip, but she’s not going to the same location as Ethan,” he continues. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
I don’t want to ask the question, afraid of what the answer may be, but I have to ask anyway.
“Is there something between Angela and Ethan?”
“Goddess, no.”
He laughs like it’s the most ridiculous statement in the world, but it oddly makes me feel better.
Ryan takes me home like promised, and after he drops me off, I go inside and begin cooking dinner.
As I’m sitting down to eat, my phone rings. I jump to answer it, hoping it’s Ethan, but my father’s voice finds me.
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Chapter 27
“Fiona, would you be so kind as to drive me and your stepmother to the airport?”
Why is everyone going to the airport?
“I can’t,” I answer. Not that I’d want to anyways. “My car is in the shop.”
“Of course, it is,” he grumbles.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m treating your stepmother to a nice vacation to the southern islands for a week, and since you can’t drive me, I’ll have to ask your sister,” he says unhappily before abruptly hanging up.
I scoff at his rude ending, but an idea pops into my head. If he’s gone, I’ll have a chance to search for my mother’s will again.
