Chapter 19

I decided we needed a break from the pack for a day. So, we had taken the day off to help support Kathleen at the town’s flea market on a chilly Saturday. Kaydian, Hawk, and I helped Kathleen haul almost four boxes of the colorful handwork, a blanket, and a couple of chairs into the small town. Our chatter and loud laughs filled the nearly deserted road with more life than it had in months. Hearing Kaydian’s laughter drew me closer to her, and my wolf had no complaints. Seeing Kathleen and Hawk welcome her with open arms without judging her made me thankful. I was glad I could rely on them to watch over her when I wasn’t able to be around.

As we entered San Claude, the residents were dressed in their thick sweaters and jeans as they gathered at the entrance of the main street. Food, art, and other vendors lined the street as we walked toward our usual spot, which was in front of the purple- colored bakery shop that Hawk and I usually frequent before we hightail it away to avoid running into Mayor Perrins. The bakery’s door was propped open, letting the scent of burnt sugar coat the air as the residents piled into the store for their desserts.

Finding our small spot, we got to work setting up the blanket and chairs to showcase Kathleen’s latest work. Once we were done, we waited until someone in this self-absorbed town gave us a chance. Each human that passed our area scoped us out, deciding whether we were worthy of their time and money. No matter how much we tried to fit in. We still stuck out like a fish out of water. It was the same song every other Saturday, but we had no other choice, seeing as the next closest town was about an hour away.

“Here, Kay. Let me show you how I usually fold the items so they won’t be too wrinkled.” Kathleen said, walking over to her. Her voice drew my attention to the one older lady who was brave enough to stop by our setup.

“I’m sorry, ma’am…Thank you, Kathleen. Can you tell I’ve done nothing like this before?” Kaydian said as she smiled at Kathleen, who gathered the items for the customer.

The older lady smiled. “There’s a first for everything. Hopefully, you sell fast and can get some of the pie at the bakery.”

Kaydian nodded as Kathleen handed her the bag. “I sure will. You have a good day, Ma’am.”

Kathleen beamed as the woman left. “I’m so glad you’re here. It’s rough when it’s just me with these two hardheads.”

“Hey!” Both Hawk and I said simultaneously.

We all dissolved into a fit of laughter, and I may be delusional, but I think it made some residents curious. One by one, they amble up to our poor makeshift table. They picked over Kathleen’s items until they were all gone. As Kaydian bagged the last blanket we hauled, I looked into the bakery shop, and the shop owner waved at me through the window. He and his wife were one of the few members of this town that hadn’t treated us like we didn’t belong.

Kathleen nudged me in the arm with a lazy smile on her face. “Maybe Kaydian would love to meet Mr. and Mrs. Wang rather than you staring a hole into her.”

A warm flush crossed my face. “Right.”

Grabbing Kaydian’s hand, I dropped a kiss on her now reddened cheek. “Let’s get something for the road.”

“Ok,” Kay muttered as she tried to hide her face from me behind her long hair.

“I’ll get you guys the usual,” I said as we entered the colorful shop.

Mr. and Mrs. Wang’s small store was empty as they prepared to close for the day. Brown sugar still drifted in the air. Several empty tables and chairs lined the short wall that wasn’t occupied with pictures and gifts from the town residents. Walking into the bakery, the bright purple walls greeted us as we walked up to the counter.

“Nǐ hǎo, Greyson,” Mr. Wang greeted me as he bowed slightly.

Mr. Wang’s dark brown eyes turned to Kaydian, which sparkled as he bowed to her. Rustling from the kitchen stopped, Mrs. Wang joined us by the counter. They were like night and day. While Mr. Wang wore his unwrinkled uniform, not a hair out of place, and a stern look that would send anyone scrambling, Mrs. Wang was the polar opposite. I’ve never seen her without a smile, even when some of the residents turn their noses up at the couple. Her bright pink dress that had white flowers printed on it was loud and bright, just like Mrs. Wang. Her brown hair was placed up with a bright pink bow that was bigger than her head.

“Hello, Mr. Wang,” I said, returning his bow. I pulled Kaydian beside me, “Mrs. Wang, hello. It’s always a pleasure to stop in the best store.”

“Hello! Greyson. I’ve missed you. And who is this beautiful young lady?” Mrs. Wang beamed. Her smile could light up the dark.

“Mr. and Mrs. Wang, this is Kaydian, my fiancé,” I said.

I could feel Kaydian’s green globes burning a hole in the side of my face.

“Hello,” Kaydian said as she greeted the couple, taking their hands in hers. She shook and bowed, following our greeting from earlier.

Mrs. Wang peered at Kaydian. Her head turned slightly as she read Kaydian. “Greyson, you’re lucky to find someone as beautiful as Ms. Kaydian. Your aura is the same color as those gem eyes.”

“Keep her close and treat her well.” Mr. Wang said with a small smile.

The tip of Kaydian’s nose turned a deep shade of red as she tried to avert her eyes. “Thank you?—”

“I plan to. I can’t see myself without her and I can only hope I can keep her happy for the rest of our lives. She’s my sun and the reason I wake up, and I will fight for her until my last dying breath,” I said truthfully as I took her hand and kissed the back of it.

Kaydian peered at me through her long, dark eyelashes. Her cheeks and nose were the same color as the dragon fruit pastry that sat behind the counter. “I’m lucky as well.”

“Well, his father taught him well. He would be so proud of you, Greyson.” Mrs. Wang said. Her hazel eyes glittered in the store light. “Look how her eyes light up when she looks at him. It’s like magic.”

“Thank you, Ms. Wang,” Kay said while ducking her head.

“She’s my magic,” I said.

We stood in the store talking with the Wang’s about Mayor Perrins’ latest foolish ideas for San Claude and the latest rumors circulating the town. The store’s light went from a soft shade of white to brightening up the store before we ended our conversation with the Wang’s. When we gathered our things after shoving the pieces of Nian Gao into our mouths and cleaning the brown sugar treat from our fingers. We headed home. This stretch home was shorter this time because we had fewer things to haul after a successful day.

By the time we got home, the sun had settled in for the night. Only a few of the pack were out guarding the area, and the rest were hanging around on their porch. As much as I loved being away from the pack drama, I missed my home. I knew Hawk complained, but he loved a day away from the pit. Kathleen, Hawk, Kaydian, and I stood between our homes as we prepared to go our separate ways.

Kathleen said as she hugged Kaydian, “I’m so glad you came along today. It was really nice having another kindred spirit with me.”

“Yes, it was a good day. Though we spent a little longer than I would like because I hate being in town and around all of those humans!”

Hawk’s cheek turned a light shade of pink as he realized his mistake. “I’m sorry, Shorts. I forgot.”

Kaydian patted his cheeks and said, “I understand, Hawk. I don’t enjoy being around them either.”

Kathleen and Hawk shared a look. Both of their eyebrows raised as they reflected on Kaydian’s truthful words. Thankfully, we didn’t have time to go into further explanation because Kaydian yawned loudly. Saying goodnight, we headed in our separate directions.

As we got ready for bed, Kaydian was silent as she got dressed in my oversized dress shirt. I couldn’t help taking a peek as she bent over to remove her underwear. A fine line of sweat formed on the top of my upper lip, but I made no attempt to wipe it away. Instead, I turned away from my temptation and cursed as I adjusted my painful dick in my shorts. Each night was becoming harder to not give in.

“Greyson,” Kay said from behind me. Her voice was above a whisper. “Thank you. Did you really mean what you said today at the Wang’s bakery?”

Turning toward her was a mistake. There Kaydian stood before me. The top buttons on her shirt were open, exposing the soft brown skin of her heavy breasts. Her scent enveloped me, calling out to my wolf. He had been dormant all day, but now he stretched out inside of me, wanting to answer Kaydian’s heady call.

I was a strong Alpha, or so I told myself. Kaydian slowly closed the gap between us. Her small hands left a trail of cold heat as she ran them up my naked chest. A low whine slipped from my mouth, and it sounded desperate…borderline needy.

“Greyson,” she said breathlessly, as if she had just ran into the room. “Did you really mean?—”

My control slipped when her hand landed on the band of my boxers, right above the wet spot my dick created, and my wolf took over. We picked Kay up, throwing her over our shoulder as we took two steps toward the bed and dropped her on to the small mattress. Kaydian’s hair sprawled all over the bed like an angel. Our angel. Yes. As my wolf lapped at her soft skin, Kaydian arched, giving us more access. Not that it was needed, as the sound of buttons from my shirt danced against the floor as my wolf ripped it open.

“Mine!” we said. The mix of our voices made Kaydian’s chin tremble, and her emerald eyes darkened to black pits. The voice was dark and rough, just like how I felt my wolf inside of me.

“Yes, I’m yours,” Kaydian said, her voice thick with lust.

No, No, No…as much as I wanted this moment. This wasn’t how I envisioned it. I couldn’t. Coward! She’s ours . I had to fight back. Reaching deep inside of me, I pulled on our thick yellow corded connection that bonded us together as one. Inch by inch, I reeled in my wolf, causing his partially shifted hands to fall from Kaydian. She protested, and a whine fell from her parted lips. This was a mistake. I should have never allowed the slip-up. Now, we played a tug of war as he gripped the last yellow sheets, tearing holes in the weak fabric I could afford. He pushed to stay a front, but he slipped, and I took the moment to shove him into the depths of my chest. A rivulet of sweat dropped onto Kaydian’s naked breast as she heaved beneath me. My heartbeat chaotically against its cage, and my lungs burned as I struggled to gain control of my breathing.

Rolling off Kaydian, I closed my eyes as I took several deep breaths. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve lost control of my wolf, but this time hurt the most. If I had given my wolf an inch more, then I would have bitten Kaydian, bonding us together without going through the ceremony. Silence filled the dark space in my mind until Kaydian broke it.

“Did I do something wrong?” She asked, her voice quavering.

Sitting on the side of the bed, I grabbed a clean shirt and wiped the sweat off of my face. My face was warm with regret and shame. Averting the disappointment that most likely painted onto her face.

“I-I’m sorry, Kay,” I said truthfully. “I lost control and—let’s just go to bed. I’m too tired to talk about this.”

“Why don’t you want to touch me? You said all of those things back at the bakery, and I just thought… Is it because I’m bigger than the women in your pack?”

I meant every single word I said back at the bakery, but Kaydian would not take a simple ‘I’m tired’ excuse. She sat in the middle of the bed with my shirt clutch closed. Tears formed pools in her eyes. This was the first time I’d seen her in this state and my heart and wolf cursed me. I’m pathetic.

“What? No, I love you just the way you are, Kay. It’s…I don’t want to have sex with you because the bonding ceremony is special, and I’m already giving up a lot since you’re a witch!” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could process what they meant. “I can’t deny that the elephant in the room still scares me, and a part of me can’t get over that one detail. I’m sorry, I have to get used to it.”

We sat there in silence as if we were daring each other to move. I thought she would have cursed me out, but I received nothing. After a minute or two, the bed dipped, and when I looked back Kaydian had slipped under the covers. With her back to me, I couldn’t tell if she was ignoring me. Not that I could blame her. I knew my callous words had hurt her and I would have to make it up to her.

It will have to wait until tomorrow as I laid down with my back to hers, letting the day’s event finally pull me to sleep.

Kaydian POV

I woke to the sound of someone pounding on our wooden door as if the hounds of the underworld were on their tail.

If I were back home and someone was banging on the door like a mad person, I would have them placed in the dungeon. My head pounded with each of the mad person banging. Thanks to crying in the middle of the night from Greyson’s admission that I turned him off, I had high hopes that I could just sleep in until Greyson had to leave for the day. I guess that was easier said than done.

Whoever was out there was lucky I couldn’t use my magic. Losing patience, the person jingled the knob before returning to the tortuous pounding against the door.

Why am I still here? Squeezing my eyes, I shut them against my very own taunting thoughts.

Yes, I knew Greyson would rather watch paint dry than touch me.

Yes, I knew I could just go home and leave everything I learned and experienced here.

After what felt like an eternity, Greyson rolled out of bed. His low grunt shook the tiny bed as he slid on his clothes, cursing along the way to the door. I wish I could joke with him about finally moving his ass, but my tongue sat heavy in my mouth. If I could just have a couple of minutes alone to cry and scream, I think I could manage, but being stuck in this small village made it impossible.

The front door creaked as Greyson opened it before it hit the wall with a loud whack that filled the small home. Youna! What the hell is going on?

“Greyson!” Oni’s dark voice boomed.

“Paráh Oni, what’s going?—”

“What the hell did you say to Mayor Perrins?” He asked.

Rolling out of bed, I slipped on the white cotton dress Kathleen had made for me. As I entered the living room, Oni’s dark eyes landed on me. Boy, did I want to command my magic to shove his finger into them, but I was trying to be the bigger person.

Oni was all dressed in brown. A perfect choice for the miserable person who he was. His frown deepened as he took in my appearance. I knew my hair looked a matted mess, but I had to work with what I had, and that wasn’t a lot these days.

Oni continued, “Come on, Greyson.”

The presumptuous asshole didn’t even wait for a response. He just walked out of the door, leaving his smokey scent behind. Watching Greyson, I wondered if he would stay behind to spite him and let Oni know he was the Alpha and not him. I prayed he would hear my thoughts and don’t be foolish. The dark voice vibrated in my chest as it laughed.

Greyson sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck as he started for the door.

“Greyson!” I called out. He paused to look at me. A ruby-red color graced his face. “You should make him wait. You’re the Alpha. Not him. No matter how much he might want to be.”

“Kay, I’m sorry about last night. What I said …it wasn’t right. You didn’t deserve that.” He paused. “And I will try to make it up to you, but I have to go out there to fix whatever I did.”

My shoulders slumped as I nodded. Greyson stared at me with regret laced in his eyes for a beat too long. The past night’s events seemed minuscule. I wanted to help take away his pain and make everything better. Watching Greyson walk through the door and to his uncle was hard. His shoulders sagged with each step he took.

Without a second thought, I walked out of the home and closed the door, following him into the unknown. When I turned around, I noticed every single pack member had gathered around the pit and the open meeting area. Wiping my palms into my dress, I ran to keep up with Greyson. The pack’s watchful gaze turned from respectful to scrutiny as they parted for us. Some bowed as we passed, while others clenched their lips together.

As we approached the center, Oni stood erect, with his arms crossed over his chest. His frown was deeper than I’d ever witnessed. The bushy eyebrows he sported became one as he stood in front of his guest, and from what I overheard, an unexpected one at that.

Mayor Perrins stood before the brooding pack, who looked ready to skin him alive. Today, he was dressed in a thick gold coat with the collar of his white shirt folded over. Blue jeans and boots that looked too large for his thin legs. His jet-black hair was slicked back. Mayor Perrins arrived with two other men who kept sizing up Oni as if they had the chance to take him down. I paused next to Greyson.

“Ah, there is the man of the hour.” Mayor Perrins said. His face was ruby red as he smiled. Probably from the pack circling him like he was dinner. “Hello Greyson, I was just stopping by to follow up on our last conversation?—”

Oni interrupted him, “Which I told him we are not interested in selling to him or anyone.”

“But you hadn’t heard of our newest offer. I have buyers that are eager to get their hands on some land. Their goal is to make more family-friendly suburbs for San Claude residents and beyond.”

“No.” Greyson and his uncle both said in unison.

Greyson, for better or worse, stood rooted next to Oni. It was as if he couldn’t decide to tell this human off. Silence greeted the crowd, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Something inside of me told me to keep quiet, but the other part poked at the question floating in my mind.

“How much?” I asked as the question slipped out of my mouth before I thought about it.

Heat filled my veins and left a trail of thin sweat along its way. Every single eye, human and shifter alike, fell onto me. Some with curiosity and some with a hateful glint. I’ve overstepped my boundaries. No one wanted the Alpha’s “human” mate to speak up.

“See, Greyson, it’s always the quiet ones that are the best…” Mayor Perrins gleefully gloated. His eyes roamed my body, and I never wanted to pluck out his brown eyes more than I wanted to right now. “What was your name again, dear?”

Placing a sickly sweet smile on my face, “It’s Beverly. "

Somewhere in the crowd. I knew Kathleen was staring at Hawk for answers. Probably like the one Oni was giving as he stared down his nose at me. If I listened closely, I could hear every single harsh word he dreamed up of me.

“You guys will learn one day to trust a woman’s intuition…The builder wants the space between your property line up to your crop fields. They’re willing to pay one thousand dollars! You will be rich.”

“Trust,” Oni scoffed. “I trust you as much as I do…Beverly.”

Rolling my eyes at the miserable bastard. My magic washed over me, almost pleading with me to torture him in front of the pack. He may be blinded by hate, but one thousand dollars in the human world was a lot of money. Enough to help the pack out with food and to bring more supplies in for their homes. This could be monumental for them. A smile crept up on my gleeful face as I looked to Greyson to tell him, but stopped. Greyson still stood with his arms folded, but this time, his head was bent down, causing his dark hair to hang over his shoulders. If I weren’t standing right next to him, I wouldn’t have felt how he trembled.

Instantly, regret painted my face.

Mayor Perrins continued, “I mean, Greyson, think about it. New homes, more food, and maybe a new start for your people. Your fiancé agrees, and this is her decision as much as it is yours.”

“She can agree with anything you say, but her opinion doesn’t matter because, like you, Mayor Perrins. She’s an outsider, and outsiders don’t have opinions here,” Oni stated. “Every year, you make your unwanted trek onto our property to convince us to sell. Do you know how much our property means to us?”

Oni bent down, placing his hand into the brown dirt. “Our family bled here and were buried in these woods. Our traditions and way of life have been well-rooted over the years to this land. And with every…” Oni stopped and gritted his teeth. “The person who gave their life for this piece of land resides here. You may see this as another way to line your pockets with money, but this dirt is worth more than anything money could buy. So, you can take your thousand dollars and roll yourself along with your two pathetic guards out of our lands.”

Someone in the crowd yelled out, “Intruding bastards.”—no doubt talking about me, Mayor Perrins, and his motley crew. My nails cut into my palms as I held my mouth and magic back. Reminding me once again that no matter how much I try to help, the more I climb on the pack’s hate list.

“That’s enough, Oni. Kaydian has been nothing but helpful. She doesn’t deserve your anger,” Greyson said right before I touched his shoulder.

“Mayor Perrins,” an elder said. Her gray eyes held nothing but disgust for the mayor, but she managed to keep her face blank. “Why don’t we think about it and get back to you?”

Mayor Perrins turned a light shade of dusty rose. Licking his thin lips, his eyes rolled over the pack. He said, “Thank you, Gena. I think that will be a good idea. How about you take a week and think about it?”

“Goodbye,” Greyson grunted out, making Mayor Perrins’ red color deepen.

Perrins had wasted no time saying his curt goodbye and hightailing it toward the dusty path trail that led to the road near the forest entrance. Slowly, the group dispensed except for a few of Oni’s cowardly guard wolves, leaving Greyson, Hawk, Kathleen, and me in his path of rage…or should I leave me in his fiery wrath.

“You need to control your mate,” he said, spitting out the last word as if it were poison, before turning his dark, narrow eyes on me. “We have never entertained Perrins when he trespasses on our property, but you just stuck yourself into the pack business. How do we know that you and Perrins aren’t working together to steal my land? I don’t like it one bit. She lied to him. What makes you think she won’t lie to you?”

“She meant no harm, Oni. Kaydian is still learning our ways,” Elder Gena replied first.

Oni’s tantrum speech drew some of the pack members back to the little gathering. There was definitely a divide, contrary to what Greyson kept telling me. Young, old men, and women lingered around.

“Disrespectful. His father must be turning in his grave,” someone muttered.

“Even his mother had more balls than him. He needs to control that thing of his,” another pack member taunted.

Whether Greyson heard the inglorious words from his pack or not, he ignored them. Some part of me wanted him to turn around and challenge the pack, but I knew better. Greyson clenched his jaw as rust tinted the surrounding air. When I looked down at his hands, blood dripped into the dusty patch, turning the area dark, but it was those yellow orbs of his that made me want to run far from here. Gone was the hard glint from this morning. In place were fresh tears that threatened to spill.

Shit. I did it again. Putting myself in things that don’t involve me.

“Greyson, I’m sorry. I just thought maybe if the offer was good, then we could improve things around here. Sorry for putting my two cents in.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re finally learning your role. It took you a while, but I guess that’s due to you being human.”

That cleared any of the tears Greyson had left in his eyes. “Oni, I’ve told you one too many times that Kaydian is my mate, and she should be respected as such. Yes, she may not understand the situation, but that’s my fault in not telling her that selling my land was not up for discussion. No matter how much money Mayor Perrins and those fucking human builders offer.”

Straightening up, Greyson stood taller than he had just done a couple of minutes ago and continued, “This is the last time you’ll speak to her like that, Oni.”

Greyson’s voice was lost over the tidal wave of warmness that surged through my body. My magic and I were enjoying this too much as I trembled slightly.

Folding his arm over his chest. Those bushy eyebrows raised, questioning Greyson. “And what will you do if I don’t?”

Although Greyson and I hadn’t been together for long, I picked up on little clues without him divulging all of his secrets like when he was happy, the corners of his mouth would twitch until I found him smiling to himself. Or when something was bothering him, his forehead would wrinkle as he processed how to fix the situation. Now Greyson stood tall, matching his uncle, as they stared wordlessly at each other. Oni’s condescending smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. It was deathly silent as we sat watching and waiting until Kathleen cleared her throat.

“We will cross that bridge when it happens,” Greyson said through his clenched teeth.

Oni threw his head back, laughing, and the remaining pack leaders snickered along with him.

“It seems my nephew is trying to channel his father.” Oni shook his head as he turned to leave. He said, “Just make sure all humans know where their place is around here.”

When he entered his home, Kathleen came up beside me. “We know you meant well. The Swiftwater men have always been hardheaded. So, hearing anyone’s opinion besides the one in their head is their weakness.”

While Greyson and Hawk huddled together, I sneaked in a question that had been bugging me, “Has Greyson always been like this with his uncle?”

Kathleen blushed a dewy pink shade. “I—Greyson is still young and has lots of learning to do, especially since his father died when he was very young. He’s…just give him some grace.”

As if Kathleen willed them over telepathically, Greyson and Hawk ambled over. Greyson sighed. It wasn’t noon yet, but dark circles hung around his eyes, and Hawk’s charcoal-smudged face was covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

“I’m sorry, Shorts. Oni can be… off-putting, but he means well. We have been going back and forth with Mayor Perrins for years. He just won’t take no for an answer,” Hawk said.

“He’s been more than off-putting lately. I’m sorry for not being direct with you about our problems with Perrins, my Hiema. For the past three years, he’s been down our necks. I hope he gets the message once I send him another letter telling him no this time. What’s the quote again? The fourth time’s a charm, right? How about we get some food and take it back to the house? Maybe we can just stay in for the day.”

“Thank you, everyone,” I said honestly. “That sounds perfect.”

“Enjoy the day off, lovebirds,” Kathleen called out.

Greyson smiled as he reached for my free hand, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. This was an excellent lesson for me to never put my nose into this angry pack’s business again. If not for my sake, but for Greyson’s. Even as we entered our tiny home, I could tell his mind was still back in the small clearing with his uncle. So much for a peaceful day without the miserable bastard. As he climbed back into bed, I changed and got in next to him. Heat enveloped me as he pulled me into his body. Normally, I would enjoy it, but my mind was filled with questions that I knew would push him.

How will he be able to rule two different covens?

Will he always be this passive?

I guess I will just have to wait and take everything one step at a time. Big mistake. That was the last thing that filtered into my mind before I hid myself in the pillow and allowed Greyson’s heat to put me to sleep.