Chapter 8
Nyah
I thought my day ended on a high note. After meeting with Mr. Hillard, I spent the rest of my time informing the different departments of where renovations would take place in their areas. I felt good as everyone was on high notes of the upcoming improvements. Although some were worried about losing pay while the work was being done, I told them they would still receive payment as if they were there. It wasn’t their fault their departments had to be upgraded, nor should they lose pay.
My day was long and tiring. All I wanted to do was come home and grab a bite to eat. This is one of the days my daddy provides lunch for the Pack, so I knew I could easily swipe some food before going inside the cabin. Imagine my surprise when I saw Mr. Hillard sitting at the same table as my daddy. They were laughing it up like old friends. When I asked why Mr. Hillard was there, a gust of wind could have knocked me over when daddy said he came to apologize for being on Pack land.
Mr. Hillard is a clever one for sure. I declined his claim. He thought coming to brown nose with my daddy would change my mind. I laugh to myself, because by now Mr. Hillard has found out that my daddy is not like any other typical Alpha. You can apologize for being on his land, but he will definitely let you know how he feels about you violating that shit. From the red marks on Mr. Hillard’s neck, I can see that the two of them have already discussed that matter.
Now I have to deal with Corey coming to my aid as if I needed him to do so. Don’t get me wrong, Corey is a good friend, but the fact of him and I being mates is totally a misconstrued notion on his behalf.
“Nyah,” daddy called while Kenia appeared in the backyard.
“I smell good food, good fellowship, and Pack pride,” she sings before seeing the displeased expressions on our faces. “What the Hell is going on?”
Daddy points to me, answering, “Ask your sister. I just found out today that this man.” He looks at Mr. Hillard, “is not only her new boss but her mate.”
Kenia looks over at me, sighing, “Damn!”
Corey, showing his bravado, says, “ He can think Nyah’s his mate all he wants too, but if she denies the bond, that’s all that matters. I will be her mate, not you.”
If I had the ability to go back in time and alter events, this would be one of those times, but I don’t. I had no leeway to stop Braxton from leaping over the table to get to Corey. Braxton had semi shifted. His shirt and suit jacket rips away from his body like thin layers of tissue paper. A full set of teeth with fangs appear as his wolf’s hairs take over his chest, arms, and face. If I don’t do something, he will kill Corey. So, I stepped in front of him.
“Move,” he orders in a commanding tone as his nostrils flare.
“No,” I hissed back. “I will not let you harm him.”
“I don’t need your protection, Nyah,” Corey says behind me, causing Braxton to let out a low growl as he takes a step to try and go around me, but I stop him again.
“Shut up, Corey,” I yell. “You need my protection now more than ever. He is an Alpha and technically my mate. You of all people know if a wolf’s mate is threatened or disrespected, even if the bond has not been filled, the mate will still defend them.” Putting my attention back on Braxton. Using my soothing voice may be the only thing that keeps Braxton from ending Corey’s life. “Braxton, I need you to rein in your wolf.
“No,” he growls.
Looking at the others standing around, I folded my arms under my breasts. “Fine, if you kill him I will never consider being your mate.” It was a bluff move, but enough for him to look at me with suspicion and astonishment. “The choice is yours,” I add.
“Mine,” Braxton sneers before shifting back.
I couldn’t help the way my eyes roamed over his defined chest and rock-hard torso that has an Adonis belt disappearing below his slacks. Shit .
Looking over to daddy, I ask, “Can you have one of the members get a shirt for Mr. Hillard?”
He nods, then signals for someone to do as I asked.
“So, we’re back to Mr. Hillard?” Braxton questioned with a smirk. “A few minutes ago, I was Braxton, mate.”
“That’s still to be determined,” I threw back.
“The Gods have already determined that,” he says with a grin before turning to walk away, then stops. Braxton looks over his shoulder. The smile is gone and is replaced with a sinister expression. “The next time your friend tries to claim what’s mine, you nor anyone else will stop me from ripping his heart out.” He continues on back to the table.
“Nyah, you can’t seriously be considering having that asshole as your mate,” Corey gripes. “He is not the one for you.”
Rubbing my forehead, I internally groan. This is not the conversation I wanted to have with Corey, especially after what just happened, but I guess it needs to happen.
“Corey, you and I have been good friends for as long as I can remember, and we always will be, but a friendship is all that I can offer you even if Braxton wasn’t in the picture.”
Corey frowns. “You don’t mean that, Nyah. Hell, we shared our first kiss together.”
“We were ten-years old, Corey playing spin the bottle with other kids, and it hasn’t happened again since. Please don’t make this any harder for me than it has to be.”
“Harder for you?” he fumes with his eyes changing to black. “I denied the bond between me and my destined mate because of you, and you want to fucking say don’t make this harder for you.”
Whoa, this is the first time I’m hearing of this. If he would have accepted the claim with his fated mate, then we wouldn’t be here right now.
“I’m sorry you did that, but you made that decision off of an assumption that we would be together. I’ve never given you any notions that I had romantic feelings for you, Corey. I think I’ve said enough as to where our friendship stands whether I decide to be with Braxton or not,” I disclose before preparing to join my daddy and the others.
“This is far from over,” Corey declares. “I’m going to prove to you I am the better wolf for you. Not some outsider.”
I’m so taken aback; I don’t have the words to reply. Actually, I do but if I did, it will only have Braxton making good on his threat of ripping Corey’s heart out.
I went to give daddy a hug and kiss on the cheek, and my mood changed somewhat when Crown came from under the table, rubbing his handsome face against my leg. He followed me when I went to make myself a plate. Honestly, my appetite had already left, so I only got small portions. Normally, I would sit at the table with daddy but since he was entertaining Braxton and his Beta, I chose to sit four rows down from them. After the heated exchange between Corey and I, he and his daddy left. I’m glad that they did because I saw the way Braxton kept staring at the two of them. One wrong word from either one of them, he’d probably have popped their heads off like Dandelions.
With Crown laying in my lap, I feed him pieces from my salad as Kenia plops down across from me.
“Little Sis, what have you gotten yourself into?”
“Hell if I know. I went to work this morning, ready to tackle my new position and wow my new boss only to accidentally collide into him, spilling my coffee on his suit. He reacted like an ass, so you know I gave him the same energy back, but...” I pause to stab more lettuce to give to Crown. “At the time, I didn’t know he was my boss, but my wolf saw him as something else.”
“Your mate,” Kenia interjects.
“Yes, my damn mate. He then wanted to have a meeting with me to discuss upgrades to the hotel, but that was a damn ruse. He got me in his office for a one-on-one with him to let me know he’s my mate.” I felt myself getting heated all over again. So, I scrape the meat off the plate onto the one with desserts before sitting it on the ground for Crown to eat.
“And how do you feel about that? You know, him being your mate?” Kenia asks before biting into her smoked rib.
I look to the skies, then answer, “I don’t know. I mean as shifters, we know we all have a fated one out there, I just never thought mine would come like this or now.”
Kenia tosses the meatless bone on her plate, then says, “Shit, if we could predict when our mates will come into our lives some of us push the clock back or forwards. From what I saw that man was ready to spill blood on your behalf. I suggest you get to know him outside of him being your boss.” She shrugs her shoulders, picking up another rib, “Who knows, he may be the one you’ve been looking for all your life. Your ass has always stuck by Corey, using that friendship bullshit but let’s be honest; you did that shit to keep other wolves from trying to claim you. You can’t do that now, Little Sis because Braxton Hillard isn’t going to let you go without a fight. And I do believe he will fight for you. He has shown that today. Braxton exudes Alpha tendencies. Corey wouldn’t have stood a chance of going up against him which is why you and your wolf stepped in to protect him.” I remain silent as she bites into the rib. Kenia chews, then swallows. “My only advice for you is to embrace who the Gods have selected for you. Some of us have to question what the Hell they were thinking. “
Curious about her last admission, I inquired. “What do you mean?”
Kenia drops the rib on her plate, then informs, “What I mean is that I found out who my mate is five years ago. He is the reason why I have been moving from State to State because I don’t want to deal with him.”
That explains so much, because there were times Kenia could have come home permanently but chose to travel to other States and Countries.
Reaching over and laying my hand over hers, I grip it and ask, “Is he one of our members?”
Kenia stares ahead as tears stream down her face. She finally looks at me, then answers, “He is.”