31. Kaylee
31
Kaylee
I let out a sigh of relief as our warriors lead Alpha Jordan and his wolves to the guest house, just down the hill behind the pack house. I have a feeling I will be staying here for the next five days and already miss my bed.
“How was it?” Royce asks as he hands me a cup of coffee. I groan and lean back on the doorframe, while he and Marco look on in amusement.
“Small talk and political bullshit. Tomorrow, Alexander, Amelia, and I will be discussing the contracts and land ownership of what they are giving us,” I answer, taking a sip of the caffeinated hot drink.
“I don’t like either of them, to be honest,” I admit, pushing away from the door and walking inside. Amelia told us to meet her in her office once the Shadow Moon wolves were away from the pack house. With the first meeting with Shadow Moon done, now it is time to focus on the situation with Kurt and the Oak Fur wolves.
“It’s us,” I state, opening Amelia’s office door and stepping inside. Amelia is standing by the window, a worried expression on her face as she plays with the charm of her necklace. I recognize it as the one Lucas, Simon, and I bought her four years ago, and I freeze mid-step.
“How bad is it?” I ask, feeling worried for my ex-mate for the first time since the rejection.
“Bad, but they are all safe. Simon got him out around two this morning and brought him to where Kurt and the others were waiting. They all made it to safety,” she answers, walking away from the window and taking a seat at her desk. I finally am able to move, knowing that they are safe, and I take my spot leaning against the wall behind her. Royce and Marco take the two open seats in front of her desk, looking between Amelia and me.
“Simon is that friend of yours from Oak Fur?” Royce voices, cocking his head to the left.
“Yes,” I nod, taking my phone out and looking to see if there are any new messages from him. There are none.
“Then who is it that he saved?” Marco asks. I close my eyes for a moment, not sure how I should answer this. I can feel their curious gaze on me, but fear of telling them it is my mate creeps in. Marco was the one to help me through the pain. What would he think if he realizes I am happy Lucas is out of Oak Fur safely?
“Simon saved my nephew,” Amelia finally answers. I open my eyes to see Marco looking at me in shock.
“Your nephew, as in Kaylee’s ex that rejected her?” Royce asks, standing from his chair to pace the room.
“Yes, he saved my ex-mate,” I confirm, watching as anger washes over my friends.
“Does he expect to join Ivory Fangs? It’s bad enough we have Shadow Moon here, but to have that little bastard!” Marco shouts, causing Amelia to growl at him. Both men quiet down, Royce looking between Marco and me, while I stay silent and allow Amelia to be the one to lead this meeting.
“Lucas doesn’t know I am the alpha, nor that Kaylee is the beta,” Amelia shouts back, holding her hand out to stop Marco from asking anything further.
“Let me explain what happened first before you idiots get your fur ruffled,” she continues, before going into detail about what happened last night. I watch as Royce slowly takes a seat, their shock at learning that Ramos is fucking his son’s fiancée morphing into anger. I then take over, explaining that Lucas rejecting me has something to do with Marilyn and that I need to know what this reason is. I deserve the truth, and Royce agrees, but Marco broods in his seat.
“I don’t like this,” he voices, rising from his seat to pull me into his arms.
“Neither do we, but I fear that if Lucas doesn’t escape, he will be forced to marry Marilyn, or Ramos will kill his own son,” Amelia agrees, eyeing Marco and me. I ignore her look as Marco takes in my scent again. I can feel him shaking, feel the rage and anger coursing through him.
“Kaylee, you deserve so much more, but I won’t stop you if you decide to get back with your ex. He is your goddess-given mate,” he voices after a moment of silence passes. He pulls away, looking into my eyes and giving me a helpless smile. My heart skips a beat when I see the emotions swirling in his eyes, emotions I am not sure I can accept.
“I just want the truth, Marco. Whether or not I end up with him is up to fate, but I am not ready for any relationships just yet.” I smile sadly at my friend, who nods. I can see the sadness in his eyes from my subtle rejection, but he stays quiet. We both have been through a lot because of our mates rejecting us. I know with how we talk and flirt that he is ready to move on and find love, but I am not. I accepted the pain and survived it, but now I need to find who I am as a person, away from Oak Fur. To grow and relearn how to love myself, before I can love anyone else.
“So, what do we do for now?” Marco releases me and backs away, his carefree smile returning to his face as he gives his attention to Amelia.
“We deal with Shadow Moon first. Getting their visit done and over with in five days is our priority, as we won’t be able to receive the last batch of Oak Fur wolves for another eight days,” she states, standing from her chair and placing a hand on Marco’s shoulder. I can see that this affects him just as much as my gentle rejection did, but I know Marco is strong. He can handle this.
“I need you and Royce to keep your emotions in check. We need their land and the money they are offering, now more than ever. Do you think you can do this?” Amelia asks, looking between Marco and Royce.
“We can, Alpha.” Royce stands once more, determination set on his face. I smile at him and mouth a thank you. After explaining the plans for the next few days, Amelia sends us out just as David arrives with the pups in tow. I give him a hug and he reassures me that everything will be okay before I am left alone in the hallway.
If we can just get through these next five days, then I can prepare myself to see Lucas for the first time since the rejection.