Ruined Wolf: A Paranormal Why Choose Romance (Claimed by the Sea Wolves Series Book 2)

CHAPTER TEN

Asher was nowhere to be found the next morning. I had showered and dressed when I woke up alone then gone looking for him, but he wasn’t in his room or the bathroom, and by the looks of it, he wasn’t downstairs either. I walked into the kitchen and headed for the coffee machine. Maverick was at the table, tapping away on his laptop, but he looked up and smiled at me as I walked in.

“Morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?”

“Not really,” I answered, shooting a glare at Lucas. He grinned at me, clearly thinking I was referring to our interlude in the hallway, and I was, only not the way he thought. In all fairness, it had been the baby who had woken me a couple of times later in the night, wriggling around inside me, and although I loved the feeling, knowing he was active and happy, my head had started to whirl with all my thoughts, making it harder to get back to sleep. A lot of those thoughts had been about Asher and Lucas, and by the time I’d finally fallen to sleep, I was really annoyed.

“Did you speak to Asher this morning?” I asked Lucas, picking up my latte and walking around the breakfast bar to stand in front of him.

“No, why? Did he want to speak to me?” Lucas queried. “After some more tips, was he? He should have stuck around a little longer, we could have—”

“Lucas!” I snapped. “I was thinking more that you might have apologised to him.”

Lucas’s mouth dropped open, and I heard a laugh from Maverick. “What’s he done now?” Maverick asked, continuing to tap away.

“He burst in on a private moment between Asher and me last night, and then went on to completely humiliate Asher,” I answered, still glaring at Lucas.

Lucas rolled his eyes. “I’d hardly call it humiliating.”

“Oh really? So what would you call it?” I countered, taking a sip of my latte. I had a feeling I was going to need caffeine today, and I was limiting myself to only one cup a day for the baby.

“A bit of banter.” He grinned. “Aww, couldn’t baby Asher take it? Did he get all upset?”

I shoved Lucas in the chest, fighting the urge to slap him. “I don’t know, I haven’t seen him this morning. He seemed pretty upset last night.”

Lucas shook his head. “My poor little brother. He really does need to learn to toughen up. I was just helping him out.”

Maverick stood up and came over to us, slipping his arm around my shoulders. I pulled away, too annoyed to want to be touched right now.

“Lucas, what happens between Asher and me in private is none of your business. You never should have gotten involved.”

Lucas gave me a cold look. “Oh, I’m sorry, so you weren’t wanking him off against your pussy in the hallway where anyone could walk past then? My mistake. I figured seeing as you weren’t exactly in a private place, anyone could join in.”

“Wow, what did I miss last night?” Maverick asked, looking down at me.

“Nothing. I ran into Asher when I went to use the bathroom. He kissed me and things got a little... heated, then Lucas showed up and ruined everything.”

“Hey, it wasn’t me who fucked up that little scene. That was Asher. He got you all wound up and then bailed,” Lucas argued, taking a drink of his black coffee.

“That’s none of your business,” I insisted. “You’ve upset him now. He already thinks...” I trailed off, realising I should keep my observations to myself about their family dynamic.

“Thinks what?” Lucas prompted.

I shook my head. “It’s not my place to say.”

“Oh no, Omega, you started this conversation, and you’re clearly gunning for me, so spit it out,” he ordered, setting his empty cup down.

I took a drink of my latte to buy me some time. “You humiliated him last night, Lucas,” I told him, trying to be gentler. “You told him he was not good enough, and he’ll hate that.”

Lucas just laughed. “Oh, come on, Nova. Asher just needs some pointers. He’s still a kid.”

“He’s not a kid,” I exclaimed. “And he needs you to see that. Both of you. He needs to feel appreciated and valued, not ridiculed.”

“Hey, what did I do?” Maverick asked, holding up his hands.

“Nothing, it’s just... He looks up to both of you, you must realise that, and I think he feels like he can’t compete with you.”

“Compete? In what? There’s no competition,” Maverick replied, frowning in confusion.

Lucas snorted. “Definitely no competition after last night’s pathetic attempt on his part. He couldn’t even get you to come, and it’s not that hard.”

“Lucas,” I growled, my irritation increasing with every flippant comment. I was worried about Asher, and yes, a big part of that was guilt, but Lucas had gone too far last night, and he needed to know.

“I’m right though, aren’t I?” Lucas grinned. He moved closer to me, pinning me against the breakfast bar and slipping his hand between my legs to cup my pussy.

Despite my annoyance with him, my body betrayed me, and desire bloomed inside me. I gasped as he moved his fingers against me, and he laughed.

“See? Not that hard. Just a little attention, and I bet your sweet little pussy is already soaked.”

I grabbed his wrist, pushing it away. “Pack it in, Lucas. This isn’t a joke.” I was pissed at him now, and also pissed at myself for reacting so quickly to his touch.

He was right, I was already wet at the feel of his fingers rubbing against my clit and had been very tempted to let him continue, but then it would be my humiliation added to Asher’s when Lucas made me come.

“It wasn’t... It’s not that he couldn’t, it’s that he didn’t want to,” I said, setting my latte on the counter. “And I didn’t want to force him. He backed off, and I was letting him go. You weren’t supposed to barge in and take his place.”

Lucas shrugged. “Then he’s a twat,” he stated simply, “and he doesn’t deserve to get his cock inside you if he’s a twat.”

Maverick looked between us. “You were having sex with Asher, and then Lucas took over? Is that what I’m getting?”

“Not quite.” I blushed. “Asher... He doesn’t want to go all the way. He wants it to be special. He wants it to mean something. He’s not just after a quick fuck,” I said, shooting a death glare at Lucas.

Lucas reached out and wrapped his hand around my throat, squeezing gently. “Oh, I’m not after a quick fuck either, Nova. Come back to bed with me, and I’ll show you how long I can edge you for...”

This time, it was Maverick who pulled Lucas’s hand down. “Enough.” He turned to me. “I could have sworn Asher was crushing on you like crazy. I’m struggling to see how he couldn’t want you.”

“I think he does,” I admitted quietly. “He just thinks he can’t compete with you and Lucas. He told me he wouldn’t have picked himself over you two either. I tried to tell him that... Well, that I want him too, but he won’t listen. He doesn’t believe me.”

“He thinks you’re saying it out of pity,” Maverick surmised slowly as realisation dawned.

“See? Twat,” Lucas interjected. “He’s so bloody sensitive, like a fucking drama queen. I’ll bet he’s just scared of coming too early.”

“Lucas, will you fucking take this seriously?” I shouted, my temper rising. “This is your brother. He was vulnerable last night, and you walked in and hurt and humiliated him, and now you can’t even accept what you did was wrong. You need to find him and make it right.”

Lucas’s gaze darkened. “I will do no such thing. Asher is weak. He needs to toughen up, or he’s never going to earn the respect he craves or the pity fuck you so desperately want to give him.”

“Why do you have to be such a... a...” I struggled to find the right word.

“God among men? Just lucky, I guess,” he drawled.

I slapped him across the face. “A dickhead.”

Our eyes met, and a chill ran over me at the coldness I saw there. He was always reserved, but I didn’t know this side of him, not well, and it still scared me.

He leaned forward and whispered, “Slap me again, and you’ll regret it. Sadly, I’m busy today, but don’t worry, I’ll be back later, and I’ll have you strung up in chains in my room so I can punish you.”

His words had a slight effect on me, but I ignored it. “Who’s weak now, Lucas? Using sex to avoid talking about your feelings? I’ve got more respect for Asher than you. He’s earned it. You just demand it through bullying people.”

His eyes narrowed. “I never made out I was a cuddles and hearts kind of guy, Nova. No matter what you want to turn me into, this is me, cold and dark. I am a monster, remember? And I’m not going to change, not even for you.”

He turned on his heel and slammed out the door, leaving me feeling scattered and confused. I couldn’t believe that he was so cold and heartless.

I turned to Maverick. “He doesn’t care,” I murmured quietly.

“Lucas has always been like that. Everyone’s a game to him. He’s never been one to let his emotions get in the way.” He wrapped his arms around me. “I’ll talk to Asher.”

“No, I don’t think you should,” I said. “I think it would humiliate him further if he knew you knew. He hero worships you, you know?”

Maverick sighed. “It used to be Jaxon. He used to follow him around like a puppy. It’s why it broke him so badly when Jaxon just left without a goodbye. I think he might feel like Jaxon just pretended to care for him all those years.”

“Abandonment really does fuck with people’s heads,” I muttered quietly.

“Yeah, I guess it does. Are you okay?”

I looked up into his face, and the concern and love I saw there filled me with warmth. “I’ll do,” I answered honestly. “Can you give me a ride to work?”

Maverick smiled. “It’ll cost you.”

I smiled back and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him, but as he pulled me close, I wondered how much last night was going to cost all of us.

My heart pounded in my chest as I crept around the back of Ethan’s house and made my way up the wooden steps to the back door. I knew the alpha was out that morning. The entire pack council was over at one of the villages on the west side of the island, dealing with various issues there. Maverick had gone with them after he’d dropped me at the tourist centre. It didn’t take much to convince Eleanor that I needed to run a quick errand, and I’d made my way to Ethan’s house with the intention of breaking in and finding out what the hell was going on with him.

The town was a small one, and people didn’t always lock their doors. I was hoping that Ethan was one of them, but I was out of luck. I cursed as the handle bent but wouldn’t open. It was too risky to try the front door. Or was it? I skirted the house and glanced up and down the street. There was no one in sight. Kids were in school, and wolves were at work or otherwise occupied. This might be my only chance as well. I walked around and up the driveway, then made my way casually up the steps and tried the front door. It opened under my hand, and I walked in without hesitating before closing it behind me.

Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I looked around. The house was decorated and furnished in a homely way that surprised me. Ethan didn’t have a mate or children, which was unusual for an alpha, and this house was clearly designed for a family. It would make a lovely home. My heart jumped as I realised that if Maverick were to take over as pack alpha, this would be his house, and as his mate, it would be mine too. For a moment, I allowed myself a dip into the fantasy of living here with Maverick, Lucas, and Asher. The four of us would be a family in the centre of the town, surrounded by a pack, a community. No, not four of us, five. I laid my hand on my stomach and gently pushed. I was rewarded by a small shove back, and I smiled.

The smile faded as I remembered why I was here. Without blackmail material, Ethan could spill my secrets at any point. I knew I needed to tell the guys the truth, but I couldn’t let him do it, and as soon as he realised I really didn’t know what he was up to, he’d have power over me.

Resolutely, I walked through the house, quickly searching each room and trying to leave as little evidence of my presence as possible. The last door was Ethan’s office. I had assumed the evidence would be here, but I wasn’t sure. After all, the council often used the office, and Maverick was in here quite a bit learning about running the pack, so it would be nuts to leave papers lying about that he could find.

Determined to be thorough, I began to search the room. I rifled through his desk drawers and shuffled through piles of paper and books. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, so I moved on to the bookcases next, scanning titles quickly before pulling out one volume after another and leafing through them in search of a clue. I was conscious that I had been here quite a while and the pack could return at any minute. Despite my persistent searching, I hadn’t found anything that seemed suspicious or out of place. I sighed in frustration, wondering if this had all been a waste of time.

There was a small filing cabinet at the other end of the office, and I pulled the drawers open. It was divided into sections, mainly things like power, water, harbour fees, commercial leases, that kind of thing, but right at the back, I found a folder marked “Confidential and Personal.” I removed it from the drawer and carefully opened it up.

Inside was a collection of copied letters signed by Ethan. Each document contained detailed instructions on setting up secret offshore bank accounts and transferring funds. It seemed that Ethan had been using his financial resources to help fund various criminal activities. I noticed several of the letters were addressed to my father. I skimmed them quickly. They talked about the union between Maverick and Tessa, which were clearly written before I’d come on the scene, and then Ethan’s plans for Maverick to take over as alpha, including a proposed date for Ethan to step down. I frowned. This seemed like strange information to pass along to the alpha of another pack, and why on earth would my father have a say on what date Ethan stepped down as alpha?

I quickly went through the rest of the letters, finding another one that made me pause. It was a proposal to Ethan, as trustee of the Sea Wolf Pack, to sell a large portion of the pack lands to a logging company based in the city for a seven figure sum. I flipped the letter over, looking at the map on the back that showed the portion of land concerned outlined in red, and my mouth fell open in disbelief. The enclosed area covered almost two-thirds of the island, including the land where the claiming was run and a vast part of the interior. The place where Asher and I had gone to see Standing Bear was included, and I took a shaky breath at the memory of all those beautiful ancient trees being razed to the ground.

Surely Ethan hadn’t considered the proposal. As alpha, he did control the pack finances and have the power to sell off land, but this was nearly everything except the land on which the town and nearby villages were built.

I turned the letter back over. The proposal included a substantial commission for Ethan himself if he agreed to the deal. Was this what Jaxon had discovered? Did Ethan mean to sell the pack lands before he stepped down and then disappear? There was nothing to suggest he had agreed though. Ethan had printed out his own responses, keeping everything together, but there was nothing to suggest he’d even replied to this offer. Maybe he’d just kept it as a last resort in case anything went wrong with the pack. Maverick had said the pack finances were struggling, so perhaps Ethan had thought he might be able to make a counteroffer for a small part of the land that might ease things financially for the pack. It was a possibility.

I returned the letters to the file, keeping the one about the logging proposal. I folded it and slipped it into the waistband of my jeans with a grimace. My jeans were starting to get too tight, so I undid the top button, hoping to loosen them a little. I closed the file and returned it to its place in the filing cabinet before heading back out into the hallway. This was the proof that could expose Ethan’s crimes, but Maverick was already aware of Ethan’s less than moral dealings, so he might even know about the folder. He was planning to clean things up when Ethan stepped down, but he hadn’t wanted to cause waves in case Ethan decided to remain as alpha longer and continue his schemes. Maverick’s main worry was protecting the pack. As far as he was concerned, what Ethan got up to with his own money was irrelevant, or, at least, he could put up with it for the short time that remained.

There was clearly something Ethan was keeping from Maverick, but I wasn’t sure if this was it. I went back to the desk. I had already searched it to no avail, but it occurred to me that Ethan probably kept important things secure, so maybe something password protected. I started up his computer, and although the main desktop was instantly accessible, I still couldn’t find anything that he kept protected. So far, Ethan seemed clean.

I sighed and shut down the computer. I headed back out into the hallway and contemplated searching the bedrooms. This might be my only chance, but I had already been here over half an hour, and Eleanor might be wondering where I was. As a last attempt, I flipped through the books on the small bookcase in the hall. They were mainly coffee table books about the wildlife and sights on the island and looked like they’d never been opened, but as I lifted one of the heavier ones, a couple of sheets of paper dropped to the floor with a rustle. I flipped through the rest of the book to make sure there was nothing else, then replaced it on the shelf and picked up the papers.

My heart stopped as I read the name at the bottom of the letter.

“That can’t be right,” I murmured. “Doctor Harold Smith... It is. What the fuck?”

Doctor Harold Smith had been Jaxon’s doctor. He’d been the one who had originally diagnosed Jaxon’s condition—a rare disorder starting with generic symptoms of gastro problems, which were inevitably incurable, and had led to a long, slow, and painful death as his organs had shut down. Doctor Smith had been a lifeline for me over the months of Jaxon’s illness, constantly visiting the apartment to deliver pain relief, and sometimes even sitting with Jaxon so I could get some sleep or a shower. I had hardly dared to leave his side, and the doctor’s help had been a godsend.

I scanned the letters, wondering if Jaxon had asked the doctor to notify his family of his illness, but this didn’t seem like a letter breaking the news of a loved one’s sickness. It informed Ethan matter-of-factly that Jaxon was deteriorating steadily, and only had a few months to live if the deterioration continued at this pace. The second letter confirmed that Jaxon’s internal organs were shutting down, and he didn’t have much time left. He was delirious part of the time, but even then, the doctor hadn’t been able to get any information from him. Searches of the apartment had failed to turn up any storage device.

I laid the letters on the shelf and stared at them, suddenly feeling very sick. Ethan knew. He knew where Jaxon was the whole time, which I knew, but he had known that Jaxon was seriously ill and had hired the doctor to find whatever information Jaxon had on him. He knew he was dying and hadn’t told his brothers. Ethan could have told them, and they could have come to the mainland and found him. They could have had a short time together before he died, and it would have fixed everything between them. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into the soft skin of my palms, and inside, my wolf snarled and spat at the thought of what Ethan had done. If I hadn’t already hated the man, this would have been the last straw. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to rip him apart and taste his blood in my mouth as I tore out his throat.

I took a shaky breath and picked up the letters. I pulled the logging company letter back out to fold them together and stared down at the logo on the letterhead—Alliance Logging Logistics. I felt cold seep through my body. That was the company Jaxon had worked for in the city, the one he’d said he’d hated but we needed the money. There was no way that could be a coincidence. Jaxon left the island and went to work for the same company that the alpha was in correspondence with about possibly selling pack lands?

Thoughts and memories and suspicions danced around in my head in deafening chaos, and I closed my eyes, feeling pain increasing behind my eyes. I needed to get out and get someplace where I could sit and think.

I folded the letters and tucked them back into my jeans. Glancing around to make sure everything was as it had been, I opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch, right into Ethan.