8. Chapter 8 #2
And I know better than to argue against two old matriarchs. We follow them to a seating area near the windows. I keep Julia close, my hand at the small of her back. The weight of eyes on us is palpable.
"So," my mother begins as we sit, "how exactly did this sudden relationship blossom?"
"We met only a couple days ago," Julia replies smoothly. "And it was just love at first sight."
My mother's eyebrow arches and I know I need to take control of the situation.
"Just like that." Meredith’s voice is sweet as honey and deadly as a rattlesnake’s venom.
"Mother," I warn, my voice low. “I met Julia and my wolf rose to claim her. She accepted that claim. End of story.”
She ignores me, focusing on Julia.
"Do you even understand what it means to be bound to an alpha? The responsibilities, the sacrifices?"
The room has gone quiet, everyone sipping their tea while hanging on every word. Julia sits straighter, her chin lifting slightly.
"With all due respect, Mrs. Wolfsbane, I don't believe that's anyone's business but ours."
A current of fitful excitement weaves through the people sitting at the table. Even Silverine Draak seems to be shocked that someone, anyone, would dare to answer my mother like that, especially a human woman .
"It's the business of the entire pack when the future alpha chooses a mate," my mother counters, all semblance of a smile gone from her face. "Especially a human mate with no ties to our community. A stranger."
“Adrian knows you planned for him to take a wolf for a mate.” Julia's pulse jumps, but her expression remains composed. "But plans can change."
I can smell Julia's anxiety spiking, mingling with indignation and determination. My wolf bristles at my mother's challenge, urging me to defend our claim. Before I can speak, Julia sets down her teacup with a decisive click.
"Mrs. Wolfsbane, I understand your concern. Your son is important to you, as he should be." Her voice is calm, but there's steel beneath it. "But questioning the authenticity of our relationship in public is both inappropriate and unnecessary."
My mother's eyes narrow and her eyes flash a wolfish golden yellow, betraying the she-wolf she is, just under the surface. The she-wolf who just had the rug pulled right out from under her feet.
"Mother, that's enough," I growl, my patience snapping.
I make a decision in that moment, driven by a need to protect Julia that goes beyond our arrangement. I pull her closer, one arm sliding around her waist. She stiffens momentarily, then relaxes against me.
“Julia is my mate and I will not allow anyone to challenge this,” I say, my voice low and rough. "Not from the pack and not from you."
To emphasize my point, I brush Julia's hair aside and press my lips to the bare skin where her shoulder meets her neck. It's a possessive gesture that no werewolf could misinterpret. My wolf surges forward, nearly breaking the surface as I inhale her scent, now perfectly blended with mine.
"She smells like me," I murmur, loud enough for my mother to hear, "because she is mine."
I feel Julia's pulse hammer against my palm. For a heartbeat, I fear I've gone too far, crossed a line that will shatter our fragile arrangement. Then she turns in my arms, her eyes meeting mine with a look of such perfect understanding that my breath catches.
She reaches up to touch my jaw, her fingers gentle against my stubble. Her other hand plays with the cuff of my uniform shirt in a deliberately intimate gesture.
"He may be a grump," she says, her lips curving into a smile that reaches her eyes, "but he's my grump. My grumpy wolf."
Then she kisses me.
It's brief but perfect, a claim of her own that leaves me momentarily stunned. My wolf howls in triumph, convinced this is no act. I have to fight to keep my eyes from glowing, to keep my claws from extending.
When we break apart, the tension in the room has shifted. My mother sits back, momentarily silenced. Silverine raises one elegantly arched brow and sips her tea, looking far too pleased with the drama unfolding in her salon.
"Well," Silverine says into the silence, "I believe congratulations are in order. It seems the Draak-Ashbane wedding isn't the only match made at Windfall Manor."
My mother's expression is unreadable, but I know her well enough to see that she's reassessing Julia. She’s not dismissing her, but considering her with new eyes.
Wolves like her love women with claws. Figurative or real .
"Indeed," Meredith says finally. "Though I do expect a proper introduction to the pack, Adrian. This weekend will be perfect."
Before I can respond, Julia squeezes my hand.
“We would be honored, Mrs. Wolfsbane. Adrian and I will be there.”
My mother inclines her head. I know the war is far from over, but this is a ceasefire and I’ll take it. The conversation gradually resumes around us, though I note several speculative glances in our direction.
Julia excuses herself to check on wedding details, and I follow her into a side corridor. The moment we're alone, she rounds on me, her composed facade crumbling.
"What the hell was that?" she hisses, poking a finger into my chest.
I capture her finger gently, keeping her hand trapped against my chest where she can feel my hammering heart.
"That was me keeping you from being fired."
"By throwing me to the literal wolves? Not cool, Adrian."
"And you played along beautifully." I don't release her hand. "Now no one will question us."
Her eyes flash.
“Let’s not forget this all ends in less than two weeks.”
The words sting more than they should and my wolf growls at the prospect of Julia leaving. Before I can respond, footsteps pound down the hallway. Percy Ashbane rounds the corner, his face flushed, his normally perfect appearance disheveled.
"Adrian!" He skids to a stop, barely acknowledging Julia. "We have a security breach in the west wing. "
Julia and I lock eyes, the tension between us momentarily forgotten. Then I turn and run, following Percy down the corridor, my wolf surging beneath my skin.
I’m ready for the hunt.