Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Jared
Emily’s truck slows to a stop in front of an upscale Pinecrest townhouse, the engine ticking as she shifts into park.
The battered cat carrier rattles in the back seat when I turn to grab it, the metal door clanging. Through the mesh front, I catch a glimpse of the worn fleece blanket Emily had tucked inside ages ago, hoping to bring her cat home, and the sight of it sends anger simmering through my veins.
“We should wait.” Emily’s knuckles whiten on the steering wheel. “He might not be home.”
I don’t need pheromones to know she’s anxious, and it hurts my chest to witness this confident Alpha shrinking into uncertainty over a situation where she’s in the right.
She has no problem standing up for me, but standing up for herself? Clearly, she needs someone in her corner, reminding her that she deserves better from the people around her, too.
“Is that his car in the driveway?” I point toward the sleek silver sedan parked beneath a flowering cherry tree.
“Yeah.”
“Then come on.” I reach over to unclip her seat belt. “We’ve already come this far.”
Emily stares at the front door, the plum color made rich when framed by the cream siding. The house belongs on the cover of a real estate magazine, with manicured shrubs, brass house numbers gleaming in the sunlight, and climbing roses.
It’s nothing like the cozy excess of Emily’s little cottage, bursting with personality and love.
“You don’t have to come with me.” She pulls the keys from the ignition but doesn’t move to open her door. “I can handle Auren.”
Despite the confident words, her chin tucks toward her chest, and her hand shakes as she tucks a lock of silver hair behind her ear, fingering the short strands.
“I’m coming.” I reach across the center console, my hand hovering near hers before I think better of it and pull back. “You shouldn’t face him alone.”
She doesn’t argue, which tells me more than words could about how much she needs the support. The Emily I’ve grown close to would insist on independence and bristle at the suggestion that she needs help with anything.
We climb out of the truck, and the cat carrier bumps my leg as I follow Emily up the stone path to the front door. Morning sunlight gleams off the pretentious lion’s head knocker that Emily taps twice before stepping back.
Her breathing changes, growing shallow as we wait, and my own heart pounds in response, an unfamiliar nervousness crawling up my spine.
What kind of man could reduce the formidable Emily to this uncertain creature beside me?
The door swings open, and the man who appears steals my breath for all the wrong reasons.
He’s draped in pale silk with plum undertones matching the door, the fabric falling in artful waves around a slender frame.
Lavender hair catches the light like spun sugar, swept to one side and held with a clip sparkling with what might be real diamonds.
His eyes, a startling shade of amethyst, widen in surprise.
He’s the kind of Omega beauty Alphas fall all over themselves to court.
“Emily.” His voice flows like sweet, sticky honey. “What an unexpected surprise.”
He dismisses my presence, all of his attention on the Alpha beside me. Even without the ability to read his pheromones, I can read the calculation in his expression, and the way his mouth curves into a practiced smile meant to disarm.
“You look…tired, sweetie.” He tilts his head, the graceful movement showing off his best angle. “Still working those brutal hours for people who don’t appreciate you?”
Emily’s throat works as she swallows. “Hello, Auren.”
“And who’s this?” Auren gestures toward me. “A new stray?”
Heat creeps up my neck. Alphas and Omegas react to each other’s pheromones, using invisible cues to trigger responses. But I rely on what the world offers up, and right now, it’s a gorgeous man using his allure as a weapon, each word a targeted dart.
“This is Jared,” Emily says, tension running through the introduction. “He works at the resort.”
Auren’s focus shifts to me, landing on the bruises blooming across my face, and his plush lips form a mew of disgust. “My, my. He’s had a rough time of it, hasn’t he?”
I straighten my spine, refusing to cower beneath his scrutiny. “Nice to meet you, too.”
Auren blinks, surprise flashing across his features before the mask slips back into place. “Well, I doubt you’ve come for a social call. What brings you to my doorstep after all this time, Em? Missing the comforts of pack life?”
Emily flinches at the nickname, a tiny movement anyone else might miss. But I’m focused on her, not him, and every word strikes her like a physical blow.
“The pack has been talking about you,” Auren continues, leaning against the doorframe. “Store-bought bread just isn’t the same as what you used to make us. Maybe you could bring treats sometime and catch up. Just because you abandoned us doesn’t mean we can’t be civil.”
“I didn’t abandon anyone,” Emily whispers, staring at a point past Auren’s shoulder. “You pushed me out.”
“Such drama.” Auren waves a dismissive hand, the silk of his sleeve rippling. “No one forced you to remove your name from our registration.”
The lie hangs between them, and Emily absorbs it without protest, and I wonder how many times she’s stood like this, letting Auren rewrite their history.
“How are the others?” Emily asks, her voice smaller than I’ve ever heard it.
“Thriving.” Auren examines his manicured nails. “We’ve actually expanded. Two new members joined last month. Alphas, of course. We needed the balance after you left.”
Another barb, another flinch.
I shift the cat carrier to my other hand, the plastic handle cutting into my palm.
“Sounds like you’re doing just fine without me,” Emily says flatly, unable to disguise the hurt threaded through it.
“Necessary adjustments.” Auren’s hand lifts to trace along one delicate collarbone. “That’s what happens in a healthy pack. We adapt. Move forward. Some of us don’t cling to the past.”
His gaze drops to the cat carrier in my hand, understanding dawning across his perfect features. “Ah. I understand what this is about now.”
Emily’s fingers twist together. “We came for Mixie.”
“Did you?” A chill threads through the question. “After all these months without a single visit, you show up expecting me to hand over what’s mine?”
“I tried—”
“Not very hard, though, did you?” Auren interrupts and tsks. “Always falling short where it counts.”
“She was never yours,” I interject, unable to stay silent and unsure if I mean Mixie or Emily.
Auren’s attention snaps to me, his beautiful features hardening, displaying fine wrinkles, and I realize he’s much older than I first assumed, by at least a decade.
How young was Emily when he seduced her? Because I have no doubt after only a few minutes in Auren’s presence who approached who first. She had said they were together for a while, and I now regret not pushing for a more concrete timeline.
Auren’s lip curls into a delicate sneer. “I wasn’t speaking to you.”
“You should be.” I step forward, placing myself ahead of Emily. “Because this isn’t a negotiation. We’re here to collect Emily’s cat.”
Auren’s laugh rings out, musical and empty. “Emily, control your new pet before he embarrasses himself further.”
Emily says nothing, and the silence stretches between them like a rubber band pulled too tight.
“Remember when you thought you could build a real pack?” Auren asks, dropping to a confidential murmur. “All those plans for a house with a yard, a place for everyone to belong? Look how that turned out.”
The words hit their target, and Emily’s head lowers. This cruel, beautiful man has her measure, striking her most tender places to wound the most.
“You couldn’t keep the pack together,” Auren continues, twisting the knife. “What makes you think you can take care of Mixie now?”
Emily shrinks with each word, folding in on herself until she barely resembles the woman who faced down an entire security office yesterday. This powerful Alpha, reduced to silence by honey-coated venom, leaves me stunned.
And in this moment, I understand why Emily saved me yesterday. She understands what it’s like to be powerless, to have others minimize your worth and then shove those opinions onto your shoulders.
Auren leans forward, his next words meant for Emily alone. “You know she’s better off with me, Em. You’re gone too much, always working. Always putting others first.”
Emily’s hands clench at her sides, her fingernails digging into her palms. “Mixie’s mine. I adopted her and have the paperwork to prove it.”
Auren blinks, taken aback that she didn’t give in to his logic.
The perfect mask slips for a fraction of a second before resettling.
“Paperwork? How clinical of you, Em. Relationships aren’t about documents.
They’re about connection. If you’d invested in Theo’s business like I told you to, just imagine where we’d be right now. ”
Auren’s hand smooths over his flat stomach. “We could have even had a pup by now.”
Disgust fills me at the blatant attempt at manipulation.
One silky thigh makes an appearance through the slit in his robe. “Mixie’s better off here, with the pack. You know I’m right.”
Emily’s throat works as she swallows, her resolve wavering. “I’ll adjust my schedule. I’ve already started bringing work home instead of staying late at the site.”
“For how long?” Auren shakes his head with false concern. “A week? A month? Until the next big project eats up every waking moment? That’s just who you are, Em. The work always comes first.”
The calculated cruelty behind his questions reignites my anger, followed by the overwhelming need to protect this Alpha.
“That’s not how pet ownership works.” I step forward, setting the carrier on the porch with a thunk that draws both their attention. “Emily has the adoption papers. Emily paid the medical bills. Under the law, Mixie belongs to her.”