Chapter 16
Nyah
Maybe it was the bond, but I instantly felt when Braxton’s mood changed when he saw the woman sitting next to his mother. Hell, I noticed the she-wolf as soon as we walked into the room. The Vogue model looking woman with long brown hair and olive skin tone eyes seemed to brighten as they fell on Braxton. Who is she?
“Not until you tell me why Megan is sitting at the table with my family.” Braxton asked his mother, and I wanted to know the answer too.
Before his mother could reply, the Megan chick is out of her seat, sauntering towards Braxton.
“Now Braxton, you know your mother never travels without me. I am her assistant, of course,” she says all bubbly.
As she gets closer to him, Megan extends her arms to hug him, but I block her path.
“Megan, is it?” I ask while she studies me.
“It is,” she replies.
“I’m Nyah, Braxton’s mate . If you’re not a part of his immediate family, I would appreciate it if you didn’t touch him.”
Megan glances at Braxton, then back to me, then back to Braxton. “Mate? You told me even if you found your mate, you would deny the bond just like your father did!”
“Watch your fucking mouth,” Bryant snarls. “Don’t speak on shit you know nothing about.”
Megan withdraws into herself like a child being chastised. I’m glad he said something because I was two seconds away from forgetting I was part wolf and scratching her damn eyes out like a cat.
I whip my head towards Braxton. Oh, so Megan is someone Braxton has had dealings with in the past. I wonder how far in the past because her reaction to him makes it seem like it wasn’t too long ago. And the whole denying the bond? What the Hell? Hearing that shit, I try to take my hand away from Braxton’s. I need to go outside to get some fresh air before I go psychotic in this room, but he grips it tighter.
“Braxton, I’m going to step outside and call my daddy to check on Crown,” I softly speak, trying to keep my composure. Turning to Kenia, I ask, “Will you come with me?”
“Of course,” she replies, mean-muggin’ Megan.
Anger radiates off Braxton as he tells me, “I know what you’re doing and you’re not going anywhere.” He side-eyes Megan, saying, “First of all, I never told you anything about denying the bond between me and my mate. Things with us have been over for months. I don’t know why my mother brought you here, but Nyah is my mate. Whatever we had in the past is just that, the past.” Braxton’s eyes shift to his wolf as he leans in closer to her. “Let me give you a little piece of advice, never come between destined mates. You know this, but if you need a refresher course, I’ll be happy to have Nyah go over it with you.”
“Braxton, that’s enough,” his mother interjects. “Megan nor I knew you found your mate. Your father only called and said for me to come here because you had big news. I only assumed it was regarding the hotel. “
Braxton frowns. “Exactly, he said for you to come, not anyone else. But since you decided to bring her with you, I will not have my mate feeling uncomfortable by her presence. Mother, we can meet at another time so you can formally meet Nyah. You are welcome to stay at the hotel, but your assistant will have to find other accommodations.” He tugs my hand. “Let’s go.”
“Braxton wait,” Bryant calls, rising from his seat. “There’s no need for you all to leave.” He looks at Braxton’s mother, then says, “Ramona, have your driver take Megan to one of the hotels closer to ours. Tonight was only to be with family as we celebrate Braxton and Nyah.”
Megan twists her face up as if someone smeared shit on it. “Family? Am I not family? I have always been included in family functions.”
“But not this one,” Bryant boldly states. “As a matter of fact, if it doesn’t concern Pack business with Ramona, there will be no reason for you to travel with her. And seeing that this is non-Pack business, you can have the driver take you back to the airport.”
Ms. Megan didn’t like hearing that as her cheeks turned red while staring her Alpha down.
“You can’t do that,” she sneers.
Bryant chuckles. “Oh, but I can because I am your Alpha. If you choose not to obey my command, then you will be exiled.” He holds up his right pointer finger. “But just so you know, if you choose that route, I will reach out to every Pack Alpha in Texas to let them know why you are no longer a member of ours. Trust, they will not accept you with open arms.”
Megan stared at her Alpha before storming back to her chair to retrieve her purse. As she passed Braxton and I, she mumbled under her breath, “This isn’t over.”
“And I hope not,” I countered. “You’re in my city where the wolves eat everything down to the bone. If the authorities find one piece of DNA from you it will be after we shitted you out.”
The silly woman had the nerve to try and slap me, but Braxton caught her wrist with the quickness.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” he booms.
Before Megan can respond, I punch her in the face, ready to give her the ass whooping she’s asking for. The punch catches her off guard, but she quickly recovers, snatching her wrist from Braxton, then charges me. We lock up like two wild wolves, exchanging blows. Megan’s punches feel like mosquito bites rather than the hard connects I put on her. The grunts she lets out after every strike prove that.
Poor Braxton is taken aback. “Kenia, get your sister!”
During our scuffle, I hear Kenia say, “She’s fine.”
“Levi,” he yells.
Moments later Braxton locks his arms around me, pulling me away from Megan. Levi does the same with Megan.
“Let it go,” he whispers. “Trust me, she’s not worth it.”
Reluctantly, I simmer down. “Fine, but you have a lot of explaining to do.”
“As soon as this meal with my parents is over, I will answer any questions you have.”
Bryant waves over his guards. “Take her to the airport and escort her back to Texas. I will phone the pilot to let him know you’re coming.” He studies the two, then adds, “Make sure she gets on that jet. There will be other guards waiting for her once you land. The two of you can fly back afterwards.”
“Yes, Alpha,” they say at the same time before bowing, then coming to retrieve Megan off the floor. She continues to cry, kick, and scream as they physically remove her from the room.
Is this the type of shit I’m going to have to deal with being mated to Braxton? First, I had to deal with the mess with Fonda earlier and now, an ex-lover. Could the same shit happen if I traveled with him to one of his other hotels? Will another past conquest be so blatantly disrespectful? I definitely had questions for his ass. If our relationship is going to work, then he needs to make sure I never cross paths with any of his bed wenches, employed with Hillard Hotels or not.
With Megan finally gone, Braxton ushered me to the second empty seat on his father’s left side. I was thankful that it wasn’t next to his mother. Although I can’t fault her for not knowing that Braxton found his mate, the petty side of me is still hanging on.
Once we were seated the waitress gave us menus. Braxton massages my thigh under the table. He addresses his mother. “Mother, since I didn’t have the opportunity for introductions, I will do so now. This is Nyah Lightfeather, my mate and sitting next to Levi is her older sister, Kenia. Their father is Noah Lightfeather, Alpha of the Midnight Pack here. Ladies, this is my mother, Ramona Cross.”
“Nice to meet you,” Kenia and I said together.
His mother smiles. “It’s nice to meet the two of you too. And Nyah, I do apologize for Megan’s behavior.”
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Ms. Cross,” I return. “You are not responsible for her actions. Trust me, Braxton has recently been put in the same position by someone who I thought was a friend but saw things differently in his head.”
“Is that so?” she questioned, looking at Braxton.
“It is,” Braxton nonchalantly replies. “No one tries to claim the woman the Gods have made for me.”
Ramona sighs, “Well, I’m glad you have enough sense to fight.”
Not sure if the others noticed it, but I caught the way Ramona side-eyed Bryant. Her reaction only adds to my questions for Braxton.
“Ramona,” Bryant warns, staring straight in her eyes. “Braxton and Nyah will be fine once Braxton removes the negative bullshit from their lives.”
“And I have no doubt they will be, but I want Nyah to know that up until that final moment when the bond is sealed, her mate can walk away if he chooses too. That’s not to say Braxton will follow in his father’s footsteps on that aspect, but it could happen.”
Bryant slams his palms on the table. “You’re out of line, Ramona.”
Ramona says, “Am I Bryant? I’m just trying to prevent the next generation from being like father, like son.”
Braxton intervenes, clarifying, “There’s no father like son, whatever happened between the two of you has nothing to do with me. All my life, the two of you have been a part of it, which I am grateful for. Outside of that, I’m appreciative that you kept it away from me, but at this juncture, it’s not about you all. It’s about me and my mate. Whatever you have going on can be brought up at the next tribunal meeting.”
“And I will,” his mother said. “I only have your best interests at heart.”
“And I thank you for that mother, but after Megan’s exhibit of disrespect and grandeur, she can no longer be around me or my mate. I can’t put up an argument if you choose to keep her on as your assistant. My only request is if we have any meetings together, she isn’t present.”
Ramona nods. “That I can honor.”
“Thank you,” Braxton sends back to her.
The mood shifts when the waitress enters to hand out menus.
After browsing over it, I look at Kenia and I ask, “What are you going to get?” I should have asked Braxton, but I was still in my feelings,
With her eyes still on the menu, Kenia replies, “I think, I’ll have the rib eye with a baked potato, and steamed vegetables.”
“I’ll have the same,” I tell the waitress. “Except with my baked potato can I have extra sour cream?”
“Absolutely,” the waitress says, jotting down the extra info on her pad.
I nestle in my chair after handing the waitress my menu. Today has been one I never would have expected. There are so many unanswered questions playing ping pong in my head and if I had to narrow down the most demanding two, they would be, “Why did Braxton keep me from giving Megan the ability of brandishing a disability placard in her car? The next is obviously to find out why his mother abhors such disdain towards his father. Once I get an understanding about that, it saves me from making a trip to Texas to finish what I started with Megan.
One thing that plays repeatedly in my head is something daddy told me and Kenia.
“ You are Alpha females. Many eligible males, Alpha or not will be vying for your attention. Your job is to deny those who aren’t appealing to you. Everything else will seem good at first but male wolves will have skeletons in their closets and will fall out. It’s up to you to decide how to go forth.”