Chapter 55 #2
"If you did that, you wouldn't be able to access the pack funds.
We'd have to put in a request to change the name of our company, or you'd have to merge your company, if you have one, with ours.
" I spoke carefully, trying to gauge Alistair's reactions.
He was awfully interested in funds and company formalities.
For a man who claimed he wanted sons from me and more pack land, he was showing more of an interest in completely different aspects related to the pack.
I cocked my head to the side, what exactly was going on with him?
I was surprised when Alistair brought me back to the alpha residence of the Bloodfire Phoenix Pack.
"This is your home,” Alistair said brusquely, following me into the mansion. "You can continue to live here."
I watched Alistair walk towards Aiden's study, opening the door like he belonged there.
Painful memories of me and Aiden lounging around in his study slashed through me, opening the wound his absence had created.
But now was not the time to be weak. I followed Alistair in to see him opening drawers on Aiden's study table.
"What are you looking for in Aiden's study?" I asked cautiously.
Alistair looked up at me intently with a raised graying eyebrow.
"This used to be Alpha Austin's study,” he said grimly, shuffling through some papers in a drawer before slamming it shut. He looked up at me briefly again before striding over to the shelf on the far side of the wall. "Then it was Aiden’s. Now it's mine." His lips were set in a grim line.
"Maybe I could help with what you're looking for,” I ventured.
I didn't feel any sort of connection to this man despite a light tugging which my entire being rebelled against. This awful man who had killed Alpha Austin and had almost killed the love of my life. But I could fake it. "You are the alpha now,” I spoke a little hesitantly.
I didn't know if he'd believe me. Hell I didn't even know if I sounded convinced of what I was saying.
Alistair looked back at me, as if what I said wasn't all that surprising.
"Have you heard of Evercore Inc.?"
I blinked back my surprise. Alistair shook his head, disappointment evident in his eyes as he took in my complete confusion.
"Of course you haven’t,” he muttered to himself.
"You were only a baby when they..." Alistair rolled back his shoulders, cracking his neck as he moved it from side to side.
My gaze was fixed on him and I was trying to read his intentions.
Alister looked at me again. "I need you to converse with your elders and ask Alpha Austin where the EIA report is for the creek. "
"The...the creek?" I looked at him utterly flabbergasted.
What the hell was an EIA report?
"An EIA is an Environmental Impact Assessment. This is all going over your head, I know." Alistair's voice was dry and then he continued speaking, his voice held a tone of warning. "You will ask him, little wolf, or you will not like what I do with you as punishment for disobeying me."
I took a step back, but my black heel caught on the threads of the carpet. I stumbled slightly, just barely managing to get my footing.
"Good to see you're scared enough to cooperate.” Alistair’s voice was smug.
I decided to let him thinkI'd lost my footing from fear, not from a misstep.
"I can ask,” I offered in a small voice.
"Now." Alistair enunciated the word.
"We…we need to go to the temple."
So a quarter of an hour later, I found myself sitting cross-legged in the dark blue blazer and matching slacks I'd worn to the board meeting earlier today.
Alistair hadn't even given me time to change.
There was something frantic in the way he was going about this.
What was the rush? He seemed to be in a hurry to get the pack funds and find out about this Environmental Impact Assessment he kept going on about.
I had never felt more out of the loop than Idid right now.
But as I tried to enact the ritual, there was only a brief flare of heat from my fingertips and no yellow glow to the room.
"What's going on?" Alistair asked anxiously, as I tried again for the tenth time. "Have they appeared yet?"
He looked around the empty room as if expecting a ghost to show up. My heart sank as I realized that the ceremony wouldn't work because I wasn't mated to the alpha of the pack.
"Sometimes, they don't answer,” I said hastily. "They're not exactly a help-line for me," Iconfessed quietly.
Alistair crossed his arms. He peered at me speculatively as Istood up, brushing away dust from my slacks. Suddenly, he had me pushed against the wall, his hands vice-like clamps around my upper arms. Alistair's eyes glowed yellow. His breath blew into my eyes as he breathed harshly.
"Maybe I should mark you, just to make sure you're telling the truth," he threatened.
I felt the pounding of my heart. The deafening roar of blood as cold fear clawed inside my belly.
"You...you could," I managed to choke out, preparing myself for the worst. "But it still wouldn't make them answer my call until they are ready."
I froze when I felt his big hand trail roughly up my shoulder to close around my throat.
Was he going to kill me now? But he didn't apply pressure.
Instead, his thumb grazed over the hollow of my throat as he swallowed.
I noticed his Adam's apple bobbing up and down and a smirk was playing on his face like he was toying with the idea of strangling me.
Then Alistair let me go, pulling back to glare at me.
"What exactly do you mean, answer your call?" He tilted his head to the side.
Mind games.I knew he was playing mind games with me. Hoping to scare me into becoming obedient. He was using my fear for him as a weapon. I realized he thought my character weak enough to fall for these ploys. If he thought I was weak, he would underestimate me.
I hugged myself, exaggerating a wince over the pain in my arms from where Alistair had gripped me. There would definitely be bruises from that.
"I don't know the exact logistics,” I whispered, deciding this was a safe topic for now.
"But it's like they're asleep or...or maybe in heaven, if there is one for werewolves.
I don't know. But when I do the ritual, it's almost like it wakes them from their slumber.
They...they come to me, talk with me. Guide me.
Give me advice." I passed a tired hand over my face.I'd had this discussion with Aiden before. In this very temple. I missed him.
"So they don't know any more or any less than they did before they died?" Alistair pressed.
I looked at Alistair. “Unless I pass on new information, they are not privy to the new developments in our lives. But,” I began, hoping Alistair would be wary of the way he treated me, "they can sense things with me.
They can tell if I'm trying to hide something or lying or if there's something wrong with me.
" I wasn't sure if what I said was entirely true, but it seemed like it since they could sense when my wolf hadn't mated with Aiden's.
Alistair's eyes narrowed. "So they wouldn't cooperate with us if they thought you were being...mistreated,” Alistair concluded.
My shoulders sagged with relief. He'd said “us”. It meant he thought we were, to a degree, working together.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don't know.” My voice rang with the sincerity of my words. "I'm only telling you my own personal theories from my experience with them." It was the truth and as I looked in the eyes of Alistair I realized he had believed it.
The older alpha heaved a sigh, massaging his graying temples before looking back at me with a pointed look.
"You don't have to worry about me forcing myself on you.
I like my women willing, older too, but that can't be helped.
The mate bond should pull you to me soon enough.
It probably is already since you've been so cooperative.
" His lips curled up in a sneer as his eyes trailed my body.
"Wish I could say the same for myself. You reek of your previous mate. "
Alistair turned on his heel, motioning for me to follow.I followed his command, worrying my bottom lip was between my teeth as I tried to decide on my next course of action.
I'd bought myself some time. He didn't know it, but my pregnancy was probably the one thing that kept deterring Alistair.
Wolves instincts were always to mate for the goal of impregnation.
I was pregnant and on a biological level, his instincts had probably picked up on it.
His wolf wanted a fertile wolf to plant his seed into.
There was no point in mating with me when I was already pregnant.
It wasn't like he loved me, it wasn't like Aiden who took me multiple times and enjoyed every aspect of it. Aiden who enjoyed doing things to my body which lay outside the need to impregnate me...
A chill went up my spine as I reasoned that, at some point, Alistair's wolf would finally realize I was pregnant. There was only so long I could keep this up...