“You really did know?” Tanner asked. His shoulders were slumped.
“Yes, and for the first time in my life, with the way you rejected her, I felt shame in you. You’re not the son I raised. You’re not the man I hope to have take over this pack. Now get out of my sight before I give you a reason to be pissed.”
Tanner didn’t argue with him, merely stepping out of the office and leaving the stench of his mood lingering in the air.
Gage had never been a selfish man. From the time he’d been a little boy, knowing his fate to take over from his grandfather, he’d devoted his entire life to the pack. Never taking anything for himself. His father had been killed hunting for a thrill down at a waterfall. He’d made a jump, got trapped by the waves, and drowned. His mother hadn’t stuck around. Gage’s grandfather had discovered her dead body a year after. She’d overdosed, rare for a wolf to do, but still possible with the right substances and mixes.
From that point on, he vowed to be better, to learn everything.
Connie was the first time he felt selfish, but he’d given his son the chance. Now she was his, and he wasn’t going to let her go willingly.
Chapter Two
Constance didn’t sleep well.
Dreams of wolves hunting her, unable to turn, plagued her. It was an old dream that had started when she was eighteen. She had them on and off again.
Waking up was always a blessing.
The room Gage had put her in had an en-suite bathroom. Before seeking him out, she took a quick shower, being careful not to take all the hot water, but it felt wonderful.
After he touched her, merely rubbing his arms up and down hers, she’d felt warm for the first time in three days. It was so good to not be shaking.
This morning, the cold was back. Every second that passed, it was like the thermostat of her body was constantly being turned down a degree.
Once washed, she dried her body, got dressed in a pair of jeans and a large shirt, ran a brush through her hair, and made her way downstairs. She didn’t own any fancy or revealing clothes. Her mother had told her it was best to start covering up her body as she disgusted everyone. Constance had gone along with it as it was easier to do as she was told than argue. She hated conflict of any kind. It always unnerved her.
Running her fingers through her hair, she walked down the stairs only to come to a stop at the foot when she caught sight of Tanner.
Instinct told her to run. The wolf within her wanted to claw his eyes out.
A simple no thanks would have done, bastard!
She said nothing, and there was nowhere for her to run to. Tanner looked up. He held a mug of coffee in his hand.
For a few seconds, she paused, looking at him. She decided to ignore him, walking down the steps, getting to the last step, and was about to move away from him, when he captured her wrist.
“Constance…”
She pulled her wrist away from him, not wanting his touch or to have anything to do with him.
“Seriously?”
“You don’t get to touch me.”
“Oh, please, all you women are the same. You all want my touch.”
“Wow, how do you even get through the door with a head that size?” She shook her head, marveling at how big of an asshole he actually was.
She hated him.
“Tanner, leave,” Gage said, rolling up his sleeves as he stepped through the door. “Morning, Connie. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.” The lie fell easily from her lips. He didn’t need to know how difficult it was for her to relax in a strange house, even if it was the alpha’s.
“Try again.”
Tanner had already left.
“Huh?”
“Connie, we’re going to go through some … conditions, and one of them is I don’t like being lied to. While you live here, I would like you to be open and honest with me. Do you think you could do that for me?”
“Yes, of course.” She rubbed at her temple. “I slept. I don’t think I slept well, but I slept.” She winced. “It was probably the new house. I was never invited for a sleepover at other people’s houses. I only ever stayed in my bed, and I’m so rambling right now. I will be quiet.” She pressed her lips together, hoping the world would open up and swallow her whole.
Nothing happened.
Typical.
Gage chuckled. “Are you hungry?”
As if on cue, her stomach chose that moment to growl. “Starving.” Her cheeks had to be on fire, even as she shivered.
“The cold still affecting you?” Gage reached out a hand and touched her.
The moment he touched her, all the coldness ceased to matter. She felt warm from the inside out.
“I was fine last night. This morning, I feel cold.”
“Come on. We have much to talk about.” He took her hand, and she nibbled on her lip, trying to contain her smile as he led her into the kitchen.
It was a nice modern kitchen. White cupboards, black counters, a pristine stainless-steel sink. She saw a couple of modern appliances such as a coffee machine, food processor, and a mixer. Did he like to cook?
“Take a seat.”
She perched on the edge of her seat and watched in amazement as he pulled some tofu and peppers out of the fridge. “You know I don’t eat meat?”
“Connie, I’m an alpha. I know everything there is to know about my pack.”
Her movement into only plant-eating had been another element of annoyance for her parents. They had been angry with her for choosing vegetables over meat. Her mother had told her if it helped her to lose the fat, she didn’t mind. The fat had stayed, but she’d been happier within herself, and so she didn’t see a problem with eating the way she did.
She sat on one of the chairs and watched as Gage got to work chopping up onions, peppers, and some garlic. He crumbled the already pressed tofu and her mouth watered.
“Do you like cooking?” she asked.
“It relaxes me. When our previous alpha got sick, I learned how to cook for him.”
Constance didn’t have much memory of the previous alpha. The pack spoke fondly of him.
Silence filled the room. The only sounds came from the sizzling of the pan.
She glanced around the kitchen, wondering how to find out what he wanted from her. What did he expect her to do? All night, she had to wonder what this meant. Were they mates now? Boyfriend and girlfriend? The last thing she wanted was for him to see himself as a father figure.
Constance didn’t look at Gage like a daddy. Far from it. With the way her body lit up when she was around him, she did not have thoughts suited to a father figure.
“Talk to me, Connie,” he said.
“Er, I don’t know what to say. I’m kind of confused here.”
“Talk, and I’ll try to clarify any parts you don’t understand.”
She smiled. “Right. Okay. About … last night, I’m not sure what that means.”
“You know what it means.”
“But that’s the problem. Are you helping me out because of me being a member of the pack, or is this more?”
He added in the tofu, along with some nutritional yeast, black pepper, and black salt. After giving the pan a final toss, he divided it onto two plates, presenting her with one and taking a seat opposite her.