Chapter Forty-Six
Graham’s body tensed and Catherine pulled away slightly to find the person behind the voice. Across the dining hall Stuart was shaking his head back and forth. He stood up and stumbled until he caught himself on the table. He was drunk, at one in the afternoon.
Theo chuckled slightly. “Oh go get another drink and calm down, Stuart.”
“Shut the fuck up, Theo or I’ll sew your lips shut for you,” Stuart roared.
The tension in the room multiplied as Graham subtly pushed Catherine behind himself and into the protection of Toma.
“Go sleep it off, Stuart,” Graham warned.
Stuart scoffed again. “I don’t take orders from you, MacTavish. I’m the beta!” Stuart stumbled from table to table as he tried to get closer to the group. “You think because you brought this rogue slut into our pack and used your little witch bitch to convince Jensen she’s his daughter that you’ll get my role?”
“I don’t want to be beta,” Graham growled.
Stuart started to laugh. His laugh filled the entire dining hall as everyone sat quietly watching to see how this would pan out. “Why? Afraid you’ll end up just like daddy?”
Graham lurched forward but before he could take a step Catherine gripped his forearm. His muscles bunched beneath her touch. His fists clenched and unclenched. She glanced over the table to see Theo doing the same to Natalie except he had to wrap his entire body around her to keep her from attacking.
“Unfortunately for you, I don’t have a mate to hold me back,” Lucas whispered, his voice deadly as he stood in front of Stuart. He threw his fist forward and a sickening crunch shot through the dining hall.
“Remind me to give you a hefty raise,” Graham said with a slight nod to Lucas.
“I’ll hold you to it,” Lucas said, his large smile back on his face as he returned to the table.
“I challenge you!” Stuart screamed. This time a tense silence filled the room. Not a single person moved as the weight of his words settled.
Lucas scoffed. “Challenge me for a lower position? Hilarious but it suits you.”
“Not you!” Stuart yelled. He glared at Lucas. His nose was definitely broken. Blood ran thick down his face, down his throat and even into his mouth. Suddenly his glare pivoted to Graham. “You. 1, Stuart Blake, challenge Graham Mactavish for the role of Beta of the Blackmoore Pack to serve under Jensen Blake.”
Catherine shook her head, knowing without a doubt Graham would never accept the role as beta. Then something caught her eye. She saw a slow, threatening grin spread over her mate’s face. She was seeing a side of him she’d never seen. The one who killed. The one who demanded respect and stoked fear into Blackmoore’s enemies. The one they called Grey.
“I accept. I’ll see you at the next full moon,” Graham declared.
Catherine’s hand fell as everyone in the room cheered. There was nothing wolves or lycans loved more than a challenge: a fight for dominance oftentimes to the death. It was animal, carnal; it was thrilling. Theo, Lucas and even Toma congratulated Graham with a pat on the back or shoulder. Females around them sized up her mate and their eyes glimmered. Graham’s focus was on her. His eyes jerked around her face, trying to read her expression.
Catherine turned and started to walk out. Cheers followed her as her mate did. She entered the hallway and her earlier anger returned with a vengeance.
“You’re accepting his challenge?” she asked, knowing he was following closely behind her.
“I have no choice.”
Catherine let out a humorous laugh, the kitchen door was in sight. “You understand that if you win you’ll have no choice but to become beta.”
“If I win?”
Catherine turned sharply and he had to skid to a stop to keep from running into her. “Let me get this straight. You wouldn’t accept the role because you
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Chapter Forty-Six
were the most obvious choice. You wouldn’t accept it because it was your birthright. You wouldn’t accept the role for Jensen. You wouldn’t accept it for me. But you will accept it because some jackass challenged your fucking manhood?!”
“I thought you would be happy. Is this not what you wanted?” he asked, his face contorting in frustration.
“I am your mate, Graham. I am Jensen’s daughter. My destiny has always been to become luna of this pack and to have you by my side. I gave all of that up because it’s not what you wanted. But now? Now that asshole took a shot at your pride you’re willing to accept?”
Graham took a step toward her and towered over her. “He challenged me, Catherine. I cannot turn it down. That’s final.”
Catherine shook her head and turned on her heel for the kitchen. When he started to follow she turned around and threw her hand up. It landed directly in his chest. His eyes went down to it and up. “Stop. I want space from you.”
“Catherine,” he whispered, his voice agonized. “We haven’t seen each other in a week. Please, don’t leave me. Just talk to me. We need each other right now and you know it.”
“You’re probably right. If you just took my hand and kissed me I’d probably be puddy in your hands.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “You came home with another woman. You accepted a job that you claim will divide us further without consulting me. I am not leaving you but I want time to sort out my feelings. I am asking you to give me space. I’ll stay here in your room at the packhouse.”
“For how long?” he asked, desperately.
“It depends on whether you give me the space I need,” she answered truthfully.
Graham’s jaw ticked. His fists clenched and unclenched while his eyes bore into her, looking for the slightest waiver of her resolve. He finally sighed. “Okay, Baby. I’ll give you time,” he whispered, before tentatively kissing her forehead. Graham turned to leave but stopped and looked back. “Alpha Lucien will be here tomorrow,”
She crossed her arms. “So I’ve been told. I’ll be cooking for him all day.”
“Promise me you’ll keep your distance from him.”
“Are you really that threatened by him?” she asked. Graham didn’t respond. His jaw ticked and her mouth opened in surprise. If Graham felt uneasy around someone, she couldn’t imagine how deep the animosity ran. “I promise.”
“Thank you.” He shifted on his feet, not wanting to leave.
Catherine decided she would need to be the strong one. She walked into the kitchen and sagged against the wall. She waited until she heard his footsteps receding from the hall. She pushed away from the wall and spread her hands over the island. She decided to get a head’s start on dinner.
The day went by agonizingly slow. Dinner came and went with her only company being Mable. Had Graham made Toma and Timone leave? After dinner was done and cleaned up, she still wasn’t ready to leave. She knew she would go upstairs and be unable to sleep. She worried she’d break and call Graham.
Deciding to stay in the kitchen for as long as possible she decided to make croissants for the next morning. It took several hours to get the number of croissants prepared for the packhouse plus their vip guests. It was nearly one in the morning when she realized she was falling asleep on the kitchen bar stool. She went up to Graham’s room. She tossed and turned in her bed.
The pain in her chest was immense. She thought it couldn’t get worse but having him so close yet not with her was weighing heavily on the mating bond. Her body was urging her to go to him but she knew she had to hold out. She couldn’t let him think he could do these things, hurt her, and immediately be forgiven. She needed him to prove he could listen to her and consider her wants as much as the other way around.
Luckily at some point in the night the pain in her chest eased. She took in her first deep breath in hours. Her muscles relaxed and it was as if everything in her world righted itself. Unable to hold back the exhaustion long enough to wonder how it happened, Catherine fell asleep quickly.
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Surrendering to Destiny
