Chapter Eighty
Graham’s hands tightened around her face. “What?” he growled.
“Relax, Beta Graham, it’s just what I’ve been told,” she said with a smile and a wink.
His hand moved to her throat and his fingers wrapped around her flesh. He lowered his narrowed eyes until they were level with hers. “If I find out that man has touched what’s mine, Mable won’t have to worry about whether to choose him or not cause I’ll kill
him myself.”
“There’s nothing to find out,” she reassured him as she ran her fingers through the coarse hair of his short beard.
“Mhmm,” he responded doubtfully. He twisted his hand until his watch slipped from his sleeve. “Are you ready? We need to leave soon and Rebecca wants to see you first.”
“Really?”
Graham nodded.
Catherine looked at Mable. “Go on,” Mable said with a flick of her wrist. “I got it handled here. Betty will be here soon and together we can keep the kitchen from burning down for a few days.”
“Thank you, Mable,” Graham said. He placed his hand on the small of Catherine’s back and started guiding her to the door.
“Okay, okay, well don’t forget we promised the girls at the farm we would help them harvest on Thursday. Oh! And Robert called me this morning and said the chicken culling is tomorrow so be ready for him to drop that off and…”
Before she could finish, Graham pushed her through the door. “From one neurotic control freak to another,” he whispered beside her ear as he moved down the hallway. “If you ever want a life, you’re going to have to learn to delegate.”
“Hey! I delegate just fine, thank you. I just find it hard to leave when only given twelve hours notice.”
“Sure, Baby,” he snickered.
They walked up the first flight of stairs and walked down the hallway toward the Luna’s office. As they walked by open doorways, people smiled and waved. It was such a sharp contrast to when she first arrived here and was met with hostility and suspicion. Most people in the pack knew by now she was Jensen’s daughter and belonged to Graham. It had been her work in the kitchen, though, that earned her respect.
She not only provided more consistent nutritious meals to the pack, she managed the kitchen staff with respect. She led through example and was always the first one in and the last one out. She also helped the farm expand and by allowing the wolves to work with her, she felt pack members becoming less prejudiced toward her own kind. For someone who claimed his power was meant to bring wolves and lycans together, it appeared Catherine would be the one to actually succeed in that mission rather than her father.
They got to the second to last door and knocked. The door opened a moment later and Jensen appeared. His eyes bobbed from Catherine to Graham who had become rigid at the sight of his alpha. All Jensen had to do was jerk his head in the direction of his office before he stalked toward it. Graham sighed and rolled his shoulders.
“Fifteen minutes, Baby, and then we need to leave. I want to get there before it gets dark.” Graham kissed the back of her hand, straightened his back and strode down the hall to see Jensen.
Catherine pushed the door open. Rebecca sat at her desk. She looked up and gave Catherine a shaky smile.
“Come in, Catherine,” Rebecca called.
Catherine nodded and stepped inside before closing the door behind her. She glanced around the room that contrasted so much
with the alpha’s. The walls were a soft white and decorated with numerous book shelves and paintings. Knick knacks sat atop a few of the shelves. Floor to ceiling windows showcased the expansive forest and mountain range bordering the packlands. Her desk sat perpendicular to the windows, allowing her to look out whenever she wanted.
Catherine took the seat across from her. The luna looked rough. Though she’d decided to come out of mourning Stuart’s banishment, it was obvious the last two weeks had taken a toll. Rebecca had lost a considerable amount of weight. Her eyes were red and bags hung beneath them. Her skin looked pale and dry while her hair, normally a silky black veil hanging loose past her shoulders, was now greasy and tied into a haphazard knot atop her head.
“I apologize for taking so long to reach out to you,” Rebecca began.
“Don’t be!” Catherine quickly interjected.
Rebecca held her hand up. “It’s my job to train you and I have already gotten too far behind. I understand you and Graham will be leaving for a few days?”
“Yes, he thinks it’s best until we know where Dominic is heading.”
Rebecca nodded. “Good, I think that’s wise. That means we can begin when you get back.”
“May I ask what exactly I’ll be trained in?”
Rebecca let out a puff of air. “Everything an alpha is trained in: fighting, managing finances, social etiquette, lycan history, our pack’s entire economic and sociological ins and outs.”
“Fighting? I find that a bit surprising.”
Rebecca leveled her with a look. “Catherine, when an alpha is home it is the luna’s job to be more of a mother to the pack. People will come to you with all of their problems, big and small. But when an alpha is gone, you are in command. If we are attacked, you will lead. We haven’t survived this long because we let our alpha dictate every minute detail of our pack. Your role, especially as the legitimate heir to this pack, will be all encompassing. You need to prepare for that. You will be leading this pack until you have children and can pass it to them. You will no longer be able to be head chef, you will no longer be able to go on trips on a whim and you will certainly not be allowed to leave if you so chose.”
Catherine’s brow furrowed as a tear slid down Rebecca’s cheek. “Rebecca, I’m sorry.”
“For what? Being born?”
Ice ran through her veins at the suddenly hostile expression on Rebecca’s face. “I…”
“For being a taunting reminder of my mate’s infidelity? For forcing me to watch you take over our pack with little to no effort? For your mate nearly killing my son and forcing him to leave so that I will never be able to see him again?” Rebecca stood and splayed her hands on the desk. “For bringing Dominic DeAngelo to our doorstep? Or is it just because you think for even a second I give a damn about your pathetic words ‘I’m sorry’?”
“Rebecca.”
Catherine looked over her shoulder to find Jensen braced in the doorway and Graham glaring at the luna.
“What?” Rebecca hissed. “Have I stepped out of line, Alpha?”
He sighed. “I told you it was too soon to come back. Let’s get you back to our room. You need rest.”
“What I need is my son!”
3/4
“Catherine,” Graham said, pushing past Jensen.
He held his hand out and Catherine jumped up to take it. He folded her into his side and kept one arm wrapped around her for protection. He gave a short nod to the alpha before guiding Catherine out of the room.
“Don’t be mad at her.”
Graham scoffed. “She can’t talk to you like that.”
“She’s Luna and she’s grieving.”
“I don’t care if she’s the fucking Moon Goddess, no one raises their voice at you.”
Catherine sighed. “Jensen lied to her about me. He pushed her son out of his pack. She has the right to be upset.”
“At him.”
“True,” she agreed. “But he’s her mate and sometimes it’s hard to be angry with your mate.”
They stepped out into the breezy summer air and walked toward his Mustang.
“You seem to have no problem with it,” he said with a smirk.
“My mate is infuriating. Always thinks he’s right and knows what’s best,” she started.
Catherine reached for the door handle but was spun around and shoved against the hot metal. Graham placed both hands on either side of her head, caging her in. His hair looked copper with the sun shining through it. He trimmed his beard this morning making the sharp cut of his jawline more noticeable. She ignored the heat of the steel at her back and focused wholly on the heat of his blackening gaze.
“He does know what’s best,” he whispered, his gaze going to her parted lips.
She rolled her eyes. “He’s pretty cocky too.”
“You have no idea. Now get in the car before your mate decides the two hour trip isn’t worth it and takes you in the back of this car until you’re not only agreeing with everything he says, but vowing to never argue with him again so long as he doesn’t stop.”
“Only because I’m curious where you’re taking me,” she hissed with a narrowed expression.
The chords of muscle along his forearm bunched under her touch as she pried his hand away from the car so she could open the door. As she leaned in he slapped her ass. She squeaked and fell into the chair. She glared up at his smug expression.
“Good girl,” he said before slamming the door in her blushing face.
