Chapter 6- Hidden Wounds
1008 Words
Nicholas’ POV:
I emitted a weary sigh as I exited the room, driven by the need to locate Jesse and have a chat with her.
Her response to the wedding caught me off guard. She had frequently pleaded with me for a mother figure and now that I'd finally fulfilled that desire, she was against it. Women really are confusing creatures.
"Hey Nic. How's it going, man?" I turned around to find my friend James entering the packhouse.
"Exhausted. Up for grabbing a drink?" I inquired, rubbing my forehead to alleviate the tension accumulating inside me.
"A drink? At this hour? You must be seriously drained," he chuckled, slinging his arm around my neck.
I growled in annoyance, fixing him with a sharp-eyed stare. Fortunately, he was my friend; otherwise, my wolf might have taken a chunk out of his face.
"Don't give me that look," he laughed, recognizing my evident disapproval.
"A cup of coffee should do you good," he suggested, and Kelly, the packhouse's chief servant, placed two coffee cups on the table in front of us, bowing before leaving us alone in the main living room.
"So spill, what's bothering you?" James asked, munching on biscuits with his mouth full.
I rolled my eyes in response, taking a seat on the couch opposite him. I wasn't about to let his messy eating habits ruin my suit with biscuit crumbs.
"Really, man? You gonna pull that on me?" he mumbled with a full mouth, cramming even more biscuits in.
Ignoring his antics, I took a sip of my coffee. Despite the passing years, I knew James would never outgrow his child-like behavior.
We may have had different personalities, but I could not deny that he was a great friend.
"It's Jesse. She heard about my wedding with Chloe and practically begged me not to go through with it," I confessed with a defeated tone, running my fingers through my hair.
"Whoa, seriously? I thought she'd be super excited about it," he almost choked on the biscuits.
I handed him a water bottle hesitantly, secretly enjoying his discomfort.
Maybe this would teach him to act a bit more like a civilized man.
"Thanks, man." He grabbed the bottle, gulping down water and clearing his throat.
"I thought so too, but she flat-out refused to tell me what the issue was," I explained with frustration.
"Maybe she's worried Chloe will snatch you away from her," he remarked with a chuckle.
"Don't be absurd," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
I couldn’t understand why he would start blurting out nonsense. Jesse was a happy pup, she didn’t even know what jealousy could be like. Besides, Chloe loved her a lot, she would bring us closer together instead of separating us.
"Come on, you know it's true. Chloe clings to you like your crazy exes," he persisted.
"She can be a bit overbearing sometimes, but I love her and she's miles better than any of the b*tches I dated in the past, especially Emily," I responded, clenching my fists as memories of Emily flooded my mind.
Just the mere mention of her name could drive me insane. My wolf, Evan, too felt uneasy about it.
"Nic, come on. No one can stoop to her level. You should just forget about her," James clicked his tongue and clarified, dusting his hands on his pants before moving to sit next to me.
"So, have you thought of anything?" he asked, his hand lingering around my neck.
"About what?" I looked at him, perplexed as he abruptly changed the topic.
"About the pack's security! What else would I be talking about?" he said sarcastically, pushing me to the edge.
I sighed before retrieving a file from the compartment underneath the table and tossing it in front of him.
"Yeah, I've arranged a meeting with ApexWarrior Industries today. They have some of the world's top-rated weapons and excellent trainers who can train our pack's warriors. Our pack's security should improve tremendously if they cooperate with us," I explained as he flipped through the pages of the document.
James nodded, satisfied with the details of the company. He was just as confident as I was in this deal.
"I sure hope they cooperate with us, man. The rogue attacks have been terrible lately," he remarked, expressing his dismay about the preventable attacks that recently plagued our pack.
People were injured, valuables were stolen, and, most importantly, the safety our pack members once enjoyed was crumbling after each of these damn attacks.
"Members of the pack already remind me of that every day. I don't need you to bring it up," I said, getting off the couch, feeling uneasy about being reminded of everything.
As the Alpha, I felt the pain of letting my own people down.
"Alright, I won't. But let me ask you, are you alright?" James stood up, placing his hand on my shoulders.
"It's just that after Emily disappeared, you haven't been your usual self. You lose focus easily, and your wolf isn't as strong anymore," he explained with a concerned tone.
I was momentarily speechless. My wolf and I faced a harsh truth I didn't want to admit. I couldn't let that woman affect me. She meant nothing to me.
"Didn't you tell me to forget about her? Why bring her up now?" I growled, flicking his hand off me.
"I know what I said, but even you can't deny that something's wrong here," he expressed seriously, worry etched all over his face.
This was a side of him I didn't see often, and it caught me off guard.
"You don't have to worry about me. Everything will get sorted out, and our pack will remain safe after we sign a deal with this company," I assured, not wanting to prolong the conversation.
My patience had reached its limit, and I needed to move on from this.
"Nic!" James called out as I walked away from him.
"Enjoy your coffee; I'm going to get ready for the meeting." I said, heading upstairs.
- Writer
