Her Dilemma, Her Choice

Chapter 2

Beth

“Eric.” The smooth, rich voice said.

“I’ll be right down.” I turned to April, who had followed me to the entryway. She was dressed to the nines in a gorgeous red dress that complimented off her short blond hair and pixie figure.

“You look amazing. Put that red on your lips and follow me to the gala.” I smiled and waved my fingers at her as I walked out the door to Eric.

Eric POV

I waited patiently for her to come out. She lived in a really nice building, I noted. The security was top notch. The door guy wouldn’t let me in, just indicated to the right, where there was an intercom on a marble wall. I made small talk with her door guy for a minute or two and then he needed to help another tenant and I was left to my own thoughts. The building was tall, impressive and gorgeous. Walls of windows and pillars of marble made up the exterior and I imagined the interior was just as nice. There were two trees planted on either side of the doors and I could see, through the glass, an entryway that looked like an expensive atrium, with a circular security desk in the middle. I wondered briefly about the salary I was paying her that she could afford a place like this, but then I remembered she had a roommate who was in securities. Apparently, her roommate was going to the gala too and would meet us there. At $10,000 per ticket, the roommate’s securities must be doing quite well.

I’d planned to take my girlfriend to this event, but I’d walked in on her sleeping with another guy, in my apartment, when I got home from a two-day business trip. Two days! I broke up with her right then and kicked them both out, half dressed into the street. I was angry for sure, but I wasn’t usually one to let my emotions get the better of me. It’s not like I’d known Amber for all that long. We’d met 6 months ago, had a passionate romance and, on a whim a couple of months ago, I’d given her a key to my penthouse. I don’t what possessed me to do that. I’m not a relationship type guy. If I need a date for an event, I mostly hire escorts. I wasn’t super attached to Amber. She was beautiful, from a wealthy family and we had chemistry. A lot of chemistry. She fit my needs for a while and now she didn’t. I didn’t even care who the guy was or how long it’d been going on.

I asked my assistant to come up with a new date for me, 2 weeks ago, and I nonchalantly suggested Beth from our Editing department. She’s gorgeous, well spoken, intelligent and charming and I figured she would make an excellent companion for the evening. She was my top editor, getting at least double what the editors did in a single week. While she almost always worked from home, she was well respected among the office. I won’t lie, I had a bit of a crush on her. I felt lucky she was free and agreed to be my date. No need to hire a last-minute escort.

My phone rang. I scowled at the phone as I looked at the number. It wasn’t a contact I knew. I’d been getting a lot of these calls this week. I’d answered them in the beginning, but since there was never anyone on the other end, now I ignored them.

When Beth stepped out the door of her building, I felt even more lucky. God damn! She was sexy! Her ice blue dress hugged her perfect breasts and hips and the slit that went to her thigh, left a man wanting to run his hand up it. When she turned around to thank the door guy, I got a look at her backside and about swallowed my tongue. The dress left her very sexy back exposed all the way down to her waist. I got a little hard just watching her walk toward me.

Her skin was warm and silky as I put my hand on her back to escort her to my car.

Derek POV

I watched the CEO tuck Beth into his town car and slide into the backseat with her. A low growl emanated from me. It took me two years to find her, but there she was. The daughter of the Lycan King’s Gamma. That prick.

Three years ago, my sister applied to join the king’s warriors, but because she was a werewolf and not a Lycan, she was denied. Oh, the Gamma was very polite in his rejection, but my sister didn’t take it well. She was a strong wolf. Soft, sable fur and green eyes, she was big for a female and even gave some of the Alpha’s a run for their money. After a raid on our pack that killed her mate and twin pups, she threw herself into training. Working out and sparring with the warriors of our pack, until she could defeat the top defenders. Once she could defeat them, she applied to the king’s warrior program. She really wanted to go hunt the rogues and the king had a faction of warriors just for that. Lycan Gamma Dylan denied her because she was a were.

That broke my sister. She worked so hard. Throwing all her pain, heartache and loneliness into fighting and becoming the best, only to be denied the chance. When she took her petition to the king, he told her that all decisions his Gamma made regarding his warriors was final. She came back to our pack with no will. Her mate, her children, her dreams…all gone.

The pack turned on her. Even as the Delta of the pack, I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t save her from the injustice of her loss, or her life. I swore I’d get justice for her. I went to my alpha and asked him to punish those involved in her torment. Including the Lycans, but he wouldn’t do anything. Goddamn coward!

“Our pack will be annihilated if we go against the Lycan, especially if we attack the Lycan king’s inner circle,” Alpha had said.

“And I’m not going to punish our pack members for not being supportive. Your sister was a different person after her rejection. She chose to end her life. You know the consequences of that. The law ties my hands. I can’t avenge her. I’m sorry for your loss, but I forbid you from any attempts at avenging as well.” The command, said in his Alpha voice, made it so I couldn’t disobey, even though I desperately wanted to.

He left me with no choice. I went back to my cabin at the edge of our pack’s territory dejected, angry and determined. I packed a bag with some necessities. I spoke to no one the rest of the day, though several came to my door. I didn’t bother answering. I just worked on my plan; make the Lycan Gamma feel my pain and to get the laws changed so werewolves could join the King’s warriors, his Guard even.

As midnight finally approached and the full moon shone brightly through the trees, I stepped outside and into the woods. When I got beyond the pack’s land, I turned around.

“I, Derek Povlik, reject my standing and break all ties with the Blood Moon pack. I am Rogue.” I said.

With that, I shifted into my grey wolf, picked up my bag in my mouth and ran into the woods. A few moments later, a howl went up in the distance as my former pack felt the loss of our connection. I ignored their call. I ran hard. I ran fast. I had to put as much distance between myself and my former pack as possible. They’d come looking for me.

It was a two-day run to the Lycan territory, but I knew Alpha would be monitoring that route, so I circumnavigated the area and took two weeks to cross the border. When I got near the royal grounds, I saw an increase in patrols. So the Gamma had been warned I was coming. f*****g Alpha. I checked into a hotel and bided my time, gathered intel and formulated a plan.