Brutal Couple

Chapter 4

Aware, Phoenix Rebecca made every effort to stay away from him. That was her ultimate goal. He stared toward the doorway as he ran a hand across his face. He tensed when he heard Rebecca rushing downstairs after noticing her moving about above.

She remarked, "I'm leaving, I'll be back late, bye."

As he stood there, the door banged. He was unable to pursue her. He still had his breakfast in front of him. Every fiber of his being urged him to pursue her, but he chose to sit and gaze at her parents. They appeared incredibly dejected and hopeless.

She "won't" go.

Getting up, Leah. Although I don't want her to leave, she seems different today. I had thought she'd change her mind about Daniel. He's a good kid and would be a good friend.

We don't want that for our daughter, Leah, honey," Ben added.

Phoenix made fists out of his hands. He only wanted to snarl at them and threaten to never let Daniel near her. She belonged to him and would never be touched by another guy. His partner was her. However, he chose to keep his thoughts to himself. Her status as his partner was unknown.

After finishing his breakfast, he attempted to soothe Leah and Ben. The pair wasn't entitled to be that depressed. They cherished their daughter dearly. Although he knew he wanted to apologize to them, he was at a loss for words.

Ben watched him leave after breakfast. He accepted the other man's extended hand and gave it a strong shake. It's a privilege that you've come to see us, Ben added.

I don't engage in any of that formal nonsense, Ben. As you are aware.

"I know. You owe a lot to the town.

You owe me nothing, she said.

Ben laughed. "You'll come to understand the value of a pack one day. We were unaware of our vulnerability or how risky our prior experiences had been.

Phoenix had observed that not a single member of the pack ever used the term "past alpha." He wasn't mentioned by name or position. He couldn't blame them because he was already dead to the pack. The alpha had failed to shield them. Phoenix arrived after the fact. Women had been harmed, and men had perished.

He took a look back. He understood why the town had always drawn him there. His mate was present. He had always promised himself he would never return after leaving, but each time he did, he kept finding himself returning. Always for his mate, Rebecca. a friend he had never met before that evening five years ago.

Ben responded, "I think the broad road is appealing to you. What direction will your travels lead you this time?

This time, I'll be staying longer, Phoenix remarked. "I won't be leaving for a while."

Ben said, "Oh. "Do you require lodging? We have a room available.

Although being near to Rebecca was wonderful, he didn't think it was the best idea for him to live next door to her parents.

Daniel had previously informed me that the alpha resided in a home tucked away in the woods.

Ben bowed. "He did, indeed. He would explain to us that it was his responsibility to consult the wise people and determine the best course of action.

Ben smiled as Phoenix rolled his eyes.

We all thought he was a little off, so don't be too harsh.

And you weren't mistaken.

There was another chuckle heard.

Ben answered, "If you want, I can take you.

Daniel will take me, I promise. Phoenix remarked, "This is your Sunday with your wife. "It was good to see you again." Ben's hand was shaken.

If only Ben were aware that he was to blame for Rebecca's issues. Why was she depriving herself of food? Even though he had treated her badly, it was for the best. Although he didn't know what went wrong, he was determined to find out. The pull of the road had begun to fade since he had been gone for so long. Not even the want to go was present.

He decided to stay this time. Rebecca was his, and he needed to stake a claim.

By Monday morning, Rebecca was stifling a yawn by placing the back of her palm to her mouth. She had been away from home all day yesterday, arriving late. Her mother had prepared a sizable dinner of beef, vegetables, and gravy for her because she was frightened, but she was unable to finish it.

Going home had caused her anxiety since she may see Phoenix there. She wasn't sure why he hadn't left town. Wondering what he was doing, she hadn't gotten any sleep. She placed the nails on the shelf and started collecting the loose ones, putting them in the multi-box as she went. Customers may come in and take a few handfuls, with fees based on the volume of the bag. When he had the notion, John was excited. Rebecca didn't give a damn. She had been encouraging and grinning, but all it had been was a bundle of nails and bolts. Boring.

When the shelf was full, she arranged the remaining boxes before moving on to the remaining items on her list. She had a list of things John had given her to check for stock on. She strolled through the store, marking each item off with a number next to it, occasionally stopping to yawn. She detested being unable to fall asleep.

She was ready to eat something by lunchtime. After returning after his errand, John gave her permission to leave the store. Every time she made a commitment to bring him anything, she followed through.

When she got there, the diner was already crowded. She saw there was only one booth left while in line. After placing her order, she went to the booth that was intended for two people. It's a cozy booth. She sat down, reclined, and scratched her eyes. Her parents had always explained to her that not eating enough was the root of her fatigue. They didn't seem to comprehend what dieting was all about. It wasn't helping her in any way, though.

She took a romance book that she had allowed herself to indulge in out of her luggage. She had borrowed the book from the library. She had a passion for literature when she was younger, prior to her transformation and that terrible incident with her mate. Every romance she could discover, she soaked up. A hero who would sacrifice all for his woman had an alluring quality.

Her parents had constantly warned her that, as a wolf, she would yearn for a relationship with and attention from her partner. I wish they had known. The worst part of it had to be that. A part of her wanted to go see him even though she was trying to avoid him. She jumped as someone sat down next to her, shaking her head. When she raised her head, she recognized Phoenix. What sort of game was he engaged in? Not terrible enough that he turned her down five years prior, right? She had had it with this dude.

Not at all, no!

Rebecca wanted to urge herself to stop talking, but she decided against it and chose to glare at him instead.

You weren't invited to a seat by me.

You can't exactly expel me from this pack because I am the alpha, you know.

She was going to say exactly that when he lifted one brow, stopping her. The move was neither seductive nor hypnotic. It seemed to have given her a boost to her senses. Respect was one of the most important laws when it came to the alpha. She would be forced to reveal her rejection if the pack began to interrogate her. There had never been a rejected mate.

Both sexes spent their entire lives looking for the right partner. Rebecca could picture their dreadful ideas. Accusing her as if she were the one who was flawed. Her wrists were bound. Being rejected is one thing, but being rejected by the leader of the pack is quite another. She would probably be fired, and nobody would want to work with her. The worst-case situation was that.

Phoenix sat back against the desk. "Go ahead and tell me to f**k off," you say.

She questioned, "Why are you doing this?"

You won't converse with me. I only want to speak.

I'm not interested in talking to you.

Why is that, then?

She was afraid to even state the obvious. Wolves could hear quite well. They and their group were in a busy diner. Everyone was able to hear.

"You are being nasty right now, and you know why. She asked, trying not to imagine herself keeping him warm, "Don't you have the great open road to keep you warm at night?" She had no stake in that.

She clenched her teeth and forced a grin onto her lips to remind herself of how risky their talk might become. Right now, she could picture some unknown force of fate laughing at her. She must have offended a few individuals in a previous existence. There was nothing else to describe it.

He answered, "Ah, I'm so glad you brought that up." I've decided to linger a bit.

“What?”

Yes, Daniel took me to the old alpha's residence. Not that he was ever a f*****g alpha, but what a piece of sh*t he was.

"No, that's the reason.

“Simple. Even if it seems like a lot of time has gone, I need a place to stay. It is decent and waterproof but needs a lot of maintenance. John sent me here by chance, and I just so happened to visit the DIY shop. He promised that you would be able to give me a tour when you got back.

You requested my presence, didn't you?

Arizona grinned. "I did, for sure."

Nobody in the pack would ask why since they all wanted to win over the alpha. She clenched her teeth and glanced up as Susan, the waitress, brought their food. Phoenix had also placed a meal order. Could she have a worse day?

"All right, boys. Enjoy.” Susan gave them each a wink.