Against the Black

Chapter 19

I stood outside the door to my room for an embarrassing amount of time before realizing he wasn’t coming back. I’d picked up the shirt he’d left on the hallway floor and considered burning it before throwing it across my apartment and screaming at it for an hour. The embarrassment swiftly turned to rage, and it had taken me another couple hours of screaming and punching my pillow before I could calm down enough to get any sleep.

I woke up still livid, and no amount of coffee was going to change that. I dressed in black wide leg slacks, a silk white button up blouse, and black stiletto heels. After checking my reflection and tying my hair away from my face, I walked down to breakfast and pointedly ignored him as I felt his eyes follow my every move. I sat with my pack as I had for dinner the night before, then left without even once looking in his direction. I refused to be toyed with. He could ignore it all so easily, whereas I felt like I was drowning in the mate bond. But I refused to go crawling back, looking for any scrap of attention he’d give me.

After breakfast, I went to my office to organize the paperwork needed for all of our new pack members. I loved gaining new pack mates. But the paperwork was a nightmare. Once I had all of their entry packets put together, I began working on housing plans, locations, and jobs for all of them.

Some time around lunch, there was a knock on my door.

“Come in.” I didn’t look up from my desk until Beta Mark spoke.

“Prince Roman and I have finished our investigation and believe Michelle is in excellent hands. We will take Alpha Brian back to the castle grounds, where we will hold a formal execution. I have called for the king’s soldiers to come and escort Alpha Brian back with us. They should be here within the hour and we will take our leave then.” I stood and bowed slightly.

“Thank you for handling this matter quickly and efficiently. We are a blessed people to have an enforcer as thorough as you.” I bowed again and moved to sit before Beta Mark spoke again and I stopped myself.

“I also wanted to apologize for my hasty judgment of you and your offer to help these people. After last night, it’s clear your pack takes pride in opening your homes to others. The Obsidian Falls pack has made an impression that won’t soon be forgotten.” He bowed his head to me in a respectful manner before exiting my office.

It was not lost on me that Roman did not come with Beta Mark to deliver the news. I was pleased Beta Mark had changed his tune regarding me and my pack. But I was still a ball of rage on the inside from the night before. Roman refusing to see me only made it worse. I decided I was too angry to work at my desk any more and needed to walk the grounds instead.

I was speaking to Valerie and Michelle outside the sewing house when the gate warrior’s mind linked me.

Alpha, the king’s soldiers are here to escort Alpha Brian and are requesting access.

Let them in and link me as soon as they are about to leave.

Yes, Alpha.

“So, you and the prince?” Michelle asked, her voice soft and sweet.

“Do not mention that… man, in front of me, please. I just finished lunch and would like to keep it down for now.” My tone was sharper than I’d intended and I sighed.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped like that. He’s my… mate.” The word felt wrong and bitter on my tongue. Michelle and Valerie gasped. “But he’s not the only one.” They both looked at me, shocked and at a loss for words.

“Does your mom…” Valerie started.

“She knows. She also knows I have two mates and she couldn’t be happier. I, on the other hand, would like to go back to the time when I had none.” I rolled my eyes and leaned against the building.

“You and the prince seemed pretty cozy last night.” Valerie winked. “What changed?” Before I could answer, the same gate warrior linked me to tell me the king’s men were about to load Alpha Brian up. I said goodbye to the ladies. Not wanting to undress, shift, and redress, I decided to drive to the gate instead.

I pulled up to the gate and parked behind the gatehouse. I stepped around the building to see Alpha Brian being loaded into the back of a large armored vehicle. I gave him the one-finger salute when his eyes met mine just before the door shut. Then I addressed Beta Mark.

“Thank you again for helping out with this.” I shook his hand. Roman stood next to him, holding onto the open door to a black SUV. I ignored him entirely and kept my attention on Mark.

Just as Mark was about to answer, another black SUV pulled up behind the armored truck and the king’s soldiers gathered into a defensive formation around the Prince and Beta. The car pulled to a stop and the back door opened. Babs poked her head out over the car, leaning one arm on the roof and waving with the other.

“This looks like a party.” She called. I could have cried. I hadn’t realized how badly I’d missed her until then. But instead, I called back,

“What took you so long? I had to save the pack all by myself. No thanks to you.” She flipped me off, and I smiled wide.

“Sorry, I had to get my mate packed up to bring her here.” Bab’s smile rivaled my own, and I whooped for joy.

“That’s my girl! Did you snag a good one?”

“Only the best for me. You know that.” I laughed, and she continued. “Speaking of mates, I have a delivery.” Another black SUV pulled up behind the one Babs was hanging out of and parked. William Black stepped out of the driver’s seat and walked over.

You brought William Black onto Obsidian Falls territory? I shot down the mind link at Babs.

Hey, hey, he’s your mate. He offered to help get us home and in return I just had to grant him five minutes of your time. It seemed like a sweet deal to me because I didn’t have to move all the luggage and I’m not the one who has to spend time with him. She winked at me and tried to hide her snickering behind the open car door.

The large man walked toward me and stopped only a couple of feet away.

“I’m sorry for not announcing myself before coming. I was worried you wouldn’t see me if I had. I wanted to talk with you and clear everything up from the ball.” He looked around the king’s guard and his gaze brushed over Roman before turning back to me.

“But I see you have guests already. I will come back another time and let you know ahead of time.” Before he could move to leave, I spoke up.

“Don’t worry. There was an issue that needed to be seen to by the king’s Beta. They were just loading up to leave.” I smiled brightly, the same welcoming and professional smile I’d had on when I greeted Beta Mark and Roman two days prior. Roman snarled and slammed shut the door to his SUV he’d been holding. He crossed his arms over his chest and spoke in a cool, detached tone.

“I’ll stay behind and tie up any loose ends.” He was speaking to Mark, but his glare was trained on William. I chimed in before Mark could.

“Beta Mark has assured me everything has already been taken care of.” I raised an eyebrow, daring him to deny it. “Once you take Alpha Brian back and his execution is dealt with, all the loose ends will be taken care of. So if you’re looking to finish your job, I suggest you go home.” And as an afterthought, I added, “Your highness.” His nostrils flared at my use of his title. Beta Mark finally spoke up.

“Alpha Roxy is correct. There is nothing more we need to do here.” I almost sighed with relief until he continued. “However, I hear Obsidian Falls is a beautiful pack with breathtaking views. If you’re looking to take a vacation, I suggest you check it out.” He looked directly at me with a smug grin. My cheeks turned hot, and I had to work to control my frustration.

“As much as I appreciate the compliment, Beta Mark, I must regretfully inform you that my pack is not a resort town. I’m happy to house guests, but I…” Roman cut me off.

“Perfect, consider me a guest again.” My eyebrows drew together and I let my welcoming smile drop.

“A guest shouldn’t overstay their welcome.” I knew both my face and tone were uninviting, but it didn’t bother Roman in the slightest. In fact, he didn’t even glance at me, instead shooting daggers at William. Who was waiting patiently, watching the ordeal unfold with a small smirk on his face.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He replied, then moved around the back of his car, opened the trunk, and took out his bags. I glared at Roman, wishing more than anything I could bore holes into his pretty little face with nothing but my stare. However, after a moment, I gave up and returned to William, my smile back in place.

“I’ll have one of the Omegas drive the car down and help the ladies unpack. Would you care to ride with me to the pack house?” I gestured for William to follow and climbed into my car. He let out a low whistle at the sight of my baby and climbed in happily.

“This is a nice car.” He said, admiring the interior. Before I could put the car in reverse, the car shifted as Roman climbed in over the side and into the back seat. I kicked myself mentally for leaving the top down, allowing him easy access to hitchhike.

“Your highness, what a pleasant surprise.” I deadpanned and then peeled away from the main gate.