He Rejected The Wrong Wolf

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Brielle’s POV

Dinner somehow became even more chaotic than Brielle expected.

Which honestly should not have surprised her considering Wren had spent the last twenty minutes following Grandpa around the kitchen asking increasingly inappropriate questions while Grandma cooked.

“So,” Wren said casually while stealing a piece of bread directly off the counter, “how long until you interrogate Thaddeus properly?”

“I’m not interrogating anyone.”

“That sounds exactly like something someone says before an interrogation.”

Grandpa gave her a flat look. “You’ve been here less than an hour.”

“And already thriving.”

Brielle sat at the kitchen island trying very hard not to laugh into her drink while Grandma moved around the stove with practiced ease, occasionally swatting Wren away from the food every time she wandered too close.

Across the room, Thaddeus stood near the window quietly answering polite questions about the drive like he hadn’t accidentally become the center of family entertainment for the evening.

Honestly, Brielle almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

“You know,” Wren continued thoughtfully, “I think the real issue here is that Grandpa expected Brielle to show up heartbroken and dramatic.”

“Wren,” Brielle warned.

“But instead she arrived with the guy who rejected her looking one emotional confession away from losing his mind.”

The kitchen went silent.

Grandma immediately looked fascinated.

Grandpa looked deeply unimpressed.

And Thaddeus nearly choked on his coffee.

“Excellent,” Wren said proudly. “I’ve destroyed the atmosphere.”

“You were doing so well being quiet for almost thirty seconds,” Brielle muttered.

“I got bored.”

Grandpa’s attention shifted slowly toward Thaddeus again. “You rejected her.”

Straight to the point.

Brielle closed her eyes briefly.

Thaddeus, to his credit, didn’t try to dodge the question. “Yes.”

“And yet you drove seven hours through a storm to bring her here.”

Another dangerous pause settled over the kitchen.

Wren looked like she was one sentence away from ascending spiritually.

Brielle wanted to disappear into the floor.

Finally, Grandpa folded his arms across his chest. “You’re either very confused or very stupid.”

Grandma gasped softly. “Joseph.”

“What?” he asked calmly. “I’m being honest.”

Wren actually turned away because she was visibly trying not to laugh.

Across the room, Brielle watched the corner of Thaddeus’s mouth twitch slightly before he looked down at his coffee.

Which somehow made everything worse.

Because he looked amused.

“You know,” Wren said thoughtfully, “I think this is the healthiest conversation anyone’s had with him all week.”

“Why are you like this?” Brielle asked.

“God made me entertaining.”

“That feels debatable.”

Grandma finally rescued the situation before it could spiral further by announcing dinner was ready and forcing everyone toward the dining room before Wren could emotionally destroy another person.

The dining room overlooked the rainy city streets below through massive windows stretching nearly from floor to ceiling. Warm golden light reflected softly against polished wood while the sound of distant traffic drifted faintly through the glass.

It felt completely different from the territory.

Smaller somehow.

Closer.

Less formal than pack dinners usually were.

Which only made the seating arrangement worse when Wren immediately dropped into the chair across from Brielle and announced:

“Oh good. Thaddeus can sit beside her.”

Brielle stared at her in disbelief. “You did that on purpose.”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“You’re literally smirking.”

“That’s unrelated.”

Grandpa sighed like he’d already given up trying to control any of this while Thaddeus quietly sat beside Brielle anyway.

The second he did, Brielle became painfully aware of how little space actually separated them at the table.

Which was deeply inconvenient.

Dinner itself should have distracted her.

It didn’t.

Because every time she relaxed slightly, something happened to remind her Thaddeus was sitting there.

His arm brushing lightly against hers reaching for a glass.

The low sound of his voice answering one of Grandpa’s questions.

The quiet laugh he tried to hide when Wren nearly knocked over her drink while arguing about whether city food tasted better than territory food.

And worst of all—

How normal it all started to feel.

Dangerously normal.

At one point Grandma smiled softly over her wine glass while watching Brielle and Thaddeus quietly argue about directions through the city.

“You know,” she said casually, “you two actually make a very lovely couple.”

Brielle nearly inhaled water directly into her lungs.

Wren lost control of herself completely.

And beside her—

Thaddeus didn’t deny it fast enough.