Bargains

THREE WEEKS LATER

The household was on edge. Every staff member looked apprehensive.

Zephyr's employees were a mix of humans and wolves, but the tension among the wolves was especially high. According to Celine, the Alpha of a rival pack, along with his closest men, was arriving soon to negotiate with Zephyr.

But when I asked Zephyr about it, he had given away nothing.

"Stay in your room until the meeting is over," he had ordered. "You mustn't be seen."

"Why?" I had demanded.

He hadn't answered, but instead, stared at me with those annoyingly dark, but mesmerizing green eyes before walking away.

I flicked off the TV in my room and released a loud groan into my pillow. An hour had slowly dragged by, and I was bored out of my mind.

How much longer was the darned meeting going to last?

After enduring another unbearably long moment of rolling around in bed, I got up to sneak outside. At least I'd find some peace in the greenhouse or strolling through the gardens where no one would see me.

Carefully, I tiptoed out of my room when the sound of faint voices coming from Zephyr's study down the hallway caught my attention.

What could they be discussing that was taking so long?

Wolf politics never interested me. However, realizing that my chances of escaping this marriage were growing slimmer by the day, and that I would inevitably be pulled into their world whether I liked it or not, I figured it wouldn't hurt to learn a little.

So, I crept closer till I stopped by the door, where there was a small keyhole. Bending slightly, I pressed my eye to it.

Inside, the rival pack's Alpha sat on a large chair, while two of his men stood on both sides of him. He looked relaxed, but I could feel the tension in the room.

Across from them, Zephyr sat composed, his legs crossed, while Nik and Alex stood on either side of him, both their expressions hard and unsmiling.

"This is a generous offer, Darrin," Zephyr said. "You get the land you want, legally, with full ownership rights. In exchange, our packs remain at peace."

The rival Alpha, Darrin, scoffed. "And you think tossing us a few acres of Wrath-owned land is enough to buy my cooperation?"

"It's more than a few acres," Nik cut in. He appeared miffed. "The territory we're offering is fertile, strategically placed, and untouched. You'd be free to develop it however you see fit."

Darrin crossed his legs. "And in return, I'm just supposed to trust you? Sign away my loyalty to your pack and expect my wolves to bow their heads whenever the mighty Zephyrus Wrath walks by?"

"This isn't about submission," Zephyr replied. "It's about avoiding a war breaking out. Your pack has been expanding quite aggressively. We could continue the territorial disputes, or we could settle this with a deal that benefits both of us. Your choice"

Darrin was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "And if I say no?"

Silence.

Then, Zephyr replied, his voice dangerously calm, but deadly. "Then you force my hand."

The tension in the room quadrupled.

"Is that a threat?" Darrin asked almost in amusement. "You must think my pack weak. If it's war you want..."

A rough hand suddenly grabbed my wrist, and I froze, looking up to meet a pair of cold eyes.

One of the rival Alpha's men.

The blood drained from my face, and my stomach fell to my feet.

I'd been caught.

"What do we have here?" he said through his teeth, squeezing my wrist tighter, and I squeaked in pain.

Without wasting another moment, he pushed the door open, dragging me with him, and shoved me to the center of the room, interrupting the conversation.

All eyes fell on me, and the silence that followed was so deafening, my cheeks burned with embarrassment.

If I had teleportation powers, I'd have used them without thinking twice.

My heart beat faster, but I refused to look at Zephyr. I'd defied him again, but this time, there was no thrill or sense of satisfaction, only fear.

Even I knew the situation I had landed myself in was not a funny one.

"Caught this one eavesdropping," the man said as he moved to stand beside Darrin, his cold eyes raking over me. "Doesn't look like a staff member... appears..."

"... to be the human mate I've heard rumors about," Darrin finished, his curious gaze sweeping over me with amusement.

He looked even more menacing now that I was close to him. But it wasn't just his size or the aura of power he gave off, it was the disgusting and creepy, ever-present smirk on his lips.

"Well, well, well," he mused. "I heard the rumors, but I never expected them to be true."

I nearly lost my composure at the way his eyes salaciously roved over me.

"I don't see a mark on her, nor do I smell the distinct scent of a mate bond," he said to Zephyr, who remained seated, tense as stone, his angry eyes boring holes into me.

"If she's truly yours, then why hesitate to mark her?"

"That's none of your concern," he growled in response.

Darrin turned back to me, looking me up and down. "Where did you acquire this one from?"

My blood boiled.

"I'm not an object," I snapped before I could stop myself. "And you will not refer to me like I am one."

A slow grin spread across Darrin's face. "Oh? This one talks back."

His men chuckled.

The Alpha looked at Zephyr again. "Tell me, Wrath... does this bitch talk back to you this way, too?"

Zephyr's eyes left mine and snapped to Darrin's in an instant, the crease in his brow deepening.

"You must have a death wish," he warned. "It's the only reason I can think of for you using such words for my bride."

Darrin chuckled again, turning back to me and ignoring Zeph's threat. "Oh, how I love feisty women," he mused. "I love clipping their wings. Putting them in their place." His smirk faded, his voice dropping into something colder, more menacing. "Showing them the error of their ways."

A chill ran down my spine.

His eyes moved back to Zephyr. "Like I said earlier, I see no mark on her. No scent of yours. An unmarked mate is an unclaimed mate," he drawled. "Meaning that she isn't truly yours. That maybe, just maybe, she could be claimed by someone else."

I gulped, my stomach churning at the thought. What if they fought and Darrin won? I didn't want to leave with him.

Before I could blink, Zephyr moved. In a second, he'd grabbed Darrin by the collar, pulling him forward until their faces were inches apart. His eyes glowed a deep, superior red, his voice rough and animalistic as he hissed, "Try."

His grip tightened. "And see how fast I rip your fucking throat out."

Darrin's men made to intervene, but Nik and Alex were suddenly facing them in challenge.

For a second, no one moved. No one spoke. No one even dared breathe.

Until Darrin guffawed. "Temper, temper, Wrath. You certainly live up to the name."

He brushed Zephyr's hands away from his shirt, looking into his eyes in confrontation. "No need to get all possessive over a woman you haven't even claimed yet." He cast me a sideways glance, his smirk returning. "Though, I must say, she does look... very, very tempting."

Zephyr took another menacing step towards him, a deadly snarl leaving his lips, and Darrin held out his hand, chuckling softly. "Easy there. Message received"

He settled back into his seat, crossing one leg over the other, his expression turning serious again. "I'm not a fool, Wrath. We came here to negotiate, not to start a war."

"You are a fool if you think negotiations are still on the table," Zephyr replied coldly. "This conversation is over."

Disbelief flashed across Darrin's face as Zephyr continued to speak.

"You've disrespected me, my mate, and my house. I have no further interest in entertaining you."

"You can't be serious." Darrin let out a humorless laugh.

Zephyr didn't respond. He didn't need to. His cold expression said it all.

Darrin's smile dropped as he glanced at me. "So that's it? No alliance, because of a silly joke over some human girl?"

Silence.

"Oh, you're going to regret this, Wrath," Darrin scoffed, pushing back his chair and signaling to his men.

"No." Zephyr replied, "I won't."

Darrin went silent before turning to look at me with pure hate, his eyes shifting to an intimidating red.

I gasped in fear, stumbling back, right into someone's solid frame. A hand steadied me, and I turned to find Alex, who immediately swept me behind him protectively.

Darrin's infuriating smirk returned as he signaled to his people. "Come on, boys. We're done here."

"See them out," Zeph said to his brothers, and they nodded simultaneously.

I stayed quiet as I watched them leave, Alex and Nik following close behind.

The door slammed shut, leaving Zephyr and me in the room.

I had messed up big time. And now here I was, trapped in a room with a very angry Zephyrus Wrath, facing a trouble I knew there was no escape from.