CHAPTER 3

SAWYER

2 years.

Did they really think that I would just let another Alpha live happily in my pack for 2 whole years.

And not just any Alpha. It just had to be Malcolm Blackstone. The most ruthlessly annoying man there is. He's also the most homophobic person in the world.

But it's only until he proves himself, they said. He wouldn't be here long, they said. He wouldn't…

Oh please! The online thing he wouldn't do is respect the choices of these people, my people.

And I'll be damned before I let anyone make them feel inferior about themselves again.

I clenched my fist and stopped in front of the door to my chambers but just as my fingers brushed over the doorknob, a deep voice called out to me.

“Sawyer! Hold on for a second, will ya?”

I halted in my actions and a sigh left my lips as I turned to the man in front of me.

Troy stopped by my side and heavy pants fell from his lips as he placed his hand on my shoulder for support.

“Sometimes trying to catch up with you seems impossible, especially when you're wearing the world's longest pair of footwear.”

I looked down at the pair of midnight black stilettos on my feet and I rolled my eyes at his exaggeration. They were just six inches, which was nothing compared to what other people wore. But I kept those words to myself because arguing with Troy was like trying to bend a brick wall to your will. Exhaustion and Impossible.

“What do you want, old man,” I asked as I twisted the doorknob and stepped into the sanctuary which I called my chambers. I kicked off my shoes and walked to the vanity at the far edge of the room when Troy cleared his throat which is his way of demanding attention.

“You got something to say, Troy?” I demanded while still searching for the wipes to clean off my makeup.

“First of all, I'm not old. I'm just in my 40s. I want to talk about what happened downstairs…”

“Don't even bother, Troy. Talking about it is just going to make us even pissed. I mean who do they think they are just bringing him here without first informing me. Just because they are from a powerful pack and just because 90% of them are good-looking doesn't give them the right to impose their problems on us—Where the hell did I keep the wipes?”

I hate them all. Especially Malcolm. In fact, I hate him so much that if there was ever a rule for Malcolm Blackstone's biggest hater, I would be given the part without an audition. But even I can't deny that he's one hell of a specimen

Chiselled jawline, rock hard muscles that sat perfectly on his bones, a mop of ginger hair that fans his face, a pair of gray eyes and a sea of freckles on his cheeks.

He's a looker but he still repulses me. Why is it always the prettiest faces that hides the ugliest souls.

“Actually…” Troy hesitated with a wary look in his eyes which only lasted a second before he uttered a sentence I never thought I would hear him say.

“They did inform us. I was the one who gave the authorization that they could bring him. I think he should stay.”

I froze against the piece of furniture and slowly turned to Troy with my eyes as wide as saucers and my jaw almost touching the floor.

“Let's pretend that it's perfectly okay for you to give such authorisation without permission from or my Beta,” I shot him a glare as I spoke but just as I expected, the geezer does nothing but roll his eyes at me. “Why do you strongly believe that we should let him stay in our pack for a whole year?”

I expected to receive an arsenal of reasons why he should stay. I expected to receive reasons which could almost convince me to let him stay. What I didn't expect was the shrug he gave me accompanied by a very laid back response.

“I have a hunch.”

A hunch?

This man who had always been wise about everything that came to our people was ready to put the lives of our entire pack in danger for a hunch?

“Oh I'm sorry, did you somehow forget the part where he hates our guts. That man would rather die than breathe the same oxygen as us and you thought it was a good idea to orchestrate the whole thing because of a hunch? Have the screws in your head finally come undone, old man?!”

The room fell into a deafening silence and I could visibly see the light drain from his eyes at the hostility of my words. I've never raised my voice at him, not once in all the years I've known him.

“I'm sorry, Troy,” I ran my hands over my face and cold shame sat in my bones as the color in the eyes didn't brighten. “It's just…when I think of anyone from the Blackstone pack, hatred is the first thing that comes to mind but Malcolm, hatred isn't even enough to describe what I feel for him. I detest him and he detest me, meaning he can do anything to hurt me and everyone else in this pack, do you get where I'm coming from?” I questioned in desperation for his understanding and as though the goddess was on my side, Troy nodded his head and my shoulders instantly relaxed, but I should have known he wouldn't give up.

“I understand what you mean, Sawyer. I know how much Blue Lily means to you. And I understand the risk with letting him stay,” Troy closed the distance between upland pulled my close till my forehead touched his and just like that my memory was pulled back to a time where this man was all my sister and I had. He was our father, our biggest supporter, our family.

I can never lose this man.

“I raised you and your sister. Do you really think that I would let anything happen to you and what you built? I wouldn't agree to this if I didn't think you would be able to handle it.”

“Can't we just pretend that he doesn't exist?”

A chuckle left his lips and a smile touched mine as he pulled himself away from me and just like that the twinkle in his aging eyes had returned.

“We can. But only after you let him stay.”

“What if they've already left?”

“They haven't. I told them to give me an hour to convince you.”

I shook my hand at his confidence and a defeated sigh left my lips as I wordlessly searched for my discarded shoes and put them on as slow as I could.

“There's my boy. I promise you won't regret this.”

I love Troy. But for his sake I hope this doesn't become the biggest mistake of my life.