Chapter 4

Teagan’s Point of View

“You are out of your mind if you think that I am going back there! That pack can rot for all I care!” I screeched, fire crawling up my insides.

Horrid, acrid memories clawed their way to the front of my mind. The fleeing. The heartache. All of it thrust upon me once more as I had to contemplate going back there. How alone it felt, braving the world.

Ciaran sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose whilst Alvara stood behind him. There was a kind smile on her face. Gentle in many ways that contradicted Ciaran’s harshness.

Harland was nowhere in sight.

“I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t think you wouldn’t be able to do it, Teagan. You agreed to be our ambassador. This is your first task. I also know that you are familiar with the pack.” Ciaran said, still pinching the bridge of his nose.

Ozias was leaning against the wall beside me. Looked less than pleased to be there but had no choice. He knew my feelings regarding Desert Sun. Nothing pleasant came from that place.

Only fucking sand rashes and heat stroke.

“Why do you even want me to go?” I asked, keeping my eyes narrowed on my Alpha. On the man that had made Eiecrunt this powerful.

He came from Desert Sun as well. Was the son of the fucking Alpha still ruling the place. At the tender age of ten, he had run away. Or was cast out? I couldn’t fully remember the story. My parents never did appreciate idle gossip in our house.

All I truly knew was that it had to do with the death of his mother. Apparently, he couldn’t handle it. Which was fair enough.

“Now that is the question you should have asked first.” Ozias mused from his position against the wall.

Alvara cut her mate a look. A warning. A threat. Both. She knew how horrible this felt for me. How utterly powerless I was in my old pack.

Thrown away as if I meant nothing to them. All because of one fucking choice. It wasn’t even a choice, really. Who the fuck was I to deny the goddess anything? Especially her bond.

Another sigh crossed Ciaran’s lips as he let his hands fall to the desk in front of him. “We want to invest in a uranium mine that side. The humans are waging war amongst themselves and selling the metal would prove lucrative. Plus, I hear that two of my brother’s closest friends were called to the werewolf capital, Makatza. This raises some alarm bells. Something is cooking with Nerezza and the best way to find out is by getting close to Bellamy.” He explained it so easily. As if the trauma he had suffered within that pack didn’t exist.

Or it did and he just knew how to hide it better than I did.

Either way, I was less than thrilled to be going back.

“So I am going to be your real estate agent and your spy? Am I getting this right?” I quipped back, unable to hold my tongue.

My once bubbly personality had boiled down to this. Since the day I agreed to be their ambassador, my life has gotten a lot busier. Paperwork. Meetings. Appointing another member of the council.

Harland had taken the position, to his dismay.

Apparently, they trusted him, a lot. Which was a relief but I just knew in my bones that my mate would be unable to go with me. His job here was too important. Spending even one day away would make him behind on too much work.

All of our time was now being spent serving Eiecrunt, for the greater good. I couldn’t remember the last time I had styled a fucking client, let alone myself.

Shaking his head, Ciaran smiled lazily at me.

 Alvara leaned into him some more, hugging one hand to her belly happily. She was a few months along. A girl, from what the scans told us. They were overjoyed. Although they were overly protective of the woman.

Yet the Luna refused to sit around and do nothing. She wanted to help. Wanted to do things all the time. It drove her four mates to madness.

“The land we want is already secured. The problem is that I need the permission of Alpha Jonah to continue with the project, as this land falls right within his pack bounds.”

Fucking hell. They wanted me to persuade the old bastard. Get him on our side somehow.

“And Harland?” I didn’t have to say anything else.

Alvara’s eyes flickered with sorrow. She opened her mouth to speak before the other two could. “You know we need him here, T. But the moment he gets a chance, he can go to you in Namibia, okay? Besides, I doubt it will take long to convince Jonah of the benefits.”

“You clearly don’t know his father, then.”

***

Walking into my home felt like a relief. Right where the door opened up, the rest of the world closed off. Nothing and no one was in here. This was my space. Harland’s space.

Harland’s tall frame was bent over the stove when I walked in. A towel hung low on his hips. Water dripped down from his hair, trailing his toned back. He was humming to himself. Swaying to the catchy tune.

“Now that is something I always want to come home to.” I mused and set down my purse on the kitchen counter.

Lazily, he turned, a lopsided grin on his rugged face. His stubble was well-grown out. Made him look less boyish and more like a man. “There is the sexist woman on the planet. Have a nice day?” He grumbled, deep voice vibrating through my bones.

After all this time and I still melted at the sight of him. 

Walking closer, I wrapped my arms around his waist. Nuzzled his toned chest. The sparks danced between us and I nearly moaned in reply. “A whole lot better now that I am in your arms,” I whispered back and pulled to see what he was cooking. “Shrimp scampi for dinner. I am a lucky woman.” I mused, kissing his chest in the process.

Harland gave me another lopsided grin as I moved away. As always, I perched myself on the kitchen counter and plucked off my shoes one by one. They fell to the floor, giving Harland a heart attack with each clang.

“What did I tell you about your shoes on the floor?” He asked with a wary glance.

I smiled sheepishly. “After nine years of living together and you still think I am going to pack them away?” I joked back, keeping my tone of voice aloof.

Unbothered.

Even though my thoughts were running rampant on the inside. However, I was spiraling to the deepest depths of my mind. The places I hadn’t visited in over a decade.

Harland knew me well enough to stop his stirring. He gave me a once-over. Narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously. “Spill it.” He commanded.

Wincing, I scooted a bit on the counter. “There is nothing to spill.” I lied and kept my eyes firmly away from his. With one look into my eyes, Harland would know how far down I was going. How utterly rattled I was.

Without warning, he turned off the flame of the stove. Moved the pots and pan he was using to the side. He was in front of me with one stride. Shoved his face into my vision. His hands caged me in on the counter. Blocked me from moving even an inch.

His breath fanned my face softly. “You are a terrible liar,” He whispered. When I still refused to meet his gaze, his index finger hooked beneath my chin. Forced my face to his. My stomach flipped a few times. “Tell me what’s wrong and I will deal with it.” He urged, eyes drilling holes into my skull.

I swallowed and braced my hands on his arms. Swallowed again when those brown eyes of his turned darker. This was the look of a predator. And I was more than willing to be his prey.

“They want to send me to Desert Sun.”

He stiffened. The muscles in his arms corded around me. Even his breath turned jagged. I could hear his heart pump wildly. Felt his anxiety through the small space between us. 

“I will go with you.”

“You can’t. They want you to stay. You have too much work here to leave.” My voice came out clipped.

“Ozias knows why you can’t go back. Why we can’t go back. If you must go, the least they could do is send me with you.” There was no emotion in his voice. None. He was cold and calculated.

I could feel his fury before even he could.

“I will be fine.”

“They could harm you. You know that. We were thrown out. Exiled. No one will be happy about you being there. At least if I went with I could guarantee your safety.” His breath was still fanning my face. I could smell some alcohol on him. Not much but it was there.

“I will be fine.”

Because that was all I could tell him. That I was going to be fine. Physically, maybe, but mentally I wasn’t so sure about. Things could take a dark turn. But I had to make him believe that I was going to be fine. That this was fine.

He wouldn’t let me go otherwise.