Complications

CHAPTER 4: Complications

Sable's POV

The air vanished from my lungs the moment I met his eyes..

It wasn't just his size though he was enormous. It wasn't even the inhuman, gold-flecked glow in his eyes, though that was seriously freaky. It was the sheer crushing weight of his presence that hit me all of a sudden.

I knew instantly this was him.. the Alpha. He hadn't even been in the room earlier.. he’d just been waiting, letting his scary right-hand man, Octavian, do the warm-up act.

The whole world shrunk down to the space between him and me. Corvin was on his knees, babbling apologies and one of the huge men next to the Alpha gave me a shove on my shoulder, and my knees buckled, hitting the wooden floor with a painful thud as I was forced to kneel before him.

Octavian looked absolutely furious towards Corvin and his voice was a low and dangerous growl now.

“Alpha Bryn, this is an insult. We paid for a virgin bride for the alliance. This… this is just a fucking whore!”

I flinched at the word while y heart was trying to beat its way out of my chest. This was it.. they were going to kill me. Or worse, give me back to Corvin.

But Alpha Bryn didn’t even look at me. Not really. His gaze was somewhere over my head like I was a mildly interesting stain on the wall and when he finally spoke, his voice was quiet and almost bored but it carried an undeniable command that made everyone freeze.

“The deal stands. I’ll still take her.”

You could have heard a pin drop. Corvin’s terrified whimpers turned into a choked sound of pure relief and I just stared, stunned.

Octavian was not having it.

“Alpha, with all respect...”

“The deal stands, Octavian,” Bryn repeated with his tone leaving no room for argument.

He finally flicked his eyes toward Corvin, who was practically kissing the floorboards.

“But the terms change. You don’t get the full sum. Consider the reduced payment a lesson in properly securing your… assets.”

Corvin’s joy didn’t even waver.

“Of course, Alpha Bryn! Thank you! Thank you for your mercy!”

I felt sick. He was haggling over me like I was a damaged couch.

Bryn gave a weak, almost tired wave of his hand to Octavian.

“Pay him.”

And then, without another glance in my direction, Alpha Bryn turned and walked out of the house, his security detail falling into step behind him. Just like that. He’d decided my entire future without even looking me in the eye.

As one of Bryn’s men hauled me to my feet, Corvin scurried over, clutching a wad of cash an he had the decency to look slightly ashamed but the greed in his eyes won out.

“Look, Sable, it’s nothing personal, okay?” he said, his voice a hurried whisper. “I’m just… I’m neck-deep in debt. You understand, right? I needed this.”

I didn’t answer. What was there to say? ‘Sure, Uncle, I totally get you selling me to a werewolf pack to cover your gambling losses. No hard feelings.’

I was ushered out and into a black car andOctavian was in the passenger seat, radiating a fury so intense I was surprised the seats weren’t melting. I sat in the back, alone with my thoughts and the terrifyingly quiet driver.

After about twenty minutes of winding roads, I couldn’t take it anymore. The silence was too much so I figured I'd ooe a conversation.

“So… is he always that… chatty?” I ventured.

Nothing.. not even a twitch.

“Right. Strong silent type. Got it.” I tried again later. “Where exactly are we going?”

More silence. Okay then. Message received. I was merchandise.. not a person so I shut up and watched the world outside change.

We passed a sign that read ‘Welcome to Blackpine Reach – Wolf Territories Ahead’. The trees grew thicker, the houses more sparse and then finally, we drove through a massive iron gate.

We pulled up in front of a huge, imposing house that looked less like a home and more like a lodge designed for a giant.. the pack house. Other cars were already there and my door was opened and I was gently-but-firmly guided out.

And there he was. Alpha Bryn, standing on the steps, talking to an older woman. She had the same stern brow and the same regal posture. His mom.. She had to be. Maybe a normal person would be nice. A motherly type.

I took a tentative step forward, thinking maybe I should try to make a good impression when she turned her head. Her eyes landed on me and any hope I had curdled and died right there.

Her face, which had been neutral in conversation with her son, transformed into a pure disgust.

“Bryn,” she spat sharply. “Tell me this is not her. Tell me you did not actually go through with this farce after what she did!”

Bryn looked pained.

“Mother, please.”

“‘Please’? You bring this… this prostitute into our home? Our sacred pack house?”

She was practically vibrating with rage, pointing a finger at me like I was something she’d scraped off her shoe.

“The entire territory would soon be buzzing with it! She ran away and spread her legs for some stranger! A whore cannot be your bride! She will be the laughingstock of the alliance! We should do away with her now and be done with it!”

I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. The urge to tell her exactly where she could shove her opinions was overwhelming but I had a feeling that would end with me being ‘done away with’. So I just stood there, taking it.

What confused me more than her anger was Bryn’s reaction. He was the Alpha, right? The big boss.. the top dog but he was just… taking it all like a pussy!

“Mother, the alliance is more important than… than that,” he said with his voice pleading. “We need this. I need this. Please, just let it slide.”

I was seriously starting to question the whole power structure of this place. Was his mom the real Alpha? Was this some kind of weird werewolf mommy-issues thing?

They were still arguing about my supposed moral failings when another guy jogged up from the side of the house. He was dressed in full hockey gear, sweaty and breathing hard, carrying a helmet under his arm.

“Alpha Bryn! Welcome back,” he said warmly and familiar.. way too familiar.

As I struggled to place where I hard the voice.. he pulled off his helmet, running a hand through his damp dark hair and my brain completely short-circuited.

The world tilted.. the angry mother, the weak Alpha, the furious head of security... it all just faded into a blurry background because standing there and grinning easily was him.

Knox… The guy from the club, the guy from the hotel room and the guy who I had so desparetly fucked!

My mouth fell open as all the air rushed out of me in one shocked stupid sound.

“You?!”

He just noticed me and his eyes narrowed apprehensively

Bryn looked between us with a flicker of confusion on his face.

“You know my Beta, Knox?”

Beta? My eyes locked with Knox’s. His easy smile had frozen solid and his eyes, which last night had been full of warmth and mischief were now wide with a mirror of my own sheer horror.

He wasn’t just a sexy stranger.. he was the Beta.. the second-in-command to the Alpha!

The same Alpha I was supposed to have been a virgin bride for!

Oh, crap…!