Chapter 4

Blaze POV

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was like an angel descended from heaven. Her long, glorious hair reminded me of midnight, her green eyes were like the dark green of the fur trees, and that body, God that body, was all softness and curves.

I wanted to feel that softness beneath my hands, squeeze it, and caress it all at the same time.

My mate. I’d felt the bond instantly when she came waltzing in, and the instant I’d seen her, I’d gotten an erection so hard it was painful. I’d had to subtly adjust myself so nobody saw the effect she had on me. I wanted to claim her right then and there but I refrained. If Tristan had any inkling I was lusting after an omega, he wouldn’t hesitate to use it against me. He was the kind of man who would use any dirty trick he could think of to get what he wanted.

He was already doing everything he could think of to get me to agree to an alliance with his pack.

I wouldn’t put her in the line of fire until I was done with all of this. I disliked Tristan, but after seeing the way he addressed my mate, I now despised him.

The moment she left, Tristan sighed and looked at me with a smirk. I stiffened, digging my fingers into the sides of the chair.

Had he seen the effect she had on me? Had I failed to hide it from him? Did he know who she was to me?

My mind was panicked now, but luckily, Tristan did not know what just happened.

“That fat fuck couldn’t find a needle in a haystack. Only reason we keep her on is that she’s good at serving the pack and doing her duties as an omega. Otherwise, we would have tossed that wolf less mutt out. Didn’t get her wolf on her eighteenth birthday,” he sneered, “can you imagine it?”

He didn't hesitate to degrade her, his eyes sparkling with amusement. What a bastard.

I envisioned grabbing him by the head and twisting it straight off. Fought the urge to tear him limb from limb as my wolf vowed to shed his blood. Nobody spoke about my mate like that and got away with it. If he had been on my pack grounds, I would have killed him but I was a guest here and, as such, had to obey certain rules and protocols.

Was the man blind? The girl was a goddess. So, unlike the stereotypical dumb blondes who tended to overcrowd a pack. She was fire, the flame I wanted to see burn brighter, and I was going to make sure when I left, she was with me, even if it meant slinging her over my shoulder like a damn caveman and forcing her into the car.

My mouth watered as I envisioned doing just that and feeling that body on my shoulder.

“Do you always talk about your pack members like that?” My voice is gravelly.

From the looks of it he had no hesitation in speaking derogatively about omegas and anybody inferior to him.

“Only the ugly ones,” he winked and then straightened up, a look of realization on his face. “Why? Do you like her? If you do, I can arrange for her to go to your room and serve you,” he suggested, and I almost ripped his face off at what he was implying.

How dare he offer to send her to my bed as though she weren't a person?

“I don’t take advantage of women. I only have the utmost respect for them,” I snarled, fighting to keep my cool.

He laughed. “Women, maybe, but omegas? Their only purpose is to do what us superior selves want. Besides, it’s not like anybody else wants to bang her, not looking like that, so at least you know she’s pure,” he said suggestively.

This asshole had a death wish. It was like he couldn't sense the pure rage that was emanating from me.

He finally got the hint and looked back down at his desk as the murderous impulse in me refused to subside. Any other man would have been killed instantly for the disrespect of my mate.

No wonder she hadn’t felt the mate bond. Without a wolf, she wouldn’t be able to smell my scent or feel the tingles that ran down her spine when we touched. That made things more complicated, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t one of those asshole Alphas who only wanted Luna’s who were strong warriors. I was strong enough for the both of us. I could protect her.

“About this alliance,” Tristan distracted me, and I looked at him, my expression instantly inscrutable. “You can see just how strong my pack is. It will only benefit both of us and the rewards you’ll reap from our connection are extensive," he boasted.

His arrogance was astounding. He truly believed everything he was saying, and the fact he said it with a straight face only made it all the more humerous.

I almost laughed out loud. The bastard was delusional. From the moment I had stepped forward onto this pack, I had instantly taken note of everything. From the poor security, the poorly trained warriors, and the disgusting attitude he had towards omegas. His pack was not something to boast about. His claims they were one of the strongest packs in the country was nothing but lies and denial.

His pack was one of the weakest ones I had ever seen and in no way comparable to my own.

I would have told him instantly that I was not interested in this so-called alliance, but now my mate was here, I needed to change my plan.

“I would like to spend some time at your pack and observe the way it works. I’ll give you my answer once I’m satisfied with how you are running things. It’s always good to see the way another pack operates,” I said evenly.

It was a poor reason for staying, but I needed a way to keep myself here without arousing suspicion.

He looked frustrated but nodded in the end.

“I’ll have a guest room set up for you. I intend on announcing my Luna tomorrow night, so perhaps you staying is fortuitous,” he smiled tightly, "there is a party afterwards, and you are most welcome to attend."

I smiled, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes. If his new Luna was anything like him, then I pitied the pack forced to endure both of them together.

Without clear direction, growth and alliances, this pack was doomed to fail.