Diplomacy

ALLIE

Half an hour later, I’m standing outside the Red Moon Pack House with Alexander.

I’m on James’s territory, which makes me nervous. As we walk up the steps of the building with its Grecian pillars and marble steps, the grandeur of the surroundings increases the tension I feel.

After spending time alone with James, I know that, although he’s used to these surroundings, he prefers a simpler way of living, like I do. I remember this and use the knowledge to calm my nerves.

When we walk into the pack house, the guards don’t stop us. They seem to know and trust Alexander.

He knows where we are going and walks straight down the corridor to the alpha’s office. He knocks and, without waiting for a response, opens the door and enters the room.

I follow him in and see James sitting behind his desk with his laptop in front of him and papers strewn across the desk. Even at this late hour, he’s hard at work.

He looks surprised to see me standing there with Alexander.

“James, there is something we need to discuss with you,” Alexander tells my mate.

“What is it that you need to say to me at this late hour?”

“Well, it’s more that Allie needs to tell you something. I’m merely here to help.”

“What does she need you for? Why can’t she tell me herself?”

I can see the hurt in his eyes. After our lunch together, we had come to understand each other so much better, but here I was unable to speak to him without bringing Alexander for support.

“Alexander is here because what I’m about to tell you will make you angry. It will change things, and I don’t want it to destroy what we have started to build.”

“Okay, well you better take a seat and tell me what is so important.”

I sit and take a deep breath. “I left something out when I told you about being captured by the Savage Wolves. It was a small thing, but I now realize it was important.

“The reason Ryan said he wanted to take me prisoner rather than just kill me was that he thought I might be the person he had been looking for.

“He was taking me back to his pack to question me, to find out if I was her.”

“Who was he looking for?”

“He didn’t say.”

James looks at Alexander. “Who would he be looking for? Have you heard anything about this?”

“No. It has never been referred to in any of the intelligence reports my people have gathered. None of his people have mentioned that he’s looking for a she-wolf.

“We do know he has been searching for something, but he’s only confided in his inner circle.”

“So, it could be that he has been searching for Allie?” James asks.

“It’s beginning to sound that way.”

“So, what made you change your mind? Why are you prepared to tell me about it now when you weren’t prepared earlier?”

“I went for a run tonight after we got back from our lunch. While I was out, Ryan appeared. He told me I was the one he had been looking for, that I was his, and that he would be coming for me.”

All the time I’ve been speaking, I watch as James’s anger builds. His color heightens and a vein in his neck begins to throb. His eyes turn black, and I can see his wolf is taking over.

“He will not touch what is ~mine~,” he shouts in an unnaturally deep voice.

“And he won’t, James. You need to calm down or you’ll frighten Allie. He hasn’t abducted her. He might think she’s his, but we all know she isn’t. She’s your mate.

“All he has done by stalking her like this is alert us to his plans. It’s a good thing. We can now take steps to make sure he doesn’t succeed.”

James begins to calm down. His breathing slows and his eyes return to their normal dark brown. I’m so glad Alexander is here and knows what to say to calm him down.

“You’re right,” James says. “The priority now is to safeguard Allie.” He turns to me and orders, “You must move into the packhouse immediately and leave the university.”

“No. I’m not living here!”

James growls, “It’s the only way I can keep you safe. If you’re here, I can protect you and make sure Ryan is unable to get anywhere near you.”

“By controlling my life, suffocating me? I want to stay living with my friends, attending university…”

“It isn’t safe for you to continue to study. Once I’ve defeated Ryan, you can return to the university, but until then, you need to stay here.”

I’m grateful when Alexander steps in. “That’s a bit extreme, James. You can’t hide Allie away from the world. There is a difference between protecting her and imprisoning her.”

I’m glad he’s here fighting for me. I have a feeling that otherwise, James wouldn’t let me leave. Alexander may just be the voice of reason that will convince him to let me go.

James begins to regain control of his temper. “But I won’t let anyone harm Allie. I won’t let Ryan take her, and he will if I don’t protect her.”

“Of course. No one is disputing that. But perhaps what we need is a compromise,” Alexander suggests.

“What kind of compromise?” James asks.

“Well, you want to make sure that Allie is safe, and Allie wants to be able to continue with her life, being able to study, meet her friends, and go to work.”

“She doesn’t need to work,” James interrupts.

“Yes, I do. I want to,” I tell him angrily.

We glare at each other while Alexander tries to defuse the situation.

“What I suggest is that you provide a guard for Allie while she’s at school and work.”

“I can assign wolves to protect her,” James agrees. “I’m willing to allow her to continue to study but only if she moves into the pack house.”

“You will ~allow~ me?” I spit at him angrily. “Allow me? When did you suddenly become the boss of me?”

“When I realized you were my mate, and you were in danger. I know that it’s difficult for you to accept, but being an alpha’s mate makes you mine. Just as I’m yours.

“I’ll do everything in my power to look after you and protect you.”

“James, you have to remember that Allie’s knowledge of alphas and mates is scratchy, and being a dominant wolf herself she’s not going to accept what she sees as ownership.”

Alexander turns from James to me. “That’s why you ~both~ need to compromise. Allie, James is right—you should move into the pack house. You’ll be safer here.

“James, you will allow Allie to attend school, keep her job, and see her friends. Yes, she will require protection, but she can’t be locked up and isolated from everything and everyone she loves.”

James looks as if he’s about to argue, but after a moment he says, “Okay. If she stays here at night, I can provide guards to protect her during the day.”

“Wait a minute… I don’t want to stay in a pack, and I don’t want his goons following me around. Everyone is going to know they’re my bodyguards. All that will do is call unwanted attention to me.”

“Allie, you’ve never experienced life in a pack before, and you should. It’s natural for wolves to live in a pack, and very few choose not to.

“Look at your friends. They were all part of a pack until tragic circumstances made them loners.

“You need protection from Ryan and if you continue as you have been, it will be easy for him to grab you. He could have easily kidnapped you last night. You were lucky all he wanted to do was talk.”

I realize that Alexander is talking sense. “Okay, I agree but with conditions.” I look directly at James. “I’ll move in, but I want my own room.

“I also don’t want your warriors as my bodyguards at university. I’m there to learn and enjoy spending time with the rest of the students in my class, and big scary wolves will destroy that.”

“You have to allow me to assign at least one bodyguard. They can be young, someone who will fit in and not be noticed.”

“Only one, and I have the final say on whether they’re the right person.”

“I can deal with that,” James says with a big smile.

“Okay,” I agree grudgingly.

Alexander beams. “Excellent. Now all we need to do is move Allie in here and sort out her bodyguard.”

“I’ll get straight on it. I’ll ask my head warrior to recommend a suitable person to guard her. I’ll have my omegas prepare suitable accommodation for my mate.”

“Don’t tell them I’m your mate. Not yet. I’m still coming to terms with it.”

“Of course, we will go at your pace,” James promises.

I just hope he means it. I am not sure if I am ready to be a pack wolf.