15: Standing on Business

HARPER

The silence in the car was making me feel uneasy. Sierra had made a few comments that led me to believe she was questioning the concept of true mates, as if it was something she could simply opt out of. But as I continued to observe her, I realized that wasn’t quite it.

This realization helped me relax a bit. However, the fact that she had tried to escape, that she seemed to want nothing to do with her current life, filled me with dread. I was terrified she might reject me, a rejection I knew I wasn’t ready to handle.

I couldn’t change who I was, couldn’t ignore the pull toward my mate. As I parked in front of our office building, I let out a sigh. Sierra seemed tense too, her hands tightly clasped together.

I could see the signs of past abuse in her demeanor. It wasn’t anger that was making her tense, it was fear. I hated that her first instinct was to hide, but I knew you couldn’t erase years of abuse in a matter of hours.

Reassuring her that everything would be okay wouldn’t magically make it so. Besides, I wasn’t even sure if everything would be okay. She was here now, and I had no intention of taking her back.

“Do you need a moment?” I asked, trying to gauge her reaction.

She looked at me, confusion evident in her eyes.

“For what?” she asked, her tone matching her confused expression.

“You seem worried. It’s in your eyes. We’re about to meet Axel, and in case you haven’t noticed, my alpha has a very strong presence. Do you need a moment to prepare yourself?” I asked.

“I’m ready to meet your alpha. I know it’s necessary, given the mess I’ve created for you both. But I have to be honest, I would do it all over again. I don’t want to go back. I’d rather live on the streets. I can’t go back there. They’re breaking me,” she confessed, looking away from me.

I could tell it took a lot for her to admit that.

“Then let’s go meet Axel. I promise you, you won’t be sent back because of us,” I reassured her as I opened the car door.

I thought I heard her let out a slow breath as she stepped out of the car. I glanced over at Zen and Ian, who had Miguel between them. They stopped on the sidewalk in front of me.

I looked down at the bindings on Miguel. He just stood there.

“For now, we’ll leave those on. I don’t think you’re a deceitful man, but your actions suggest desperation. Desperate men, especially those who act out of concern for others, sometimes don’t think things through,” I said to Miguel.

“Fair enough,” Miguel replied, glancing at Sierra.

He seemed to be assessing her, making sure she was okay. Despite her having attacked him, he didn’t seem to hold much of a grudge. This told me just how bad things were in the covens, and that Miguel was aware of the extent of her mistreatment.

“Let’s go. It’s getting brighter and I can see it’s affecting both of you,” I said, leading the way to the building.

We walked in and down the hall to Axel’s office. The door was already open. I entered first, followed by Sierra and then Miguel. Ian and Zen were instructed by Axel to wait outside.

Axel, who was alone in his office, put his phone down. He looked serious, all business.

“Have a seat,” Axel instructed, gesturing to the chairs.

He leaned against his desk, arms crossed, as he stared at us. His gaze was focused on Sierra and Miguel. I remained standing, meeting Axel’s gaze when he looked at me.

For a moment, I thought I saw a smirk, but I knew him well enough to recognize the irritation behind it.

“Lady Sierra, what an unexpected surprise. I see your impulsive escape from your coven has landed us in a difficult situation. I thought you were smarter than that,” Axel said.

I remained silent. I knew how Axel operated, and I knew he was aware that Sierra was my true mate. I wouldn’t tolerate her being belittled, even by him. But I also knew I had to let him do his job.

Sierra’s actions had been reckless, there was no denying that.

“I suppose it wasn’t the smartest move. But desperate people make desperate decisions. I don’t expect you to understand,” Sierra replied calmly, avoiding Axel’s gaze.

“I have more beings in my territory who’ve fled their packs, covens, and dens than anyone else. I understand desperation. But you’re not just any desperate person. You’re the Lady of the Red coven and its heir. I’ve already received several messages and calls from your father. He knows what you did, and that your guard came after you,” Axel said. His gaze shifted to Miguel, who looked down and clenched his jaw.

“So what do you plan to do? What do you want from us?” Sierra asked, looking up at Axel.

I turned to look at Axel too, who was staring at Sierra with a raised eyebrow. I was on edge, waiting for his response.

SIERRA

Axel was indeed intimidating. His powerful presence was evident in his posture and the energy around him. He was a leader, an alpha, and it showed.

He was staring at me, and I had no idea what he was thinking. I tried not to glance nervously at Harper. I didn’t want to seem like I was asking for his help. I had gotten myself into this mess, and I needed to deal with it.

“We’re going to talk to your father about this,” Axel said. I looked at him in shock.

He held up his phone, scrolling through it.

“So you’re going to send me back?” I asked, since he hadn’t said anything else or asked why I had done what I did.

Axel looked at me and laughed dismissively.

“Fuck no. I care more about my beta than your sorry excuse for a father. I don’t give a shit why you crawled into the back of their car. What I care about is not getting into a fucking war or some pissing contest because your father wants to accuse us of something. I know what you are to Harper,” Axel said.

I glanced over at Harper, who was just watching me. I saw Miguel frown and look at Harper, confused.

“What do you want me to say?” I asked, confused by Axel’s response.

He sure liked to swear. I could see why others had certain opinions about him.

“Be honest and stand your ground. We need to address this before he sends more people our way. He’s already threatened to do so if we don’t return you immediately,” Axel advised me.

I swallowed hard, my gaze drifting to Harper. His jaw was set tight, but he remained silent, leaving the decision up to me.

“Are you going to call him now?” I asked.

“Yes, we’ll have a conference call. Everyone in this room will hear what he has to say, along with you. It seems we all have something at stake here,” Axel replied.

The sound of the phone ringing filled the room as he held his device out for everyone to hear. After a few rings, the call was answered.

“Alpha Axel, I’m relieved you’ve finally returned my call. This is a serious matter and I don’t appreciate…” My father’s voice echoed through the room, laced with restrained anger.

Axel interrupted him. “I’d advise you to watch your tone. I haven’t harmed your daughter. She’s safe here and despite your position as the Red Coven’s leader, I’ll hear her side of the story before I entertain your demands. She’s unharmed and in good health,” Axel retorted, his voice taking on a darker tone.

Adis had a certain sharpness to him. There was a pause on the line before my father spoke again.

“My apologies, my daughter went missing. You should understand how that might make a father feel,” Adis said.

I narrowed my eyes, doubting his sincerity. I was nothing more than valuable property to him. Axel noticed my reaction and I eased up a bit.

“Surveillance footage showed her getting into your beta’s car. I know it wasn’t a kidnapping, but since you know where she is, I expect her immediate return. We haven’t heard from her guard either. We’re looking for him too,” Adis continued.

“Her bodyguard is here. He tried to stop them and informed them of Lady Sierra’s location. My men did what I expected of them and returned here to handle the situation safely. I don’t care about your family issues or the pressure Lady Sierra might be under due to our roles. She will be provided with suitable housing, as will her bodyguard. He did his job well and Lady Sierra has behaved appropriately,” Axel responded, his tone dry.

He seemed bored, eager to end the conversation. I glanced at Harper, who seemed to find some humor in the situation. I didn’t.

Axel was essentially telling my father he didn’t give a damn about his demands, albeit in a professional manner.

“No, she will be returned here immediately. I’ll send others to pick her up. She should wait at your meeting house and I will…,” Adis demanded.

“I don’t have the fucking time to babysit your daughter,” Axel growled.

Both Miguel and I straightened up in surprise at his blunt response to Adis.

“She’s an adult, and in my territory, a free and consenting one at that. If you want to send someone to pick her up, fine, but whether she gets in your car or not is not my concern. I won’t be held responsible for her actions. If you try to order me around again, I’ll give her the keys to her own car and tell her she can go home or keep going if she wants. Am I clear? Did I stutter, Adis? We have an agreement, but remember, I have more territory and power than you. I’m not one of your lackeys and I’m not afraid of you. Is that clear?” Axel’s eyes were pitch black.

Right then, I saw the demon Axel could be. He wouldn’t be bossed around or told what to do. He truly wasn’t afraid of my father and his tone made it clear that we’d better watch our mouths.

He might not be aggressively expanding his territory at the moment, but he would if he had to. He’d start with us if we pushed him.

“I didn’t mean that you had to watch her. I didn’t expect that. I’m not trying to start anything with you, I just want my daughter returned safely. Our customs and expectations are different. I know Sierra is well-behaved and can wait for her ride to arrive with her bodyguard,” Adis replied, his tone flat.

Axel’s gaze returned to normal as he looked at me.

“I have a better idea, one that Lady Sierra suggested,” Axel said.

I looked at him, confused.

“I could use someone like Lady Sierra here to help me understand the pharmaceutical needs of vampires and hybrids like your kind. She’s willing to work with me to make up for putting us at risk of being accused of kidnapping. If Lady Sierra stays and does this, then we can put this behind us and I’d be more open to discussing a deal with you, as you’ve already suggested,” Axel proposed.

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

“Perhaps another…,” Adis began, but Axel cut him off.

I knew my father would suggest a male.

“I said her. She can fix what she did,” Axel insisted. “Are you comfortable with this deal?” he asked me.

I nervously wrung my hands together, listening to the conversation. Axel was intense, but I was grateful that he was giving me a way out, even if it was a bit aggressive.

“Yes. I’m confident I can do this. I’d appreciate the opportunity to make up for my rash decision when I was feeling overwhelmed. I apologize, Father. Let me prove that I’m capable of more than just producing heirs,” I said, trying to sound brave, but I was shaking slightly.

“How do I know she’ll be safe there? You don’t know our enemies, or the needs of a female vampire at certain times.” I felt my face heat up at his comment. He was referring to my lust, and I knew it. He must have seen my medical report.

“She’ll be provided with everything she needs and will be a top priority. That includes drugs to suppress lust, since I know that’s what you’re implying. My people aren’t animals who will take advantage of her. If you keep talking, we’re going to have problems. Take it or leave it, what’s it going to be?” Axel demanded.

“I’ll take it, but…”

“Great. I look forward to seeing Lady Sierra prove her worth.” With that, Axel ended the call.

My jaw dropped. He’d just hung up on my father and treated him like a commoner. Axel was no joke, and I appreciated it more than I could say. I’d never heard anyone talk to my father like that, and it was the most satisfying thing I’d ever heard. I could have kissed Axel for treating him that way.