Brady offered his free arm but she shook her head. “I’m flying solo tonight.” She had no intention of playing the pity card. Nor was she going to be seen escorted in by Brady if she was going to talk to Ace.
They wanted her to go out with him? Then she would do just that. What was the worst that could happen? He was cute. He was above her station. He was a catch, as far as her society was concerned. So that settled it.
Aiden led the way down the hall, and the group followed until they reached the solarium. In the evening, under the glow of the lights, the room had transformed. Large windows let in the moonlight as it broke through a cloudy sky above.
A buffet had been set along the side wall, with the butler playing bartender.
Her group was first to arrive, which Emma counted as a blessing. The best medicine for nerves was always a good stiff drink, liquid courage to bolster her resolve to apologize for her attitude earlier and ask if Ace’s offer was still on the table.
“What goes good with crow?” she joked to herself as she sauntered up to the bar.
She recognized the butler from earlier. “Excuse me?” he asked.
“Sorry. Talking to myself.” Emma chuckled nervously. “I remember you, but I don’t think we were properly introduced.”
“Peter,” he responded politely.
“Jack of all trades tonight?” Emma tried to make small talk.
“I do what’s required of me.” He responded almost mechanically.
“We have a few of those back home too. They’re always our most trusted in the security force.” Emma winked at him. “The service staff sees all, knows all.”
Peter’s lip quirked up as if he wanted to smile, but he quickly gained control over his muscles. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Cosmo, please.” She hoped the vodka would work quickly on her nerves.
He set the glass out on the bar with a napkin. “Enjoy your evening.”
She smiled politely and picked up her drink.
Behind her, the door opened, and Ace and his entourage began to filter into the space.
The brothers entered first, followed by a woman. Emma reached back into her memory to recall the people listed on the small council. Vivian, most likely; their mother. With the woman there was another man, one who looked like he’d seen his fair share of battles: Richard, the former enforcer. He’d served as the previous Alpha’s second before being forced to execute him. Not a man she wanted to cross.
The Silverman family had the most intriguing history. She’d spent hours reading over the lines of succession to make sense of it all. And as the final member of the Long Teeth entourage came through, Orion Silverman, former Alpha, it really became twisted. He was Aeson Silverman’s uncle and had been Alpha before his brother David had taken over. But by a magical twist of fate, he’d been rendered comatose for the last sixteen years and lost his place in the pack. He might not have been the Regional Alpha any longer, but there was no denying the power that man exuded, which was palpable as he entered the room. He eclipsed Ace, drawing attention to himself as he came to stand with the group in the center of the room.
Nearly forgetting her own nerves, Emma focused on the elder Silverman, wanting to meet him and discuss the magical coma he’d been placed under. Her feet moved of their own accord as she crossed the room to speak to the Silverman party.
As was custom, she spoke to Ace first, greeting him out of respect for his position. “Thank for your generous hospitality, hosting us in your gorgeous home during this meeting.”
His eyes lit up as they met hers, and a grin stretched across his face, revealing the ghost of a dimple on his left cheek. “Happy to have the Olde Town as our closest allies.” Ace turned to Orion. “Have you had the pleasure of meeting Emma MacBride?”
Orion shook his head. The old wolf wore his power like a second skin. Neither time nor age had diminished it. Even as they stood together, the respect he commanded was acknowledged. Ace could have chosen to introduce his mother or even the old wolf, Richard, but it was a sign of true respect to bring Orion into the conversation first and allow him to decide whether or not he would address Emma.
“Pleased to meet you, Ms. MacBride,” Orion nodded to her but did not extend a hand to shake.
“If you don’t mind, sir.” Excitement and curiosity got the best of her, and before she could stop herself the words came spilling out. “I would love to speak with you regarding your time in the coma. I’m the head physician for the Olde Town, and your condition has been something of a fascination of mine.”
Orion’s lips parted but rather than smile, gritted teeth strained to hold back the annoyance in his voice. “Funny how someone becomes famous for something they didn’t do. Topic for another night, perhaps.”
“Oh, of course.” Emma nodded respectfully, realizing how childish she’d been just then, and allowed Orion to walk away from the group.
Her face burned with embarrassment. She slugged down her drink, hoping to wash away the memory, but as she pulled the glass away from her face, she met Vivian’s angry eyes glaring back at her. Mommy dearest was just as scary, if not more so than Orion.
Ace broke the awkwardness with a chuckle. “Might not be best to lead with the whole coma bit.”
Cautionary as his words were, at least Ace still looked amused. If she’d have pissed him off again, then her night would have been a complete failure. “Can you blame me?” Emma laughed nervously. Liquid courage hadn’t quite begun to numb her mind to the point of erasing shame. For that, she’d need another drink or two.
“I don’t blame you,” Ace replied.
Vivian clicked her tongue. “The both of you should be ashamed.”
Ace and Emma exchanged confused looks.
Vivian huffed. “Since he’s returned, all anyone cares about was what happened to him. As a result, he lost everything, and it’s become nothing but a joke to you all.”
She hadn’t intended to poke fun at him, but before she could open her mouth to defend her questions, Vivian stormed away.
“Honestly, that was not my intention.” Emma had never made such a social faux pas like that before, and her heart began to race with anxiety that no amount of drinks would be able to calm.
“Don’t worry about Mom.” Ace’s face turned red the moment he called Vivian by his name for her. He stuttered and tripped over his tongue to recover. “Er... Mrs. Silverman... uh... Vivian.”
Had he done it on purpose? Or was the struggle to name his own mother real? Either way, it worked to snap Emma from a full-blown panic attack. And for a moment, as the mask slipped, he wasn’t Aeson the Alpha anymore. He was just Ace, and she liked what she saw there in his bashful expression.
He cleared his throat and finished. “She can be a little high strung, but she’s not bad.”
“I didn’t mean to come off so poorly,” Emma replied. “Honestly, I’m curious from a medical standpoint.”
“You should know, though, that he’s done nothing but field questions about that since he woke up.”
“Poor timing.” Emma sighed, still feeling embarrassed but no longer on the edge of a panic attack. “I get that. But I’m only here for so long.”
“Maybe wait until after the council is over.”
“Sure.”
“And speaking of the council...” Ace hesitated. “We aren’t meeting until tomorrow evening. There are still a few envoys who haven’t yet arrived.” The shy and uncertain version of Ace was getting cuter by the minute. She waited, allowing him to struggle with the words, knowing she had already denied him once before. “So there will be a lot of free time in the morning, or around lunch. My offer still stands if you want to explore. Maybe get a bite to eat.”
“Yeah.” Emma smiled wide, knowing this time she’d not screw things up. “I would like that.”
The doors behind them opened before Emma could ask where they would go eat, and a new group of wolves began to filter into the room.
All at on
ce, the boyish smile left Ace’s face, and he transformed back into Aeson the Alpha. Everything from his posture to the stony look in his eyes had shifted as quickly as if he’d called out his wolf, only he still remained in human form. Ace didn’t even confirm their date before walking away to greet the new arrivals.
Emma found herself standing alone like an idiot.
Fallon came up behind Emma, startling her with the offer of a glass of champagne. “Congratulations!”
“For what now?” Emma asked.
“Your date,” Fallon mock whispered.
“Oh, no. This is not a date.”
“But you guys are going for a sightseeing tour and lunch. Sounds date-y to me.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I should cancel.” Emma glanced over, hardly recognizing Aeson as he commanded an audience with the newly arrived Alpha and his group. “He’s busy with the meeting and all.”
“Okay. No. A minute ago you were beaming a smile so bright I needed shades. And now this?” Fallon asked.
“It just doesn’t feel right.” Emma shrugged. The duality of Ace’s personality confused her in a way that made absolutely no sense. On the one hand she really liked him, but he was more than just that. Aeson seemed pompous and arrogant. But she understood that was the Alpha’s way. It wasn’t his fault he had to take on that persona. But how much of that persona was real and how much was just for show?
“Because?”
“I don’t know.” Emma shrugged. “He’s Alpha, I guess.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. You’ve been around Alphas your whole life. Hell, I remember when you were gunning for Brady.”
“Shut up.” Emma glared at Fallon. “Brady was different. He was never one of those ‘Look at me, I’m the Alpha’ kind of guys.”
“Neither is Ace.”
“All evidence to the contrary. Did you see the way he left me here a minute after he got what he wanted from me?”
“He had to go greet his guests.”
“Could have invited me along.”
“You’re reading way too much into this. Just breathe. Ace is a good guy. Give him a chance to prove it,” Fallon said.
“Fine. Whatever.” At that point, Emma would have said anything to end the conversation. There was just no way she could explain the sensation of being drawn to someone and equally being repulsed by that same person.
“And until then, help me schmooze.” Fallon threw an arm around Emma and led her to the group of women who’d assembled by the fireplace.
10
Aeson Silverman
An uneventful evening had been Ace’s reward after the stress of the day. Beyond a sense of relief, it had given him hope that when the official meetings began, the path to peace might actually be a straight line.
His mind should have been on preparations to receive the next guests due to arrive, but as he woke that morning, all Ace could think of was seeing Emma.
Visions of her figure in that tight dress haunted him as he showered. Fit and at the same time shapely in all the best places, she had the kind of body that demanded to be appreciated for all the work put into it.
His only regret from the previous evening had not been carving out more time to chat with her. Duty demanded he make the rounds and visit with all of his guests, but by the time he’d found himself free, she’d disappeared.
Emma ran hot and cold, switching so fast between the two he never knew what to expect, but that was part of her allure. Beyond being successful, attractive, and – as Jay put it – completely out of his league, she was a challenge. A woman like her was fiercely independent. Unlike other girls, she wouldn’t throw herself at him for a title or position. She’d patiently wait until the right suitor approached. He might be the Alpha, but where Emma was concerned, the power lay solely in her grasp.
He needed to be the Alpha of Alphas. Not only look the part or act the part, he needed to be powerful and exude confidence from his core, to prove to her on every level why he was the perfect man for her to open her heart to.
He repeated that mantra as he dressed and headed down to meet her.
She’d beaten him to the foyer, and by the look on her face, had been there a while.
“Hope you weren’t waiting too long,” Ace greeted her, and immediately went to open the front door for her.
Annoyance added an attractive splash of color to her cheeks. “You did say ten, did you not?”
Women of his kind were only drawn to the strongest of the pack for mates. He repeated his mantra, Be the Alpha of Alphas, again before replying. “A few minutes won’t matter once we’re out enjoying the day.”
She groaned, and he could almost hear the words Strike one! as she walked through the open doorway.
Not off to the best of starts, but he wasn’t giving up yet. “You’re going to love this.” Ace trotted down the stairs to the metallic silver sports car waiting in the driveway. “Just bought her last week. She’s the fastest thing on four wheels.”
Nerves threatened to make his voice crack, but he tamped down on them hard, repeating his mantra for strength. After a steadying breath, he walked around the car to open the passenger side door for Emma.
“I’m really not a car person.” She shrugged as she scooted into the bucket seat and reached around to grab hold of the safety belt.
Not two minutes into this outing and he was already feeling defeated. How could she not appreciate the finest German engineering and the smooth, sleek lines? You didn’t have to be a car person to admire the style married with aerodynamics. It was like driving a piece of art. Maybe once she heard the engine roar, she’d change her tune.
“Buckle up tight. I think I can change your mind about cars.” He waggled his eyebrows excitedly, but her response of a weak grin failed to match his enthusiasm.
Not to be deterred from his plan, Ace closed the door and walked around the front end of the car, playfully hopping on and sliding off the hood as he rounded to his side.
“This really is a fun car to drive. Maybe I’ll let you take her around a few winding corners, then you’ll see.” He tried to sound playful, but his tone had no effect on Emma’s expression.
Ace put the car into gear and hit the gas, sending up a shower of pebbles behind him as he pulled out of the drive.
“So what do you Olde Towners do for fun back east?”
Emma gripped the door handle as he sped out onto the main road. “Obey the speed limits.”
Ace chuckled before realizing she wasn’t joking. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. She seemed really uptight. “Okay, I get it. Not into fast cars. No problem. How about some local foods and a boat ride?”
“I love the water, sure,” she agreed, but she was looking out of the window rather than at him.
If it was water she liked, he knew just where to take her. His father’s yacht was always kept at the ready. Wolves really didn’t like water, but that had never stopped his family from going island hopping and visiting the Puget Sound wildlife area. That was bound to impress her.
“The nice thing about being Alpha is I have everything at my disposal. We can take a boat out on the water, and go out to the Wildlife Preserve Island and have a picnic.”
“Sounds good.” Her reply came sharply, but at least it was a yes.
“My family has connections with all the wildlife parks out here. Probably similar to what Aiden has back east.” His aim was small talk, but somehow he felt like he was laying it on a bit thick.
“Sounds about right. We need private sanctuaries. Our kind, that is.” Emma still hadn’t looked his way. She busied herself with the scenery around them as he drove.
“How long have you lived in the Olde Town territory?” Ace asked.
“I was born there.”
“Ever consider moving?” Ace asked.
“No. I love my home,” Emma responded.
“I guess I get that. Even if my family weren’t the Alpha pack, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I love
it here.”
“It’s very pretty. I love the snow. Reminds me of back home.”
“It gets cold, though.” How had they ended up back on the topic of weather again? Seemed all they had to break the ice was talking about it. At least she was talking to him instead of silently judging.
“Massachusetts gets gnarly winters too. That’s why we have fur coats,” Emma said, but where he expected to hear a chuckle to clue him into her mood, he found nothing but silence.
He should be better at this. Alpha or not, he felt like a beta wolf in her presence and tripped over his own thoughts as he tried to come up with something impressive to say to her. The mantra echoed again in his mind. He needed to be the Alpha. Impress her. “I’ll have you come back in the spring where you can see how truly green and beautiful it is here.”
She smiled politely but didn’t respond.
Why is this so hard? Ace groaned.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
He panicked for a moment, trying to think of something to say. “Muscle cramp. Morning run. I always make sure to get one in before the day begins. Must be in fit form.”
“That’s a good idea but make sure you’re stretching those muscles.”
“Thank you. I’ll take that under advisement, doc,” he said playfully.
“No one calls me doc.”
“Why not? You should own your title.”
“Titles aren’t everything.”
“No. But they show your rank and importance. They demand respect,” he said proudly.
“Respect me on sight. You don’t need to know what I’m bringing to the table to measure my importance.”
Damn. Every time he felt like he could start up a conversation, she shut him down. “Respect is earned among our kind, you know.”
“In the animal world, it is the strongest that forces his will on others. In the human world, we have reason and judgment to help guide our decisions. Shouldn’t that mean each person deserves some base level of respect upon meeting, without having to produce credentials to back up their level of importance?”
“I’m just going to come out and say this. You’re being a bit hard on me here. I’ve done nothing to insult you, and I feel like you’re just twisting everything I say.” Ace regretted saying it the moment the words came out of his mouth.
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