#7 The Twins of Satin Moon

Chapter 21: Hunter

After the incident at the bar, it was clear that I could no longer just avoid Maizey. I had to make her want to avoid me, I had to make her hate me if I wanted to weaken our connection. Just that one slip up had Archer calling home and I couldn’t risk anything like that happening again.

But, I also couldn’t have Gabe lurking around either. So, I fired him. It was enough to satisfy my wolf for a few minutes. At least, until Maizey came to defend her boyfriend and we both nearly lost it.

I needed to step things up with Carmin in the physical realm of our relationship as well. Sleeping with another girl would wreak havoc on Maizey and I’s matebond. Later that week, I took Carmin back to the packhouse and into my bedroom. She was more than thrilled, until I pulled out a condom. There was no way in hell I was getting this psycho she-wolf pregnant right off the bat. She knew better than to argue.

I knew that I really screwed up, though, when I called her Maizey in the throws of passion. I blew it off and refused to let her leave angrily. Instead, I baited her with round two. Every time I touched her, I felt Maizey’s heart shattering. I knew that, even as a human, she felt something of the matebond connection, even if she couldn’t understand it.

I heard the gossip at work and I knew that it was destroying Maizey. Those rumors were the exact reason she didn’t want to be with me in the first place and exactly what I had promised to protect her from. Now, I was using them as a line of defense between me and my mate. I even let Carmin feed them, knowing perfectly well that she had friends inside my company who she was spilling her guts to. I figured things were working when Ana was pissed at me too.

“You know I don’t like that human girl, but Carmin, seriously?” Ana rolled her eyes as Carmin strutted out of the lobby.

“She wants to be my mate. She’s easy.” I shrugged.

“Right, easy. She’s intolerable and will make a horrible Luna. The pack will never accept her.” Ana said.

“The pack will fall in line.” I growled at her in my Alpha voice and she bowed her head in submission.

“Knock it off, Hunter.” Miles frowned at me, pulling his mate behind him. I was jealous of their connection. I used to think that their matebond was messed up and broken. Now, I realized that it was just rocky. I was the broken one.

“Sorry, Ana.” I grumbled before dismissing myself to my office where I couldn’t offend anyone else for a little while.

In my office, I spent most of my time staring at the picture of Maizey from her resume. It was the only thing that I had of her. A knock at the door made me jump, breaking me out of my daydreaming. I quickly hid the picture in my desk drawer and called the guest in.

“Toby? Is Maizey okay?” I stood, suddenly terrified. Toby never visited me in the office. He waved his hand,

“Yes, yes, she’s fine.” He said, settling my fears. I sat back down.

“What is it then?” I asked as he sat in a char in front of my desk.

“We’ve had to cut her guard back to only two, she’s starting to become suspicious after catching Danny. I also upped Ryker’s part in all of it. He’s going to be keeping a closer eye on her from now on.” Toby said.

“Ryker….the guy on her team that was just supposed to be a precaution? Are you sure? She’s awfully close to him.” I was worried about this plan.

“It’s the best move we’ve got. Miles agrees.” Toby said.

“Okay, if you guys say so, you know I trust you.” I had to stay away from Maizey’s protection detail and leave it in my Beta and Gamma’s hands. I trusted them with my life and, more importantly, with hers.

I heard laughing outside my office and both Toby and I turned towards the door. We turned up our werewolf hearing to eavesdrop.

“Carmin says that the Alpha finally slept with her this weekend. She says that he’s going to mark her soon and make her our Luna.” One girl whispered.

“No way, the Alpha will never take a chosen mate. You know how his parents feel about that.” A second girl said.

“Well, he had his destined mate and she was a human. She must not have been good enough because he tossed her aside pretty quickly.” The first girl said.

“I guess he didn’t think a human Luna was good enough. If he thinks Carmin is, he’s an idiot.” She laughed.

“The human probably couldn’t hold out in bed.” More laughter filled the hallway before we couldn’t hear them anymore.

Toby turned towards me slowly, hesitantly. I was gripping the edge of my desk so hard that I snapped the molding right off. Watcher wanted me to go out there and rip those girls’ heads off.

“Alpha?” Toby tried to sound soothing.

“How am I supposed to be calm and rational when I cannot have the one woman who’s supposed to calm me!” I resisted the urge to bellow, settling for a loud whisper instead.

“Don’t ask me.” Toby shrugged, suddenly not helpful. It was clear whose side he was on.

“You know I can’t have her.” I glared at him.

“No, I don’t know. There’s always a way.” Toby argued. He was one of the only people on the planet who got away with speaking to me in that tone.

“The only other option threatens Maizey so, therefore, it’s not an option.” I growled.

“You are betting all of this on the fact that your brother cannot change. You yourself have felt the effects of the matebond. How can that not change Archer? You just said so yourself, you need her to calm you down, maybe that’s all he needs too.” Toby tried to reason with me.

“That’s not a risk I can take.” I shook my head, my mind was already made up. Toby sighed loudly at me before standing,

“You’ve done this to yourself, Alpha, and I won’t forgive you for hurting the Luna. I’ll follow you, I’ll respect whatever choice you make, I’ll follow and protect whoever you chose as the Luna, but I won’t forgive you.” Toby frowned, leveling me with a stern and serious gaze, before leaving my office.

His words barreled through me like a knife.

I texted Carmin and told her I was going to be working late today. Instead, I followed Maizey home and sat outside her house the entire evening and night. I knew she saw me from her bedroom window when I watched her in the middle of the night. I never missed a night shift. I also never let her see anything other than my eyes. Watcher stayed carefully hidden. This was the closest I could be to her and the only thing that kept me from going feral myself.

The next morning, I met Carmin in the lobby and put on our usual PDA to get the people talking. I sensed Maizey’s presence but I didn't break away from the kiss.

“You deserve that, you know? Serves you right for sleeping with the boss.” I heard someone say. I roughly pulled away from Carmin to search for the person responsible for such a brazen comment.

It was a human employee, someone from the HR department. She was watching Maizey, who must’ve been watching me.

“Shut up, what do you know?” Ana actually stood up for Maizey, shooting daggers at the girl.

“I know that someone that young must’ve had to sleep with a lot of guys to earn all those pretty degrees and recommendation letters, so I’m sure sleeping with our boss was nothing. Just another notch in her belt.” The girl flipped her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder and laughed. Maizey was positively fuming.

“You know nothing.” Maizey snapped at the girl.

“I know you’re just a little slut who lost her plaything.” Slap!

The entire lobby was silenced as the sound of Maizey’s hand bouncing off of the blonde’s cheek echoed off the walls. Gasps filled the air and then people started cheering. The blonde was crying, holding her face, and Maizey looked shocked at herself. Ana was laughing hysterically.

“You deserved that, you b***h!” Ana said in between laughing fits. The girl clutched her cheek and ran off, “I didn’t know you were such a badass, Maizey!” Ana was grinning at my mate.

“Hunter!” Carmin whined in my ear but I ignored her.

“You okay?” Ana asked her, speaking for me as I mindlinked her an order.

“I’m fine, yeah. She just struck a nerve. Oh, I hope I don’t get fired. Doesn’t she work for HR?” Maizey looked nervous all of a sudden.

“Girl, you’re not going to get fired. Everyone here saw what she was doing to you, including the boss. You’re good.” Ana waved off her worries and winked at me.

“The boss doesn’t care about me. He hates me.” Maizey’s words nearly brought me to my knees.

“I don’t think that’s true.” Ana said. No, she needs to think that it’s true.

“Oh, it’s true. Anyway, thanks Ana.” Maizey smiled weakly at Ana before stepping into the elevator. I felt like I could finally breathe again.

“You still care about that human brat, don’t you?” Carmin pouted.

“Don’t talk about her, Carmin. She’s my….she was my mate. Of course I care about her. Just be thankful I’m standing here with you.” I chastised her and she nodded, looking like a scolded child, “I’ll see you later.” I gave her one last kiss before leaving her in the lobby.

“You did this, Alpha.” Ana frowned at me, “That witch is no Luna.” I didn’t respond, perfectly aware of how Ana felt about Carmin already.

I knew what I had to do next and the knots forming my stomach were almost unbearable.

I took the elevator to the robotics floor and told Grant Lively to summon Maizey. Maizey had an aura of confidence about her until she saw my face, then all I felt from her was anger.

“I’ll leave you two, to it.” Grant said, obviously uncomfortable.

“No, Grant, stay.” I needed someone here to keep me in check. Grant nodded, grumbling as he sat down behind his desk.

“Mr. Greyback.” Maizey was glaring at me.

“Miss. Grace, I heard there was an incident in the lobby.” I began.

“You heard? You mean you saw? You were right there.” She snapped, her attitude setting my teeth on edge.

“Yes, which is how I know it’s the truth and not gossip. We do not tolerate violence here, Miss. Grace. You will need to apologize to Reagan immediately or I will be forced to write you up.” I struggled to keep my voice level and void of emotion.

“You want me to apologize to her? Didn’t you hear what she was saying?” She was staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth.

“Yes, and that will be addressed as well, but she was not the one who got physical.” I said, “I know you don’t want to be written up, Miss. Grace.”

“Fine, whatever, I’ll apologize.” She grumbled.

“Is that how you speak to your boss?” I spoke to her roughly, loudly. Watcher was seething in my head and growling unrepeatable words at me. Maizey’s eyes widened a little until her entire expression turned cold.

“My apologies, Mr. Greyback. I will find Reagan immediately and right my wrongs. Is that okay with you, Mr. Greyback?” She spat my name back at me.

“Perfectly acceptable, Miss. Grace.” I pretended like she meant nothing to me.

She turned on her heels and stormed out of the room. I wasn’t sure if her feet ever touched the ground, she moved so quickly and with so much fury. Grant looked like he wanted to crawl under his desk and die. I left his office without another word.