The Defiant Mate

Chapter 4

Nathan POV

The woman was completely infuriating, today was the deadline. The 3rd day since her company had signed for the letter. Why had she not called? Was she so stupid, that she thought he wouldn’t follow through? It was getting late! He knew there was a time zone difference of three hours, so he had to give her till 5pm her time, which was 8pm his time. Nathan looked at his watch, it was a quarter to eight now. She wasn’t going to call, she was going to force his hand.

Jackson was leaning casually on the wall next to his desk; his regular haunt, and was watching Nathan pace back and forth behind his desk, “She’ll call.” he stated simply, seemingly knowing what he was thinking. “It's Jay-la,”

“Time’s running out”. He snapped. If she didn’t call, he would have to follow through, even if he didn’t want to. Havoc was annoyed with him, because of the official order and the threat it contained, and was currently not speaking with him over it. His wolf had seemed to have changed lately.

His irritation at her lack of response, was driving anger into him by the minute. Havoc, though not speaking to him, was prowling around inside his mind. Nathan didn’t believe she was going to call, she had a new life now, away from the pack, away from them, away from him. If he was totally honest with himself, he had half expected her to just sever ties with the pack from her end.

To run, make him physically hunt her down. Which he would have, Havoc did love a good hunt, and she was something he had enjoyed chasing once upon a time. Yet she hadn’t done so. But that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t in the next 10 minutes.

The door to his office opened and in strolled his father, Blaine. He looked at Nathan pacing around, at Jackson watching him, felt the atmosphere in the room and sighed, “What’s going on, son?”

“Jay-la, I gave her three days to contact, and seven days to come in.” He snapped, not really wanting to explain himself, he no longer had too; he’d been the Alpha for the past 2 years now. It was more of a courtesy comment, out of respect for him being his father and former Alpha.

“You didn’t send the black envelope, did you son?” Blaine sounded annoyed with him.

“Yes” was all he said. He watched as his father’s blue eyes turned to focus on Jackson, his Beta, for confirmation, as though he thought his son was lying to him. When Jackson nodded his head, anger rolled off the former Alpha.

“Why on this Goddess-gifted earth we’re standing on, would you do that?” both his hands were in his hair pulling at it in what appeared to be utter frustration.

Now he felt like he had to explain “She wouldn’t come home, when I requested politely. Rejected all requests... Bloody three of them she ignored. HOW DARE SHE!” he yelled that last part. He couldn’t help himself. he was the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, and she was still a member of this pack. His pack, and therefore, his to command and order as he saw fit, and she dared to ignore him. Actually, she actively defied him, when he had reached out an olive branch and told her to come home.

His fists balled, and he slammed one down on the corner of his desk to let out his frustration at her damned defiance. She would never have even thought of so much as saying no to him once upon a time. It had always been yes, to anything he had asked her to do, along with a sweet smile and a playful wink.

But not now, it seemed. She has changed over the years. He was ready to explode his rage into the room. It wouldn’t take much, he glanced at his watch; two minutes.

Jackson’s phone rang while Nathan was glaring at his office phone. 'Ring damn it' he willed it. The sound of Jackson’s phone was what pushed him over the edge. How dare anyone interrupt him during this time! He heard Jackson answer his phone in that lazy, laid back tone, that Nathan hated so much, “Hello, Beta Jackson speaking.”

His anger ripped out of him, and he yelled “Send the worst of the worst and drag her ass home.” both his fists hit his desk, and he heard it c***k, didn’t care.

Jackson stopped talking and stared right at him. He could feel his father's eyes on him as well. Jackson’s eyes returned to his phone and he shook his head, sighed heavily “Well Alpha, that went well.” Then his hard grey eyes were staring at him; was practically staring him down. If he was spoiling for a fight. He could have one, the look was damn near a challenge. His next words shocked Nathan “that was Jay-la, she heard what you said, and has hung up. All I got was a gasp filled with fear.”

Now it was Nathan’s turn to run his hands through his hair and pull at it in frustration, and it dawned on him, he was just like his father in so many ways. He closed his eyes. “Call her back, right now.” he demanded, trying not to kick the nearest thing to him.

Havoc was fuming inside him, ‘Look what you did now.’

‘I know’ Nathan muttered back to his wolf, ‘I’ll fix it’.

‘You’d better’ came an angry snarl

Nathan stood watching as Jackson hit the number to call her back. Only to realize on the phone it actually stated Jay-la, that bastard had her number all this time. Oh, he was going to get punched in the face after this was over. They could have called her, and he wouldn’t have exploded and said what he had said.

Why did she have to wait so long, to the very last minute of the deadline? He was not exactly known for his patience nowadays. His father was still in the room also waiting for the outcome. He noted, though he seemed more curious about his son's reaction to the situation than he should be. He was standing by the door looking right at Nathan, with a raised eyebrow and open curiosity on his face. He glared at his father and snapped “What?”

“Son, you seem awfully upset about one little she-wolf! That you ordered away years ago... What’s going on exactly? Why are you insisting on bringing her back now? All of a sudden.”

'That is my business', Nathan thought. He could do as he pleased, but he also knew that his father would push the subject harder and harder till he got an answer. He was the former Alpha and had the right to ask the question and receive and answer. He still had rights to know what was going on, was still the Alpha in-charge when Nathan was away from the pack for business or Alpha Council meetings or when he was off assisting an allied pack who was under attack, had requested assistance.

Nathan turned his attention back to his Beta. “ She didn’t pick up.” He was already trying again, knew better than to just call once. “ That’s odd, the line can’t be connected now.” He stated, frowning down at his phone.

“Just bloody great.” Nathan snapped, his anger backing up again, only this time he was angry with himself. He knew that he was responsible for her not picking up. She had heard him yell, and reacted on instinct ‘probably going to run’. Havoc sounded flat out annoyed with him. Nathan agreed with his wolf.

“Jackson, make arrangements. Who do you know out there?”

“A couple of wolves, though retrieval is not really their thing, but money, that will work for them.”

“Do it, she’s going to run.” Nathan nodded, “Quickly.”

His father sighed heavily at him, gaining his attention. “I’d go yourself son, it would be better that way.”

“She’ll be long gone before me or any of my men can get there.” and he knew it to be true, they’d have to fly out, and even on his private plane it would still take too long.

“Hmm, still…” his father seemed oddly calm for the situation at hand.

Nathan didn’t think much of it, dismissed it altogether. Who knew what his father thought on any given day? Retirement had changed him. He appeared more laid back nowadays. His reactions were more thoughtful on everything. When Nathan had questioned him about it a year ago, Blaine had shrugged and told him ‘you have to deal with all the stress now son, I get to spend time with my Mate. A lot of time.’ and he’d grinned like a school boy ‘if you know what I mean,’

Nathan had understood his meaning alright, the whole pack understood, his parents now not in charge all the time, seemed to have taken more interest in mating than anything else, anywhere and everywhere, for that matter, half the pack had seen them and their wolves mating out in the woods, in their wolf form and, human, it had become a common occurrence especially on the full moon nights.

He watched as his father strolled out of his office. “I wonder where my pretty is right now” he murmured to himself and was off to find her, Nathan prayed she was in their room, and he wasn’t going to have to walk in on them somewhere in the pack house, he shook his head, they seemed to have turned back time, to when they were horny teenagers.