Chapter 7

Reyna

It was hard to mingle when her mind was scattered.

Having quickly put that blunder with the waitress behind him, Zack was enjoying himself once again. No one else mentioned it. Bizarre, Reyna thought, that the man could act like a raging monster one moment and then smile and act like he was some sainted official the next.

Even more bizarre that his behavior didn’t seem to shock anyone. His people catered to him and tried to smooth it over, but appeared equipped and ready to deal with it. Her own father had barely blinked at the outburst.

With the exception of certain ones - Attersley from Elk Bend, for example - most of the Alphas in the room wanted Zack’s attention. They flocked to him, tried to draw him into conversation, casual at first and then they shifted into business mode.

Reyna knew he was wealthy. His pack was wealthy. Deer Lodge was modern and sleek, technologically advanced, and far more dense and congested than even Warm Springs.

It made sense that other Alphas would want him as an ally. Look at what he’d done for her father. One day Daniel Navarro was set to lose his business, the next his debts were paid and he had the financial security of Percepta at his back.

And it had only cost him a daughter.

She could have been angry at her parents. Disgusted with Zack’s behavior and that she was standing arm in arm with him even now, as he waxed on about himself and his success with another eager wolf.

But then she found Finlay again, there, through the crowd, leaning against the bar. Even from this distance, his eyes were clear and intent. Warmth bloomed from her chest, outward, into her limbs.

“How do you feel about moving to Deer Lodge, Reyna?” Crystal Meza of the Big Sky Pack smiled genuinely. “I imagine it’ll be quite the adjustment.”

“Perhaps.” Reyna’s eyes flickered away from Finlay long enough to feign sincerity.“But I’ll manage.”

She missed the response. Crystal was older, an experienced Luna, and married to one of the better Alphas in the southwestern sphere of Montana. They’d met a few times since Reyna grew old enough to accompany her father on varying pack-related errands.

Thankfully, she was also kind enough to brush over Reyna’s obvious preoccupation and steer the conversation to Zack again. He was happy to oblige. If he noticed anything, he didn’t let on.

The next several minutes were a blur of her watching Finlay, Finlay watching her, wondering what that tilt of his eyebrow meant, or that slight tremor in his cheek. Wondering what he was thinking. How this felt for him. Was he pleased? Disappointed? Angry? Confused?

Reyna felt all of those things.

Happy, because she’d always wanted to find him. Had always intended to.

Angry, because the timing was horrid.

Disappointed and confused because, despite her family’s situation, there was a selfish part of her that wanted to say screw it and walk away from Zack right now.

It made her feel wretched and euphoric in miserable turns.

His friend had joined him and still, he watched her through their conversation, only breaking away once or twice. His head tilted, studying her lips with sudden interest.

Reyna smiled a little; ridiculously, childishly, gratified.

Finlay stood abruptly, and then Josh, Zack’s assistant, was calling them for their first dance. Reyna lost track of Finlay as she was turned and tugged to the dance floor.

“Play us something slow,” Josh told the band, and they did.

Zack pulled her flush against him and Reyna stiffened. It was hard enough to carry on with him at a proper distance. This close, that fake wood smell clogged her senses, and his smugness threatened to suffocate her.

“Having a good time?” he asked, leading the dance. “You’ve been quiet.”

“This is… quite the party.”

The top of her head just met his chin. He used it to nudge her. “Don’t try to convince me you’re overwhelmed. Ever since that business with the waitress—”

“ — Yes, nicely handled. Very classy.”

Zack’s grip on her waist tightened. “Did I offend you?”

Common sense said stop. No matter her personal feelings about him, Zack was her father’s boss now. He owned her family’s business. Pissing him off was something to avoid.

And still, she said, “You humiliated, frightened, and manhandled her. Offended is a little understated.”

“Deer Lodge is the way it is because of the standards I created. Anyone not living up to those standards is either incompetent or careless. Either way, I’ve no use for them.”

Reyna made a quick, disgusted noise before she could stop herself.

His grip became painful and his mouth pressed to her cheek as he said, “This is how things are done in my territory, in my pack. Wedding’s fast approaching. I suggest you make your peace with it.”

Reyna moved her hands from his shoulders to where his were squeezing her hips. Wary of the onlookers, she tried to subtly push them away, but he just gripped harder.

“You’re hurting me,” she gritted out.

“And so easily, too. Something you should keep in mind. Similarly, you should remember that I can change my mind at any time. I’ve paid your family’s debts, but if I pull out, the company is spent.”

Zack pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled. “If you want continued peace and prosperity for your pack and family, compliance is necessary. Nagging me over your haughty morals is not.”

He released her abruptly as the song came to an end and turned a quick circle, waving and thanking the crowd for their applause.

Reyna watched him, chest heavy, as he put on his pretty face and smiled his pretty smile. They ate it up.

Zack moved off the dance floor as it filled up for the next song and she followed, struggling to keep her cool. As he was immediately engaged in another conversation, Reyna felt a hand at her elbow.

Samantha.

“You okay?”

Reyna snorted. “Not quite. Where’ve you been?”

“Missed the grand entrance so I took my time. Ordered a bit of room service.” She nodded at Zack’s back. “Money bags footed the bill.”

“You know there’s food being served here.”

Sam smiled coyly. “I do. But all this is already paid for. Where’s the fun in that?”

Reyna glanced over her shoulder, searching the room. Finlay was gone from the bar.

“Looking for an escape route?” Sam followed her eyes. “Elevator’s a bit obvious. You could try the terrace. It’s only, like, a 34-floor drop to freedom.”

“Doubt I’d survive that but I do think I could use some air. Cover me?”

“Of course.”

Reyna made her way to the terrace doors slowly, stopping infrequently for brief hellos and then for a little longer to compliment her two-year-old niece on her dress.

She hadn’t seen much of her family tonight. That short moment with her father, a few quick glimpses or waves from her mother, sister, and brother-in-law.

Her older brother was Warm Spring’s Beta and opted out of coming tonight to stay home, keep an eye on things, and watch their younger sisters.

Though things were tense between them right now, she could’ve used a loud evening at her parent’s with food and bickering and being nagged about her career choices to relax.

When she finally stepped into the night air, her skin immediately broke into gooseflesh. It was cold. Much colder than it’d been earlier, and certainly too cold for the dress she was wearing.

But then she turned and there he was, and her blood heated all over again.

Finlay was leaning against the railing, typing on his cell phone, his beer can teetering precariously beside his elbow. She’d been watching him since they met earlier, yet seeing him now was no less profound.

What little she knew of Bitterroot and their Alpha was reflected in him now. Most of the Alphas she knew, her father included, were obsessed with their monetary status.

It wasn’t a vanity thing in most cases. In modern-day, money was a necessity they couldn’t manage without.

A pack was a family and making sure each family member had food to eat, roofs over their heads, clothes on their backs, and the security to manage quality of life was part of the deal.

Because money paralleled status, Alphas tended to be a bit extra. Dressed nicer, had larger, more expensive houses equipped to house extra people, and drove nicer cars.

Finlay didn’t match the stereotype. His suit was nice, pressed, and looked good on him. But while Zack’s suit likely ran him thousands of dollars, Finlay’s was more casual. He wasn’t even wearing a tie.

It was refreshing.

He glanced up at her and she saw that flicker of recognition in the blues of his eyes. A tinge of wolf-gold was there, skirting the edges of his irises.

“Hi,” she said into the silence.

Finlay straightened and slid his phone into a pocket. “Hello.”

Reyna’s nerves crackled to life. It had been a jarring evening. Trying to come to terms with this engagement, dealing with Zack, the other wolves, and then this. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself now.

Whatever couth she usually had fled. “I was afraid you’d left.”

“Not yet.” His brows furrowed. “Though, that might have been for the best.”

Something loosened in her at the casual tone. Reyna let out a breath and closed the distance to the railing.

There was enough space between them that they didn’t run the risk of touching, but she could scent him now. A salacious mixture of rich earth, tangy pine, and… woodsmoke. Intoxicating.

So close, his freckles were more pronounced. His hair was darker without the light, almost brown. She had the most inappropriate urge to touch it.

Reyna could feel the bond more clearly now; a warm, steady thrum moving from his chest to hers, and back. It was odd to be so at ease with someone she didn’t know.

She’d only just met him, yet the trust and familiarity were there, trying to solidify. What would happen, then, if she gave in? Would everything just… click together? The temptation was a living thing in her veins.

She forced herself to be still. “What made you stay?”

“The same thing that brought you out here, I assume.”

There was a lot of lore surrounding fated mates. A lot of experience sharing among wolves that found theirs. She’d heard all the stories and the commonalities.

But what about their situation? What happened when one or both couldn’t commit? She tried to imagine functioning without this, now that she’d tasted even such a small moment of it.

How could she walk back inside to be with Zack when she had the potential for happiness, fated happiness, even, standing right in front of her?

The realization of their situation set in, raw and miserable.

“We should probably address this,” she decided, a knot in her throat. “Be clear on what happens moving forward.”

His expression was carefully neutral. “I agree.”

Reyna inhaled and began.