Alpha King’s Wolfless Mate by Scarlett Higgins

Chapter 62

**Nora POV

I hurried down the hall toward the sitting room. Being alone with Graham made me uneasy in a way that I didn’t want to think too hard about. I just wanted to find Blake so we could get through this dinner and go home.

I could feel Graham following close behind me and increased my pace as much as I could without making it obvious that I was trying to get away from him.

I hurried around a corner and instantlywalked into someone. I yelped in surprise and stumbled backward when Blake caught my arm and steadied me. The look of concern on his face deepened when Graham rounded the corner behind me.

“What’s going on?”he demanded.

“Nora got a little lost,” Graham answered.“Thishouse is bigger than it looks and it’s easy to take a wrong turn if you aren’t used to the place.”

Blake looked at me questioningly. I just nodded in agreement. I knew that Blake could see I was freaked out, but I couldn’t explain why with Graham standing right behind me.

Blake’s critical gaze moved to Graham. Before he could speak a soft, feminine voice called from behind us. We turned to face the source of the voice and found the au burn haired servant who served us tea during our last visit standing meekly at the end of the hall.

“Dinner is served,”she said.“Thank you, Debrah,” Graham replied kindly. Sheturned and walked back down the dim hallway and Graham followed after her.

Blake linked his arm with mine and we followed the others to the dining room. I could feel the tension in his muscles as we walked. He didn’t like this situation at all and I couldn’t blame him.

We entered the formal dining room to find Kelly and Blake’s uncle seated at the table, waiting. Graham motioned to the table and smiled broadly.

“Please, have a seat,” he stated.

Blake pulled a chair out for me near the end of the table and I sat down. Blake sat beside me stiffly. His eyes were fixed on his uncle the entire time the staff served our food and wine.

Graham dismissed the staf f once everyone was served.

“I want to thank you both for making the trip toLanecreek again. It means a lot to me that you’ve accepted my invitation.”

Graham was smiling charmingly as he spoke. I looked at him closely. It was so hard to tell if he was sincere or not. I wanted to trust him but something inside me was keeping that wall up, firm and tight. At least for now.

“Uncle was right,” Graham continued.“Opening theborders is the right move, and if we can reforge ties with our neighbors it will benefit us all. It doesn’t hurt that our nearest neighboring pack is led by the Lycan King.” His eyes shone as he spoke the title.“If there’s any way I can be of help to the kingdom, all you have to do is say the word. I greatly admire the job you’ve done as king. It was a hard won title-”“It was an appointment,” Blake cut in.“I gained mytitle through my birth. It isn’t the result of ambition. I don’t think of myself as king, if I’m honest. I do what I can to ensure the safety and prosperity of the people that I am responsible for. That’s all.”

Blake’s tone was firm as he spoke, but he looked tired to me. He glanced at his uncle as he spoke.

Graham’s smile faltered, but didn’t disappear.“You should wear the title with pride,” he said seriously. “You did fight to retain it.”

Blake didn’t respond, but looked at his uncle instead. There was tension thick in the air between the two of them. It made me feel a little queasy. I looked away from the men and my eyes fell to Kelly.

She took a deep drink of her wine and smirked at the situation unfolding. It was like she thought the threat of a fight breaking out was amusing. I couldn’t hide the disgust on my face.

Graham followed my gaze and smiled at Kelly. “Darling,”he started suddenly.“Maybe now is thetime to share your story with our guests.”

Kelly sat her glass down and sighed dramatically.“If you insist.”

She paused, clearly for dramatic effect, and then focused her eyes on Blake and me.

“It’s not worth getting into the details of whathappened to me in the Rogue Zone,” she said with a wounded expression on her face.“I wasn’t there for long, anyway. I kept moving in the hopes of finding a quiet place to settle down. Eventually, I ended up in Lanecreek. I got lucky because I ran into Graham shortly after my arrival in town.” She looked atGraham and smiled sweetly.“I felt the mate pull the mo ment I saw him.”

I felt my eyes go wide in shock at her words. Graham had told me that no man in his family had found their mate in generations. Why would he lie about that? Or was Kelly lying now?

“Graham took me in and helped me recover frommy ordeal. It took time, but I started to feel like my old self again. Graham is, without a doubt, the best leader I have ever known.”

She shot a look at Blake as she finished her story.

Blake didn’t acknowledge the insult at all. I wanted to tell her off, but I bit the inside of my cheek and stayed silent. She was trying to get a rise out of us and I wasn’t about to give her what she wanted.

Silence fell over the room again as we all stared at each other. Kelly smirked like she had won and took another drink of her wine. I hadn’t seen her take a single bite of food. She was going to get drunk if she wasn’t careful. I closed my eyes to hide how hard they rolled at her.

Just then, a sudden, deafening boom shook the dining room, followed by the clattering sound of torrential rain. I looked at Blake in surprise. There was no indication that a storm was imminent today. Blake frowned deeply.

Kelly yelped as a second blast of thunder shook the house. Graham soothed her and looked at the window across the room in concern.

“That’s a dangerous sounding storm,” Blake’s unclecommented.“We can’t send you out into that mess tonight.”Graham nodded in agreement.“You’re welcome to stay here until the storm has passed.”

Blake’s expression darkened at the prospect of staying the night under the same roof as his uncle. I looked between Graham and Kelly uncertainly. I didn’t want to spend any more time with them than I had to. I wanted to go home and cuddle with Blake in our own be d where I knew we were safe.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Blake repliedwith a shake of his head.

As if in response to his words, a bright flash of lightning illuminated the window behind us and the ground shook with a deep growl of thunder.

The window shook as the wind changed direction and sent sheets of rain pounding against the glass. Blake looked at me and frowned deeply. I nodded. As much as we both hated it, we were going to have to stay here until the storm let up. It simply wasn’t safe to drive in these conditions.

“Thank you for the hospitality,” I replied sincerely.“We will have to leave as soon as the storm passes.”

“We hadn’t prepared to be away from the kingdomfor more than an evening,” Blake explained.

That wasn’t entirely true, but Graham didn’t need to know that.

Graham smiled kindly and nodded.“Of course, I wouldn’t dream of sending you out in a storm like this. I’ll have the guest room prepared for you as soon as our meal is finished.”

Kelly had a so ur look on her face, but didn’t say anything. I glared back at her and she raised her glass at me in a mock toast before finishing off thewine.

Blake’s uncle looked amused.“I’m glad to see you’ve g little less stubborn,”he said.“It seems that 1 . s been a good influence on you.”

Blake made a noncommittal sound and took a bite of his food.

His uncle smiled at me and a shiver ra n up my spine in response. The man unsettled me greatly. I couldn’t stand the idea of sleeping with him lurking in the shadows.

As we continued to eat our meal in silence, the storm raged on, growing stronger by the second, and as it did, I had the building feeling that we were in for a tense, sleepless night.wine.

Blake’s uncle looked amused.“I’m glad to see you’ve gotten a little less stubborn,” he said.“It seems that Nora has been a good influence on you.”

Blake made a noncommittal sound and took a bite of his food.

His uncle smiled at me and a shiver ran up my spine in response. The man unsettled me greatly. I couldn’t stand the idea of sleeping with him lurking in the shadows.

As we continued to eat our meal in silence, the storm raged on, growing stronger by the second, and as it did, I had the building feeling that we were in for a tense, sleepless night.