Chapter 108: Inseparable

Louis

I looked up in anticipation as I heard footfalls outside in the corridor. I expected Daphne to join me for lunch. I was flooded with intense displeasure when Pilar Larkin came sashaying into my dining room like she had every right to be there.

Honestly, the Larkins were overstaying their welcome. The Alpha had given me his sob story about how his poor little pack was being victimized by rogue attacks and pleaded for me to send my military forces to support him. Which I would have been happy to do if he wasn’t a lying sack of s.hit. He had a very robust defense force of his own, which he was trying to hide from me, and my sources in the area said that there hadn’t been any rogue attacks in months.

So the question was, what exactly was Larkin angling for? Until I had answered that question to my satisfaction, I allowed him and his daughter to stay. As they say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. I had a bad feeling that Larkin was leaning toward the latter.

Unfortunately, Pilar Larkin seemed to have taken the extended invitation quite personally, as though she thought I had some particular interest in her, and that’s why I had asked them to remain at the Royal château. But the truth was, I thought she was as cheap and shallow as a rubber bath toy. Her breasts were practically spilling out of the top of her too-tight dress. The way the fabric sucked to her skin, it was a wonder she was even able to sit down, let alone put any food in her mouth.

She smiled at me like we were sharing some kind of secret, and held out her hand like she expected me to kiss her knuckles or some such b.ullshit. Instead, I grabbed her fingers tightly and shook her hand up and down like a pump handle. “Pilar, good evening. Please, have a seat. Will your father be joining us tonight?”

“No, I’m sorry, he asked me to send his regrets, he’s been pulled into an online meeting.”

I’ll just bet he has. Probably plotting his next move, since I denied him the military assistance he requested. I wonder who he is meeting? Who is Larkin conspiring with? I need to see if my IT team can intercept his video calls.

“Oh, that’s too bad,” I said absently.

“Not really,” she dared to let her hand caress my shoulder as she walked behind my chair to the opposite side of the table. Her touch was positively repulsive. “You and I can enjoy a more… intimate… meal together.”

Daphne arrived at just that precise opportune moment, coming around the corner in a bit of a hurry, her cheeks flushed, her hair flying from its prim and proper bun, her blue eyes sparkling like sunlight on a deep blue lake. She wore a colorful tunic over black leggings, with a pair of athletic sneakers.

Quite a contrast to Miss Larkin. And one that I preferred, a thousand to one. And just to be sure that there was no mistaking my preference for dinner partners, I stood up to welcome Daphne. She bounced into my arms with a sunny smile, brushed her lips against my cheek, and then sank into her usual chair at my side.

“Sorry I’m late, I hope you didn’t delay your meal because of me. Wow, Pilar, that dress is stunning!” She brushed her hair out of her face, offered Pilar a smile that had no warmth behind it, and took a sip out of her water glass. I saw the way her eyes traveled over Pilar’s breasts, which were pushed up so unnaturally high they seemed like they might pop out of the top of that dress at any moment.

“Why thank you, Daphne,” Pilar replied with syrupy sweetness. She made no attempt to return the compliment. If she had been a cat, I’m sure her claws would have been out and her tail puffed up like a toilet brush.

“How was your day, darling?” I deliberately turned my attention toward Daphne.

“Very, very good,” she said, with her usual enthusiasm. “I sat in on two of Dr. Conway’s sessions today, and I saw two new clients on my own. I love Dr. Conway; he is amazing! Talk about having big shoes to fill!”

I motioned for the staff to begin serving. “Dr. Conway is very good,” I agreed, but my praise might have held some reservations. Conway had attended me for all the years after my wife died, when I was completely out of my mind. I wanted to think that he had done the best he could with a difficult patient. To his credit, he had kept me alive, even when I was very determined to die. But, after everything my brother had done, I was suspicious. Had the doctor known about Avery’s plotting? Was he complicit? Had he truly given me the best treatment and the right medication? Or had the good doctor contributed to fifteen years of hell?

I didn’t voice those questions out loud. I smiled and nodded and agreed with Daphne.

Pilar tried time and again to redirect the conversation in her direction. Daphne always politely gave Pilar entrance into the conversation, but I had no interest in anything the plastic woman had to say. She had already shown that she clearly had nothing interesting or intelligent to add to the table, and I wished very much that I could send her to dine somewhere else.

“Oh wow, these potatoes are so good,” Daphne shoveled a forkful into her mouth. “I didn’t think that anyone could cook as well as Bella and our home staff but, yum! Compliments to the chef!”

“I’ll be sure to pass your remarks on to Pierre.” I smiled, “I’m glad to see your usual appetite has returned.”

Daphne picked up her second roll and slathered it with butter. “It has returned with a vengeance. This baby is hungry!” She put a hand against her stomach for a moment, before she took a big bite from the roll.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pilar connect the dots. “Oh, you are expecting?” She cheered up considerably. “You and your mate must be so excited!”

Daphne stiffened in her chair. She took her time to swallow the lump of bread in her mouth and then washed it down with a sip from her goblet of grape juice. “I don’t have a mate,” she said stiffly.

A victorious smile spread over Pilar’s face, and I saw the way she immediately looked down on Daphne. A wolf pregnant outside the sacred bounds of a mate bond was not common, and in some older, traditional packs, it was still frowned upon. I hated the way Pilar regarded her, as though Daphne should be ashamed of her pregnancy. “Oh,” Pilar murmured, as though she were embarrassed, “How unfortunate.”

I couldn’t restrain the growl that rose from my throat, nor did I want to. My wolf was not going to allow Pilar Larkin to insult Daphne. Both women looked startled at the noise. I reached across the table and folded my hand over Daphne’s. I looked deeply into her eyes, and willed her to understand what I was about to say.

“The pup is mine.”