Chapter 148

Chapter 148
Landon--

I’m getting the general vibe of what James and Cora are talking about even without being in on the actual meeting. Corey stays mostly silent after getting me a tumbler of Macallan whiskey and waving impatiently at the group of chairs outside of James’ office. I guess my main job for this meeting will be to sit down and shut up. It’s hard for me, but I mostly manage while I’m trying to eavesdrop on Cora. Is it still eavesdropping if it’s through telepathy? Thought dropping? Brain dropping? That sounds like a medical condition. Whatever. 

Through my listening in, I get the gist that James is interrogating Cora, and not about what she thought he would be. Coming in, Cora had the impression that James was confused about her methods– how she got from homeschoolers and “communes” to shifter packs. The impression I’m getting now is that he’s questioning her motives more than anything else. She was way more confident in her processes than she feels right now. It’s not often she’s on the back foot, and she hates it. I slouch deeper in the chair as I try to “listen” harder. The leather squeaks under me, causing my new pal Corey to sigh in annoyance. So sorry for existing.

I’m surprised at the change in James’ tactics, but unconcerned, for most of the meeting. Toward the end, though, something… shifts. I can’t pinpoint the difference until Cora’s thoughts turn mutinous. Ugh. What is it with Alphas and constantly having to swing their dicks around?

I sit straight up in my chair. He has his dick out?! Come out here right now, Cora. I get up and start pacing closer to the door, earning an eye roll from the fucking secretary. Honestly, the feeling is mutual at this point, asshole. 

To my relief, I can feel Cora’s exasperation as she replies to me. She’s frustrated that I’m distracting her while she’s trying to hold her own against the strongest Alpha in New York City. Not literally, Landon. Metaphorically. 

Whatever that means. My shoulders relax a little. I’m sure Cora will have a lot to say about it after this meeting, and I can get the play by play on the ride home. James would never intrude on a fated mate bond, and he would never hurt or even really disrespect my mate. He’s been friends with Logan for years, and kind of a friend of my own for a lot of that time, too. Right? This whole business has made me start to wonder who my real friends are.

All of my rationalization flies directly out of the fucking window when I feel embarrassment and reluctant arousal color Cora’s thoughts. What the fuck? What bullshit is going on in there? No fucking way should James cause anything even close to arousal in my mate. The embarrassment is a problem in its own right, but it’s way fucking farther down on my list of priorities from the arousal. I’m growling before I even know it, loud enough to put fear into the secretary’s scent– he must have forgotten I’m a Beta when we walked in here. The desk gave him a false sense of power, but now his wolf is shrieking at him about the danger I pose him. Good. 

I have the doorknob in my hand before I’m even conscious of moving. Distantly, I feel pain as the brushed steel crumples in my grip, but it’s not important right now. My first impression of the scene is confusing. Cora and James are both sitting right where I left them– him behind his desk, her in front of it. 

James has his hands up, as if I’m the police busting in. As if I was worried about a fucking weapon from him. “Peace, Landon. It’s a misunderstanding. I fell into a habit and misspoke. It is my fault entirely, but it wasn’t intentional. I should have known better.”

My heart is still pounding, and I can hear my breath blowing through my nostrils like a rodeo bull’s. “I don’t know what that shit is supposed to mean, and somebody had better explain right the fuck now what’s going on.”

He looks to Cora, to my mate, and I hear myself growling again as if from a distance. “I’ll forgive you for now, Landon.” He flicks a glance my way, full of warning. “But Cora will know better how to make you understand. Speak to your mate, Cora. You know exactly what happened.”

For the first time in months– maybe ever– Cora won’t meet my eyes. A quick check of her thoughts tells me only that she’s horrifically embarrassed. I would have been able to tell that, anyway. She reeks of it. “It wasn’t on purpose, Landon.” She says, barely above a whisper. “He just… called me a good girl.”

My jaw drops. I unfortunately know exactly how James could have made that slip. The guys have been joking for years about the amount of money James probably spends to go to his “clubs” and how he can’t stand a brat. How they wonder if he gets hard every time one of his pack calls him sir. As the reality of the situation clicks into place for me, I can’t stop my mouth from twitching. Cora is glaring at me, mentally daring me to smile and see what happens, but I just can’t help it. 

I choke out a laugh, much to Cora’s rage. Poor, praise-addicted kitten. Did you get a hit when you weren’t expecting it? Let’s go home and I’ll take care of all those messy feelings for you. You can show me what a good girl you are instead of James. His standards for that kind of thing are way harder to meet than mine, anyway.

Cora grits her teeth hard enough that I can hear it, shooting daggers at me from her eyes. As if I’d let you. “Damn you both. I’m leaving.” She stands and huffs her way out of the room. 

James shakes his head. “You’re both brats. You deserve each other. Go get her before she wanders somewhere she isn’t recognized and causes more trouble.” 

I give him a sarcastic salute as I head after my embarrassed little mate.