“Good. Call us if anything changes. We’re not worried about her here. If she were to step into our territory, it wouldn’t end well.”
Out of all the years I’ve known Kara, it disappointed me when I found out she tried to hurt Amelie. I thought she was better than that. However, I am glad they didn’t kill her.
I look up at the ceiling, and everything is quiet with Kara. “I understand. She’s not going anywhere.”
We say our good-byes, and I set my phone down on the desk. I hear footsteps approach, so I get up and open the door just as Arlo turns the corner to the hallway. He’s about ten years older than me, with jet black hair and golden eyes. Arlo’s a master at staying hidden. Kara thought she was alone in the house, but he was right there with her the entire time. His family has been part of the Timberwolf pack since it began centuries ago. Loyalty runs deep with my wolves.
He walks up and nods up at the second level. “Do you need me to stand guard tonight?”
I clap a hand on his shoulder. “No, I got this. Kara won’t be able to breathe without me hearing it. Go home to your new mate.”
A small smile spreads across Arlo’s face. He and his mate just completed their bond at the last full moon, the same full moon night I brought Kara to California and jailed her in my cellar.
Arlo’s grin widens. “Thanks, boss. If you need me, I’ll be right here.”
“I know,” I reply, knowing he’d have my back.
Arlo turns to leave, but then stops and faces me again. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are your plans with the royal?”
It’s a good question, but I have some things in mind. All I know is that I plan to drive Kara crazy. “I’m not exactly sure yet. I think I might have her work at the restaurant.” But, of course, all of my employees are members of the pack, so she’ll be under lock and key.
Chuckling, Arlo shakes his head. “Good luck with that. The pack knows she doesn’t have her strength. You might want to think twice about getting her around the females. They can be pretty vicious.”
“You know what,” I reply, grinning mischievously; I wish I would’ve thought of that before, “I think it might be what Kara needs.”
6
KARA
After being under a sleeping spell, you would think I wouldn’t want to sleep, but that wasn’t the case. After my last interaction with Chase, I went upstairs and passed out. I don’t have the stamina or strength with the damn bracelet on my wrist.
Groaning, I look up at the ceiling, and my vision is blurry, my eyes feeling like sandpaper when I blink. I would rather be caged in a jail cell than have my power stripped from me. I toss off the covers, sliding my legs over the side of the bed, and my backside aches from where I fell last night. I walk into the bathroom and lower my pajama pants just a tad so I can see the damage. There, on my upper right butt cheek, is a giant bruise and scrapes.
“Great,” I grumble.
Slowly, I move to one of the windows and slide the curtains over. The vineyard was beautiful last night in the moonlight, but it’s even more impressive in the sun. As much as I loathe Chase, he sure does take care of his land. I sit down on the window seat and lean my forehead against the glass. Being here and seeing Chase’s vineyards makes me long to be back in Virginia. I never should’ve left to seek out Zayne. It only brought me misery. Luckily, it’s winter, and I know my staff has taken care of my vines. They’re fine for the time being. I just know I can’t stay here for long.
My phone beeps over on the dresser, so I walk over and unplug it from the charger. There’s a text from Brooke.
Brooke: Have you seen all the hype yet? Check out this article.
She left a link, so I click on it. The headline reads: Channon Vineyards is a hit this coming season! Better grab you a bottle before it sells out.
The writer, Sophie Bakersfield, is a journalist who travels worldwide to taste-test various wines. She loved my new Merlot and said it’s her new favorite. Before, she’d rave about Chase and the Timberwolf Winery, and my wines would always be farther down her list. In the last paragraph, she explicitly mentions how I beat out everyone, including Chase’s winery.
I text Brooke back.
Kara: Love it. Thank you for sending it to me.
Hopefully, Chase will see it.
A knock raps on the door, and I don’t need to have my wolf sense of smell to know it’s Chase. I can tell by the way he knocks on the door; it has an arrogant ring to it. Marching over to the door, I open it up and glower at him, not even caring that I look like complete and utter shit.
“What do you want?” I snap.
The corner of his lip turns up in a devilish smirk. “It’s time to get to work.” He pulls his arm out from behind his back, and there, gripped in his hand, is a Timberwolf Bistro button-down, black shirt.
Mouth gaping, I look at the shirt and then back to him. “And what the hell am I supposed to do with that?”
He holds it out to me. “Put it on.”
I scoff. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
His grin broadens. “Well, you can either spend the entire day with me, or you can go to work. It’s your choice.”
I won’t give him the satisfaction of my company. Snatching the shirt out of his hand, I step back and slam the door in his face.
He bursts out laughing. “I see you’ve made your choice.”
“You’re more than welcome to stop talking,” I shout as I toss my bag onto the bed. “Can you give me a few minutes to get ready?”
“Sure. See you downstairs in ten.”
I rummage through my clothes for a pair of black pants I know I packed before leaving for Wyoming. When I find them, I slip them on along with the Timberwolf shirt. Once I’m done brushing through my hair, I pull it back into a ponytail, wash my face, and brush my teeth. Chase is going to regret asking me to work at his bistro.
I can hear him in the living room when I get downstairs, talking to someone on the phone. He hangs up as soon as I turn the corner and glare at him. His eyes rake down my body, and he smiles. “Great. You’re ready for work.”
“And what will I be doing?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
Chase shrugs. “Not sure. I left it up to my pack.”
That is not what I wanted to hear. I begin to regret my decision not to spend the day with him, but I can’t back down. Finally, Chase opens the door and flourishes a hand for me to walk out. “Let’s go.”
I step out, and he takes the lead toward his dark gray sports car. He opens the passenger’s side door for me and then moves around to the driver’s side. It’s maddening how he can still be a gentleman but also a pain in the ass. I get in the car, and it rumbles to life. The Timberwolf Winery and Bistro are just down the hill from his house, so it only takes us a minute to pull into the parking lot. Chase doesn’t say a word when he gets out of the car, making me even more nervous. When we get inside of the restaurant, there are four people in the dining room, all shifters. They completely stop talking when they see me. I don’t know the girl, but she obviously despises me by the disgusted look on her face. She’s young, probably in her early thirties like Chase. My guess is that they were lovers at one point or another. Is she beautiful? I’ll give her that, but she doesn’t threaten me.