Chapter 6: Breaking Tension.

Maddox’s POV.

“These are our terms.” George sat back in his leather office chair looking like the cat who just ate the canary.

‘We could walk away from this all,’ Arne growled in my head.

‘There’s too much at stake, Arne… We came here to negotiate these terms; I don’t need you adding to the chaos,’ I chastised my rebellious wolf, who up until now had little to no interest in even interacting with me since we arrived at the Monet Estate.

“Those are archaic ceremony terms, George. No one in our clan has witnessed a union in a generation—”

“These are our terms,” George repeated as if he was the Alpha holding the high ground not some beta with a deep pocket.

“What are the terms of the future Luna?” I lobbied back to the old man.

“You will find that Adel is submissive…”

‘I take it back. We could kill him, steal the girl, and forget this agreement,’ Arne growled, a sentiment I have a hard time finding a reason to disagree with.

“Do I need to remind you, George, your daughter? Adel. Is the future Luna of the Blood Moon Clan predestined by the goddess herself? After this ceremony which is in of itself just a rite of passage for both Adel and me… your daughter, and your pack, any ties you have to her will be severed. She will choose if she accepts Muete de loup into the Clan. That decision rests with her as the Luna. Her grace. Not mine. So, I would reconsider her choices in this matter.”

George Monet practically boiled over with anger as my words were absorbed. If I wasn’t the Beta’s future Alpha, the man would have no hesitation in showing me how angry my words had made him.

“Adel,” George said, practically spitting out the name of my future mate, “mentioned that if she were to have to have witnesses that she would prefer it being the females of our clan… specifically her aunt and stepmother.”

“Now was that so hard, George?” I tapped his desk, standing up. “I want it in writing by the morning.”

“Wait, where are you going, we haven’t spoken about—”

“We’ve spoken enough tonight, George,” I interrupted the pompous Beta, ignoring his further protests and pushing out his study doors into the hallway.

The Monet Estate was built purely off George’s late wife’s family's money, the only thing left of her was the name they adopted in her memory. Muete de loup. Audrey had come from France and subsequently fell almost immediately in love with the much older investor George, if you believed the story that he told. She was an only child and heir to a fortune. A fortune that built a house in a suburb of Chicago and financed his new wives spending and paying off the debt of George’s sloppy brother and nephew.

The only thing good in my opinion that stemmed from their union was Adel. How someone like her was able to survive in such an environment like this was a mystery no one would be able to solve. A blessing of the goddess for sure.

“She’s outside. Rumor has it she’s sitting under a tree. With your brother,” the slimy voice of Adel’s cousin called after me.

I searched the dimly lit hallway for the owner of the voice, only to have him reveal himself from the shadow of a corner tucked away in the corridor of the hallway, a half-dressed maid ran out from behind him, hastily buttoning up her dress.

“Goddess… For the love of my sight. Tuck yourself back in.” I sighed, closing my eyes at the sight of his limp d*ck peeking out between his trousers.

“When opportunity knocks,” he muttered as the sound of a zipper followed his excuse.

“Keep your knocker in your pants next time.” My Alpha energy is light enough to not completely cause the weakling to tremble.

The rumor of the cousin of my future mate having been absent from his shift since the turning moon had been one with little to no evidence to prove to be true. But my voice had the effect it needed. He pinned me with a deadly stare. I showed no weakness as I turned from him, and walked to the side door, that I knew led me to a small garden that held a large willow tree where my mate would be waiting for me.

The same willow tree that hosted the background of our initial engagement announcement so many years ago. My mind was focused on finally bringing to fruition a promise I had whispered to her on that sunny day when our hands were bound together with a silk ribbon. That on the night of our official engagement party we’d meet under this willow tree, and seal it with our first kiss. A kiss her family had anticipated her giving me that afternoon. The anxiety of the act of just kissing me in front of her family was enough for me to push that no one witnesses our union in just a few short days.

The door burst open before my hand touched the handle and surprise smacked me dead in the face as it was the face of my younger brother staring back at me.

“Nix,” I greeted him hesitantly.

“I just needed air,” Nix said, pushing passed me in a hurry.

I followed my brother as he rushed down the hall and out of sight. Adel’s cousin, Freddy, cackled with delight at the sight of my large brother practically running down the hall. I knew the weakling wanted me to engage. To believe that Nix, my own brother, was engaged in nefarious acts with my mate. But first and foremost, I trusted my Clan. I trusted my brother. Which meant I trusted him indefinitely with my mate.

I pushed out the door into the dimly lit garden, and a few solar torches glowed along the pebble path. She was sitting at the base of our tree. Our tree. My feet stilled at the thought. I wondered how many of ours would be added to that list.

“Maddox.” My name on her lips was a refreshing sound.

“Sorry, it took so long Al—”

“It’s okay.” She smiled at me, standing up and wrapping her arms around herself either from the chill in the air or from the expectation of what was to come.

“Let’s not wait any longer,” I said more to myself than to her as I quickly closed the gap between us and grabbed her by the face, placing my lips on hers.

Adel sighed into my embrace, wrapping her arms around my waist, and pulling me closer, lending me cause to weave my hands in her hair, tipping her head up toward mine, and taking full advantage of her open-mouthed sigh to pursue her mouth with my tongue. She met me stroke for stroke, our tongues mingling. Dancing. Breathlessly, we pulled back from each other staring at one another, panting, waiting for the snap of the bond to take place.

But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“Should we try again?”