Chapter 19
Paxton’s POV
I am almost shaking in fury. First, that ass Jaxon makes us wait over ten minutes to show up like we aren’t important. Second, that jerk of a guard is making it his goal in life to make me look like an idiot. I knew he had left the gate for a few minutes, but I thought he had gone to notify Jaxon that we were there. It looked like he was calling my bluff and had called the council himself to get information about who I had brought here. Why would he even be told that she was an assistant? He didn’t even have any rank. He had no business going behind me to get information. How dare he continue to disrespect me?
We had tried to enter Black Adder with Michela, but all three of us were denied entry. I don’t know how Jaxon would dare to keep a council member out of his pack for this long. They were gentle with her, but it was like this gate guard was intent on disrespecting me. The real surprise came when he pushed me back outside the gate. I didn’t know how he managed to do that at all. No gate guard should have been able to force me out. I am an Alpha, I should be a great deal stronger than he is, yet he acted like it was nothing to force me out of Black Adder. I am still stunned that he was able to do it. When the Beta’s showed up, I was surprised that they both nodded at him in acknowledgement.
Why should they? Was he not a gate guard? A warrior? I am starting to rethink who he is now. No matter how strong he was, there was no way for a regular warrior to force me back out of the pack. I refuse to believe it. He has to have some rank here. The fact that he spoke quietly to the Betas showed me that he had to be ranked. Some reason for them to give him respect, instead of ignoring him. Why else would they confer with him before coming over to speak to us? I refuse to let the upper hand go. I had charmed this lady from the Council all the way here. I even cried a little to show how worried I was about the three she-wolves being held captive in Black Adder.
My only concern was that she seemed more than excited to come here to Black Adder with us. Once Jaxon arrived, I could see that she was totally enamored of him. She could have him as long as we got Cara and her sisters back. I didn’t want to waste any time here over this, but it was clear that these morons were not going to allow us to enter. Once the two newcomers got to the gate, they all lined up next to each other. At that moment, it hit me that these guys were really big. I was less inclined to try to force our way into their pack now. I changed my tactics because I already knew that just using my title would not work. I would have to lean into acting that they were disrespecting the Council by refusing entry.
“She represents the Council. You are required to allow her immediate entry,” I told them. She nodded in agreement with me. She couldn’t wait to approach Jaxon.
“We did try to allow her immediate entry. You and your men tried to allow yourself entry along with her. I can’t help it if she had to exit with you. We have tried this several times. You need to stop trying to assign blame, Alpha Paxton. You and your men are the very reason that she has not been allowed entry. If you three would let her come in, she would have been allowed in five minutes ago,” the gate guard fired back.
“You do not have the authority to lay a hand on me, let alone force me out. I want to file a formal complaint against this man. He has disrespected me numerous times, and he needs to issue a formal apology to me,” I told Michela. I was serious about this. He had embarrassed me for the last time.
“Oh, did the Alpha get his little feelings hurt because I forced him back out of our pack? I am sure that was it, as I have been respectful to your inherited title this whole time,” he replied as he glanced down at his cell phone.
“How dare you speak to me like that,” I yelled back at him. I was pissed. I would love nothing more than to beat him to a pulp, but I needed to calm down. I was scaring Michela, which would not help my case. I need to focus on getting the girls back.
“If it makes you feel better, Alpha Paxton. I am a ranked wolf. My father and brother are Alpha’s. That reminds me, you need to do as my Alpha instructed and move your rental car out of the way. My brother is almost here. He needs to be able to pull through the gate. Either you move it, or one of us will come out there and move it ourselves,” he replied.
Knowing that he was an Alpha blood did make me feel better. But the dig he made about me not deserving my title still stung. Who was he to call me out? I was the heir to my pack. I deserved to be an Alpha. He is just jealous because his birth order messed him up. I smirked at him and motioned for Clay to move our vehicle. We are not leaving here; we will move it back to where it was after their guest arrived. I told Clay what we were doing so he didn’t move it over to the parking pad outside the gate. He moved it slightly over into the grass to allow their vehicles to pass. I was not going to allow them to get away with disrespecting us. I don’t care how strong their pack was. I had a large pack, too. I wasn’t afraid to go to war with them to get Cara back.
“Paxton, you are wasting your time. There is nothing for you here. No matter what lies you spread, they will not be leaving with you today. You need to go ahead and leave and return to your pack. I am telling you now. I know what you did, and I will make sure the Council investigates your pack after they finish the wild goose chase you currently have them on,” Jaxon tells me as he approaches the gate.
The Council assistant is even more excited about being this close to Jaxon, but he doesn’t even notice she likes him. How can he not notice her? She is his for the taking. We can all smell her arousal at seeing him. Why wouldn’t he take advantage of it? The situation would be over if he just accepted her attention for a little while. I know I would if our roles were reversed. She is not a bad-looking she-wolf. I would do anything that allowed me to win in this situation, including sleeping with Michela myself.
“When we open the gate, you will not attempt entry into my pack, Paxton. Make sure your men know they need to stay where they are as well. You are completely outnumbered here, so don’t make a foolish mistake. Let the assistant in, and we will take her to speak with the girls. I am assuming that is why you are here?” Jaxon stated. He only broke eye contact with me to ask her the last question. She almost giggled when he focused on her. You would have to be totally ignorant not to know that she wants him badly.
“She needs to do her job, Jaxon. She needs to round up the girls and bring them out here to the gate. It is time for us to return to our pack. I don’t want to stay here an hour longer. Just give the girls back to us, and I promise you that you will never see any of us again,” I told him.
“Sure, I bet you would like that, but I can assure you that won’t be happening, Paxton. Surprisingly, all three girls have found their mates here,” Jaxon told me, smirking as I stumbled back in shock. That isn't possible. How could that be?
“No, I don’t believe it. They were already bound to Clay and Rex. We had already notified them that they would be the chosen mates to my ranked wolves. You have no right to them at all. I believe that you are lying to try to keep them here away from us,” I replied. They can’t have all found their true mates here. How could this have happened?
“According to our laws, if the true mate accepts their mate, a chosen mate cannot prevent it. It is one of our most precious laws and given to us by the Goddess herself. Why do you think that the Moon Goddess sent them here? She brought them all this way to make sure that they found their mates. It wouldn’t matter who the mate was, as long as they have a true mate bond. So I am afraid that you have come all this way for nothing, Alpha Paxton,” one of the older men spoke.
“Who the hell are you to be spouting off over there? This doesn’t involve you at all. Mind your business. I am not leaving here without them. Cara belongs to me, and her sisters belong to my men. It has already been decided. I am not listening to your lies. Is this how you plan to keep them from me? Making up the mate business? I never thought that you would be willing to make up such a lie in a desperate attempt to keep them here. It won't work. They belong to me. I can tell you now that the Council won't fall for it. Your plan is not going to work. Michela isn’t stupid. She isn’t going to fall for this pitiful attempt to continue to hold my pack members, prisoners, here. Give me my pack members, or prepare for war. Those are your two options,” I yelled at them.
I was not going to put up with anything else today. I am done with their shit. I am going into Black Adder when his friend arrives. I will not stand here and wait like I am a toddler in time-out. I needed them to know that I was serious about this. Cara is worth it to me. Whatever the cost, I will pay it. If they don’t want to cooperate, I will do what I want and apologize for it later. These jerks can’t keep Cara away from me. We heard two SUVs pulling up to the gate. The gate was already sliding open to allow them to drive through the gate, when I shot through the small opening and started running up the drive.