West POV
Steffan Lang, of Lang Corporations, a very large advertising firm, paid that man a visit first thing in the morning, didn’t have an appointment. So he announced himself as Westley Carlton of Wolf Airlines, needed a good advertising company for his new airline and wanted to speak directly with Steffan Lang himself.
He and T.J. had shopped for appropriate business wear, before coming here, made sure to buy expensive and look like a CEO would. He was the owner of Wolf Airlines and though he had no intentions of using this company for advertising, he knew this man could bring him closer to Jo-anne.
They had to wait almost an hour and he was certain in that time some one would be doing a background check on him, his human portfolio was good and he was very wealthy and, indeed, was the actual owner of Wolf Airlines. They would find everything in order. Including his picture, he’d looked right at the security camera’s so they would get a good look at him and see it was actually him.
They were escorted up to the top floor of the building and a nice friendly woman ushered them in to Steffan Lang’s office. It was larger than West’s office in his Pack, he realised. The man seemed to like his space.
“Mr Carlton, What may I do for you?”
“Jo-anne Morris,” he stated, getting right to the point. Saw the man frown instantly, clearly knew this was not about building a business relationship with his company. “My ex-wife,” he stated. It’s how the human world would see them “Is missing. I believe you’ve had contact with her.”
“And how would you know that? If she is missing?” he countered West.
“I saw you call her to your car yesterday.” West stated as he looked at the man's desk, a picture of a pretty woman was there. “Your wife?”
“What do you want? Mr Carlton!” Steffan stated flatly.
“My ex-wife. I thought you already understood that.”
“She is not here. Took some pictures for me is all.”
“How do you contact her?”
“Email or phone.” the man sat down. “I have nothing for you, Mr Carlton, simply a chance meeting at the airport and then again yesterday.”
“I don’t believe you,” West stated flatly, and he didn’t believe him. The man's heart rate was beating faster than normal. “Where is she?”
“How would I know?” Steffan Lang looked right at him.
He could play this game, it seemed.
“I don’t want to threaten you, Mr Lang.”
“Then don’t. I won’t take it kindly.”
West looked right at him, rolled his Alpha Aura at the human, felt the change in the man, knew his aura brought out fear in humans, made him look fierce and frightening at times. Steffan Lang was only getting a small dose of what West could actually produce. It was only enough for him to realise he was in trouble. To bring about fear of West in him.
“Where is she?”
The man shook his head. “I can see why she is your ex-wife.”
Though West could smell this man’s fear, he was one tough bastard, it seemed.
“You will help me Mr Lang...Or that pretty wife of yours.” he left it unsaid, just stared at him pointedly, knew the man would understand the unspoken threat against his wife. Not that West would actually follow through with it.
Saw Steffan’s jaw start ticking “Get out of my office.” he snapped.
He really was a tough bastard, it seemed. West, liked the human, but that wasn’t going to help him. West actually laughed “Not going to happen.”
He watched as Steffan Lang picked up the phone and called for his security. Heard T.J. sigh, yes they were about to fight it out, poor humans had no idea. He raised an eyebrow at Steffan Lang, nothing more.
Stood and stared at the man. Waited for security to arrive, both he and T.J. stood taller and broader shouldered, then the four men that entered the office a few minutes later to try and remove them as their boss expected them too.
West looked at T.J. “I got this boss.” he smiled, then cracked his knuckles, it took him all of 3 minutes to put the four of them on the ground. He was still smiling when he was done, didn’t even break a sweat.
West turned to look at Steffan. “Got anymore lined up you need us to put down.”
Steffan was looking at his men all unconscious on the floor around T.J., who was looking very pleased with himself and ready to take on some more. He looked up to West with a frown on his face. “I assure you. My man can do this all day...Now, Jo-anne.”
He shook his head slightly.
West was over it, stubborn human. He leaned down on the desk. “Then make plans with her, dinner will do and let me know where…” he was staring right into Steffan’s eyes, allowing volt to push forward to the surface, which West knew would make his naturally dark green eyes glow bright green.
Saw Steffan lean right back in his chair, fear rolled off of the man, he and Volt spoke together “Tell me you understand.”
Steffan finally nodded “I..I understand.”
West felt Volt move away. It was not normal for him to allow Volt out around humans. But this human needed the extra push, it seemed. West picked up a pen from the man's own desk and handed it to him, “ Time and place, write it down, make sure she comes. If not, my man and I will come visit you privately.”
Steffan sighed, took the pen and wrote down a time 7pm and a restaurant. Handed it to him.
“Good man. We’ll see you at 7. if you decide not to be there or cause me any trouble.” West moved his eyes to the photo on the man's desk and then back to Steffan. Pointedly. Watched as Steffan nodded, good he’d gotten the message.
West turned and walked to the door, stopped looked back at him. “I don’t want trouble, just Jo-anne,” he stated flatly, and then walked out of the office with T.J.
“Enjoy that, did we?”
“Piece of cake, humans” he snorted. “Fun, just a game for me.”
Now it was just a waiting game til 7pm.
They were already waiting in the restaurant, saw when Steffan and his wife walked in. Neither of them looked happy. West made his presence known and heard Steffan state “She’s on her way now.”
“Good,” West had simply said and walked away. Back to the far corner and out of sight, she would not be looking for them, or trying to scent for any shifter’s so where he was sitting was fine.
He had an untouched bourbon in front of him, when he saw her walking in. Blinked completely surprised by her outfit. T.J. gave a low whistle, and Volt snarled inside of his mind, wanted to punch the man, was not allowed to. She was neither of their Mates. Volt had no claim on the woman and right that minute neither did T.J.
West’s eyes couldn’t help but move over her, as she walked in, her hair was loosely plaited down the right side of her body, her natural hair colour, cinnamon brown, fit perfectly with that dress, and that dress fit neatly around her ribs and clung to her ample breasts, and the skirt sway about her long legs, only now did he realise how tall she had gotten, those legs seemed to go on forever.
She was smiling softly as she walked, didn’t scent him or T.J. wasn’t looking for them, had no idea, apparently, that he was looking for her, had followed her all the way here to bring her back. Watched her as she walked over to Steffan and sat down.
He got up and strolled over to her table, heard Steffan apologise to her, for what he knew was about to happen. Watched her turn her head to look at a very nervous woman, Steffan’s pretty wife.
He reached out and slid his fingers all the way down her neck, slowly and softly, as he leaned down, rested his fingers right on the scar from his own fangs and pressed his lips to her ear softly. “Jo-anne” he heard her suck in a breath “I believe you are supposed to be at home. Where I told you to be.”
Saw her light grey eyes turn on him, her face a mere inch from his. She was very startled to see him, definitely had not been expecting him to come for her at all. Silly woman, should have known better.
“West!”
He stayed right there, so close to her. “Yes Jo-anne, did you think, you could just up and leave...without my permission.” she was still just staring at him, tried to mind-link to her and it connected easily and instantly ‘I am your Alpha now. I believe I told you, you weren’t leaving the pack...Even welcomed you home.’
‘I...I have…a contract with your father.’ she stuttered back. Her heart was beating a little faster than normal. Not fear though, he didn’t smell fear on her. Interesting.
‘Not anymore.’ he informed her, stood up and looked down at her “Please get up Jo-anne, we will be going home now.” he said aloud.
“But I.”
“No buts, Jo-anne,” he told her, and when she didn’t move, “I can make it an Order if you like.” he told her casually, but he would do it.
The look on her upturned face told him, she knew he would do it. Recalling their history, he presumed, not that she had ever been warned about it before. This was the first time he’d ever given her the option. They both knew it.
She turned to look at Steffan.
“I’m sorry.” he apologised.
“Don’t be, I’m pretty certain, you didn’t have a choice.”
West watched as Steffan said nothing. She was right. Everyone here knew it.
“Up Jo-anne, we are going home.” he finally removed his hand from her neck and on purpose pulled her chair out, so she would get up.
“I hope you like the photo,” she said softly. “Don’t worry about this.” she indicated to West as she stood “I’m fine, I assure you.” Then she turned and walked away from the table, must have spotted T.J. heard the smile in her voice when she greeted him. Turned and followed her, saw T.J. and Jo-anne hug and then walked off with him as though West didn’t even matter. Bloody bond between the two of them, hated watching it sometimes.
She was walking right in front of him and he was frowning the whole way, she actually had her hand in the crook of T.J.’s elbow, walking next to him like she was his Mate. Walking, he noted, just like Miranda hung off of him at times.
Not that he stopped her, he didn’t share his woman well mostly, even if they were just there for him to bend over, when he wanted to. Miranda was allowed to hang off him, till he found his fated Mate. He liked a woman who was up for it, whenever he wanted it.
T.J. opened the back door for her and she got in, was not even putting up a fight, he noticed.
“Can we go to my hotel and get my things, before you take me back?” she asked casually.
“Of course Jo-Jo.” T.J. answered her, west could hear the smile in his Beta’s voice.
“You drive.” West told him, handing him the keys, as he reached down and flicked the child safety lock on the door and closed it. She was not getting out unless he let her out.
The hotel she was staying at was small and cheap according to him, compared to the suite he’d purchased in his hotel. She seemed un-phased by his presence in the doorway. Hadn’t even brought up how she’d felt in Korea, didn’t even seem angry about it.
Chatted the whole time with T.J. who was reclining on her bed, which annoyed both West and Volt, he could at least be up and helping her with her packing, not that she had much, she just didn’t seem to be in a rush, kept stopping to answer T.J. or chuckle at some stupid thing he said.
Just one suitcase, he noted. Like she had arrived in his room at 16, and left him with at 18, didn’t need much, he guessed.
“Where’d you get the dress?” he asked as he watched her move about the room, double checking that she hadn’t left anything behind. It swayed with every step she took.
“Steffan Lang bought it for me.” she told him without hesitation.
“Excuse me.” He growled more than annoyed now. She’d not worn the dress he’d purchased for her, yet would wear a dress from a total stranger, it seemed.
She was looking right at him, as she lent over to do the zipper of her suitcase up. “I guess he felt guilty about…this.” she commented.
“And you just accepted it. From a man you don’t know?”
She shrugged at him. “I didn’t have anything to wear to dinner, so why not!”
His jaw was ticking like crazy. The girl had never once accepted a single thing from him or his mother, yet she was happy to accept gifts from men she didn’t know. He could feel the anger rolling off of him, couldn’t help it. “Get in the damned car.” he shot at her and stalked off away from the room. T.J. would bring her.
Was standing by the car smoking a cigarette when she came out of her hotel, she blinked right at him “That’s not good for you.” she told him as T.J. opened the car door for her.
He knew it wasn’t, was his one really bad flaw, and wasn’t likely to give it up now. Had been smoking when he was angry for 10 years now. His mother hated it, his father too, neither had been able to stop him. Her comment was unlikely to either. He stubbed out the cigarette and got in the car.
T.J. drove them all to the airport and handed the car back, while West ushered her to his private Jet. She seemed fine with going and sat where he told her to as he stowed her luggage away.
The minute T.J. was back on board, he told the pilot to take off, was sitting staring out the window. The woman didn’t even seem concerned about being brought home. Watched her slip her shoes off, curl up on the seat and just chat casually with T.J. about what he’d been up to and who he was currently dating, when he’d gotten dreadlocks, all of which T.J. answered, even told her about his current bed buddy, someone she knew.
They were talking so easily and freely, she didn’t even get upset or annoyed in the slightest with him talking about his current she-wolf, just laughed along with him, asked a few very inappropriate questions about the man’s sex life. Told him she bet Silvia was kinky in bed. He’d just laughed and winked right at her.
It was as though they had never been separated at all, just picked up right where they left off. She paid West no attention at all. Like West wasn’t even there on the plane. Eventually fell asleep, curled up in the chair, West tossed T.J. a blanket to cover her and then the man sat across from him.
“It’s good to have her back...Back to her normal self I mean.”
“Agreed.” West nodded, kept his eyes out the window and off the woman needed to.
“So what now, West?”
“Nothing, she can work from the pack.” he shrugged.
“Not what I meant.”
“What do you mean then?” West asked him, though he knew what he was talking about.
“Come on West, Volt already Mated Clova, you’re going to have to deal with it, discuss it with her.”
“Why? She seems okay just letting it go. And I really don’t want to get into it with her.”
“So what? You’re just going to pretend it didn’t happen then?”
“Yes, if that suits her, let’s do that.” He didn’t want to think about it, just let it go. It wouldn’t happen again. He could order her not to shift into Clova while she was on pack territory. That could work, he supposed.