Jo-anne POV
Jo-anne return to her room and sank down on the couch to access her art supplier in Seattle. She selected the right size canvass, she already knew a life-sized one would be the best option. And she knew how tall West was, so that was easy. If she did a portrait of him from the hips up it would get his whole physic and that would also show Miranda too.
She wondered as she sat that if she could get a picture of the two of them, one with his arm around her would be the best option. But even on the day she had arrived, he’d not had his arm around her. He had his hands in his pockets and Miranda had been holding onto his arm. At the swearing-in ceremony she had not been able to get a picture of them together at all. The woman had been standing off to the side of the stage.
That in itself was a little weird. He was the Alpha now. Why hadn’t he claimed her or announced her. She shook her head, perhaps he was just waiting for the full moon so she could have a ceremony all for herself. It would be the normal, she guessed. Though if that was the case, wouldn’t it have been...While he was hunting her in Singapore? Damn, had she ruined the woman’s Luna Ceremony? Did it get put off because West had gone off to bring her back?
No, that would not be the case. West would never do that, he would just have come after her once it was over, he would not and his mother and father wouldn’t have let him ruin the woman’s Luna Ceremony, and she didn’t look pissed off at all. So no must be going to be on the next full moon.
She headed into town again and picked up a few sketch books and some pencils. Returned to her room and sank down on the bed to sketch out a few poses that she thought would be good for the two of them. Simple, standing next to each other like the first time she’d seen them though with his arm around her. One with her sitting on his lap. If she could get a photo of them, when they were alone and maybe chatting amongst just themselves, surely he’d be smiling in that. How hard could it be? Or one where he was at his desk sitting and she standing next to him. That would make for a nice picture. She had no problem seeing Miranda smile in all the pictures.
West, on the other hand, could be a problem, guess she was likely to have to go and sneak around the pack trying to snap a few pictures of him, could do it from a distance and use the zoom to get up close. So he wouldn’t know what she was doing.
Looked around the room she was in, couldn’t paint in here, if she got oils on the carpet, it would likely get her into trouble. She really did need to find a place of her own, with room to put up her easel and lay out all her paints so she could start working.
‘T.J.’
‘What’s up Jo-Jo?’
‘I was wondering if there was accommodation available over in the un-mated apartment building.?’ she asked him.
‘Why would you ask that?’ sounded as though he was frowning
‘I can’t stay in the pack-house forever T.J.’ she commented.
‘I’ll discuss your accommodation with West and get back to you.’ he told her and cut the link.
Jo-anne shook her head. Why would he need to discuss it with West? She was, by definition, an un-mated she-wolf. It is technically where she should be staying. Got up and headed over there herself. She could find out on her own. West was unlikely to care where she stayed as long as she didn’t physically leave the pack. It wouldn’t bother him.
She walked across to it. It was a large 4-story building. Nothing in this pack was allowed to be taller than the pack-house from memory, it looked neat and tidy, every room appeared to have a balcony that she could see. A brown brick building with large windows, she could see people were home in their apartments. Goddess she could see some of them having sex right this minute.
Adverted her eyes and kept them focused on the front door, did they not think to close the curtains, who wanted to be on display like that, guess some wolves just didn’t really care, only out to sate their primal needs and forget about the world around them.
Stepped inside the building and over to the woman behind the desk. “Hi, I was wondering if there is anything available?”
“Yes, would you like to see the rooms?”
“I would thank you.” Jo-anne nodded.
The woman’s name was Nancy, she was a Mated wolf, pretty filigree adorned her neck, smelled a bit like a warrior, probably mated to one. No actual warrior would do this job, she thought absently. She was a nice woman, friendly enough, looked a little surprised to see Jo-anne here.
But other than the look of shock which had only been fleeting said nothing about it. Guess being West’s ex-Mate and being here looking for a place to stay was not something she was expecting. But where else was she going to go? She had not lived on pack territory for a decade and didn’t have anywhere to live.
Nancy seemed happy to chat, she told Jo-anne there was to be no mating in the hallways, no mating in the pool or spa down stairs either. That none of the rooms had kitchens and most un-mated wolves ate in the pack-house dining room for all meals. No real surprise on that one. There were actually two separate wings in the building, one for the males and one for the females. There was limited parking and currently no spaces available. If she had a car, it would have to be parked over in the visiting allied pack's car park off to the east of the pack-house itself. That didn’t bother her, it was where her car was now. She’d organised it to be picked up and returned to the pack before boarding her flight. Nil issue there. Used the same pack movers.
Nancy showed her a room on the 1st floor. It was a simple room, bedroom and bathroom with a small balcony that had a chair and table on it. No real room for her easel and art supplies. There was a room on the 3rd floor, the same as the first floor. The exact same lay out only, had a view of the pool and spa, on the inside of the building.
The room on the 4th floor was much the same. These rooms were no different to dorm rooms, she realised, probably didn’t need to be seeing as only the un-mated stayed here, once they were mated off, could apply for a house to be built or move into one that was ready and waiting for a family.
The view, however, was really nice. It was at the very front of the building, and she could see over the town centre from here. “ It’s nice up here. I like the view.” she told Nancy as she leaned on her elbows on the railing to really look at it. “What do you need from me, to get this place?”
“ Just come down and fill in the paperwork, I’ll stamp it and that’s it.” Nancy informed her.
The process was very simple. I guess it was easy to prove she wasn’t mated anymore, and that was likely all you needed to do, she guessed.
“What the hell are you doing?” was roared from the ground below as the two of them stood looking out at the view.
Jo-anne and Nancy both turned their attention to the ground below to see what all the fuss was about. Not often did you hear yelling like that around the pack, usually only when a Ranked member or the Alpha and his Unit were on the warpath. Someone was in trouble, that was for sure.
Jo-anne found herself looking right at Westley, who was glaring up at her, fumingly mad it appeared. Was he talking to her, he was looking up at her? Then he was gone just like that inside the building.
Nancy looked at her a little shocked. Jo-anne shrugged at her. She didn’t know either.
“I’ll take it.” she told Nancy.
“The hell you will, Jo-anne.” Westley burst into the apartment and latched his hand around her wrist, was yanking her through the apartment. Her eyes were very wide, he must have used his Alpha Wolf speed to get up here so darn fast. Didn’t think she’d ever seen him move that fast before.
“It’s just a room.” she pulled at her wrist in his hand, had a bloody death grip on her and would not let go, was already pulling her down the stairs.
“Not on the bloody 4th floor with a balcony you won’t be.” he grated out.
“West I’m fine.” she tried to tell him.
“No.” he snarled at her, as he dragged her out of the building altogether and was stalking off towards the pack-house, still had hold of her and no matter how much she tried he was not letting go. Pulled her all the way into the pack-house and to her room on the first floor, not listening to a word she’d said. Didn’t care that she had been struggling to make him let go of her the whole way, or that people were watching for that matter.
Banged her door open and shoved her through it, then stood glaring at her. “ You will stay right here, what is wrong with this room?” he snapped at her.
“Why are you so mad?” she didn’t understand him.
He was fuming still, she realised, backed away from him when he stalked into the room, stalked her clear across her room until she had no where to go, till her back was up against the wall, her eyes were on his and his had never left hers.
West was mere inches away from her, put a hand on either side of her, caging her in between his arms, leaned right down until his mouth was pressed against her ear “If you think for one second. I will let you live outside this pack-house Jo-anne. You are mistaken. You will stay right here in this room, where I know where you are. Where you have no Fucking balcony.” she could hear anger touching every single word.
“ That’s ridiculous, I’ve lived on the 3rd floor with a balcony for years.” she told him, and it was the truth.
“I don’t care.” he grated “In my pack, you will do as I say.”
“Then I’ll leave West, perhaps.”
He cut her off, his hand was suddenly on her chin, tilting it, brought his face right to hers, his lips almost touching hers “I forbid you to leave Jo-anne.”
“That’s insane,” she gasped at him. “you don’t want me here. And it’s pretty clear I tick you off too much.”
“Deal with it.” he grated, staring right down at her, his eyes were starting to glow, Volt was right there on the surface with him now.
“I order you...to live in this room.” they snarled at her together. His Alpha Aura was rolling off of him, she gasped and bared her neck to him. Had no choice, his aura was demanding submission from her.
Then he was gone, like a shot out of the room, banging the door closed and she was alone, standing up against the wall. Closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, let it out slowly. Opened her eyes as a shudder rolled through her, that was a memory she did not need. Was still standing there 5 minutes later when her door opened and West stood there and looked right at her, for maybe 10 full seconds.
“I’m sorry.” he said, then closed the door and was gone.
That’s a first, she thought, West apologising to her after he Alpha Order her. He’d never done that before. Apologised, yes she realised, but his Order still stood. He did not rescind it. The man clearly had issues. Maybe he needed therapy, she thought. It might do him some good. It had helped her.
So not allowed to leave the pack and now ordered to live in the pack-house, who knew what went on in that man's head, or what he wanted of her. He had a Mate, why did he even bother with her at all anymore? She had no idea.
Clearly, coming back to this pack, had been a mistake on Alpha Damien’s part. He should have left her out there in the human world, never have asked her to come back. It would likely have been better for the both of them, though at this point Jo-anne was really thinking it would have been better for West.
She herself was fine now, had been happy with her life, with herself and she and Clova had been settled and comfortable, now she was once again in the man’s line of sight. In his line of fire it seemed.
For although Jo-anne had set him free of her, which she knew he had wanted. Knew he’d found his Mate now too, he still couldn’t deal with her at all. Her presence irritated the man, no matter what she did, it was likely always going to irritate him. She’d never been able to make him happy.
He was still angry after all these years, probably still blamed her. She sighed heavily and flopped down on the bed to stare up at the ceiling, guess she was just going to have to stay well clear of him. Not much else she could do at this point. Though with that portrait to paint...ah heck she was going to have to hunt the man, when he wasn’t looking.
The future Luna had requested her as much, sneak about and take pictures of him. Goddess, if he caught her she was going to be in trouble.