Jo-anne POV
Stepping out of her room to head out for dinner, Jo-anne came to a complete halt at seeing the two men standing across the hall from her door, they appeared to be just coming out of the room, her head tilted up as she took him in and her eyes widened “You’re one big bastard aren’t you?” came out of her mouth before she could stop it, snapped a hand over her mouth a second later.
He was so damn tall she hadn’t been able to not say it, was more than a foot taller than her, he was. His dark blue eyes were on her now, his black hair was slicked back neatly and he was wearing a dark grey suit, tall and imposing he was. Jo-anne had thought West at 6ft 6 was tall, this man would tower over West easily.
His eyes moved over her and then locked right onto hers, his head tilted slightly as he looked into her eyes, seemed to really be looking at them, knew he was looking at the silver around the outer edges and the flecks as well, a smile touched his lips “I am, indeed.” he nodded.
She knew he was an Alpha just by looking at him, and the man next to would be his Beta. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to insult you.” she told him and bowed her head slightly showing him full respect.
“You, didn’t I get it often. My Mate calls me a big bastard all the time.” he sounded happy and amused by the though of it.
Jo-anne nodded, thankful she had not offended him, then realised she was standing before an Alpha and Beta she had not met before “Wait here one sec.” she told them and ducked back into her room, found her card and came back out, held it out to him “If you want a portrait of you or your Mate or the two of you together. I’m an artist, you can check my portfolio of work, I’d be happy to do it.” she smiled up at him.
His Beta took the card from her hand, no surprise there, most Alpha’s didn’t get handed things from just anyone. She watched as the Alpha before her narrowed his eyes at her, then leaned forward and smelled her openly right there in the hallway.
Jo-anne took a full step back and help up both her hands “I’m not hitting on you.” she assured him “just offering my artistic services is all.”
“I am not interested in you young lady, I love my Mate. But you...are a Luna ranked wolf yes.” he stated and then his eyes moved to her neck and he leaned back away from her.
Just trying to figure out what she was Jo-anne guessed, that was a relief to her, she was only wearing a spaghetti strap summer dress, and the scar of her previous Mark would be noticeable to him, anyone for that matter, she didn’t have to hide it everyone here knew who she was. “Was once.” she acknowledged “not anymore.”
“Alpha Nicholas, The Rising Blue Lotus Pack. This idiot is Jeremy, my Beta.” he nodded to the man, next to him.
Jo-anne turned her eyes to the man next to him, he wink right at her, about the same height as West she realised, he didn’t seem to take any offence to his Alpha calling him and idiot. “Jo-anne Morris, resident Artist to the pack.” she answered him, it seemed an appropriate title, seeing as she didn’t exactly know where she fit in anymore.
“Nice to meet you Luna.” he nodded.
Jo-anne blinked up at him “Oh I’m not a Luna, don’t address me as such please.”
“You smell like one, therefore you are one.” he stated firmly.
She shook her head, “No, it is very inappropriate, I would prefer you did not ever call me that, Jo-anne is fine.” she stated firmly “I have to go.” she turned to walk away from them, if West heard him say that, surely she would come under his line of fire. But did she still smell like one, was that possible? Hadn’t even been one, never officially. It confused her greatly.
“Coming down to dinner?” he fell into step with him.
“Not at all.” she shook her head “Out with my friends.”
They walked down the stairs together, and she was about to walk away when his Beta touched her arm “You only paint Alpha’s?”
“Anyone, you interested?” she asked hoping to drum up some business already.
“Yes,” he pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of a very pretty blue haired girl.
“My Mate Faylan, I would love a portrait of her.”
“All contracts will have to got through my Alpha, but I don’t see a problem with it, being that you’re an allied pack, should get pushed through quickly.” she told him as she looked at the girl “what is she?” she clearly wasn’t wolf.
“Water nymph.” he sounded very proud.
“Wow lucky you.” she smiled “Talk to Alpha Damien...Oh, I guess Alpha Westley now. Will be handling all my contracts. I have 4 currently pending not allied packs lots of details to work out.” well she thought, there had been out in the human world, shouldn’t be now she was in the pack “I am happy to put you on the list, you can check out my work on the website there on the card.”
He nodded and Jo-anne walked off, excellent one down lots more to go, smiled to herself, drumming up business it seemed was going to be easy, always had been actually, now that she thought about it, was a little odd, but she just went with it. Work kind of always just seem to fall into her lap.
Found herself under Wests direct gaze, as she walked towards the front doors of the pack-house. He was still frowning she noted, and right at her, she watched as his eyes moved behind her and then back to her quite pointedly, and turned to look to see what he meant, knew he was asking a question of her.
Found both Alpha Nicholas and his Beta Jeremy watching their interaction, Goddess what had she done now to warrant his unhappiness “Offered my artist service. The Beta is interested Alpha.” she told him “May I go?” she asked knowing she couldn’t until he dismissed her.
He nodded, but she could feel his eyes on her the whole way out of the pack-house, anger to, seemed to be rolling off the man as she walked away. The man definitely had issues, why? Would not part of her fees be revenue for the pack to help make the pack more prosperous. Surely he wasn’t going to say ‘No’.
He’d had T.J. help her find a place for her art studio to go, so she could actually continue to work and be a contributing member to the pack. Till she found her Mate and moved on that was.
Hmm. That thought made her wonder, she’d left before turning 18, she might have a mate here, or find one at the up coming mating ball. Might have to move away from this pack. Wondered how that would go? She was currently under his Alpha Order to not leave the pack without his permission.
Goddess if she found herself Mated off to another pack, she was going to have to get his actual permission to leave, not to mention have to ask him to relinquish all his orders on her, that might not go down so well.
If she found her Mate, he was not gong to like that, and she doubted that West would feel like explaining himself to any man. Especially if he was of lower Rank than himself, would not likely do so, she was only a patrol mans daughter, nothing more. Not likely to be Mated to a high Ranking wolf of any kind. At best a warrior. If she got a Mate at all that was.
Her Mate might not be in this pack, he might not come to the mating ball, who knew? For all she knew he could have been a Kitsune in Korea and now she would never know. She sighed, only the Goddess herself knew who it was.
Dinner and Drinks at the local Tavern was a good idea, she got to meet most of her friends pups and their Mates too. Some she knew from school and some were a bit older, warriors and trackers one of them was a gamma ranked wolf, Ricky’s younger brother Hayden.
It was a nice night every one laughing and having fun, the pups all running around on the grassed area while the adults sat around and had a drink after dinner. She herself was sitting with a glass of scotch and dry, it was wolfen strength and it was her 2nd one, it was definitely way more potent then the human version, she was already feeling the effects of it, she was definitely a little on the tipsy side. A little more giggly than normal.
The pups and their mums and dads all headed home around 8 and that just left Jo-anne and her still un-mated friends at the Tavern drinking, she was half way through her 4th drink now and the topic turned to all the Alpha’s and Beta’s that were visiting the pack currently.
Jo-anne smiled as they were all talking a little dreamy eyed about how good looking they all were, she just laughed and then jokingly brought up her idea of that calendar with half naked Alpha’s. All eyes were suddenly on her, they all thought it was a great idea, all that smoking hotness and rippling muscles, on full display for them to look at. Wanted to know when she was going to get on that?
They were all still talking about it when one of the Alpha’s strolled right into the Tavern with is Beta next to him, both of them in jeans and tee-shirts, neither were sporting a Mark she noted.
Looked like they were on the prowl for some action she thought absently as she watched them, stroll up to the bar and order drinks, surveyed the room, looked right at her table. It was a table full of un-marked she-wolves, and they were, as was everyone else in here, watching the two of them, even she was, though not for the same reason.
Jo-anne had been Mated to an Alpha before, didn’t need that again. She sipped her drink and wondered if she should leave, she’d gotten an unhappy look from West for just talking to a Mated Alpha and his Mated Beta. Probably end up in his line of fire if she was seen with these two who were not Mated.
She and her friends 5 of them made for a nice un-mated platter she guessed, Jo-anne’s attention turned to her friends, oh yes they were all interested in being served up on a platter for those two, who were still leaning on the bar, she shook her head, crazy all of them.
“Stop your drooling ladies.” she said nice and loud, totally trying to embarrass them, got hissed at by two of her friends, but then everyone of them along with her, was laughing and giggling about it.
Watched as Ella grinned at them all, then got up from the table, she was a Delta ranked wolf, Cole’s little sister, a very well endowed she-wolf with an athletic body, walked right past the Alpha and Beta and leaned down to read the titles from the jukebox in the corner, her very toned firm ass on display for them, to look at, she was wearing skinny jeans and a tight fitting top, had clearly bent over on purpose.
Jo-anne watched as both men’s eyes were looking right at her ass, Ella selected a song finally then stood swaying her hips as the music started, turned and walked right back passed the two who were smirking right at her, not stupid at all, they knew exactly what she was doing. Likely seen it all their lives.
Ella walked right onto the dance floor and beckoned the girls at her table, with a crooked finger to come and join her, they were all up and dancing, right in front of the two men, she however stayed put, amusing as it was to watch, especially when that Alpha and Beta put down their drinks to join them on the dance floor. Ella turned to look right at her grinned stupidly as the Alpha put his hands right on her hips and started grinding up against her.
Crazy ass she-wolf was going to be bloody sore in the morning, likely unable to walk if she wasn’t careful. Jo-anne was laughing to herself Ella’s face said it all she was taking that man home.
His Beta was happily sandwiched between two of the other girls he had a hand on each of them. All of them completely crazy she couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head as she watched the girls. Saw the Beta look right at her and wave her over, she just shook her head, even though she was smiling.
Found a pair of large hands land on the table on either side of her, effectively caging her in and smiled. Saw the Beta on the dance floor look at the person behind her and then return his attention back to the girls dancing with him.
“T.J.” she said, she knew is scent.
“Well at least you got some common sense woman.” he picked up her drink and downed it in one go.
“Hey, that was mine.” she turned her head to look up at him.
He was smiling down at her “Was.” he stated “Come on, home with you.”
“What why?” she turned back to her friends “its fun to watch.”
“Cos I said so.” he turned her stool around to face him looked right down at her.
Jo-anne watched as more Alpha’s and their Beta’s strolled into the Tavern, raised an eyebrow up at T.J. who was standing right in front of her his body she realised was practically touching hers. “Aren’t I allowed to have any fun?”
T.J pull her up on to her feet and into his side, walked her towards the door his arm draped across her shoulders “No.” he smiled at the passing Alpha’s and their Beta’s “Home now.” he stated loud enough for all of them to hear.
She shook her head as they stepped out the door “you know, kinda sounds like you’re warning them all away from me.”
“I am.” he told her without hesitation shocking her completely.
Jo-anne stopped walking and pulled herself from his side to look right up at him “hey, I’m a free agent. And if I want to, can sleep with who ever I want to.”
“Not on my watch.”
“T.J. are you jealous? I might be interested in one of those smoking hot wolves back there.”
He raised and eyebrow at her, frowning now. Took hold of her hand and pulled her away from the Tavern “Alpha.” he nodded to West as he walked past them.
Jo-anne had not known he was there, till T.J. addressed him.
“Beta.” he commented a slight edge to his voice. Glanced right at her and then continued on passed them.
Jo-anne shook her head “I’m un-mated T.J.” she stated once more loud enough for West to hear her, as she was being dragged away, she didn’t care that he did, too much wolfen loaded scotch in her system to give a damn right this minute.
T.J. was still pulling her away from the Tavern “I know that Jo-Jo, that’s why I’m removing you from that place, they are all on the prowl for she-wolf action.”
“So?” she shot at him.
His grey eyes turned right on her “Do you think it’s wise to be in there right now?”
“I know how to say No.” she informed him.
“Home, Alpha’s orders.” he informed her right back.
“What’s he going to do when I find my Mate, T.J.?” she asked annoyed with him and her bloody annoying Alpha.
“I don’t know, but until you do, as the former Luna of this pack you will not be going around having meaningless sex with anyone.”
“I was never the Luna T.J.” she shot at him, “never was going to be. That man has a stick so far up his ass..”
She was yanked around firmly and T.J. was suddenly glaring down at her “Watch your words Jo-Jo.” he snapped at her “and you would have been. So unfortunately for you, certain rules apply, call it a code of conduct if you like.”
“He’s bloody insane.” she yelled at him “He has a Mate, can’t he just leave me be!”
She watched as he frowned at her, for almost a full minute then said “Apparently not Jo-Jo.”
He walked her all the way back to the pack-house all the way back to her room, past a bunch of Alpha’s and their Beta’s sitting around drinking in the common area “It’s not fair T.J.” she yelled at him.
“No, its not Jo-Jo. But it is how it is. You’re going to just have to deal with it.”
“Till that mating ball. Miranda invited me to it. Then I’ll find my Mate and be out of this pack.” she snapped at him and slammed the door right in his stupid face. Opened it a second later, glared right at him once more and slammed it shut right in his face again, once had not been enough. Stalked off to her bed and flopped down on it. Just freaking great, more bloody orders from her Alpha, coming home was definitely a bad idea.