Chapter 27
Rhysand:
n
48%
“You are in too much.” Xavier shook his head with a laugh, “When you mentioned something was up with you. And that you’ve done something very drastic, I would never have imagined that you got Evelynne an apartment right opposite yours.” He shook his head, wiping off a tear from his
eyes.
Two couches sat opposite each other, one of which Xavier occupied, his laughter still echoing from our conversation. The contract file lay on the table and he picked it up.
My brows furrowed into a frown, I sounded like a fool with the way he said it.
Standing before the mirror in my room and pinning on my wrist watch, my hands slid up to my tie and I fixed it before finally turning around.
“Glad that you find my story very pathetically amusing, you should take your leave now,” I gestured towards the door for him after he didn’t stop laughing for a long time.
“Alright, alright. I’ll stop,” he rose his hands up in surrender before dropping them down again.
“How long has it been since she moved here anyway?” he asked, turning to look up at me with a questioning gaze.
“Been a week.”
“Oh, wow,” he muttered, thoughtfully, “You know… I absolutely don’t have any problem with her staying close to you, in fact I’m glad she is, but will you be able to cope though?” he shook his head, glanced at the file for a couple of minutes.
And then continued, “I hope the deprivation you are feeling by not being acknowledged by your mate doesn’t end up making you mess things up.”
His words were awfully right, and I found myself being thoughtful about the situation for a couple of seconds, “Haven’t messed anything up in a while, so I won’t now.” I ran a hand through my disheveled hair, trying to keep my growing frustrations at bay.
I might have messed up a lot before- on actions I made. Like trying hard to appease the people around me, and particularly, the parents I was blessed with, but that was in the past. And my past doesn’t shape me, considering I had parents that ruined it for me.
“Are you sure you won’t end up messing this up?” He asked, with his gaze still reading through the file.
“I won’t.”
“You know, I just have this feeling you’ll end up really messing this up badly. And then, you’ll be in regret when you she isn’t into it as much as you are.”
“That’s a wrong feeling then.” I told him, walking over to the walk–in closet to pick my suit.
“I’m never wrong, Rhys.” He said after me with a chuckle.
realize
Remembering his famous words infuriated me more, “Shut the fuck up. Stop saying this like I’m emotionally invested in her, you know I’m not, not even romantically.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” My fingers clutched around the neat black piece suit placed neatly alongside a lot more black suits.
08:28 Mon,
Chapter 27
“It’s just the mate bond,” I huffed a breath, growing increasingly agitated for God knows why.
“I believe you, Rhys.” He didn’t sound like he fucking did.
48%
“You should have just gotten a place for her far away from you if you don’t want anything between you two.” Xavier said as I walked back into the bedroom, my eyes falling on him still sprawled on the couch.
“No, I needed her close to me.”
“For?”
“For the fucking contract, Xavier!”
“Alright, chill. I get you and I believe you.” He nodded in understanding, but I had a feeling he was just saying that to appease me and he didn’t really understand anything I’ve been saying.
He didn’t seem like he believed my reason, and I didn’t think I believed it either.
A frown crept up his expression as he continued reading the file, flipping the second page to the third, and then the third back to the second.
“So about the information on the rogues, have she given any yet?” he looked up from the file with an expectant gaze.
“No.” I responded, remembering what Evelynne did the last time we met. She was really a tricky one for withholding information after getting me sign on the contract.
I never would have expected her to play wisely in that way, especially cause she needed the deal between us more than I did. “Why?” Xavier frowned, “That has to be one of the most important thing on the deal between you guys.”
“I know,” my eyes closed shut, and I opened them again, rubbing a palm to the back of my neck.
I really wanted that information, because despite all my efforts to quiet down the constant attack on our territory, the rogues have persisted.
“Then why didn’t you get anything from her on it yet? you know… there was an attack on Medford, one of the city under our territory, a couple of weeks ago. More than twenty people were killed, werewolves and humans included.”
“I heard about that.” A frustrated breath escaped from my lips, when I realized that I wouldn’t be able to do much in handling the situation till she gives me what she has on it, and that would take a whole month with thirty one days.
And to think that she was keeping it back just to see how the deal between us progressed, frustrated me more.
I fucking wouldn’t be able to touch her for a month, or make advances on her to reduce the outrage my inner wolf was causing.
My hands were tied.
She really played well. I’m amused and unamused at the same time.
“She wouldn’t divulge any information till another month,” I finally explained to Xavier.
His gaze stayed rooted on me, and he tilted his head, “Why? wasn’t it part of the agreement that she gives you? at least on
time.”
“It was part of the agreement that she gives me information on the rogues. But when she should, was never part of it.”
2/5
08:28 Mon, 1QFeb
Chapter 27
“I don’t get you, Navier brows furrowed to a confused state.
48%
According to her words, I’ll get the info needed after one month. Depending on how the contract between us is fairing. If I break a rule, like touching her, out of when necessary, then I don’t get it for another two fucking months.”
“She was trying to create a barrier between you two.” Xavier said thoughtfully.
“I guess fucking so.”
“Why didn’t you disagree?” he asked and I stared at him.
‘Cause I’ve signed the contract already before she dropped that.” My hand slid to the two upper buttons on my shirt and I fixed them well, adjusting the tie.
“Jeez. I heard Xavier curse, “Ah, man. Isn’t she a tricky one then?” He broke into a fit of laughter, throwing his head to the back in utter amusement.
“She is.” I nodded, recalling the smile that was on her lips after getting what she wanted.
“Guess we got to wait till the next two to three months then.” Xavier said after recovering from his episode.
I rose a brow at him, “No. One month. I’ll get the information on it after one month.”
“So you won’t try to break her rule by touching her when not necessary for show?” he asked thoughtfully.
“I won’t.”
He nodded in understanding, muttering words I couldn’t hear but it sounded more like, ‘Mates and fucking bonds‘
I heard him chuckle again, “Can’t wait to tell you that I warned you about all this.”
“The situation won’t get serious to that point,” I told him, picking a shoe polish from the closet by the bed and wiping off the Black leather shoe I intended to use.
“If you think so,” Xavier muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“I don’t think so, I know so.” I was determined to not let my relationship with Evelynne get to a serious point.
“Alright then.” He shrugged, standing up from the chair and fixing his blue top and the wrinkles on his black pants.
“I think I have something to do right about now,” Xavier glanced up at the black big wall clock in the bedroom, “I’m leaving.”
“Alright.” I answered after him and he reached out for the door handle, “Or, I’ll just wait till you are ready to leave.” He suddenly decided and walked back to the chair.
Picking my tab from the bed, I scrolled through the numerous number of emails I’ve received, looking for the one under Blackwood’s project file.
Roman was to get the file re–read and prepared once again, and he was done with it already.
My phone vibrated with a message and I picked it up from the bedside table to check who sent it.
Roman: The project file has been prepared. I called Mr. Blackwood’s assistant to make an arrangement and fit the meeting into his schedule. It’s been set already and your flight is to take off soon.
The phone vibrated again.
08:28 Mon, 10 Feb 15
Chapter 27
Roman: Flight is to take off in exactly the next one hour and thirty minutes. I’ll meet you at the airport.
Rhysand: ALRIGHT.
Reading through the project file once again, I checked for any errors, but there was none.
At this point, I wasn’t certain about what the old man wanted again, so I’m hoping this yield better result.
Remembering that my father went after the same business partner I was chasing grated my nerves.
The man was determined to bring down all the efforts I was trying to bring up–he seemed consistent in his actions to prove that I’ve never met his expectations.
Staring blankly at nothing in particular, my mind wandered off to a very unpleasant memory from years ago.
One of the nights when my mother had returned back home on one of her drunken phases and decided that I was her target of torture for the night.
A puffed frustrated breath escaped my lips as I struggled to shove the image in my mind away.
‘So, you are Mommy’s boy, huh?‘ I was reminded about Evelynne’s words from days back.
It didn’t seem like she meant any harm, but her words had reminded me about my parents, which led to me sending her out of my office in fear of losing it and throwing my frustrations at her.
The idea about her getting warmly comfortable around me enough to ask such a question didn’t quite sit alright with me.
“You won’t tell Evelynne you are leaving?” I heard Xavier clear his throat, pulling me out of my reverie, and I turned my gaze to him at the question.
He picked the file, glanced through the first page and then dropped it again, making me wonder what exactly he was finding amusing enough to check back again.
“No, I won’t.”
He nodded, “Another two days of no contact with her then?”
I thought for a while, “We might stay over there for more than two days, I’ll only come back when there’s progress in the signing of the project file.”
“Oh,” Xavier rubbed a stubble on his chin, before running a hand through his disheveled hair.
“Then what are the plans with her for when you return?” He tilted his head curiously.
“There’s an event this Friday. I’ll take her with me.” I recalled that I have an event to attend towards the end of the week.
The invitation card was perhaps in my office or something.
“So, you are making an appearance with her already?” he asked, his tone rising a pitch high, and I wondered what was causing the sudden glee.
I nodded.
A smirk pulled up his lips, “Ah. I can’t wait to hear what your grandpops would say about this.”
He would certainly want to meet her in person. And that was another problem.
4/5
08:28 Mon, 10 Feb 5.
Chapter 27
48%
A sigh escaped from my lips, realizing that I might need to see Evelynne and go through what exactly would be the answers to questions he might ask her.
Perhaps about how we met.
I wanted to see her before leaving, but thinking about it, I decided not to.
Seeing her meant us getting close.
Two of us getting close meant more frustrations on my inner wolf.
Frustrations on Dax, meant more anguish to me.
Two years, just two years, I reminded myself.
But how do we get there? just a week is gone and there have been subtle changes in my life, changes which I didn’t want.
Compared to other changes, I was more bittered with the pent up sexual thoughts I had anytime she was near me.
Having her by my side would reduce rumours and clear out the threats on my position, and most importantly, it will put my old man’s thoughts about me being interested in men at rest.
But there were cons as much as there were pros to having Evelynne by my side.
This was begining to turn out to be more stressful than I wanted.
