FULL NOVELXO Chapter 10 ~ I Laughed With Her
Evander’s POV ~
Blake and I were finishing packing up my truck with the things Adrianna was taking. She didn’t have a lot of clothes.. or anything, really. Having only been home nine months or so, she hadn’t accumulated a lot. A box of photographs.. her mother’s jewelry.. her life.. summed up in three boxes and two suitcases.
As she was hugging her family, Abram was alerted Councilman Hicks was at the gates. Instead of loading up in my truck, we stood beside Abram and waited.
Hicks stepped out of the rear passenger side, just as another man exited the other side. He stepped directly to Adrianna and said “ Miss Mosley, this is Alpha Roger Melbourne.” She smiled.. saying “Hello Roger.”
This dude! This arrogant man retorted “Alpha Melbourne!” She giggled and said “Whatever. What can I do for you?” He growled “I will not tolerate disrespect, young woman.. Not from my pack.. and certainly not from my prospective mate.”
Now I am getting pissed. I snarled “Hicks, what is the meaning of this?” He stuttered and stumbled over his words “Roger is the interim Alpha the council promised.. and since Miss Mosley seemed to need a strong hand, we thought we would pair them.” I nearly snapped the man’s neck! Adrianna took my hand.. calming me instantly.
She smiled and said “It seems you have made a wasted trip, Roger! The council was informed I would never accept an interim Alpha.. as well as council having no say in my mating status.. as I have already withdrawn Luna Lake’s support from that particular governing faction.”
Abram stepped forward then.. looking directly at Hicks “What game are you playing at, Hicks? Why would you randomly show up at MY pack.. after refusing aid in a matter that concerns us all? She withdrew from council, with my blessing, I might add.. as well as finding her Goddess given mate. Now.. what is your game?”
Again he stumbled over his words “Alpha Mosley.. I was unaware of your rescue! Of course that changes things..” Abram said “You’re fucking right it does! You saw an opportunity to take over my pack.. and force a mating on my daughter in order to maintain rights over the Lake. That’s it, isn’t it!? You know the Lake will kill anyone not of my blood.. Interesting. Now I know exactly where the council stands.”
I said “As do I! I resign my council commission, effective immediately.. as well as withdraw the support and protection of Draconium pack from all council activity!”
Hicks said “What? No! NO! You can’t!” I sneered “I just did! Good luck explaining that to your compatriots!”
They rushed to their car and hurried away. Zander laughed “That was the best send off you could have gotten, Anna!” We laughed and I shook Abram’s hand “We are an hour away, as the dragon flies. You need us for anything.. Ever.. we will be here!” He grasped my forearm in the standard warrior handclasp and told me thank you. He hugged Adrianna and cried.. she whispered “I will FaceTime you both, every night! I love you so much, Daddy!”
We had gotten a later start than I wanted.. but we learned something about the council. My father isn’t going to be happy. But we generally don’t tolerate anyone trying to force us into anything..and Adrianna is one of us now.
Her tears had stopped and she was snuggled into me.. Quietly.. so quietly, I almost missed it, she asked “Will your family like me? Will your pack?” Pulling her tiny frame into my lap, I told her “My family already loves you, baby. OUR pack will love you, just as much as I do!”
She pulled back and asked “You love me?” I grinned and told her “With all that I am! I am your heart’s guardian.. but you own mine.” She smiled so beautifully and replied “My head loves you.. my heart will follow.. I’m trying.” I pulled her back into me and said “I know, my love. I am a patient man.. All in good time!
We stopped and grabbed a bite to eat. Blake threw a fry at Adrianna and she flicked an entire spoonful of milkshake at him… hitting him square in the eye. She grinned “Don’t play, Jackanapes! You’ll lose.” He said “What did you call me? Evander, what did she call me? What is that? It’s a bad word in another language, isn’t it!? You called me a bad word!”
I laughed and told him to get in the truck.. He was still going on about jackanapes and I said “Dude! You lost before you even got started. Now you have a new word to look up!” He pulled his phone out, and Adrianna busted out laughing!
I interlaced our fingers, while he looked for it. She asked “Are you spelling it right?” He snapped “How the fuck do I know? I don’t even know what it is! Oh! I found it! Oops, nope. That’s jackalope.. Oh My Goddess! That’s a real thing? Is a jackalope real? I want one, if they are! A bunny with antlers? Fucking cool, dude!”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.. “Look what you’ve done.” And she cracked up laughing again.. she said “I can’t help it! He’s too easy!” And I laughed with her that time.