Alpha's Contract Marriage - Silver Mountain Wolves 1

white-knuckled grip on my fingers. I just sat t

own shell. Between the time I left home and the time he died, my grandfather turned it into a "project" and loving

that I wouldn't have to make this drive at all if my grandfather hadn't spent so much time on the perfect metallic Ardennes green paint job and so little time on pack business. We would have all been better

e long, slow process of verifying their assets, paying off their debts, and filing their last tax returns is done. But as a well-known lawyer in the area who was in charge of all the details, Aiyssa was able to pull some strings. I coul

e door. A blast of bitterly cold air blew over me, sucking the heat out of the SUV and turning my cheeks bright red. I got out of the car, shut the

cold. I was born and raised in New England, and I used to sail through the coldest winters with ease. My body had to remember that at some point, didn't it? I had been

-dressed pedestrians and walked the short distance down the block to the resta

I tried to hide any emotion on my face except for calm confidence, and I tried to stop my heart from beating. It felt

much higher, I had to hope it would work again.When I got to the elegant brick-and-glass front of the Union Oy

ed me, I said, "I'm me

er eyes grew a little wider when she

te dining room, I took off my scarf and unbuttoned my coat."Just i

able in the room, a handsome man about my age was sitting, but it was clear right away that he was j

shmere top with a boat neck showed off her slim figure. High cheekbones and eyes the color of polished jade gave her a sharp, hawk-like look, which

d, drawing out the "ah" sounds in

y throat and forcing the words out in my best "

othing. Miles and I came to town for the holidays,

h it must have cost to rent a penthouse in

ce as I took off my coat and scarf and draped them over the back of the chair across from hers. "It's not

e I'd heard opinions like that, and it wouldn't be the last. Also, she was right, and that was all

n stopped." As I looked into the other Alpha's eyes, i

ed one of her wel

ates of food. They put the dishes in the middle of the table quickly a

t and said, "I took it upo

salad is okay. I don't eat it myself, but I k

rst, but I reminded myself that I was her guest and that, as Alphas, we were both equa

sauce that smelled like a consommé. I gritted my teeth and took a small amount of the Caesar salad as well. Since I couldn't eat lactose, I'd have to find a way to make it look like I was eating it without actually doing so

es brought them both plates. I noticed that he didn't bot

he didn't stop to wait for an answer; she just moved on. "Because yo

devotion that was almost too much to handle. Amanda ran a fingertip down his

egarding limits with my pride, but given the status of your pack right now—" she faltered regrettably,

hing about it was perfect, but I was too worried about not messing up the meeting to r

verware and wiped my lips with a napkin, even though I didn't need to. This gave me a few seconds to get rea

ke confidence and accuracy I'd used to make a lot of bus

that they were almost at the top of her head,

en at its best, it was only a small part of what it could have been. If the property is planned and run well, it could compete

eat. "You hope that the promise of money will bring your scattered

e dreams we'd all talked about in secret, giggly whispers around campfires and hidden bottles of liquor when w

thought I would get the money, how I thought the timeline would w

ne my work. I made sure she knew it too by giving her numbers and names and silently p

m voice, "is to keep the rules that were

keep my hand from shaking. Don't send your lawyers into my business. Let my pack safely

a predator. "Do you know how my pride and your pack first agreed to work togeth

"It had been going on for at least a hundred years befor

ther, and he was a very skilled man. But when it came to his job as Alpha, he hadn't done much mor

gers played with the bottom of her wine glass. "She turned out to be sterile, so there were never any wolf cubs running

at had been traded. She had to be in my famil

ng the word as if it were a funny secret. "And a stickler for the past. I'm sure your pl

t made things hard for me. I

d our agreement, and I'll even put you in touch with some investors I know who I think will be interested in your small project. But if I want to keep my pride

nse. "Excuse me?" was all I could say when my

as tradition would have it, but he's not in any bad relationships and is

om how silly and blunt the conversation w

ed stone-like

as hard as diamonds, "P

ll as his Alpha. That gives me direct control over h

s

that Amanda was asking for a favor in exchange for a favor. No matter what her reasons were, she wanted her son out of the way. The be

years. Because of my and my family's sins, other women in my pack had been forced to sleep with men they didn't want.

left the restaurant and walked toward Faneuil Hall, I could feel the bitter cold from a distance. Still, I didn't pay much attention to it. At le

habit and because my muscles remembered how to move. Every time I took

memories could break through the numbness

e. After I paid for them, I took them to a chest-height counter that ran along a nearby shared eating

th a message from Ai

ade a promise to a man I've never met to hel

g about the situation any more. Also, Aiyssa wouldn't put up with my self-martyrdom because I was a success

e. Just made a quick pit break for some coffee and cookies. After the next d

in a curt manner. Tim

thouse, and we would all meet up with her there during the breaks in the proceedings. We agreed to meet at her workplace on days when she did not have court. Aiyssa and Wynette's observance of the custom spanned a nu

t, but there was nothing that could be done to change the situation, and there was no reason for her to

rection of the parking garage. The sun had already set during the winter, and driving back would be even less enjoyable than driving t

ing for the hotel room I was staying in while I was in town. I couldn't afford to waste what little money I did have by making two payments just because I was too lazy

ay up the winding stairs, as I sipped my latte and savored the pleasant warm

to me, but it was the best case scenario. I was sleeping in a single-room extended-stay hotel suite, which was good for just me, but if a panther was going to wind up sharing my space, I w

uld not do me any good. When I thought about buying something sexual on purpose, my stomach felt like it was full of

my first and only boyfriend. Our whirlwind romance lasted just long enough for me to decide I never wanted to get involved in another relationship and for macarons to become my worst addiction. S

my head about how us

enger seat and my coffee in the cup holder, I took out my phone and opened the app that let me record my voice. It would take a very long time to get there. It would be

at feeling until Amanda's son came. He'd be looking for an Alpha, or a lead

ing wheel as I drove out of the parking

is," and began to say notes o

t's what you're supposed to do. Just show him w