Clara reached out, pressing a hand to his chest. “What are they going to do?”
“Your father and your family are being punished by the collective. They can’t do anything to me as I’m outlawed already. I’m not bound by pack law, but your family broke the law. They’re coming to see you, and it will be up to you what you want to do.”
“What do you mean?”
He cupped her cheek, holding her close. “If you wish to leave to join your pack, you may do so. They’ll take care of you giving you a home.”
“Do you want me to go?” Only a minute ago he’d been telling her how much he loved her, and now he was telling her this. Clara felt torn in two on what to think.
Nick held her face, staring into her eyes. She saw the pain in his dark brown depths. “No, I don’t want you to go, but I don’t want you to feel forced to stay here. I love you, Clara. I want to mate with you. This is a choice you’re going to have to make.” He kissed her lips, pulling away. “The curry smells amazing. I need to run,” he said, turning toward the door.
Unable to stop him, she watched him tear his clothes off and change within the next second.
“He’s scared,” Dean said, bringing her attention back into the room.
“Scared? Scared of what?” She was confused, and she hated the feeling.
“Nick is outlawed, and he bought you. I know you didn’t have the best start in this relationship.” Dean leaned over the kitchen counter. “If the collective choose to, they can take you away.”
“What? Why?”
“You’re a female who has been taken by an outlawed male. They could override your decision to stay with him. Their argument is accusing you of suffering with Stockholm syndrome.”
“They’re insane. I don’t suffer with anything.” She ran fingers through her hair, panicking. For the first time in her life, she was in love, and it could all be torn away from her.
“Do you care about what happens to your family?”
“No, I couldn’t give a shit about what happens to them. They were not my family. They spent their whole life making me aware of how awful I was to their reputation.” She let Dean see her anger.
“Look, you prove to the collective of your feelings about your family and your love for Nick and you can win. They wouldn’t be able to take you away, but you also need to make a choice,” Dean said.
“Choice, what choice?”
“If you ever want to be part of a pack again or not. Nick will never be held in their grip. He possesses the dangerous mark whereas you do not. Another pack will accept you with open arms.”
Dean raised a brow, opening his hands.
Clara went back to her curry, hearing the pain of Nick’s howl in the distance.
Chapter Twelve
Nick saw his friend out trying his best to ignore the sympathy in his eyes. Whatever happened was up to Clara. He wouldn’t try to influence her decision. If the alphas found her suffering from some syndrome or another, he’d lose her either way. How had a simple business transaction turned into something so painful? He was in love with her. The thought of losing her left a giant hole inside his chest.
Clawing out his heart wouldn’t be half as painful even if he would be dead. Clara was upstairs in their bedroom. She rarely spoke over dinner leaving him and Dean to talk business. He was tired of business and the incessant need to earn money. What was the point of earning money when he had no one to share it with?
Staring at his reflection in the mirror Nick let out a breath feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’d been a good alpha, and he hoped to be a good mate.
“Nick?”
He turned to see the love of his life standing in the doorway. She wore a sheer white negligee that covered her body without really hiding her curves. He saw the hardness of her nipples pressing against the fabric along with the thatch of red curls between her thighs.
“I thought you’d gone to bed.”
“I’m not going to bed without you.” She took a step into the room.
Nick didn’t move and watched her get closer, her hips moving seductively with every step she took.
She pressed her palms onto his chest. Taking hold of her hands, he tried to push her away.
“Don’t!” She shouted the word, glaring at him. “They may have come into your office at lunchtime, but they’re not here. Do not push me away.”
“They could take you away from me. Do you really think I can handle making love to you knowing they’re going to take you from me? It’s killing me.”
She shoved him hard, slapping his chest. “You selfish bastard.” The anger on her face was clear. “Do you think I wanted this? For so long I was the fucking fat wolf of the pack. No one wanted me. I was humiliated on my eighteenth. No one wanted to be with me.” She slapped a palm to her own chest. “Then just as suddenly I’m sold to a man I do not know, an outlawed man accused of murder, and I fall in love with him. You awaken my fucking body like it was your own.”