Chapter 161
Chapter 161:
“I am going, Dallas,” I said, though my voice lacked the steadiness I aimed for. “I need those journals. They are the last piece of my mother p>
“And you think I will let you walk into a lion’s den alone?” His voice was a low rumble that vibrated through the floorboards. He moved closer, his towering frame blocking out the city lights behind him. “Sterling does not want a dinner companion, Adella. He wants a broodmare to secure his borders p>
“I can handle a business meeting,” I countered, lifting my chin.
“This is not business. It is an insult.” He grabbed his jacket from the chair, his movements sharp and predatory. “You will go. But not alone p>
I opened my mouth to object, but he cut me off, his obsidian eyes locking onto mine with a ferocity that weakened my knees. “A warrior will drive you. I will be in the car behind you with a full detail p>
“You’re going to follow me? Like a stalker?” I asked, incredulous.
𝗦𝗮v𝘦 уо𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝗮vо𝗿it𝗲 n𝘰vе𝘭𝗌 𝘰𝗻
Dallas stepped into my personal space, his hand cupping my jaw, his thumb brushing over my pulse point. His scent — rain, cedar, and raw power — enveloped me completely. “I am not tracking my Mate, Adella,” he whispered, his lips inches from mine. “I am hunting a rival Alpha who dares to circle what is mine p>
The possessiveness in his tone sent a shiver straight down my spine. It wasn’t a request. It was a declaration of war.
The drive to Le Bernardin was suffocatingly quiet. I sat in the back of the lead SUV, watching the headlights of Dallas’s Maybach in the rearview mirror. It followed us like a shadow — a silent predator waiting to strike.
When I entered the restaurant, the maître d’ guided me to a corner table. Victoria was nowhere to be seen, but a man was already seated, scrolling through a tablet.
Alpha Lance Sterling looked exactly like his reputation: polished, cold, and expensive. He had slicked-back graying hair and the kind of calculated gaze that assessed the worth of everything it touched. He didn’t stand when I approached.
“Ms. Everett,” he said, gesturing to the chair opposite him. “You’re punctual. I appreciate that in an investment p>
I sat down, keeping my spine straight. “Where is Victoria p>
“Running late. Drama at the Hyde estate, I believe.” He dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “It gives us time to discuss the specifics p>
He snapped his fingers. A waiter appeared instantly with a bottle of wine I hadn’t ordered. Lance poured a glass for himself, ignoring mine, then slid a thick document across the tablecloth.
“The terms,” he stated flatly.
I opened the folder. It was a Mating Contract. My eyes scanned the legal language, my blood turning to ice.
Clause 4a: The Female must produce an heir of pure Alpha blood within twenty-four months of the union.
Clause 9c: All territorial rights and assets belonging to the Everett bloodline shall transfer to the Sterling Pack immediately upon marking.