Of course, you’d say such a thing, William couldn’t help but think in his head.“You should consider yourself lucky that you have a willing bride at your side,” William snapped at his younger brother. “Instead of complaining so fucking much.”“Why, I didn’t know that you cared, brother. I only am the younger brother of the Alpha after all. What right do I have to even speak up for myself?” The sarcasm in Ethan’s voice was enough to wake the dead. “Give me the girl and I’ll deal with her the same way I do my other girls. And this time, she won’t be able to escape.”William growled and stood up, walking over to his brother. Ethan may have been tall but William still rather towered over his brother, both in muscle bulk and in height.“You will watch your tongue,” William advised Ethan not as cruelly as he wanted to. His voice was low and promising. “And if you hate the thought of getting married to her, then maybe I can take her off your hands.”William wouldn’t admit it, but the thought
William felt a red hot burning in his chest. His eyes couldn’t move from the bruise on her face. And of course, his nose was sharp enough to pick up the scent of blood on her arm.Anna nervously stared at him, unsure of what to say.Just him saying her name like that felt like a loaded gun was placed on her temple.“Come into my office,” William finally said as looked away, entering back into his office but leaving the door ajar for her to follow. She did so, feeling her heart pounding.Was he going to get angry?Or was he worried?She thought that she could read his expressions easier but there were still things about her elusive boss slash baby daddy that she didn’t know.As soon as she entered the office, she looked around for William as she didn’t see him anywhere.“Sit.”She turned and saw him exiting from what looked to be his private bathroom, and he was carrying a small first aid kit in his hands.Oh.He was worried for her?She did as he asked dumbly, unable to articulate in
The silence that reigned after William stepped away from Anna was so thick with tension it could be cut by a knife. Anna shifted on the couch and slowly stood up.“Sir, I should be going to the hospital now. To check on this.” She pointed to the wound on her arm.William cleared his throat and nodded before suggesting. “Perhaps you should go to the company clinic. It’s part of your employee benefits, after all.She blinked slowly.She had forgotten.Another reason the Hayes company worked well for her as an employee was the employee benefits. How had she forgotten that bit of information?“Oh, I didn’t think of that!” She breathed. “That’s a lot easier than waiting to be seen at the hospital… especially with the twins, and all.”William tilted his head at her, trying not to appear too interested.He had to remind himself of how he couldn’t have her… even when she looked so beautiful and her scent called out to him in this way. He couldn’t have her.She was married with children.“I’m
Anna knew she was in deep trouble when she tried once again to speak as they exited the private elevator. Many eyes were on them as they walked toward the direction of the company daycare. After all, it wasn’t every day that the CEO of Hayes Company shared his private elevator with another, most especially another woman.“I’m sure you have other things to do,” Anna said to William. “I can take it from here, sir. Really.” She added.William gave her a suspicious look.She was hiding something, that much was certain.And he couldn’t help but want to find out what it was.“Anna, enough.” He told her, holding the door to the company daycare open for her to pass through. She stared at his no-nonsense look, her eyes showing anxiety and uncertainty.His gaze briefly stopped at her lips and his desire to claim her so openly stirred within him. He looked away, forcing his gaze to the wall.“I’ll take you home. Whether you like it or not. I need my secretary safe and sound.”“Yes, but—““—Mommy
“You… what?!” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “They’re your children, William!”Anna didn’t know when she had said his name out loud, and he continued staring at her, his gaze cold and filled with unbridled anger.“Then you’re the one that has to do a lot of explaining, because I don’t recall ever fathering those children, Anna.”His tone was final, and she hated it. He was such a stubborn man.Meanwhile, William was thinking furiously. Had Ethan somehow seen the two children and sensed them as kin too?His mind recalled the way Ethan had looked so pleased with himself despite his forced engagement. It wasn’t pleasant.“So tell me how I could have had them without you being involved.” She demanded to know. “Because you can’t ask me to explain something like that! We met over five years ago! I didn’t know who you were and we were both drunk!”“You mean that you saw I was drunk and then you you you me,” he hissed at her. “Isn’t that right, Anna? You had to know who I was or y
“And where have you been?” Lily’s father as well as Alpha Drake watched as Lily smiled winningly at the both of them.She had just come in this morning and looking triumphant as well, Drake thought of his goddaughter as he surveyed her. There had to be something she had done.“Father, Uncle,” she greeted the two of them. “I’m pleased to report that our plans are going swimmingly.”Oh?Drake’s brows went up, and he turned to his friend, exchanging a glance with him.“That sounds like good news.” Her father said to her, and she nodded.“Uncle,” she spoke to the Alpha of the Eclipse pack. “William already agreed to meet with you soon to discuss changing the terms of the engagement. He will be the one to marry me, not his younger brother.”“And how did you manage that? Convincing him must not have been an easy task.” Alpha Drake commented. Lily only smiled at him, not saying a word. He understood; that Lily may not be as innocent as her dear father thought she was. That was something Drak
Ethan was astonished to happen upon William that very afternoon. He had not expected his brother to be at home by that time, lounging near the balcony by the large French doors that overlooked the eastern part of the forest.“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” He asked his brother, who didn’t look at him, and he would have thought that William was asleep if not for the fact that his eyes were open. “I had no idea you knew the concept of rest, brother.”“I wasn’t aware my movements bothered you so much, Ethan.”William was, in fact, trying to get a much needed break. After the events of the previous day - where he was suddenly undated with the knowledge of his twin children - going to work to see that woman at her desk was not something he wanted to do today. So he had stayed back at the pack to see to some tasks. Now free for the rest of the day and no desire to go out and party, what harm was there in resting for a while?“It only makes me curious, dear brother,” Ethan huffed. “What
William was more than rightfully pissed off. He was just about ready to kill his brother then and there, despite his misgivings about Anna.She was still his mate, for fuck’s sake!That had to be it, because there were no other explanations for why he would be feeling this fury roiling inside of him like this.And on top of it, he had failed to stop reacting like this to all things concerning her.Why? Why did this woman who had done her best to trick him with her beauty, still cause this reaction in him?To his brother pinned powerlessly underneath his grip, William snarled. “Don’t worry, Ethan. I heard you loud and clear.” He leaned in, and Ethan’s green eyes widened. “But I have no intention of letting you ruin the one good secretary that I have.”With that, he released his brother and tossed him to the side. Ethan coughed raggedly, rubbing his hand on his throat.“Get out. My patience with you is far gone now,” Ethan smirked as William said that.“You’re very touchy for a man who