Chapter 3: Something To Stay For

Despite everything, I stayed in that bedroom until the next morning, when I decided that I would have to do something to change Jari’s mind about keeping me locked up in the suite.

Sleeping in a bed that had a real mattress beneath it led to the best sleep I’d ever had, so I was awake as soon as the sun rose, bright and energetic in a way I never had been before, not even in the time before my father was taken down for his crimes.

I snuck out of the guest bedroom to the master and peeked inside, careful not to push the door far enough for it to creak and alert the man inside of my presence. Jari lay in his big bed fast asleep, his covers strewn about around him in a haphazard manner, his legs tangled so much that I wondered if he would trip should someone scare him. It completely contrasted with the perfectly folded clothes left in the hamper by the door, and if I weren’t so mad at him, I may have smiled at the irony.

But I was mad and I had a new mission, so I left him sleeping there with the door open.

Careful not to make any noise, I exercised the skills my grandfather had taught me in cooking in the kitchen and prepared a large meal to share between us for breakfast. Bacon sizzled, pancakes fluffed up, fruit ripened. I sent an omega who came to help away just as I started to plate everything up.

The smell of the food was invading the entire suite, from the kitchen to the front door, even into the two spare bedrooms with their doors closed; I knew Jari would be able to smell it, even in sleep.

After just a few minutes, his door was pulled open, and a head full of messy dark hair poked out. I tried to look casual, chopping an apple into pieces to place neatly around a perfectly circular pancake.

Footsteps led quietly up behind me. The sound of a plate being pushed across the island seemed like the perfect time to start feigning my innocence.

“Oh!” I turned around to look at Jari in all his glory. My eyes glued for a moment to the stubble around his jaw, then to the planes of his chest and stomach, and then the low hang of his pants.

I cleared my throat, waking up from the brief daydream creeping into my thoughts.

“I wanted to apologise,” I lied, “for being so unreasonable before. I know it must be hard, given my family, to believe that there’s a black sheep; trust like that can’t appear overnight. So, I made you breakfast. I hope you like everything.”

Jari looked over everything on the island, then the bacon sandwiches that I had only just put together. I quickly held one out to him, and he sighed. “Thanks.” His voice was rough.

“No problem.” I smiled sweetly as I took my own plate to the table in the middle of the room. “Do you want something to drink, too?”

“Got it.” He held up two glasses of water and brought them over. But he didn’t move away once he’d placed them down, looking at me. I moved a step closer, tilting my head up to stare back into his eyes.

“This can be the story we tell those children instead, right?” I asked quietly.

He took hold of my waist with both hands, which were surprisingly large compared to my little body. His head leaned down closer to me, his eyes taking in my appearance with a careful glint in them. I kept up my innocent smile, though my expression was slipping into one of want. His natural scent was sticking to my nose, even if I wasn’t a werewolf like him. He was still my mate and I still wanted him.

“Right,” he agreed softly, leaning closer, “although I think telling them that their mother tried to con me with a breakfast will only give them ideas.”

I backed away.

“I know what you’re doing, Hazel. I’m an alpha, not a twelve-year-old boy.” Jari motioned to the plates on the table. “Here’s what’s going to happen: you’re going to eat as much as you can because you have got to recover from whatever those guards fed you while you were with your old pack.

"When you’re done, I’ll eat what’s left, if anything, while I do some work in the other room. You can do whatever you want except leave this suite. I forbid it. Understand?”

I didn’t respond.

“Now sit down and try eating something.”

Since I didn’t have much choice in the matter, I sat down, kept my mouth shut, and started to eat.

The food was amazing; I forgot that Jari was sitting quietly with me watching my every move. By the time I had cleared my plate and half of what was supposed to be his, it was probably only ten minutes later. Jari didn’t talk to me, though, aside from uttering a soft - “Thank you” - as he walked away with the rest of the food on the plate into the locked room, which I realised now was his office.

My attempt at getting out of here through permission had been completely foiled, but that didn’t mean there was nothing else I could do that didn’t include falling into my family’s ways.

Omegas had been in and out of the suite since I started breakfast and had - upon Jari’s request, I presumed - stocked the guest room with everything I might need, such as feminine products and clothing more fitted to me. I took an amazingly hot shower, wrapped myself up in a towel that was hard to pry myself out of, then changed into a warm, pressed outfit that actually fit my body properly.

It was the best I’d felt about myself in a while, but I was only reminded that life wasn’t so perfect when I saw the locked front door.

Something needed to be done, and so I walked into Jari’s office while he was still working, finding him in the middle of a phone call. He glanced at me but didn’t mention it.

“I’ve got my hands full right now so I can’t come down to see you in person,” he was explaining. “No, it’s got nothing to do with Kade. The prisoners he loses are his business.” Jari cleared his throat. “Which means that is not my business, nor yours… Yes, I know… Yes… My border security is as tight as can be. Everyone here is safe.” He spoke with an edge to his voice, staring at me.

“I think I have to go but we’ll discuss visiting later,” he decided. “I love you, too, Mom. Goodbye.”

I raised my brows. “That was your mom?”

He only gave me a look.

“What is it, Hazel? I’m about to get back to work.”

“I thought I’m staying here to ‘get to know’ you and so you can ‘get to know’ me, Jari. Or is that not what you want anymore? Perhaps there’s another motive to keeping me here in the suite?”

I was about to continue, but at the same time, an omega stepped through the front door holding a key, briefly smiled at us through the open office door, then hurried along into the guest room where I’d slept. An image of the shiny silver key flashed in my head. Perfect.

But I pushed the plan into the back of my mind, looking down at Jari.

“If you’re going to keep me here, at least make my time worthwhile?”

“How would I do that? Are you not keen to get out of here more than you’re keen to be with me?” he challenged, standing from the chair behind his desk. 

“Maybe I wouldn’t be so keen to leave if I had something to stay for,” I replied. “And I am not keen to leave altogether, I just don’t want to be locked up in some room - or some suite, does the difference really mean anything?” I walked closer to Jari, but didn’t pass the boundary of the desk. “Can you see where I’m coming from with this?”

He sighed. “I suppose I can. Would you like to organise a bunch of papers or have lunch with me - and I’ll eat with you this time, I think you ate plenty this morning like I asked?”

Like I asked, I thought, but refrained from cringing. “I think I’ll take the lunch.”

Jari smiled at me and motioned toward the hall. I walked straight into the kitchen, only to find that an omega had already made a full lunch for us and left it out - though I’d never heard anyone in the kitchen or seen them coming and going.

The confusion was clear on my face as I stared at the two plates set out for us. I glanced over my shoulder at Jari.

“I specifically ask my omegas not to bother me,” he explained, holding a seat out for me. “They’ll make sure not to bother you, either, although some of them don’t know what your face looks like yet. I could gather them together so they can all get to know you, too, if you’d like?”

I thought about how each one of the omegas would have a key for the front door and quickly nodded. “That would be beneficial.”

He nodded. “I’ll set it up for tomorrow, perhaps.” I mentally cursed him.

We sat down together at the table behind each large meal, though the premises were simple. I appreciated the mound of meat on my sandwich and that I couldn’t even see the colour of the plate beneath all the chips I’d been given on the side.

At first, I just ate, neither looking nor speaking to Jari, but I realised that it felt too awkward to continue like this.

So, I acted like the innocent housewife again. “How was work?”

He almost choked on his food, making me frown as I watched him.

“After that failed so spectacularly this morning, you are trying it again? I thought you’d at least come up with something new, Hazel. I’m almost disappointed.” He gave me a soft smile. “But work was not great, if I am honest with you. I have received multiple calls - can you guess who from?”

“Your mother?” I grumbled, taking a sip of water.

“Only one from her today, so no. Alpha Kade.”

It was my turn to choke.

“He’s alerted every pack in the state, maybe even the country, about your escape. He’s very… worried for the safety of others.” Jari flinched. “I have not told him anything, if that brings you any comfort - and I do not intend to.”

“He’s told every pack in the state?” I repeated, quiet. 

Jari glanced down at the table. “I am sorry that you are going through this. I know my way of showing it is by… locking you up, but that is only for my pack’s peace of mind. Once they trust you, perhaps we could reach a point where they will protect you. One thing I can promise is that I will never give you up to Alpha Kade.”

“Thanks, I guess that’s the best I can ask for right now.” My hands came over my face. “Are the other packs looking for me, too?”

“No,” Jari answered, too quickly. “At least, most aren’t. Kade is not very good at creating alliances with other packs, he is almost always in some kind of conflict. In the alpha circle, we often make cracks about it. The alphas will be cautious, certainly, but I doubt any of them are actively searching for you.”

“So I’m probably safe as long as I stay here?” I asked nervously.

Jari nodded. “You’re definitely safe as long as the pack comes to like you. I think they will.”

I looked out the window. “I can only hope…”