Back to Basics

{ Isabella }

"He doesn’t want me to tell everyone we’re dating. He wants to keep it on the down low for a while," I complain to my mother as we have breakfast at the country club. It's a beautiful day today, but I feel awful, "He doesn't want people to think he'll be distracted from his duties because of a woman. And I understand that, but it's also annoying. He’s very... uninvolved."

"Huh? How?" She asks, putting down her tea to give me one of her looks full of motherly disapproval.

"I'm used to dating guys who would break their necks if I asked them to. Guys who see me as a prize and treat me like they're afraid of screwing up and losing me," I begin, crossing my arms. My mother nods, encouraging me to keep going, "Theo doesn't. Not at all."

"Well… to be completely fair, dear, he's a very powerful man and he’s aware of that, his ego must be huge and with good reason. He probably sees you as his equal if not beneath him. He's not afraid to lose you because he knows he could easily date any girl in this pack," she says. I cross my arms even tighter. I know she's right, which is why this is so annoying.

He could definitely have any girl in this pack and that’s not a secret. They’re all incredibly obvious about how much they would love to get down and suck his dick on the spot if he asked. At least I know how to get what I want without being so obvious.

"You can't just rely on your beauty. You have to make him fall in love with you… or just give him so much blind devotion that he feels indebted to you somehow," she says, taking a sip, "It can't be that hard, dear. How's the sexual aspect going? That's very important."

Horrible. The worst. Torture.

"It's great," I say and I'm not exactly lying. I know I'm making it good for him. I know how to do it and I know he's enjoying it as much as any man would, but I'm not.

Not only am I NOT enjoying it, but it's hell to be touched by another man now that I know I belong to Liam Fierro.

So, the horrible sex it's on me, not on Theo.

The first time we had sex I didn't want to risk anything going badly, so I took an inhibitor pill to put my wolf to sleep and I really enjoyed it. Theodore was a good fuck.

But I can't take pills forever, so every time Theo touches me it's like a punishment. It’s the worst part of the week... or multiple times a week, if he's not busy.

Theo is the most wanted man in this pack and I can’t even enjoy the fact that I have him right now. My wolf keeps whining and crying inside of me as if Theo is taking advantage of me or raping me.

It feels that way sometimes, but I push through it.

We only met Liam ONCE.

Yes, he's gorgeous in an outrageous way I've never seen in a man before. And yes, he has a very nice, warm, masculine scent. And yes, he has that overly confident demeanor that I like, but who the fuck cares?

I have a plan and I'm sticking to it. And that's it.

Still... it sucks not to be around him. It has been two weeks since I met him and I haven’t seen him around at all, not even a little.

It’s extremely upsetting how he just dismissed my proposal. If I could have Liam around and be able to touch him from time to time, I think it would be easier to endure another man's touch...

"Good morning, ladies," someone says, approaching our table. Every hair on my body stands up in attention at the authoritative voice.

When I look up and see Alpha Robert standing in front of me, I nearly shit myself.

"Alpha Robert, good morning!" My mother effusively greets him, getting up to receive his polite cheek kiss. I get up to do the same, "This is my daughter, Isabella. She returned to the pack a couple of weeks ago."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," the Alpha says, looking at me with... approval, maybe? "Your father talks about you endlessly, he's so proud of you. And now, my son is the one who won't stop talking about how amazing you are."

Holy crap.

Theo talked about me to his dad? The fucking Alpha of the pack?! Maybe he's not as uninvolved as I thought.

"She is, my baby girl is amazing," my mother butts in looking at me with a giant grin, "And I was just telling her how happy I am about her dating Theodore. I couldn't have gotten her a better guy myself."

"I'm not just saying this because he's my son, but Theo is definitely a good catch," Robert says with a laugh he shares with my mother. As she laughs, she reaches up a hand and pinches my back. I swallow and let out a smile as well.

"I think so too," I say and thankfully my voice doesn’t shake too much, "Theo has been the best part of my return to Greyhound so far. And it's nice to finally meet you too, Alpha Robert."

He stays with us for a couple more minutes and when he leaves, I can see how everyone around the club stares at us with new interest and curiosity.

"You see?" my mother asks in a very low voice as we sit back down, "We can't lose that, Isabella. Do whatever you have to do to secure a ring on your finger. As fast as possible.”

I nod, with more resolve than ever before to make this work.

➿➿➿➿

I haven't seen my old friends since I started dating Theo, but when the need to see Liam gets too strong, I do the only thing I can do right now and I finally accept my friends’ invitation to go out.

I’m hoping to maybe get a glimpse of Liam in whatever bar we end up, but I mostly want to get any information they might have on him.

Since I don't have to see Theo today, I put on a short black dress that makes my body look more voluptuous than it really is, I let my long hair down and put on heavy makeup because I miss looking hot, not just like a boring, lame ass lady.

As soon as I sit down at the table with my friends they start interviewing about Theo and what we've been up to.

I answer all of their questions. And then is my turn.

"I also met his friends the other day. One of them struck me as very odd, uh… Liam Fierro or something? What do you know about him?" I ask, playing with the straw of my drink like it's no big deal.

"Ah, Liam. If he was a jerk to you don’t worry, it's nothing personal. That's just how he is," Layla says, "I've only been around him a handful of times, but he’s always a jerk. And one can say anything about it, of course.”

"Why not?" I ask, they all look at each other for a couple of seconds.

"You don’t know? The Fierros are dangerous. Liam's father is ruthless. But apparently, Liam is the one running the business now," Erik says in a very dramatic way, looking around as if making sure no one is eavesdropping.

"The... business?" I ask fearfully. I know it's not good by the way everyone’s acting.

“Drugs," Layla says. My eyebrows raise to the sky, "Both legal and illegal, they own the hospital and the pharmacies. They sell all kinds of drugs, real premium shit. My dad was hooked for a while, but he's better now.”

“So they’re drug dealers and no one does anything about it?” I try to wrap my head around it, “What about Theo? He must know.”

“Of course he does, Alpha Robert too,” Erik rolls his eyes, “But they’re all buddies, so of course they're going to let it slide. Also, the Fierros are not drug dealers, honey. They’re drug lords. They have a whole mafia going on, especially down in Hughmount.”

I swallow and nod, trying to look like I'm not freaking out, but I am. Being a known drug lord is so fucking embarrassing.

Fuck, why did it have to be my fated mate? Now what Liam said in the bathroom makes a little more sense, how he's ‘so powerful’.

I mean, maybe he is, but for all the wrong reasons. That's not what I want for my life, to be known as a mafia girlfriend. Fuck that.

I want to be admired and respected, not feared. At least not like that. Being a criminal is NOT hot.

"Fuck, look who it is. Speak of the devil…" Layla points to the door.

Liam Fierro walks in, stealing all the air out of my lungs with him and creating a whole revolution inside of me.

How can a man be so absolutely gorgeous? It's unfair. He's prettier than me. I want to grab his face in my hands and just... kiss him all over.

He's wearing a white button-down shirt with half of the buttons open I can see his defined chest and pink pants. Pink pants for a man is just ridiculous… but they fit him so well, I need to look away.

"Come on, let's go say hi to them," Layla says grabbing my hand. I look at her with startled eyes, "You know them, don't you? It would be rude if you didn't greet them. I know Rahul, so I want to say hi... maybe I'll get lucky tonight."

Oh my God.

Should I go?

What if I can convince Liam to take me up on my offer after all? Maybe I'll get lucky too.

"Fine, let's go," I finally say, gulping down my drink so I can have all the courage I need.