The defiant mate by Fennifer Francis novel Chapter 12

Nathan POV

3 days passed before he got to see his Mate on TV, 3 long days for her to respond to his press conference. It was 1930 his time, 1630 hers, end of the day for her. He wondered if that was on purpose, arg probably.

Nathan was under no illusion as to whether she understood that he knew about the triplets being his, he had made that very clear to her. No one else may have picked up on it. Only wolves themselves would understand the importance of an Alpha stating he’d have gone right to her door, and his personal assurance to her children that he was of no threat to them.

But to the humans watching, he just looked like a man knowing he was in deep trouble and trying to dig his way out of a hole.

There was a podium set up out the front of Stanton & Co Law Firm. A whole team of lawyers were lined up behind it. He counted 10 and Eric was not among them he noted. He was sitting in his office along with Jackson, Stephen, Ethan and both his parents.

A loud growl came from Havoc the moment he saw her. Eric Stanton was walking right next to her and his hand was on the small of her back. He looked extremely close and cosy with her. Barely an inch between them was this his way of laying claim to her in view of the public.

Nathan didn’t know, but he too did not like it either and Havoc was stalking around in circles, ropeable at seeing even a human males hands on his Mate.

It didn’t help that she was dressed very provocatively as far as they were concerned, she was wearing a black silk blouse that clung to her body in all the right places as the wind pressed it against her slender waist and ample br_easts, br_easts he knew fit perfectly into the palm of his hands, and that bloody black and red checker-ed skirt, skin tight all the way down to the bottom of her backside, then fell into pleats that were maybe 3 inches long, the pleats flicked up as she walked leaving her legs bare for all to see from her high thigh area all the way down to the black stiletto’s she wore. Pack colors her realised.

Her make up was perfect for her, lightly done, showing her natural beauty, her supple l!ps a dark purplish pink hue that made him want to just k!ss her until it was all gone. He just wanted to reach up into her hair that was wound tight into a bun and yank her hair loose, pulling her head back roughly with a fist full of her hair, making her pretty mouth gasp open for him to r****h and possess like never before.

Havoc was prowling and snarling in his mind knowing every man could see what was his, knowing they were thinking about touching her, probably more than touching her, she should never dress like that except for him. She would understand that when they got their hands on her, skirts that short were a no no unless in their bedroom.

Eric walked her all the way to the podium. Then leaned down and spoke directly into her ear, his l!ps brushing against the skin, Havoc wanted to rip the TV off the wall and destroy it right there. She turned and smiled up at him, a genuine smile, a happy smile, Nathan’s fists balled on his knees. He wanted to punch that man as much as Havoc wanted to rip his head off. She should only ever smile like that for him, not some bloody human male.

She turned to the crowd and nodded, the smile disappearing’ Thank you all for coming today. I would like to make a personal response to Mr Browning’s statement from 3 days ago I would like to ask you all hold any questions you may have until the very end. I will answer 3 questions and nothíng that is pure speculation or only asked to create gossip.

Nathan couldn’t help to smile, so very professional, she had clearly done this many times before. He was very proud of her for attaining her law degree and commanding so much respect. He’d always known she bright and intelligent, that she would make a great lawyer and he had told her as much when they had been friends and lovers. Told her he knew she would make a great asset to the packs legal department. Sometimes she had blushed at his compliments. Goddess, he wanted her back.

He refocused his thoughts as she took a deep breath to make her response, then those jewel green eyes turned directly to the camera, just as he had done, so darn beautiful. “I do not believe you meant me no harm Mr Browning, this letter you sent, with clear intent.” she held up the black envelope addressed to her and the letter as well, he recognized it right away.

“it states clearly, ‘I will have you brought in’ and inside the letter was this vial.” She produced the long cork-stoppered vial with the single wolfsbane flower in it, and tapped it on the top of the podium gently, “to those watching today, this flower is known as wolfs-bane and is poisonous, the drug that was detected in my system, force-ably injected by the men who took me that day on your order, which you have admitted to sending them to get me. Was in fact found to be wolfs-bane, the very same thing as this flower” she tapped the vial on the top of the podium again, “sent by you, Mr Browning.”

He was frowning now, this was not how he had thought this was going to go at all. Did he even want to hear the rest? Probably not, but he would not miss the opportunity to see her with his own eyes no matter what.

“As for the monetary debt to you and your family”, she held up a check. “I will pay it back, this check for the full amount will be in the mail directly after this press conference, and my legal team.” she indicated to the men standing behind her “have even calculated any interest owing and it has been added, as my way of showing you l mean to be free and clear of you, no lingering debt, period.”

Havoc was snarling now. He was very unhappy with this term of phrase, Nathan had to remind him that she did not yet know they were her Mate.

“As for the mediation which you requested…l am not interested in hearing what you have to say. The courts will decide if you are guilty of the charges laid against you. I think that you know as well as I do, what happened.” ‘She tapped the vial on the podium again “l also know that I did try to contact you within your 3-day time limit given to me. My phone records will show as much. I also believe you know this to be the truth as well, as I called the number on this tetter, your right-hand man, Jackson, picked up the phone if l recall correctly.”

“l am also not interested in you personally meeting my children to apologise to them. I would advise you to stay away from me and my children, deal directly with my legal team. I believe you know of Eric Stanton by now. He is the head of my legal team.”

Eric stepped forward to the podium. “Please direct all further questions, queries or statements to me personally, please Mr Browning, any further harassment of my client will only add extra charges to the list you already have.” He then stepped back.

“I’ll answer 3 questions now, if you have any” she offered to the gathered crowd. He heard many questions yelled at her. She would have the opportunity to pick and choose which to answer.

The first she chose to answer Did you really grow up with Mr Browning, within the Browning Corporatión?. What a useless question Nathan thought. She had produced a check to repay him. It was clear she had, it was a question that didn’t need clarification, and she knew it. Smart girl, one question completely wasted by the reporters.

“Yes I did.” the second question she answered “why did you leave and not return to fore-fill your
contract?”

“I was told to leave by Mr Browning himself, and told not to come back, ever… I simply obeyed his order.” this answer allowed the crowd to feel that she had no debt to fore-fill, he supposed, making it seem as though he was in the wrong again.

The third question, “Miss Freeman, do you really believe he meant to harm you?”

“Unfortunately, yes I do.” there was an actual hint of sadness in her voice, that reached her jewel green eyes. They seemed to dull somewhat with her reply. It hurt him deeply to know she really believed he would harm her. His ch3st ached.

Nathan sighed, Havoc was furious. So her stance is to defy him yet again and very publicly in the human world, where it is hard for him to get to her right now, this very moment, due to current circumstances.

Jay-la looked directly at the camera and sighed heavily “Mr Browning, if you would like to formally remove me from your corporation, go ahead. I will find another to affiliate with,” then she simply turned and walked away, Eric right there beside her, his hand on the small of her back again, and her 10 men legal team followed.

He could feel all eyes on him. Jay-la was indeed outright defying him. She had just told him to sever her from the pack and she would find another to join in. Did she even know how dangerous that would be for her and their pups?

Yes, any pack could take them in, then kill him and is pups, or spend years harming them, torturing them or e*e them, using them to hurt him.

If they got wind that she was his Mate, she would suffer the worst fate. He could not have that.

“I want round-the-clock warriors at her apartment building. I want the pups watched at their school as well, no interference for now, unless danger arises.” he stated flatly, he would protect what was his even if he wasn’t allowed to do it himself. He would send everything to protect them.

This was extremely serious and dangerous. For such an intelligent person how could she be so bloody stupid? Any wolf watching this event unfold in the human world would understand exactly what she had meant, his enemies would all be creeping out of the woods to try and entice her to them.

Would she even know who they were? Who to avoid altogether? He doubted it.

Jackson was already on the phone, as was Stephen.

It was the first time Stephen had spoken in weeks in front of Nathan, his Gamma blood, he guessed, was boiling in his veins, his need to protect her and the future heirs to the pack outweighing whatever had kept him quiet all this time.

“Son!” he heard his father’s voice.

“I know,” he said in reply, trying to keep fear for his Mate and pups out of his voice. “I can sort it out. I’ll fix it.” he muttered. Havoc was not happy, he didn’t believe he could fix it. ‘I fix it.’ He snarled inside Nathan’s mind ‘Just need to go to Kora’

‘Might not work Havoc, she’s truly upset at us. She needs time to calm down. We have to
plan to keep them safe then make a decision about bringing her ín again, and how to do it so the human world doesn’t see it as another k****g and send the FED’s again. Might take some time buddy. I won’t give up. I want her back too.’

‘Promise?’ his beast asked.

‘I swear to you Havoc by the goddess, I will get her back, she will recognize us as her Mate and everything will fall into place.

“Son, you know your mother and I have to go away to help your brother deal with his human Mate and her very stubborn family.”

“Yes go… I’ll be fine.”

“Nathan!” his mother touched his shoulder “we’ll try to see her, we’ll be out that way.”

“Thanks, I’d appreciate that.” he truly would. If anyone could talk her down and bring sense back to her, it would likely be his mother, who still held Luna’s rank in the pack. His pack wolves were still attracted to her and wanted to take comfort from her and listen to her advice.

His father would be the other person she would listen to, he was the Alpha she trusted, the man she had gone to and begged and pleaded for help when she was here last, had even shown him her pups through his gift, a risk that he would recognise them right away, a risk she had been willing to share with him in order to save herself. She trusted him.

Other than her own parents, his were probably the best option to help in this horrid situation, which was getting worse by the minute it seemed. With every move he made, it seemed the more defiant his Mate became.

‘I will punish Mate, when she comes home’ Havoc growled.

‘You will not, we need her happy and feeling safe’ Nathan shot back at him instantly. Havoc punishing her was not a good idea. When his beast was angered, everyone suffered.

‘I will su*ck her good and proper.’ Havoc chortled.

Nathan relaxed and couldn’t help but laugh internally at his wolf ‘She might like that punishment’.

Havoc snorted at him ‘Want to hear Mate’s voice.’

‘Me too. Nathan nodded, but would she pick up? Only one way to find out, he thought, she had to know after that last statement to expect him to call. Would be expecting a raging beast to scream at her down the line, he Supposed.

“Jackson, give me your phone, I need to talk to her” Jackson stared at him, he would know why he was using Jackson’s mobile, she would likely be screening for the pack number. Nathan took the offered phone and it didn’t surprise him that it read Jay-la. He hit the dial button listened to it state, please check the number and dial again, the number you have called is not in service. He frowned at it, handed the phone back.

Stephen looked directly at him “I’m going to square away Jay-la and the pups protection detail”, then simply left the office with long strides.

Ethan stood “I’d better go and help him, he looks cranky and squaring away could mean kicking their asses to make sure they’re up to the task.” Nathan nodded Ethan could very well be right.

That left just him and Jackson in the office.

“What a s**t show.”’ Jackson sighed with a shake of his head.

“You’re not kidding.” Nathan agreed with him, walked over and sat down on his desk, turned to the legal documents from her office and found the company’s phone number, it was still office hours over there, barely. He dialed the number and asked to be put through to Jay-la’s sečretary to make an appointment. He was put on hold and saw Jackson’s questioning look.

“Pretence. I’m certain all our names are being screened for:” He handed the phone over to Jackson while on hold “She will likely talk to you rather than me.”

It took only a few minutes before he has actually put through to Jay-la herself. Her secretary had caught his name and asked him to please wait on hold, didn’t dismiss the call or tell him to bugger off. Jackson hit the speaker button, not that it was necessary. Nathan’s Wolf’s hearing was perfectly fine.

“Yes Jackson?” she simply asked. Nil hesitation in her voice. She knew they were going to call.

“What do you think you are doing Jay-la, do you even know what you did today?” he asked right back sternly but keeping all anger out of his voice.

“I didi’t stárt this Jackson. He did. He was the one who informed any wolf out there who happened to see his press conference that he had a weakness that could be exploited.”

Jackson frowned at her words. A weakness, this pups “You didn’t help by declaring yourself and the pups available for invitation into any pack that will accept you.”

“I’m sure l will have plenty of offers rolling in, and quickly probably.” she sounded slightly amused.

Nathan and Havoc were both angered by her flippant disregard for the safety of their pups. “Damn it Jay-la.” he roared, unable to contain his beast or his own anger for that matter, she really needed to understand the danger she had just put herself into.

The line disconnected before he could get anything else out.