Page 16 of The Wrong Bond (Wolf Billionaire #4)

CHAPTER 16

SHAWN

T he air of the banquet hall was heavy with the scent of expensive perfumes, cleaning products, and wines that had been sitting in an old cellar for years.

It was yet another of the numerous balls that the elite uptown held, where everyone attended just to show off and prove that they were doing better than everyone else.

It had been entertaining when I was younger, but now I detested being at events like this. Dad had practically dragged me to this one, and I was so livid he had.

We had not been seeing eye-to-eye lately, and Arlene had advised that maybe if I were the bigger person, he would come to his senses and be more lenient with the downtown issue. She was right when she’d said that us fighting would lead us nowhere, but she had no idea how stubborn Alexander Elton was.

No matter the amount of ass-kissing and feet-polishing I did, if he made up his mind not to do something, there was no changing it.

“That’s your fourth glass this evening,” Ethan noticed as I downed the glass of champagne I’d just picked up from a passing waiter.

“Are you policing how much I drink?” I asked, shooting him a death glare. The alcohol warmed my insides momentarily, but the emptiness in my chest remained. I no longer craved this part of my life anymore. I would prefer a quiet night in with Arlene.

Ethan chuckled. “I would never. I’m just observing that you’re drinking more than usual.”

“Well, if it’s not obvious already, I don’t want to be here,” I said, forcing a smile as a group of well-dressed socialites walked past us.

“I can certainly tell. Why didn’t you invite Arlene to come with you, then?”

“She wouldn’t want to come. Not after what happened last time.”

Earlier today, I’d tried to convince Arlene to come with me, but I’d expected the response I’d gotten. After attending the art exhibition with me, I knew there was no way she would want to attend an event like this again.

I completely understood her. The elites were brutal and it took physically and mentally strong people to be able to mingle with them.

“Yeah, your parents can be pretty intense.”

I nodded. “That’s the last thing I want her to go through again.”

Ethan studied me from the corner of his eye. “You sure this thing with Arlene is just a ‘for the time being’ kind of thing?”

For the first time in a while, I was unsure. I had my rehearsed answer at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t say it out loud and I had no idea why.

“I don’t know. I just don’t want her to be involved in all of this,” I muttered, swirling the leftover champagne in my glass.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Involved in all of what?”

“This,” I sighed, gesturing to our surroundings. “This charade and this endless parade of social climbers and status seekers. She’s worth way more than this.”

Ethan chuckled dryly. “This wouldn’t faze Arlene at all. She’s way past this.”

“Exactly!” I exclaimed, a touch too loud. “She deserves so much better than this.”

Ethan cocked his head, his eyes still on me. “So, what’s really going on with Arlene? You’ve been spending so much time with her, and you’re not acting like this is just a temporary fling.”

I hesitated, knowing that I couldn’t tell the same damn story I’d been telling Ethan from the start. A lot had happened since I’d met Arlene, and it felt like I’d lived multiple lives since that first night at Mark’s Bar.

“It’s different now,” I admitted. “There’s no pretense with her. I don’t need to be anyone other than who I am. It’s easy and vulnerable in the best way.”

A small silence passed between Ethan and me. I’d never admitted any of this to anyone, and it felt surreal.

“With Arlene, I feel seen. Underneath all this.” I gestured around us. “She sees me.”

Ethan remained silent for a bit, calculating the repercussions of my feelings. It had started as something I could easily unlatch myself from, but now it had developed into something more.

“It’s more than just a fling, isn’t it.” He phrased it as a statement instead of a question, a truth that both of us could see evidently.

“Yes, it is,” I admitted finally, even to myself. “But it’s complicated. She’s so different from anyone I’ve ever known, Ethan.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Not in itself,” I said, shaking my head. “But it makes things…difficult.”

It was so much trickier than I wanted to admit. Arlene and I got on extremely well and everything was easy when I was with her. Our banter was easy, our laughter easier, and the sex was the easiest thing.

But the social divide between us, the expectations and the disapproval I would get from my parents and society at large, were major obstacles. I could take them all in and not flinch, but I didn’t know if I wanted to subject Arlene to that.

“Look,” Ethan started, his voice firm but filled with understanding. “You can’t control who you fall for. You can only control how you handle it.”

I sighed. “I know, but I have no idea how to handle it.”

Ethan took a sip of whiskey from the flask he’d smuggled in. “Well, this may sound like a cliché, but I trust you, Shawn. I trust your judgment. Arlene is a great girl, so sometimes I wonder why she puts up with you?—”

I punched him on the arm.

“But I believe that you’ll figure it out. It will definitely not be easy at first, given that you’re a public figure and your parents are judgmental as hell, but you’ll be able to do it.”

I swallowed and nodded, feeling a bit lighter. “Thanks, Ethan.”

“Anytime, bro.” He downed the rest of his whiskey. “I can see Caroline Lin giving me googly eyes from over there. I’ll catch you in a bit, man.” Ethan said, and before I could stop him, he had already taken off.

“Fuck,” I mumbled under my breath, knowing what was to come.

Not even two minutes later, Lorraine, who’d had a thing for me for years, came up to me.

“Shawn, darling,” she started, batting her eyelashes at me. “Care to dance?”

“Thank you, but I’m afraid I’m already engaged,” I replied politely, dodging her outstretched hand.

A lie, of course, but it was the easiest way to avoid getting entangled in a web of flirtation that held no interest for me.

She looked around dramatically. “Engaged with what?”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her. “With my thoughts.”

“But you can’t spare a couple of minutes for your ex-girlfriend?” she whined.

Here we go again.

Lorraine genuinely believed that she and I had dated for four months, but in my very sharp memory, that hadn’t happened. We’d been seeing each other on and off during that period, mostly because I was young, dumb, and desperately trying to get my dad’s attention. Going out with Lorraine Fowler was a surefire way to do that.

Her father owned more than half of the electrical companies in the state, and a union between our families would make us unstoppable.

But I’d realized pretty early on that Lorraine had the personality of a damp cardboard box.

“We never dated,” I said.

“So those four months meant nothing to you?”

I sighed, already tired of this conversation. “We were both in high school. Of course it meant nothing.”

She humphed and walked away from me, probably to ask the next guy if he wanted to dance.

The evening stretched on like an eternity. I exchanged pleasantries with colleagues from work, endured my father’s numerous criticisms about my lack of commitment to “worthy projects,” and politely declined countless offers of introductions to eligible young ladies. I wanted to leave all this behind and go to Arlene to do nothing but just be together. Just as I thought about her, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out and saw a text from Arlene.

Speak of the devil.

How’s it going? Having the time of your life?

Ally

I smiled at the text and typed out a response.

I’m looking for the perfect moment to sneak out of here. I really can’t take it anymore.

Me

I would have loved to be there, but I’m not certain I wouldn’t stab someone with a butter knife if I was.

Ally

I chuckled at her text, missing her presence even more. Her responses were not doing anything to curb the feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I would have loved for you to be here. If having casualties is the price I have to pay, so be it.

Me

I watched the text bubbles pop up from her end for a bit, and then they disappeared completely, leaving my message on read. This had happened a couple of times with us when we were too chicken to actually address our feelings.

Instead, we always resorted to pushing back whatever was making us uncomfortable, and leaving it unsaid forever. I wished I could have an honest conversation with her about my feelings, but I didn’t want to lose her.

When I looked up from my phone, I saw my mother gliding across the polished floor as she headed toward me, with my father by her side. A young woman’s arm was linked with hers.

Uh oh.

This was a tradition now at every event: them introducing me to one woman or another, hoping that I would be willing to settle down soon.

When they got to me, I instantly recognized the woman with them: Lora McGregor, the daughter of the alpha of the Blade Pack. I’d heard a lot about her father and how scary and intimidating he could be.

I’d only met him once, when I was still in high school and he’d given a speech. Lora had gone to my high school too and she’d been a shy, introverted girl who never participated in any school activities. It was weird that ten years had passed and now we were slowly finding our way in the world.

Her skin was so pale that it seemed like she never went out into the sun, and her dress was a buttercup yellow that complimented her skin perfectly. She had dark brown hair and even darker eyes.

“Shawn, darling,” my mother purred, her voice filled with the sweetness it had lacked when she’d met Arlene. “I’d like you to meet Lora McGregor. You two went to school together, but she has been abroad for a while. She just came back to town.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lora,” I said, extending my hand to her.

She slipped her small hand into mine. Her touch sent a jolt of electricity through me, like nothing I’d ever felt before. I dropped her hand, but the odd feeling of electricity lingered. Her smile was wide and genuine, which was also disarming.

At events like these, no one’s smile was ever real, but maybe she was too new to these events to be faking her feelings.

“The pleasure is all mine, Shawn,” she replied. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

My eyes trailed to my mother and father, who stood watching by the side, small smiles on their faces.

“Good things, I hope?”

Lora chucked. “Definitely.”

My mother’s smile tightened a fraction and she clapped her hands together. “Wonderful! It seems like you both have hit it off splendidly. Perhaps you two can find a quiet corner to chat. I see some old friends I need to greet.” With that, she swept away, leaving Lora and I facing each other.

We both chuckled awkwardly, and I looked around to signal for Ethan to come over and help me, but he was having a heated conversation with Caroline.

“Your mother is quite the character,” Lora remarked.

I nodded. “She really is.”

She chuckled again, the sound making my heart beat faster. There was something about her that instantly drew me to her, and my inner wolf was suddenly active and pushing toward the surface.

“I hope I didn’t make things awkward. We can just stand for a bit, and then I’ll leave and we don’t have to speak to each other ever again.”

“No, I don’t mind you being here.”

She nodded. “Have you been standing here by yourself all night?”

“Mostly. But I’m making my much-needed escape very soon. I don’t think anyone will miss my presence.”

She raised a knowing eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? I may not have been around for a couple of years, but I’ve heard all the uptown gossip.”

I smirked at her. “And what have you heard?”

“That you’re pretty popular among the ladies.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Your mother mentioned it quite a few times. She even threw around the idea of marriage and kids,” Lora chuckled.

I smiled, but my blood ran cold. Of course this was another setup, and Lora was probably excited about it. Our chat was going pretty well, and she seemed interested in me, but the only person on my mind right now was Arlene.

Lora was saying something, but I wasn’t listening. Then she touched me again as she chuckled and I felt it. It wasn’t just a tingle or a vibration like a couple of people I’d met had described it as. It was an out-of-body experience, something that completely knocked the air out of me.

I struggled to breathe, as if all the air had been sucked out of the room.

It felt like this woman, Lora, had come into my life and completely flipped the script, and I didn’t know how to feel.

The pull toward her was undeniable, a force that drew me in with an alarming intensity. It was as if a missing piece of my soul had finally clicked into place. What was this?

“Excuse me for a minute,” I said to Lora, completely cutting her off as I walked away from her, my heart pounding in my chest.

I kept walking till I’d left the suffocating feeling of the banquet hall. I stood outside, where the air was fresh and crisp. I sucked in air and exhaled, letting it wash through me.

“Where are you going?” I heard Dad’s voice behind me.

I turned around, my entire body on fire, a sensation that both scared and thrilled me. “Did you know?” My eyes moved from Dad to Mom.

“Know what?” Mom asked, confused, and I knew they had no idea.

“Lora is my mate. I felt it. It’s something I could never miss.”

Mom gasped and pressed her hands to her mouth in shock. “Oh my, Shawn. That’s wonderful news.”

Dad was smiling, the first time in years that he’d smiled at me. “The ceremony will be very easy then. You two would just have to solidify your bond, and then we can do a small wedding, or a big one, depending on what she wants. But we really wanted her for you. She has a lot of good prospects and?—”

His smile should have meant something but for this, it felt all shades of wrong. I felt a pull to Lora because of the fated bond, but I didn’t feel anything more than that. I had always imagined this moment would make nothing else matter, but that wasn’t the case at all.

I didn’t care for her in the same way I did Arlene, even with the bond, and that confused me. It was illogical, even. I had met my fated mate, but only the thought of Arlene made my heart beat faster.

Still confused, with Dad droning on beside me, I almost missed the soft buzz of my phone. Pulling it out of my pocket, I saw a single text from Arlene.

There wouldn’t be any casualties if you came over.

Ally

“I have to go,” I mumbled to Dad, cutting off his speech. “I can’t be here right now.”

And so I turned on my heel and raced to the car, knowing there was only one place I wanted to be, and that was at Arlene’s side.