Hope(less)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15 

The anticipation had me so distracted that I jumped when someone knocked at the front door. Of course, the shower turned off at that moment. Bad timing. I scowled, took a breath, then walked to the front door. Smarter this time, I checked the peephole. 

Sam stood on the doorstep, and he looked very serious. He must have left in the middle of the night in order to get here first thing in the morning. I frowned. The surprises just kept coming, and it wasn't even eight. 

Fixing a welcoming smile on my face, I pulled open the door. 

"Morning, Sam. This is a surprise." I wanted to see Clay freshly shaven without an audience, but I motioned Sam in anyway. If he took the time to drive here, I would take the time to listen to whatever he had to say. Maybe it would be a short visit. 

He stepped inside. 

"Um, don't get me wrong, I like seeing you, but is there a reason you're here?" I said, trying to hurry him along. 

"We'll wait for Clay." 

His cryptic answer caught me off guard. It'd been more than two months since we'd seen each other. Sure, we had talked, but it wasn't the same as seeing someone face to face. I'd expected him to look at least slightly happy to see me. 

Just then, the bathroom door opened. I excitedly turned to look for Clay. Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, he stepped into the living room. But I didn't waste my time ogling him. My eyes honed in on his face. Only Sam's observant presence kept me from wrinkling my nose. 

Clay still sported his beard, but he had trimmed it back. The neat length continued to obscure his teeth while revealing a hint of his lips. At least now, I'd be able to see when he smiled. The whiskers that had covered his neck were gone, leaving the clean-shaven column of his throat exposed. My eyes lingered on that skin for a moment before moving on. He'd also run his fingers through his hair so it lay back out of his face. The deep purple of his black eye had already faded to an ugly green-yellow. Even with his bruising, he looked really good. Just not shaven all the way. 

I smiled warmly at Clay, wishing we were alone so I could tell him what I thought. 

"You know why I'm here, Clay," Sam said from behind me. 

My smile fell as I turned to look at him. What was he talking about? 

"I'm told you didn't take the news well." 

I turned back to Clay in time to see him shrug and cross his arms. 

"What's going on? What news?" I said glancing between the two. 

Sam gave Clay a sharp look. "You didn't tell her?" 

"He's not talking to me, yet," I said, wondering what bad news Sam had to share. 

Sam shook his head at Clay. "You've dug your own hole then, son." He focused on me. "A group of Forlorn have asked Elder Joshua to approach you for an unofficial kind of Introduction. Joshua approved, but he made it clear they were to keep it brief and then leave, unless any of them had a further request of him." 

The meaning of Sam's words sunk in deep like a vicious bite. It also explained his less than warm greeting. He stood in my living room as an Elder on pack business, not as family or a friend. I struggled to contain my anger. 

"I thought I was done with that. We had a deal." I crossed my arms and coldly regarded Sam. "I know I said I was done." 

The carefully, composed expression on Sam's face faltered a bit. "Honey, there are rules we must follow to keep peace in the pack. Clay had six months to convince you of his suit. That time has passed. That means unMated can once again approach you, with permission."