Filthy rich werewolves by Taylor Caine

Chapter 59

I ignore that loaded comment.

I stick to what’s likely to move my father. My older sister was his favorite. ”Dad, you must really miss

Jennifer too," I say. “My sister—your daughter—is dead. Say what you want, but that is not forgivable.

Grace deserves what she gets.”

"All right, don't speak of that woman," father replies.”It’s bad enough we have to come here and grovel

now—“

There is the creak of a stair and we both go silent. I count the individual steps as Jason descends.

"Did you come to see me for something?" Jason asks calmly as his gaze sweeps across us.

Dad bows his head respectfully. “Alpha Reed.”

I drop into a curtsy. “Alpha.”

It kills me to have to play this game. After revoking our dinner invitation at the club and then canceling

all the engagement ads, Jason Reed has humiliated two times too many!

As Jason's cold eyes take me in, I fight the urge to squirm. He’s very powerful. I remember that from

the times I hung out with him and my sister. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

It made me edgy.

Jennifer never minded. Jennifer had been so in love with him. I can still recall her coming into my room

in the middle of the night to gossip. A dreamy expression on her face. "I once thought that I could never get a man like Jason in this life. He's too cold, too logical, and even if you hug him, it's as if you can't

feel any of his warmth. We can be together in a room, and he’s still a hundred miles away. He’s just like exquisite and beautiful porcelain. You can see his surface but you can never see what's beneath."

"Yes." I thought so too.

And it’s that description that’s at the forefront of my mind now.

I don’t know what Jason is thinking. I’m not sure anyone really does. He’s glacial.

In hindsight, my sister’s choice of a husband may not have been the best one. Oh, for political and

financial reasons, Jennifer couldn’t have done better, but there’s something too detached about Jason.

Something cold and callous.

Maybe even cruel.

It’s why I had never tried to make a go of things with Jason, neither before nor after the accident. Even

though Jason was very good-looking and the most powerful Alpha in the region, capable of doing

anything within the city, the man was too scary and too cold. Sean was an alpha and far more simple to

read. He’s even easier to control.

My sister may have been head-over-heels in love with Jason and had finally gotten his consent to

marry, but I doubted the feeling was reciprocal. I don’t think Jason ever really loved Jennifer.

And the thought saddens me.

Not because Jennifer wasn’t wonderful in every way.

But because this man is incapable of love.

At my sister's funeral, Jason did not shed a single tear.

“Alpha Jason, my daughter made a grave mistake. Lily is an impetuous child, who caused an incident

that impacted us negatively. I've already scolded her. We hope that you can still attend Lily’s and

Sean's engagement dinner. Lily is Jennifer's only sibling, and I'm sure Jennifer would wish that you

could attend Lily's engagement dinner," my father says, in his most sincerest tone.

Jason looks at my father with a forced smile. “Harold. Thank you for explaining your daughter’s

shortcomings to me. It is true our families were once almost joined and I would have been your son-in-

law by human terms, and your Alpha by blood, in the ways of our world.”

His eyes flash gold.

I never ran with Jason.

My father has. So had Jennifer. They’d both said the same thing—his wolf is huge and brutal.

“And to look at your daughter now, Harold…” Jason turns his cold eyes on me. He sniffs the air as if

smelling my mood. “She really is quite indignant. Not apologetic at all, I don’t think.”

I gasp.

“And petty too, I suspect,” Jason continues. “I was quite surprised that she would cause so much

trouble. Lying about jewelry and then forcing minimum wage workers to search for some imaginary

ring.” Jason shakes his head. “I mean, even if she had lost such a ring, so what?”

Harold nods. “Yes, Jason. This was handled very poorly.”

“Alpha. You will address me as Alpha.”

My father bristles but nods. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Harold,” Jason says, purposely foregoing my father’s rightful title. “You raised quite a daughter.” Jason

moves closer toward us. His fangs are descending. And his eyes turn full gold. He’s furious. “Children

should be blessings, not burdens.”

How dare he!?!

I flush repeatedly. I am the darling daughter of the Atkinson family and also a celebrity! I’m a fucking

luna in my own right, about to step into my role as the leading woman of packs Stevens and Atkinsons.

When have I ever had to suffer such mockery?

Jason’s dark eyes cut to me like he knows what I'm thinking. He smirks.

Then he glances back at my father, all but dismissing me. ”If you want me to attend the engagement

dinner, it's not impossible," Jason says. "Since your darling daughter is so fond of looking for things,

then there's no harm in her helping me look for something."

What does that mean?

My father and I look at each other then at Jason, clearly confused.

We watch as Jason walks to the other end of the hall to open a sliding glass door. Outside the door is

an artificial pond. It’s large and deep, with algae-covered rocks and an assortment of koi. Jason pulls a

ring out of his pocket and holds it up to show it to us. Then he throws the ring in his hand straight into

the pond. "Once your darling daughter finds the ring, I'll attend the engagement dinner."

Father’s mouth opens but no words come out.

I’m sure I look dazed. Because that’s how I feel.

He wants me to... find a small ring in this huge pond?! Is he kidding?

Jason orders a nearby servant, "Keep an eye on them. Miss Atkinson has to find it herself. The

moment the ring is found, that's when they can leave. Not a moment before. And given that this is my

prized koi pond… no shifting. It won’t due at all to scare my fish…”