Ember's Pov

I paced back and forth in my bedroom thinking of the best way to broach the topic. It wasn't just the topic though, it was also the outcome of the events. It gave room for my anxiety to consider the fact that there was going to be a meeting. A meeting that involved, my father, Paris, and I, being in one room.


That was enough to throw me off balance. Just thinking about it had my nerves flying. And now I couldn't help but consider the wisdom in accepting Paris's help in this project.

"What was I thinking?" I asked in distress.

I know what I had been thinking. At the time, I had been thinking, this would be a good chance to gather as much support as I could in sending the youths to school.


But now? It was only a good source of anxiety. Especially with the fact that my father and Paris would be in the same room. My father didn't exactly like Paris, and Paris wasn't aware that King Henry was my father.

So emotions would be flying, and no one would be aware of why those emotions were hitting them.


My phone rang while I paced and I walked toward it slowly to see William's name appear and suddenly felt a flash of guilt. I had been so caught up with this project and planning this project that I had not kept in touch with William. He had shot texts and I had only given curt replies.

"Hi, William," I said, hoping my distress didn't show through,

"Hi stranger," he said cheerfully, and I found myself feeling a bit more calm. William always managed to make me feel safe, and even now with all the time we had spent apart, he still managed to do the same,

"It's been a while." and it had been, " I can't tell you how sorry I am about that. First, it was Paris's accident, then it was this project, and we haven't even had a solid conversation ever since."

"It's okay, em. I know this project is important to you. I was even calling to know how far you've come with it all. How is it going for you?"

I appreciated how he chose not to talk about Paris and smiled,

"It's going great. I've got a meeting today with the elders, and my father. I realized that this whole thing would be a whole lot more easy if I had the support of my father and elders, in terms of enacting policies to support my plight and all that."

"Wow, you've really come a long way. Way to go, em."

"Thank you, thank you."

"You say the meeting is today, by the way?"

"Yeah, it is. Why?"

"Well, since it's been a while we were all up in each other's business, and if you don't mind, maybe I could accompany you? I could be a kind of support system for you and all of that."

His suggestion gave me pause, and I blinked in consideration. My father and Paris in one room was one thing. But all three of them?!

Paris might not know why my father was sending him bad vibes, but Paris blatantly did not like William. I was worried about all of the things that could go wrong.

"Em?" William questioned and I realized that I had been quiet for too long,

"Sorry, I'm still here. You said you would like to attend the meeting?"

"yes. But only if that is okay with you, I suppose."

"of course, why wouldn't it be?" I asked, and concluded within myself that I truly was my own problem,

"great. Where will it hold?"

I gave him the address and the time, and after a few more words, we hung up, and I collapsed onto my bed with a great deep sigh.

It was going to be a long day, and I only prayed that we weren't all going to drown.

PARIS's POV

After two days of trying to hold on to Jackson's words about being "alpha bloody Paris," I was trying to doubt if I was truly going to get Ember back.

For one thing, she had not called me since we had lunch, and even when I had called it had gone directly to her voicemail and she had not tried to reach back to me.

I considered another bottle but had to exercise some self-control. I was alpha Paris, and whether or not I had Ember in my arms, the pack needed a sober Alpha they could rely on.

So I scorned the bottle and poured myself into my work.

However, when my phone began to ring, and I saw Ember's name, I had to wait a moment before picking up her call, so that I did not sound like a desperate fool, answering her call on the first ring, and sounding like I had waited for her call for what seemed like forever,

"Ember, so nice to finally hear from you," I said, and alas, I succumbed to sounding overly like I had been pining away, waiting for her call.

"mmm. I was able to get a hearing with the elders of the king's court. The meeting Is today, and I'm sorry it's all of a sudden. Do you think you can make it?"

"Why, of course, I can. Just give me the time and the place." She did, and I hoped to stretch the conversation out a bit, but she was in a hurry to go.

"I can't really stay for a chit-chat. I also have to prepare for this meeting, see you there."

And just like that she was gone. I suppose it didn't bother me so much because I was going to see her in a couple of hours. And this time around, I was going to do my damndest to make it worth my while.

Because, Jackson was right. Until the end of this partnership, I really did not have so long to make things work out between us, and I planned to milk this opportunity for all it was worth.

~~~

I arrived at the hotel where the meeting was to be held, and one of the doormen led me to the floor, and room, where Ember and a couple of me were already seated and waiting. I greeted all of the men but only recognized the alpha king and a few Elders. Then I turned to Ember.

She was beautiful. To be honest, there was not a time she was not beautiful, but every time I saw her, she managed to take my breath away. I sucked in a breath and walked toward her, so I could sit, beside her, since the alpha king already occupied the other seat beside her, only to stop short when I saw someone else take his place beside her

My wolf growled as I came face to face with the William bloke who seemed to stop at nothing until he managed to take Ember away from me,

"Are you partnered with him as well?" I asked, unable to keep my jealousy to myself.

Ember turned to William, who looked too calm and confident sitting where he was and she shook her head,

"No, he isn't. He is simply here to support me."

" I see," I said and decided there was a time and place to let my displeasure rear its head. This was not it.

I took my place across from her, at least from where I sat, I could keep my eyes on them. Especially on that William bloke, knowing fully well he could not be trusted.

Bella came halfway through the meeting, apologizing about coming late, something about her cat and dog having a squabble. But I was not paying full attention.

My focus was solely on Ember, but sometimes wondered about William. I truly did not like the guy. I found I disliked him more for the way he kept looking at Ember, smiling at her, and leaning toward her and saying things that made her laugh. That was supposed to be me.

What pained me more was that the alpha king did nothing to keep them in check.

It was odd really, because sometimes he looked at her, and smiled.

But what else could I expect? His son had a thing for Ember too, after all.

When it was time to speak, I watched how William looked at her and would have plucked out his eyes if it weren't for the fact that I chose to focus on Ember,

"I know it would not be a day's job to find all the youths out of college and make them go back. Some might wish to, but there will be others who see college as a hindrance. "

"it isn't." I insisted and she only turned to me, gave a curt nod, and kept speaking,

"but I believe with the help of you all, the Alpha king, something can be done. A lot can be done."

"It's a good plan." King Henry said, and Ember beamed.

When the meeting finally ended, she got up to have a word with all of the elders, and then with the Alpha king, before returning to her seat where William waited for her.

I had by then decided that I had been patient enough. I walked to them and stopped in front of them, my hand in my pocket,

"Ember, I'd like a word with you."

She looked up at me, then slowly averted her eyes, "I believe all that needs to be said has been said. But if you have doubts, meet the secretary, she should have the minutes."

"I don't want any dumb minutes, I want to speak to you."

“I don't think I care what you may or may not want, Alpha Paris.”