FRANKLIN EMPIRE

SHAWN I'm sitting in my office and checking the design of the new building that is going to be set up in the town. Grandma has named her whole property in my mate, which is Valerie's name. But until I found her I was taking care of the family businesses. I haven't yet told Valerie about all this. I would have if she stays with me in the same house. I hate that I have to call her somewhere to come and meet me or follow her. I am her mate not her stalker! She doesn't want me to mark her and that makes me constantly worry of her safety. The recent rogue attacks has made my wolf all the more alert. He can't stay without her, he always seeks her. Her safety is my priority. I have never had a peaceful night's sleep after that attack. I constantly keep worrying about her. Ever since she stayed with me that night, it is difficult for me to sleep without her. I want her to be with me all day, all night. From the past few days, I get up in the middle of the night and go to the Pack house to make sure she is safe. What has she done to me? My Pack is constantly doing rounds in our borders to make sure such an attack is not repeated. Even some wolves from her Pack has extended their help. I have asked few of their pack members about the rogues and I've got two names so far. Mark and Dominic. My agents are already in hunt for these two. Now that she is involved in the fight with these rogues, I can't and will not let her be alone. Earlier, I didn't want my pack involving much with the Riverside's fight however finding my mate and knowing she is in danger has changed that. I will do anything to keep her safe! I will admit it is difficult to control the urge to mark her and make her mine but i will try my best to resist her. Yesterday it was impossible for me so I had to bite her lip. The taste of her blood on my tongue calmed me down and I had to run away from there. I'm checking the layout prints for the new 'Fanklins Park' apartment when I hear a knock on the door. "Come in." I say and the door gets opened to reveal Cherry standing there. "Hello Alpha." she greets nervously and I cock an eyebrow at her. Cherry joined the Pack just a few years ago along with some other wolves. There are no complaints or anything from her so I'm surprised to see her in my office now. "Do you need anything, Cherry?" I ask her and she raises her head all of a sudden, maybe surprised that I know her name. Truth be told, I don't. I had forgotten about her after I had accepted her in the Pack but Jasper told me that it was she who alerted the Pack about the recent rogue attack. She was with Valerie in the library and got panicked when Valerie was in pain. "Yes Alpha." she says timidly, fidgeting with her fingers. "What?" I ask, leaning back on my chair. She isn't making eye contact with me. The girl is scared shitless. It's not like I'm going to kill her or anything! "I-I found... my mate." she tells me stuttering and I cock an eyebrow at her. Of course she can't see it. "So?" I ask her. I saw her with Ivan in the party and I know he is her mate. "I-I wanted to ask....your... per-permission to leave the pa- Pack and join Ivan's, my mate's... mate's pack." she says nervously. That is it! I thought the girl had killed a mosquito and was scared. "When do you want to join their pack?" I ask her and she looks up and sighs. "Today." she says quickly. "Fi-" fine, I'm about to say but I stop when a thought hits me. Valerie doesn't want to mark me and is neither ready to join my Pack. The same goes with Jasper's mate; at least he has marked her. So now they want cherry from my Pack, to join their pack? Like hell, I won't allow that to happen! "No!" I say firmly. "What?" she asks me. "You heard me!" I say staring at her. Her eyes are watery and it's seconds before she would breakdown and cry. "But Alpha..." she begins but shuts her mouth when I growl at her. "Understood Alpha!" she says while sobbing. "Leave!" I command and she runs out of the room wiping her tears. I have nothing against Cherry, but I want my mate with me and this is the only way I can get her. 'Let's check Newton's third law today.' I think leaning back and closing my eyes. "Shawn Erastus Franklin!" Valerie thunders, kicking the door to my office open. Newton was right! For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I open my eyes and makes sure to hide my smirk and maintain a normal face. "How could you do that?" She tells glaring at me. "Do what?" I feign innocence. Damn, she looks sexy! "You very well know what I'm talking about!" she says screaming. "How could you do that? They are mates!" "Just like we are." I say standing up and glaring at Valerie. She's about to say something but closes her mouth immediately looking away. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I- I told you I am not ready for that." she says quietly. "Define that!" I tell her. "You know......mark and.... Do that... uh stuff..." she says looking at the wall. "I told you to define that!" I tell her smirking. She's so naïve; she can't even utter the word without turning a shade of pink. "You know what that is." she mumbles lowering her head. "Okay! So you don't want me to mark and 'do that' with you right?" I ask her and I smirk, when her eyes widen and cheeks turn pink. My wolf rears its ugly head inside me. She nods quickly. "Then I have a condition if you want Cherry to join your Pack!" I tell her and she looks up. "What condition?" she asks narrowing her eyes at me. "You have to move in with me!" I tell her. "What?" she asks loudly. "I think you heard me clearly!" I inform her. "I am not moving in with you!" she states glaring at me. "I live with my-" I cut her off with whatever she's saying by sitting down and pretending to read the file. "Shawn, I am serious. I am not going to move in with you" she argues. "Okay, then forget about Cherry joining your pack." I say turning a page of the file. In a minute she catches the file and throws it to a wall. "Are you even hearing what I am saying? I AM NOT, N-O-T NOT, MOVING IN WITH YOU!" she says through gritted teeth. "Okay. Now can I get my file back?" I question her nodding towards the file lying on the floor. She opens her mouth and closes it again. "You- you're unbelievable." She tells me shaking her head. "I gave you a choice and allowed you to choose." I tell her standing up and go to pick up the file that she has thrown. "You are doing this on purpose aren't you?" she snarls glaring at me. I bend down and pick the file and go back to sit on the chair but I'm stopped by Valerie who comes and stands in front of me. I roll my eyes and try to go through left but she comes and stands in front of me, blocking my path again. "Valerie, I am not in the mood to play." I say grinning at her while she growls at me. "Why are you doing this?" she asks me crossing her arms. "What are you going to gain with this?" she hisses shoving me. "You know I thought you changed Shawn, but you are the same. You are selfish like you always were!" she screams shoving me again. All playful moods are long gone and I growl at her. "You want to know why I am doing this?" I ask glaring at her and take a step forward while she takes a step backwards. "I am doing this to make sure that my mate is safe. I am doing this so that for once at least you will consider me as your mate and not some stupid teenager who bullied you!" I yell at her. "You asked me not to mark you and I am following it, but don't ask me not to worry about you because I cannot do that!" I say through gritted teeth after throwing the file and I see her flinching. I take another step forward and she steps back making her back touch the edge of the desk. I place my arms on either side of her waist holding her in place. "You are my mate Valerie. MINE!" I say looking her dead in the eye. "And your safety is my priority. I know the rogues are after your Pack and that only makes me more worried. I don't think worrying about you is a waste of time. You may have been trained to fight but that does not assure me that you are safe!" I declare, backing away. I turn around and close my eyes to calm myself. "I have had several sleepless nights since the recent attack. The thought of you getting hurt kills me!" I turn around and look at her and see tears in her eyes. "So that's the reason I am doing this and if that makes me selfish, then I'm damn proud to be selfish!" I state flatly. She looks at me and more tears appear in her eyes. Each tear is like a dagger to my heart. "Leave Valerie!" I snap and bend down to pick the file. I sit down on my chair and look at the crushed papers of the file. She's still standing on the edge of the desk with her back to me. I hear her sniffing a few times. My wolf is grumbling inside because I made her cry. I can not bear to see her crying so I get up and crash her against my chest. She wraps her arms around me and begins crying. "I forgive you." she says, her voice muffled against my chest and I'm confused. "I forgive you for everything in the past." After a few minutes I pull away and wipe her tears. "When compared to you, I am a terrible mate, aren't I?" she asks me while chuckling humorlessly. "No you are not" I say kissing her temple. "You are a sweet, caring, beautiful mate." I say kissing the tip of her nose. "Who I must say, does not look beautiful when she is crying!" She chuckles but starts crying again. "We are both on a learning curve. To be mates, we must first learn everything there is about each other." I murmur quietly. "You are right. I am sorry." she says and kisses me on the cheeks. "You know how to make it up." I tell her smiling. She stares at me for a whole minute and then blurts out "I-will-move-in-with-you!" "What was that?" I ask her chuckling. "I said I will move in with you!" she mumbles. "But-" here it comes, I think. "You have to let Cherry come to my Pack." she says and I nod immediately. "I want to be with you Shawn. My wolf likes to be with you too." she says and blinks a few times to hold back her tears. "I will be with you when I know for sure that my Pack is safe. I made a promise and I need to fulfill it. Until then I cannot join your Pack." she declares firmly. "What promise?" I'm curious. "To protect the Pack." she whispers. "The pack means more to me than anything else; they have given me a new life. The credit for what I am today goes to them. I owe them this. I owe this to my mother!" she says. "Your mother? What does Amelia have to do with that Pack?" I ask her. She smiles and shakes her head. "Not her. My mother." she replies simply. "There is another condition." she points out and I roll my eyes heavenwards. "No monkey business when I'm in your house." she states, narrowing her eyes at me to which I raise an eyebrow. "Don't do that!" she snaps. "Do what?" I ask her. "That, raising an eyebrow." she says pointing her index finger at my eyebrows. "You mean this?" I ask her and raise my eyebrow again. "I said don't do that!" "Why?" "I cannot do that and I hate when others do it." she's frowning. "You cannot raise an eyebrow?" I chuckle. This is news to me! "No." she mutters. "Like I said try anything and I will kill you myself!" "I won't but I doubt about you. You were finding it difficult to take your eyes off me, remember?" I ask her recalling the incident on the cliff. She turns bright red and looks away. "You are a prude!" I tease her. "And you are rude. Now move, I have to make sure my pack won't kill you!" she hisses trying to walk past me. "Just so you know I can take down your Pack easily!" I tell her and she rolls her eyes. "Do not use that 'I'm The Alpha' power with me. It won't work!" she says smirking. "And yeah, inform Cherry that you allowed her to join the Pack." "I will, when I see your bags in my house." "I hate you." she grits out and walks past me, mumbling something that sounds like 'fool to make a deal with the devil'. I look at her and chuckle. She is indeed naïve to think that I will not do any 'monkey business'. Now that she is going to stay here with me in this house, I'll make sure that she realises what mates are!