The Defiant Luna
Chapter 42

Nathan POV

Nathan was sitting with Jackson, Elena, Suzy and Maya, in the suite Stephen had organised for them. It was a lovely three-bedroom suite, fit for Suzy’s status as his Mate. It was much quieter here than it had been in the restaurant they had been eating in. Though that was likely because Elena had chosen it, it was a family restaurant where she knew the owners, and there had been lots of families about the place.

It had been quite noisy with kids running about the place, they had eaten alfresco as per Elena’s booking of the place, though he had insisted on paying for all of them. She’d not been too happy about that, told him she could pay for her and her daughters. He’d smiled at her and said, “I know, but I’d like this to be my treat.” Managed to talk her into letting him pay.

There had been no business talk in the restaurant or not the business he and Jackson had planned to do any way.

Elena was stubbornly insistent that they not talk about her circumstances out there in public. She was it seemed, much more comfortable though talking about it in the privacy of the hotel suite.

They had all returned to the hotel, and he’d asked her if they could come in, he had a few idea’s to help with her

current situation, gotten frowned right at instantly. “They’re just idea’s, nothing more.” He had assured her.

He had seen Suzy look at her mother almost pleadingly.

The girl was smitten with Stephen. That much was for sure, and he had been holding her hand out in the hallway.

Elena knew that Suzy was already going to come back to Browning Corporation to work for at least a month, which also gave her time to get to know Stephen properly. He could see that she actually wanted that

Though Elena could at times look disapprovingly at the way Stephen and Suzy always held hands, or the way Stephen sat with his arm draped along the back of her daughter’s chair. He was the perfect gentleman, from what Nathan could tell, had yet to even k**s the girl. He didn’t want to upset the mother. That was all he’d told Nathan, when hed enquired about the state of their Mate Bond.

The man was taking it slow, a good thing, and he didn’t seem at all worried about it, couldn’t see a need in him to Mark and Mate her. Had told Jay-la he had the patience of the moon Goddess herself. It appeared that he did from where Nathan was sitting.

Elena had frowned and then apologised that there was not enough coffee in the hotel suite for her to make them all a cup. Stephen and Jay-la had offered to go down to a local café to get everyone a cup, while they all chatted. Stephen had diligently taken down everyone’s order before they had left.

He sat casually on the lounge chair with Jackson reclining next to him, explained to Elena that Jackson had found a scholarship that Maya could apply for if she was willing to switch universities and attend the one in Rochester. Not only could she attain her “updated by jobnib.com”accounting degree, she could if she so wanted, follow it up with a finance degree and go on to do a PhD in business. That the scholarship that Jackson had found would cover all costs for the completion of her accounting degree.

That there were others she could apply for if she wanted to go on and further her education, that the current degree she was studying here, was a little different to the one in Rochester which offered her internships for her degree as well to extend her degree out and get the best of her education.

Jackson slid that scholarship paper work across the coffee table for Maya to read as well as Elena. There, however, was no actual scholarship like this one; the Simon Business School of the University of Rochester did offer many scholarships though. But he and Jackson came up with this one, created it and made it look real and authentic. The pack was simply going to pay for whatever she wanted if she was willing to move out to New York State and be close to the pack.

Nathan had several pack members working in local universities. Most of them were in admissions to help with instances like this,

human mates needed transfers mid

semester or during semester breaks. It came in nice and handy. The only thing he couldn’t do was arrange, on campus living.

But moving ones degree was relatively easy, and the scholarship was something they always did, wasn’t that hard to do, was his and Jackson’s speciality, they drew up contracts and made alliances all the time. This was no different really. Just a contract that was tailored to her needs to help bring her to the pack or closer to it in order to help with Suzy’s family moving away from L.A. to let Suzy feel more comfortable moving to the pack.

It had been made out to be a hardship scholarship, something that Maya was currently undergoing, shed lost most of her study books in that house fire, and was going to have to buy them all new again. So this also helped with that. There was a clause in that scholarship that stated 50 percent of all core curriculum books would be covered as well. They had tossed up throwing in all books covered, but with Elena being so stubborn and proud, thought it best to let them see they had to pay for something. It was all tailored to the current state of Maya’s hardship. She fit the bill for the scholarship perfectly.

“There’s no guarantee ‘ll get this though.” Maya stated as she finished reading it and handed it to her mother.

“There is no a guarantee, you’ll get the scholarship.” Nathan nodded and agreed with her, though she would be, played it off as she might not. “But there would be no harm at all in applying for it, you can only try Maya.” He smiled at her “Why don’t you just fill it out, Jackson and I will take it back with us, and you’ll know in a week if its approved.

Got that cut-off date there at the bottom needs to be returned within seven days. And then he pointed to the last page “here, it states will be reviewed and either approved or disapproved within 5 business days.”

Saw Maya nod slowly. “I guess it couldn’t hurt just to fill it in and see what happens. Though I don’t really want to move. My friends are here.”

He could only nod his head again. “It would be a big change if you were approved.”

He turned and looked at Elena as she sighed herself. They did have no where to live currently, their house was 80 percent burnt and not liveable was going to have to be demolished. It had been old and was a wooden house, burned away practically to nothing. He also had driven out there with Jackson to look at it themselves to see the state of it, to help know what to offer the Martinez women by way of cajoling them to trial moving to Rochester to be closer to Suzy.

“Elena, I understand that your insurance is not going to pay for the rebuilding either.”

Saw her frown deeply at him now. She did not like people knowing her business, that’s why they were having this meeting inside her hotel suite. “Might I put forward an idea to help you? It’s just a thought. As a business man myself, I can actually see an opening for an opportunity for you with all that is going on.”

“Really?”

“Actually yes, out of the ashes can grow something better.”

He smiled at her.

She stared right at him for a long moment and then just nodded “Couldn’t hurt, I suppose, to hear whatever it is.”

“Sell your block of land, it is still worth something. Likely a few hundred thousand dollars, pay off the rest of your mortgage with that sale and use what is left over to start your own florist store or buy into a franchise, become an owner. Not be an employee anymore. I actually know of a store that is currently franchising in Rochester. That you could buy into.”

“Convenient, seeing as your trying to convince us all to move there.”

He chuckled softly as did Jackson, the woman was not so dumb, “It does sound like that, but I and my many company’s, and I have many. Use this particular florist chain all the time, to order flowers for our company foyers and reception areas. Have a contract with them, my employees all use the same florist for birthdays and celebrations. I even order flowers from it for events I hold on my own estate. Thats how I know they are franchising. I do a lot of business with them is all. You could be the one I do business with instead of the others.” He shrugged

A small white lie, but he could organise it, and she would actually get the full pack support. All pack members would use her florist store, wolves did actually like spoiling their Mate’s, and flowers were one of the things they bought regularly. His company lobby’s all did have flowers and events inside his pack did mean ordering flowers. Jay-la’s Luna ceremony, and the flowers for that alone were up in the thousands.

Then there were Mate Bond anniversary’s, birthdays, baby’s, wolf emerging celebrations, mating balls. The woman would never be without business, constantly trying to keep up with the demand just from the pack members.

Not to mention what the humans around her would be purchasing, they celebrated all manner of events. Flowers were a big business anywhere in the world you went.

“If you come for a visit, I’m certain that myself or Jackson here could get you an appointment to see the owner, to discuss a franchise or find a store for you to look at and start your own business. We are both very good at business and could help you out with the finer details if you like that is.”

“You would be the one.” Jackson told her “Making the decision, buy it with your own money, all we would be doing is introducing you to an opportunity. Everything else would be completely up to you and in your hands.” She nodded at them but stated flatly “Money doesn’t grow on trees, even if I did want to. My block of land may not sell quickly if at all.”

Nathan nodded “That is true, but I think…” he stopped talking as he felt Jay-la suddenly sever from him and heard Havoc snarl inside his mind. They had not done that since before Christmas, reached out for her, got nothing at all, sighed internally they had not been mad at him when they had left. What had happened for her to shut them out so very suddenly?

Tried to mind-link to Stephen, he was with her, to find out just what was happening down there, they’d only gone to. get coffee and she’d smiled at him before leaving, even pecked him right on the cheek as she’d gotten up. He’d smiled right back at her even.

Found he couldn’t reach Stephen either, frowned himself as he couldn’t feel the man, that was very unusual, for both of them to be severed from him, looked right at his Beta to see what he was feeling. “Jackson?”

“I’m on it.” he stated right back. He was already pulling out his phone and trying to call Stephen to find out what was going on.

“Excuse me a moment, Elena.” He murmured as he got his own phone out to call Jay-la. It rang out, he looked at Jackson, who shook his head. “This is not good. Call Gregory and find out what’s going on, Jackson.” Turned his eyes back to the three women who were now sitting across from him wondering what was going on.

He couldn’t really explain that one, wasn’t going to try either, looked at his watch and then back to them,

, “I’m

sorry, I have an emergency to deal with. Would you mind if we pick this up another time.” Havoc was already stalking around inside his mind, itching to leave to find out just what was going on. Why they could no longer feel their Mate or their Gamma, for that matter.

They however, couldn’t just bolt from the room stating Jay-la and Stephen were in trouble, like he would inside his pack or in any other pack for that matter. He also didn’t want Suzy freaking out that Stephen was missing. She was his Mate and their bond was growing nicely between them. She would worry about him.

He watched Elena nod her head “of course.”

“It’s likely that Stephen and Jay-la will attend this emergency as well, so won’t be back with coffee, my apologies. Suzy I’ll have Stephen call you the minute the emergency is over” Saw her nod as he watched Jackson head for the door, they stepped outside and he looked right at his Beta.

“What the hell happened?” he asked as they headed for the stairwell. “l can’t feel either of them.” They could use all their wolfen speed to get down the stairs, where no one could see them

“I don’t know, you gave Greg and his men the night off, seeing as we were all here, they weren’t needed, with the three of us here to protect Jay-la and Suzy.”

He could have bloody strangled himself for doing that. The minute they hit the hotel lobby, Havoc was all over it, scenting out his Mate, tracked her scent right out of the building and down the street, also knew where those two had been going, their scent was true to their destination.

Tracked her a whole block, nearly all the way to the coffee house and then it was just gone,

stood and took a deep

breath in, there was nothing, it was here and no where else.

As was Stephen’s for that matter, his also just stopped here. There were also no other discernible scents of other worldly creatures.

They had been here for several days now, nothing out of the ordinary had happened, there had been no threats, no scent of rogues, he and Jay-la had been staying at her apartment. Stephen and Jackson were here at the hotel.

They’d not report anything to him that was out of the ordinary either. It didn’t make sense to him.