Catching Kate (Book 2.5 She-Wolf Series)

Kate

I took my time getting ready. I wanted to look hot as fuck when I faced down Thomas.

As soon as Emerick said that Ivar mentioned he was in the area, I knew this was about more than him having me served. He wanted a confrontation. I knew in my gut, he was going to try and get a face-to-face.

I was ready for it. If I didn’t stare into his smug face, he would continue being the boogie man who haunted my nightmares. Living that way, wasn’t living at all.

I reached for my concealer, and then paused. For years, I carefully covered the bruises. I wasn’t going to today. If he wanted to speak with me, he would do so in a room full of men who would see my battered face. A dark part of me hoped he still had his stitches so they could see that I didn’t back down.

I heard Emerick coming up the stairs and gave my hair one last fluff. The tight black dress I wore showed off every curve while still appearing professional enough for a business meeting. The sky high heels were just to piss Thomas off. He was only a couple inches taller than me so he always insisted I wear flats.

Now or never, I thought and took a deep breath.

I turned when I saw the bedroom door open, and watched as my handsome lover’s eyes scanned over.

“Jesus, Kate,” he muttered. “Looking like that you’re going to give me a heart attack.”

“I follow one important life rule,” I told him, “look more confident than you feel.”

He frowned. “I’m not saying you should change but…”

“But what?” I snapped.

“Kate, I don’t know if I can watch that man look at you like…”

“Like what? Like he wants to fuck me?” I asked. “Because he does. He has. And you can either live with that or not.”

His frown deepened and I saw his wolf in his eyes.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said, slowly. “I’m having trouble controlling Zef. He is extremely possessive of you. More so at the thought of another man wanting you.”

I dropped the hostility from my tone. It wasn’t lost on me that the mate bond made things more difficult for Emerick. I also knew the longer we went without mating or rejecting each other, the more he would struggle to control his wolf.

“It’s okay if you want to sit out today,” I told him. “I’ve faced him before. This is just about shutting the door on that part of my life. Plus Ivar and his attorney will be there.”

“No, I’m coming,” Emerick said, his tone definitive.

“Okay,” I chose not to argue. “Let’s get going.”

Emerick nodded and then walked stiffly to the car. He held the door open for me as I followed him, but caught my wrist before I got in. He wrapped a hand around my waist and gave me a claiming kiss. I couldn't help but melt into the warmth of his body.

He pulled away after a moment and stared hard into my gaze.

“I will stand by you always,” he said, quietly.

“I know,” I told him and meant it.

There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that the powerful werewolf would sacrifice his well-being to ensure my safety or happiness. He had proven time and time again that he was a steady presence in the chaos that was my current life. A different woman would be nothing but grateful to have him.

We were quiet on the short drive to Emerick’s cabin. Each of us lost in thought.

I was steeling myself for my final faceoff with Thomas and I imagined Emerick was probably conspiring his murder. Sam had dejectedly told me that Ivar banned killing Thomas for several reasons. Although I hated him, I wasn’t sure even after all he put me through that I wanted to be the reason for his death.

Ivar and Lucian were already sitting at Emerick’s dining room table when we walked in. They each nodded their greetings.

Lucian was as powerful looking as any other werewolf I had met. He was tall and muscular under his tailored gray suit. His face was serious and his eyes were calculating. He kept his dark hair short and was clean-shaven. Even next to Ivar, he radiated a powerful energy.

“You must be Lucian,” I said.

He rose and held out a hand. “Lucian Benedict. It’s a pleasure to meet you Ms. McClain.”

“You as well.”

A knock sounded on the door and I frowned. There was only one visitor we were expecting. For them to be so prompt, they probably staked out the house.

Emerick appeared tense as he strode to the door. When he opened it, I glanced around him to see that it was a familiar face.

Scott Adams was an attorney friend of Thomas’s. I hadn’t interacted with him much, but I was surprised he would be the one to serve me personally.

“Is Kaitlyn McClain here?” Scott asked.

Emerick crossed his arms over his chest and I saw the muscles in his arms tighten. Even in his suit and tie, my werewolf appeared absolutely deadly. Scott tried to mask his discomfort but leaned away instinctively.

“I’m here, Scott,” I said as I sidled next to Emerick.

He wrapped a protective arm around my waist. The attorney eyed our interaction suspiciously.

“I think you probably have an idea why I’m here, Kate,” Scott said and held out a manila envelope.

I rolled my eyes and took it. “What are you? His lap dog? Why is his attorney serving me personally? We usually hire people for that.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “He’s close by. He’s hoping we can settle this in person before anyone has to be embarrassed by a court procedure.”

Bingo.

“He wants to meet?” I asked, scanning over the document in the envelope. Calling in the non-compete clause of my contract was a nice touch. Six million dollars seemed more than a bit excessive.

“He does,” Scott nodded.

“Well, let’s get to it then,” I said and glanced at Emerick who nodded.

“Now?” Scott sputtered. “I assumed you would need to get a hold of your own representation?”

“They’re here,” I replied, calmly. “Are you not prepared?”

“I-I-” Scott sputtered.

“Come on, Scott. You’ve worked with me for years. Did you really think you would catch me off guard?” I asked, cocking my head. “I’m ready for the meeting. Are you prepared or not? I won’t indulge Mr. Stiler a second time.”

“I’ll call him,” Scott said, quickly. “We will have to find a place -”

“No need,” Lucian said behind me. “We can meet at my office.”

I knew damn well Lucian did not have an office locally. Being on pack lands came with the perk of being in control of every business nearby. I assumed a team had set up one of them to look like Lucian’s place of business.

Lucian gave Scott the address and we all agreed to head over there. Apparently, Thomas would be accompanied by several attorneys. I found it unsurprising he would find multiple people to represent his lawsuit in the hopes of intimidating me. I watched him do it a thousand times.

Jonathan left one of the pack SUVs at Emerick’s house so the three large men wouldn't have to scrunch into his two-door sports car. It felt strange to be so in the dark about the plans that were in place around me. I was more used to being in control, but it seemed everything had been set up for me. I tried not to feel annoyed at the thought.

Emerick and I sat in the backseat while Lucian drove. Powerful energy practically popped in the air around Emerick, but he held my hand gently. His warmth was a comfort, but I worried about his ability to maintain his composure.

From the front seat, Lucian talked strategy and I nodded along absently. I emailed him the evidence I compiled the previous night, and he memorized it skillfully. We would threaten to reveal Thomas’s abuse if he didn’t back down with his lawsuit. We would refuse to keep the court records sealed if it went to trial so that he would have to answer to the public. Most importantly, Lucian had prepared a counter suit.

The thought of sitting in a courtroom and letting every person know about what I went through for the last four years was enough to bring me to my knees. I kept my breathing even and stared out the window to watch the trees pass by outside.

“Kate,” Emerick’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, “we will find a way out of this. We don’t have to go to trial.”

“I’m fine,” I lied. “If we have to go to court, we will. Hopefully, he will agree to a reasonable settlement.”

“You’re willing to settle?” He asked, more curious than judgmental.

“I just want to be done.”

He nodded and set his jaw.