CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Chapter 346: Nothing simple

Samantha sat next to Renato with her platter filled with food. So much that it was heavy! She was afraid she would get nothing, and there she was... With too much to eat alone!

«How nice they are,» she commented.

«Yeah, nice...» her mate replied.

He was a little pouty, maybe because he had been served only after her. And with a smaller portion, at that.

«You can have a little of my food,» she said, trying to cheer him up. «I can't finish this all alone.»

She smiled, hiding the little lie. She could finish it alone; of course, she could.

«But I was so surprised your people could be so nice! I thought they were all rude like you.»

«I am also nice!»

«Yes, sure... But also rude and demanding.»

«You love it when I'm demanding.»

«What is that? You're doing it for me, now? No! It's your nature!»

He shook his head, biting the first piece of meat. He needed to fill his body with nutrients after a long day of recovering from injuries... And from the pain of the loss.

He passed his gaze on the hall and noticed the eyes on them. Luckily, Samantha was too focused on the food to see it. She had said she would share, but she didn't seem to have any intention of actively doing it. She was eating slowly but without any hint of pausing.

«It's delicious!» she hummed.

Renato saw a few heads nodding. Yes, they agreed it was delicious... But why were they so focused on Samantha? He frowned... Eating in the central bar had been the wrong choice. Like that, everyone could see his cute mate eating.

That was something he should have kept for his eyes only!

«Renato, do you like eggplant?»

«You need to eat vegetables,» he replied, absent-minded.

«I know... That's why I'm asking you,» she said in a low voice.

Indeed, the eggplants were in front of him and not on her platter. The cook must have forgotten.

He moved the dish and placed it closer to her.

«Awesome! You also are lovely!»

Seeing her eat filled his stomach as well. But all those other eyes... What did they want?

He silently glared at those he could catch staring. He didn't dare say anything nor growl, lest Samantha notice. But... Why were they looking at them?

Instead of challenging him with their gaze or moving their eyes down, all the people he caught staring - males and females alike, oddly enough - didn't feel any need to divert their attention after being caught.

He had been out of the scene for a few hours, and his pack was already settled. They had an Alpha - who didn't know anything about it. Which meant he would have the role of talking with her and negotiating when the pack needed it... Oh, negotiations sounded good. He knew a trick or two to convince Samantha.

«Oh, damn...» he cursed, passing a hand in his hair.

He had already accepted it. But, his mate... How to convince her? He wanted her to stay by his side so that he could be with her. He wanted his pack to survive, no matter the cost. And his pack wanted to stay together no matter who was in command.

Everything was just so perfect! Couldn't Samantha just open her eyes, see the things the way he did, and accept?

«Nothing is simple when you're involved,» he said.

«What are you talking about now?» she said, pushing some food in his direction. Was he unhappy because she was eating everything? But she was hungry! Oh, not as much as him. He was recovering.

«Do you want to stay here and be part of my pack?» he asked. «After all, you already are a lone wolf. Staying here can't be worse than being alone, right? And you won't have to fear Mayford attacking Norwich. That would be useful for Woods as well. Think about it.»

«Why shouldn't I fear?»

«Because you can check with your own eyes!»

«Ah, you meant like this... Oh, well, it's not like I have other plans.»

«So, you're staying?»

«Why not? At least until you people chase me away. Don't count on it, Renato. I'm very difficult, and I don't want to endanger your pack. It's better for everyone if you recognise when I become a liability. Okay?»

«Okay,» he accepted. What liability? She was their strength. And, no matter how bad she did, she couldn't be worse than Luciano Polenta.

«Promise!»

«I promise,» he said, amazed by her naivety.

Couldn't she see that everyone was following her already? And she hadn't met most of those people yet! She didn't know their faces or names. She felt like a stranger, and the day she accepted them, the pack would be back as strong as before, if not even more.

«By the way,» he remembered. «Have you told your family that you're here?»

It was better to avoid Nathaniel Woods barging in there for a second time to check whether his cousin had been kidnapped or just went crazy.

«No, why? I'm not one of them anymore...»

«No, but they might worry.»

And no one wanted to deal with a worried Alpha. Renato had enough of that.

«Oh, do you think so? But Nate should have figured already. After all, it's the only place where I can go now.»

«He knows about me?»

«He knows you're from Mayford. I didn't know your name to tell him yet.» Stay connected via m-v l|e-NovelBin

He sighed, secretly relieved. He was safe from that man's wrath for the moment. Even though he had thought it was related to Samantha when he had ordered his men to attack him so ruthlessly.

It wasn't, since Woods didn't know about it yet.

However, how could Samantha be so distracted? She should have told her family where she was going... At least so that they wouldn't flat the whole place with the ground just to check whether she was okay.

«Let's hope the Moon Goddess helps us,» he murmured under his breath.