As soon as Josh walked in, I tossed the newspaper onto my desk.
“Did you see this?”
The headline was printed in bold letters across the front page:
^ALPHA’S MATE DITCHES BODYGUARDS FOR BOOZY BRUNCH^
And to top it off, there was an unflattering photo of Sienna flailing around in front of Michelle and looking ridiculous in a beanie and sunglasses.
Ever since that strange woman, Eve, showed up at the Yule Ball last year and told Sienna she was in danger, I’d insisted on bodyguards. I knew Sienna hated how they curtailed her freedom, but she’d never deliberately ditched one of them before.
“It’s not that bad, Aiden,” Josh said hesitantly. “Yeah, the headline is sensational, but if you read the article—”
“How many people do you think actually read the article?” I said through gritted teeth. “And it~ is~ that bad, Josh. The entire thing makes Sienna sound like a vapid she-wolf obsessed with partying and spending pack money.”
“We both work our tails off for this pack, and I’m not going to let some hack journalist smear our reputations.”
Josh pressed his lips together. “We ~all~ work hard, Aiden. I think you need to remind your mate of the scrutiny she’s under. And it’s not like the media’s been all that kind to her so far…”
True. But not to ~this~ extent.
“And I’ll be having a word with Michelle too.” Josh let out a big sigh. “You know…I feel like you might have burdened Sienna with too much, Aiden.
“Especially when it’s clear the pack isn’t necessarily her number one priority. If she wants to scale back her involvement, I can take on the work. I was doing it all before anyway.”
“Josh, she needs to learn that pack business comes first. She’s my mate, and it’s part of her responsibilities.”
“Right, but given everything that just happened—”
My phone rang, and I looked down at the screen.
~Sienna.~
I waved Josh away and picked up the phone.
I wasn’t looking forward to this conversation.
After I got off the phone with Aiden, I decided not to go to the gallery after all.
It had been a long time since I’d felt comfortable painting in the park, but it was a weekday morning and should be pretty empty. And I’d have a bodyguard with me…
Or should I say body~guards~. Aiden had just informed me that I had to have at least two with me at all times now. He said it was to protect me, but it felt like he was trying to protect the pack ~from me~ instead.
Usually when I needed to get my head straight, I retreated to the studio attached to my gallery, but those were both gifts from Aiden, and I couldn’t paint with him clouding my mind.
I knew he was upset about that article, but so was I. And I was also still frustrated about our conversation this morning. It was a lot to manage all at once.
But I knew I couldn’t avoid him for long. Tonight was my sister’s baby shower.
She and her husband, Jeremy, were expecting their first child, and since Aiden and I were the moon parents, we both had to attend.
But considering the day’s events—and especially our conversation this morning—I was dreading it.
~Sorry, sis.~
***
By this time of year, the trees in Mahiganote City Park had lost their leaves. All that remained were clumps of spindly skeletons huddling together for warmth.
And as I sat painting them, I too felt stripped.
Selene had always told me that relationships required hard work, but I’d thought she was being dramatic.
After all, she and Jeremy seemed constantly happy. And now, with the baby on the way, they would have the family they’d always wanted.
They’d waited, though. She and Jeremy had been married for three years before she got pregnant. Why did Aiden and I have to be in such a rush just because he’s the alpha?
I got lost in the brushstrokes of my watercolor. It was calming watching the pigments blend and dry.
I could choose which colors I wanted and the limits of where they spread, but there was always a degree of unpredictability in how they mixed.
I would never fully be in control, but the painting was still beautiful.
Maybe I needed to be more like my watercolors.
I could still dictate the bigger things, but I had to accept that there would always be a part of my life that I couldn’t control, a blending of possibilities.
The painting in front of me proved that this wasn’t always bad, that it could lead to beautiful results.
“Wow, your work is exquisite,” a voice said from behind me.
I spun around, expecting to see one of the retirees who visited the park during the week, but instead, there stood a handsome, well-dressed man.
His immaculate white-blond hair was slicked back, and his piercing gray eyes were almost mesmerizing.
He couldn’t have been much older than Aiden, but there was a quality about him that made me feel like he’d already lived a lifetime.
I glanced over at the park bench where one of my bodyguards was sitting, but he seemed completely unconcerned.
“Pardon my intrusion,” the man said, flashing a confident grin. “I was passing by, and something about your painting struck me. Are you a professional?”
This wasn’t the first stranger to offer me compliments, but somehow his remarks felt like deliberate flattery.
“I am,” I replied. “I mean, I sell some pieces from time to time.”
“Really? Where can I see more of your work?”
“I have a gallery you can stop by.”
“I would like that,” he answered warmly. “Will this one be for sale?”
“This?” I blushed. “This is nothing. It’s not that good.”
“I think it’s incredible,” he remarked. “My name is Konstantin, by the way.”
“Sienna.”
“Sienna, what a lovely name,” he said, extending his gloved hand.
I reached out and shook it.
“I’ve just moved to the city and have an apartment with lots of empty walls. I would love to arrange a viewing at your gallery sometime.”
Reaching into his coat pocket, he produced a sleek white piece of card stock with embossed lettering. “Here is my card. You’ll find my number there at the bottom.”
“Yes, of course,” I replied, not sure what to make of his intense interest in my work.
“Good. I look forward to seeing the rest of your art, if this piece is any indication.” He gave me a smile and walked off down the path.
He carried himself in such a refined way, but there was also a distinct hint of mystery to him, a foreignness that I couldn’t place and made me want to know more.
I looked down at the card he’d handed me and was surprised by what was printed there:
~Konstantin, Doctor of Psychology, Therapist~
~Specialization in mind-linking and memory mapping~