Chapter 181 The Herbal Tea
Alpha Killian gave her a cool look.
"Eira. How many hours are there in a day?"
"Twenty-four."
"Good. You can count. Ask me again."
She frowned at him, then played along.
"Are you going to the Wood clinic tomorrow, Killian?"
"No."
"Okay, then."
That shut him up.
After a beat, he added, "Tomorrow’s packed. I’ve got a board meeting, then a cross-border council call."
Eira knew. She had been shadowing him as his assistant for nearly a month. The first day of the month was always brutal: back-to-back meetings, reports that never seemed to end, and calls with neighboring Packs about shared border patrols and energy rights.
Not wanting her stuck at the clinic by herself, Alpha Killian said, "You could bring Lila."
"Lila’s buried too. It’s December, and graduation’s right around the corner." Eira smiled. "What does she like? I want to get her something."
Alpha Killian’s expression darkened.
"No idea."
Eira blinked. There it was again—that sudden prickliness. The man changed moods faster than Seattle weather.
When they reached Number Nine, Alpha Killian spoke before she could open the door.
"I’ll pick you up from the clinic when I’m done."
"Don’t bother." Eira held up her phone. "I’ll call a car."
His eyes held hers for a beat too long.
Then he pressed the button, and the privacy screen slid up between them.
Alpha Killian watched her walk toward the door, then let his head fall back against the seat.
She could run a division, dismantle a rival’s numbers in an afternoon, and stare down a boardroom full of Alphas twice her age.
But put him this close, and she still hadn’t figured out the simplest thing in the car.
Clueless. Completely, maddeningly clueless.
--
The next morning, Mrs. Jones fussed over Eira for a bit and then sent her on her way.
"Cold snap’s coming in. Grab a scarf and gloves, both of them. I put some hand cream in your bag." She pushed a black umbrella into Eira’s hands. "This time of year, it snows out of nowhere around here."
Eira didn’t recognize the umbrella. "Where’d this come from?"
"It’s Alpha Killian’s. He’s got a whole fleet of cars, and they’re all stocked. Trust me, he’s not gonna miss one umbrella." She saw Eira hesitate and added, "Really, Miss Crawford, it’s fine."
If anything, he’d be glad she took it.
On the way over, Eira stopped at a shop and picked up a soft cashmere scarf for Mrs. Wood. With older folks, something thoughtful and useful always went further than something flashy.
The clinic smelled like dried herbs, with a hint of something warmer underneath. The second she walked in, Barry spun around.
"Eira, over here!" He glanced past her. "You came by yourself? Alpha Killian didn’t come with you?"
"He’s slammed today."
Barry’s face fell. He’d set this whole visit up himself. His staff had put together a special couples’ tea, and he’d wanted the two of them to name it together. So much for that idea.
"Would it be okay if I saw Mrs. Wood first?" Eira asked.
He waved her toward the back garden. She’d been there before and knew the way.
The moment she turned the corner, Barry grabbed his phone and texted Fiona.
[Clinic’s got a new drink. Come try it.]
[Pass.]
[Might make you glow and knock you right out.]
[On my way.]
He smirked.[ Rolling out the red carpet.]
When he looked up, Eira was walking his grandmother out. A soft new scarf was wrapped around Mrs. Wood’s neck. The old woman was beaming.
Mrs. Wood patted the scarf. "See that? Girls actually pay attention. Unlike certain grandsons I could name."
She shot him a look sharp enough to curdle milk. "Come on, Eira. Let’s go try whatever they cooked up back there. But hang on—we make Barry drink first. If he lives, we’ll try it."
Eira held back a laugh. "Deal."
They sat down at the old wooden table, which was covered with nuts and dried fruit.
"Help yourselves," Barry said. "We’ve got one more person coming."
--
Half an hour later, Fiona walked in, boots and all. She scanned the room, spotted Barry first, then Eira.
They’d only met once, on that yacht.
"Miss Crawford. Didn’t expect to see you here."
"Ms. Carter."
Fiona sat down, took the warm towel Barry handed her, and wiped her hands.
"So where’s this miracle tea?"
Mrs. Wood raised her brows. "Miracle? Barry, what have you been telling people?"
"It’s not a scam," he said quickly. "The benefits are real. I just can’t put it in an ad, or the FTC’ll come down on me."
Fiona ignored him. Her eyes drifted back to Eira. Even sitting there quietly, Eira drew the eye. No wonder Alpha Sebastian had married her.
Eira noticed the look. There was no scorn in it, just curiosity. "Was there something you wanted to ask me, Ms. Carter?"
The staff brought out four cups, all warm and sweet-smelling.
Fiona didn’t even glance at her cup. "So are you and Sebastian actually getting divorced?"
To outsiders, the whole thing was a black box. Plenty of gossip, no real facts. Fiona had figured they were already done.
Serena was carrying his kid, so what was left to hang onto? But breaking a Mate bond took two people. If Alpha Sebastian dug in his heels, then with the required cooling-off period on top of it, Eira could be tied up in court for a long time.
Barry frowned. "You still not over the guy, Fiona?"
Eira looked up, a little surprised. She had a thing for Sebastian?
She’d just opened her mouth to say the divorce was already finalized when Fiona snapped back at Barry.
"Don’t be dense. I’m asking because it matters. Whether she leaves Sebastian doesn’t just affect him. It affects the whole Carter portfolio."
Of all the companies the Carters had money in, Alpha Sebastian’s pulled in the most.
Barry let out a quiet breath.
Fiona turned to Eira. "Sebastian’s been at the office all weekend. This morning they called him into Carter headquarters to answer some questions. Everybody wants to know if he can keep this marriage of yours from falling apart."