Chasing His Scentless Mate-Chapter 344 Peach Roses

Ava’s POV

"What?" I repeated, scooting closer to Nina on the couch.

Nina turned her phone screen toward me. "Kenneth Flynn is the CEO of FlashPoint Industries. He’s worth billions, Ava. Like, private-jet-and-yacht billions."

I grabbed her phone to see for myself. There he was—Kenneth Flynn in a tailored suit standing in front of an imposing glass building, looking every bit the powerful businessman he apparently was.

"Look at this," Nina scrolled through more search results. "His pack territory is all the way on the west coast, Pine Ridge Valley, right? That’s hundreds of miles from Harbor Bay."

I frowned, handing the phone back. "That is strange. What would he be doing here?"

"Maybe he’s friends with Alpha Draven?" Nina suggested. "Caroline is marrying into the Storm Valley Pack, after all. Maybe Alpha Draven knows him through business connections?"

"Could be," I nodded slowly, though something didn’t quite add up. "I guess Alpha Draven must be pretty influential in the werewolf community if he can pull such a powerful Alpha to his mating ceremony."

Nina took back her phone, scrolling further. "Still weird though. Says here he rarely leaves his territory except for major business deals." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Maybe he has a business deal with you."

"Oh stop," I threw a cushion at her. "I’m nobody important."

"Tell that to Joseph Garcia," Nina snorted. "Did you see his face when Kenneth drove off? I thought he was going to shift right there on the sidewalk."

I sighed, thinking about the confrontation. "I don’t understand him, Nina. One minute he’s acting like I’m his possession, the next he’s nowhere to be found."

"Men," Nina rolled her eyes. "Alphas are even worse. All that territorial instinct wrapped up in designer suits."

I laughed despite myself. "I should get some sleep. Tomorrow is Caroline’s rehearsal dinner."

***

The next morning, I was just finishing getting ready for Caroline’s dinner when a knock came at the door.

"Can you get that?" I called from the bathroom, applying the final touches to my makeup. "It’s probably Eleanor making sure we’re not running late."

I heard Nina open the door, followed by a surprised "Oh!" and then a deep, familiar voice that made my heart skip.

"Is Ava ready?"

Joseph. Here. Now.

I stepped out of the bathroom wearing my pale blue dress. It fit snugly before flowing out to just above my knees. I’d curled my hair in loose waves and spent extra time on my makeup, telling myself it was for Caroline’s special dinner—not because I secretly hoped Joseph would be there.

Joseph stood in the doorway, looking devastatingly handsome in a suit that fit his broad shoulders perfectly. He held a bouquet of peach roses.

"What are you doing here?" I asked casually.

His eyes swept over me with such intensity it felt like he was actually touching me.

"I’m here to escort you to Caroline and Draven’s dinner," he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

"I don’t need an escort," I replied coolly. "I can drive myself."

"Not tonight," he said, his voice leaving no room for argument as he presented the flowers. "Please, Ava."

I accepted the bouquet reluctantly. "I’m taking these because the flowers didn’t do anything wrong. But that doesn’t mean I’m happy with you."

Nina glanced between us, then grabbed her purse. "I’ll just... go warm up my car. Take your time." She slipped past Joseph with a knowing look.

The moment she was gone, Joseph moved closer. "You look beautiful," he said softly.

"Joseph, don’t—"

Before I could finish, he closed the distance between us, his hand gently cupping my face. "I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. I waited outside your apartment last night because I’ve missed you," he whispered, his thumb stroking my cheek.

"It’s only been a few days," I said, but my voice gave me away, coming out breathless.

"The longest days of my life," he murmured, leaning in.

When his lips touched mine, something inside me lit up. I knew I should push him away, stand my ground, but my body had different plans. My arms went around his neck, pulling him closer as I kissed him back just as hard.

When we finally pulled apart, I was shaking. The way I reacted to him scared me: how I lost control around him, how I couldn’t resist him. No guy had ever gotten to me like this.

"My lipstick," I mumbled, grabbing a tissue from the coffee table and dabbing at his mouth. "It’s all over you."

He caught my wrist gently. "I don’t care."

"Well, I do," I said, finding my resolve again. "If you want me to go with you tonight, you need to behave yourself. No possessive outbursts, no treating me like property. Understood?"

Joseph’s lips curved into a smile. "Yes, ma’am."

The dinner was pretty formal.

Throughout the evening, Joseph kept finding ways to touch me—his hand on my lower back, his fingers grazing mine when he handed me the bread, his knee bumping against mine under the table. Every touch sent shivers through me, making it hard to focus on Caroline’s mom telling stories about her daughter growing up.

After dessert, when everyone was saying their goodbyes, I started to gather my purse to leave with Nina. Joseph’s hand settled firmly on my arm.

"You came with me," he said quietly. "You’re leaving with me too."

I should have argued. Should have told him exactly where he could stick his controlling attitude. Instead, I found myself nodding.

"Just let me tell Nina," I said.

Afterwards, I got in his car to leave. But we weren’t heading toward Nina’s apartment. Instead, Joseph was driving toward the outskirts of town, in the direction of his pack territory.

"Oh my Goddess, Joseph, what now?" I groaned, leaning my head against the window.

He just smiled. "Trust me."

After a few more minutes, he turned onto a private road that went through some woods. Finally, we stopped at a nice two-story house set back from the road. It wasn’t as intimidating as I’d expected for an Alpha’s place—it actually looked... cozy.

Joseph came around to open my door, extending his hand to help me out. "Come on," he said softly.

"What is this place?" I asked as he led me up the walkway.