03 Dilemma.

James.

Leaving the Park, Paul entered the car, and I saw the girl we rescued from her pimp open the back door to get in.

"What the fuck, Paul," I linked my brother, and he started laughing.

"Relax, James. Besides, it will be wrong to leave her out here alone. We just drove away her pimp." He linked me back, and I was mad. Why did he always have to make decisions for both of us? He didn't even bother to ask me how I would feel about it.

"She is a prostitute, Paul. They are troublesome most of the time." I linked him, drawing his attention to the problem. I believe her innocent face had fooled him, but I was on guard.

"She is my problem and not yours," he linked me, and I sighed.

"Where do you want to put her, Paul? In our wing?" I asked him, and he was silent, which meant that was precisely what he wanted to do.

"Come on, she isn't our problem," I told him, and he shook his head.

"Remember grandma Stacy's story?" He asked me, and I couldn't believe he wanted to spring that shit on me. Of course, I supported the practice of getting young girls off the streets, but it did not involve bringing them home. What if she starts a scandal?

"Then send her to the foundation. After all, she is from Dome. She is Emma's problem, not ours." I linked him, and he laughed.

"You want me to call Emma to explain this to her?" He asked me, and he knew the obvious answer was no. I could not stand my bossy cousin. She was also nosey and could not mind her business. Lyle, her brother, always got the brunt of it. Anything that would make me avoid having a confrontation with Emma would be nice.

"Fine," I said.

"But she is your responsibility. You will explain why you had to bring a random chick home when mom and dad return." I linked him, and he laughed, nodding.

Paul branched into a department store to get her some toiletries and clothes. She didn't have much on her and looked like a runaway. I wondered what really transpired between her and her pimp.

" Have you eaten?" Paul asked her when we came out of the store, and I could not believe this dude. At this point, I felt like shifting and going home.

"No." She managed, and I could tell she was hungry from her weak voice. I also heard her tummy grumble, and I hissed.

"Great, a hungry one," I said and gave Paul a stern look.

"The staff will make something for her. Let's go home. I have work to do and documents to attend to. Mom and dad will be coming home in four days, and I am yet to sort things out. You know how dad gets." I said, and he laughed. The girl seemed offended by my remarks but was wise to hold her tongue. She looked unkempt. Her red hair was messy, and she had dirt on her face. The eyeliner on her was smudged from crying.

We got back into the car and drove to the mansion.

I was very nervous about bringing the girl along, but Paul had left us no choice. The moment we parked and arrived at the entrance, I alighted.

"Wait, James," Paul called out, and I grumbled with a low growl.

" Come on," he said to the girl who was busy looking at the mansion in awe. It was clear that she had never seen such a building this close before.

"It is temporary," I told her so she does not get any ideas in her head. She snapped out of it and looked at me, then smiled.

"Thank you, Alpha," She said, and I wondered if she really heard what I had just said.

We entered the building and moved to the left wing where we lived.

"Shouldn't we just give her a room in the services quarters?" I asked Paul, and he shook his head.

"She is our guest." He said, and I could not believe my brother. Only one room was clean enough to allocate to her, and the room was next to mine. I immediately requested that I swap rooms with Paul. He shook his head, denying my request, and I knew it was deliberate.

"Get over it, James. She will just be sleeping next door and not in your bed. Get a grip." He said, and the girl was quiet throughout our exchange.

Paul had her settled in, and she thanked us. I left and went to the office to deal with the non-existent documents I used as an excuse, so Paul won't have us take her to a restaurant. The last thing I wanted was to be seen with a prostitute in public and my fiancee, Emily, find out about it.

I retired to bed early and slept immediately.

Waking up, I realised I had overslept and missed breakfast. It was no big deal since my grandfather wasn't home. He was the one that took the family breakfast thing seriously. My father and his brother upheld it, too, but they weren't home either, making Paul and I the bosses, and we didn't care much for it.

"Alpha, Miss Emily is here to see you," I heard Uncle Bart's voice in my head and grumbled. Bart was the left wing's butler. I did not want to spend time with Emily that day. She was a handful. I found it hard to lie about my duties because she was my twin sister's best friend and inlaw. I knew why she was looking for me. We were yet to pick a wedding date, and honestly I was yet to decide on one. As much as I cared about Emily, something always held me back. We didn't have that spark that my parents and grandparents had. Something was lacking. I knew she cared about me. There was no doubt there, but she was somehow elusive. I had discussed her with my sister, and my sister said I had cold feet. She might be right because forever was a very long time, and I wanted to be sure before taking the leap.

" Let her in," I linked uncle Bart and went to take a shower. I returned to the room, and Emily was sitting on the bed, legs crossed. Her dark hair fell Gracefully on her shoulders, and she looked beautiful. Full lips covered with a deep shade of red lipstick. She had captivating brown eyes. She was a beauty. I did not like that she wore too much make-up, but as long as it made her happy, I was okay with it. I smiled at her while I used the towel to dry my wet hair.

"Good morning, handsome," She said with her sultry voice and walked up to me. Grabbing the towel around my waist, she pulled me close and tried to feel for my length, which was already hardening. I groaned because I had a lot to do, and once we got into bed, we might spend the entire day in it. Emily was hard to satisfy, and making love to her was a day's job, but I wasn't complaining.

"Emily," I said and bent to kiss her neck where my mark would rest. I wondered why I never got the urge to claim her. Most guys say they practically battle their inner wolf with their mates, but it was different with Emily. Claiming her would be by will.

"Have you decided yet?" She asked the dreaded question, and I moved away from her to get dressed.

"I need time, Emily. " I said and took out my pants from the dresser to dress. I wore them and put on a simple black t-shirt.

"Just say you have changed your mind, and I will understand," She said, sounding hurt, and I turned to look at her. Her eyes were already misty. I shook my head immediately.

"No. Not at all, Just give me time. You have nothing to worry about. I am yours." I told her, and she sniffled.

"When you claim me, I will rest." She said, and I smiled. I nodded at her. The truth was that my relationship with Emily was weird. I never asked her out. We just fucked, and my father found out. I did not want to be the douchebag that uses women and dumbs them, so I let it get far. She was also my sister's in-law, so I was in a bind. Soon she told me how she felt, and I could not turn her down. I thought the feeling would come naturally, but it was still yet to come, and here we were talking about settling down together. I knew I was in a mess. The worst part was that many people would be disappointed if I broke off the engagement, and I did not want to hurt her feelings, leaving me in a terrible bind. There are days when I hope she will get tired and end things, but every time I try to push her away, she gets closer.

"I need time, Emily, Please," I said to her, and she looked down at her feet. I knew I needed to cheer her up. I did not want my twin sister to give me an earful about how I hurt her best friend.

"how about I take you out for dinner tonight?" I asked her, and she nodded. Emily left me in the bedroom and asked me to pick her up at her residence by six in the evening. The moment she left the room, I exhaled with relief. I did not have much to do, so I decided I would take a walk in the garden.

I got to the gazebo and saw the girl we picked up last night. She stood up immediately with her head bowed and greeted me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, and she looked up at me, and I was shocked. She had cleaned up nicely, and she had no make-up on. She was beautiful. She had curly red hair, emerald eyes, and full pink lips. Her skin looked soft and delicate. She had the legendary beauty of women from Dome. I could see why her pimp did not want to let her go. I felt the earth shift beneath me, and I knew I was losing myself in her green eyes. I had to remind myself that she was a prostitute to snap out of the trans her captivating looks put me into. She decided to leave when I sat on the cane chair in the gazebo.

"No need. You can sit and enjoy the view. I won't be here long." I said, and she sat reluctantly.

"What is your name?" I asked her, and she looked up at me, a bit surprised.

"Olivia Stephenson," she said, and I nodded.

"Are your relatives in Dome?" I asked her so I could find a way of sending her to Dome. I did not want her to stay longer than necessary in our home. She shook her head to my surprise, and I began to wonder if she had lied to us.

"So you lied that you were from Dome?" I asked her, and she shook her head.

"My parents are from Dome, but they dont live there. They live in Geneva." She said, and I raised my eyes, realising she had a long way to go.

"Why not return to them now that you are free from your pimp?" I asked her, and she frowned her face.

"I am not a prostitute," She protested, and I nodded because I know they always say that.

"It's okay. I was just trying to help." I smelled Paul's approach. Did he like the girl or what? I felt a tinge of jealousy, and I know it shouldn't be there.

"See, you two are getting acquainted," He said with a tray of sandwiches and a glass of orange juice.

"Thank you," Olivia said, taking the tray from him, and she began to eat hungrily. I was surprised and looked at Paul.

"She did not eat when we returned and has not eaten this morning," he said, and I wondered why. I asked him, and he shrugged.

"I don't know, but I have warned the staff to ensure she is fed." He said, and I did not like the fact that Paul was being responsible for the girl.

"She is a prostitute with no family in Woodclaw. You have your work cut out for you, Paul. Just make sure she isn't roaming about the place when we have guests or when Emily is around. The last thing I want is for people to think we patronise her kind." I said to him, and he looked a bit offended.

"You need to chill out, James. Can't you see she has been through a tough time? What the hell is wrong with you? If she bothers you so much, then stay away from her. If people ask about her, say she is my guest but stop calling her a prostitute. You do not know how she ended up in that condition. You know how these pimps are. You need to show some kindness instead of being a douchebag." He said, and I left him alone with her.

Olivia carried the tray and left the gazebo. I doubted she knew where she was walking, but it was evident she wanted to get away from me. I knew my words were fucked up, but I did not know how to handle the situation.