Seraphina (Book 2C of Wolfcreek Series)

Chapter 7

A male stood when we entered the pack house and opened his mouth. He closed it once he saw Jayden and me, and he set his jaw before he looked over at the Alpha and Beta females. He did a glance over before he looked at us in a way that I didn't like.

I bit my lip to keep myself from growling at him for his disrespect and instead pressed my lips into a thin line.

My wolf growled in annoyance, and I knew that he hated the disrespect more than me and wanted to attack and show him that I was supposed to be respected and feared. I was an Alpha, too, and one that had connections to the Ten, so I was more important than him.

'Settle yourself,' my cousin's sharp instruction came through our mind link, and I had to hold back a flinch because I had not expected her to contact me. 'This is no time to act out in Vengeance when nothing happened. Stay calm, Tobias Jones.'

'It's harder said than done,' I grumbled. 'Where did you come from? How'd you know what I was feeling?'

'We'll talk about that later,' she replied. 'Now, focus, and introduce yourselves. You don't have to compare dick sizes with each other, so act like a collected Alpha until we can get your panties out of a wad.'

I held back an eye roll and an annoyed sigh before I cleared my throat. "I'm TJ," I said, letting the dislike for him in my voice show, and he looked at me. I gestured to my Beta, and he looked at him before he looked at me. "This is Jayden, my Beta."

'Nice introduction,' Cass said sarcastically, and I couldn't help but growl at her, my wolf getting upset with her. She giggled, amused, and I couldn't help but think she had a death wish. 'TJ, if you can kill me, then I'd applaud you,' she said. 'That would be some story.'

'Shut up,' I grumbled, and she snickered. 'I hate you sometimes; do you know that?'

The male pressed his lips into a thin line, and I could tell that the dislike I felt for him was mutual. "Derrick," he grunted. He gestured to my mate, and I looked at her before I looked at him. "I am her cousin."

'I know that you do,' she said, and I had a feeling that she didn't care. She mentally shrugged and cleared her throat. 'Cousin, hmm? I wonder who his father is.'

"It's nice to meet you, I guess," I said and set my jaw. 'Are you going to let me know?" I asked, and I had a feeling that she mentally shook her head, no. 'Why not?' I asked, annoyed that she wouldn't tell me who his father was.

'Because that is up to you to find out,' she replied in a singsong voice. 'If his father is who I think it is, then I have to see if I have to keep an eye on him or not. I need to see if he needs to be watched while he is here and to make sure that you two don't cross paths that often.'

Derrick pressed his lips into a thinner line and looked at his cousin. "Why is he here?" he asked and jabbed his finger at me, and I had to bite back a growl of annoyance. "Do you remember what the person he hangs out with did to our family?"

Seraphina didn't say a word and looked down. Her whole body was tense, and she set her jaw. She ignored the look that her Beta gave her, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking.

'Ooh, goodie,' my cousin said sarcastically, and I had a feeling that she figured it out with that one sentence. 'That answers that question.'

Jayden furrowed his brows and looked between us. "What is going on?" he asked, confused. "What happened?"

'Tell Jayden that I told him to leave it be,' Cass said. 'I would do it myself, but you are closer to him.'

I mentally rolled my eyes at her and scowled. I placed my hand on his shoulder, and my Beta looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Leave it be," I said. 'Cass said so,' I said through our pack link.

Jayden raised his eyebrow higher in question but didn't say a word while he studied me. Finally, he nodded and cleared his throat before he looked at the other male when he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"And who told you that?" Derrick asked. He folded his arms across his chest and scowled, daring me to say something. "Or are you too much of a chicken to tell me?"

'Tell him the truth,' Cass said. 'And warn him that if he doesn't want to be sent out, then he should take it to heart and keep his mouth shut. He doesn't know the full truth and only knows what has been told to him."

I stood straighter and scowled. I had no idea what my mate would do if I told her cousin that, but I knew that I couldn't go against what my cousin had said for me to tell him. "My cousin told me to tell him," I replied coldly. "She also warns you to keep your mouth shut if you don't want to be kicked out of this pack. You don't know the full truth and only know what has been told to you."

Derrick let out a sharp laugh and folded his arms across his chest. He sneered, and I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep from growling. "Do you think I am afraid of your cousin?" he asked and raised an eyebrow. He laughed again. "And who is your cousin?"

My anger grew to a boiling point over his direct disrespect for my cousin that I was surprised that I didn't attack yet and wondered if my cousin was somehow holding me back.

My whole body was tense, and it started to feel very hot and claustrophobic in my skin while my wolf wanted to take control and teach him a lesson that he would never forget.

'Answer him and then leave,' Cass said in a sharp tone filled with annoyance, and I couldn't help but wonder if she was as mad as me, if not more. 'Meet me at the training fields as soon as you are done. We'll cool off you and your wolf some before you have to start training.'

I gritted my teeth and growled, and my whole body started to shake. My heart pounded hard in my chest, and I let out another growl. 'I can't,' I said, my voice quivering. 'It's too hard.'

All I wanted to do was to taste his sweet blood in my mouth, even though I knew that would make my mate more afraid of me. However, that didn't stop the feeling of wanting to take a sweet bite out of him and make him submit.

'Tobias Jones, do as I say, now,' Cass said in a tone that meant for me to obey her orders. 'Say my name and then leave.'

"Cassandra," I said through gritted teeth. I growled and gritted my teeth further, fighting my wolf for control, and I knew that I was losing while I felt my claws dig into my skin instead of my nails. "Cassandra Marie Langham is my cousin."

And with that, I turned around and left without a single glance back, and my Beta followed me without a word between us.

Goddess, please let her be able to help me. Please.