Ebony wants to belong more than anything.
The daughter of a beta, she has never fit in with her easily intimidated pack mates. She has been isolated, ignored, avoided. So she does something crazy, something fully out of character... She transfers...
“Oh fang!” I exclaim as I orientate between covering my bosom and rear end. “Sugar honey iced tea, I'm naked.” I have a moment of doubt and somehow convince myself to lift my right arm slightly away from my breasts. I look down. My arm snaps back into position.
“Oh my moon, I'm actually naked! Where are the clothes? Are you just going to leave me like this!” My head darts around looking for a scrap of clothing and comes up short.
The businessman, who I now know is definitely someone important in the pack, motions some vague gesture with his hand that hopefully signals someone to get clothing. But I can't be sure. He could be swatting a fly. A chuckle comes from beside me and I turn to see the cocky warrior fully confident as he sits in the nude watching my breakdown. He looks younger close up and is almost pretty now he isn't glaring.
“Calm down, Kid,” He chuckles patronisingly. His stomach muscles tense as the laugh aggressively leaves his lips. “you've got nothing we haven't already seen.”
My blood boils as I glare at the arrogant son of a gun. Who the hell is he calling kid? I'm no more of a child than he is. And who cares if he's seen a hundred girls naked - I have no desire to be one of them.
“I've got nothing I want you to see,” I snip, tightening my arms around my body.
Now he scoffs. “And you have nothing I want to see.” He glares right back. Its like now we're human he's deciding to resume our battle with words. I think I would have preferred to be bitten. He's annoying as a human. “We shift naked all the time. Trust me when I say no one will pay you any extra attention. You're nothing special.”
“Cole!” I jump in fright as a loud reprimand disrupts our glaring contest. It's the business man, who is looking rather disgruntledly at the warrior. “Miss Reed is our guest. Show some decorum.”
So the warrior's name is Cole? I file the knowledge away in a bustling mental folder labeled elegantly as ‘Top 100 jerks to avoid’.
“Sorry.” The warrior, Cole, huffs. I stare at him blankly and the business man clears his throat deliberately. “I'm very sorry for my lack of manners.” He tries again this time making his voice more sincere. His eyes tell another story.
Still, I take pity on him. He looks pathetic when he's trying to apologise and I'd rather witness his scowl. “It's fine.” I cough awkwardly. I make sure, no matter how tempted, to keep my eyes off his chest and instead focus on his slightly sweaty forehead. “My pack don't shift in front of each other. It's probably a… Culture clash or whatever.” I mumble the words, hating to give him an excuse for being plain rude. But I'm more concerned that I'm still butt naked.
The breeze stirs again, another flush making its way through my body as my exposure is brought back to the forefront of my mind. “Can someone please get me some Moon forsaken clothes.”
***
After someone finally gives me the privilege of clothing – a pair of unfortunately pink khaki pants and a baggy t-shirt I proceed to knot at the waist – the warrior, Cole, and I are lead in uncomfortable silence into the pack house. I don't pay much attention to it besides noting it's huge and graciously decorated. Very pretty and in line with what I expect from the impressive exterior. Before long we walk into the lounge, a cream colored room with three long sofas curving around the centre of the room to form a semicircle on front of the flat screen TV. I stare in awe at the TV for a second before I realise the business looking man is asking me kindly to sit.
I plomp down on the cushioney leather making sure to keep a distance from Cole, who stands slightly to the behind the other man. My hair's a mess of curls no doubt from the turbulence of my shifts. I take a moment to smooth them back, placing a small bundle of kinky strands behind my left ear.
I take a moment to prepare myself, then clear my throat.
“Hi.” I squeak at the businessman. “I know I'm probably in a lot of trouble and what-not and that I haven't exactly made the best impression with you so far,” I make a point not to look at Cole as I say this. “but I'm really sorry for the way I behaved outside. My pack isn't big on the whole nudity thing – not that I'm judging this pack for it or anything, I mean it's totally cool that you're all open but I'm just, not.”
My hand moves up to my mouthy and I nervously chew on a hang nail. “Still that doesn't excuse any of my behaviour out there and you're probably here to tell me that the alpha and Luna want me out. Which sucks but I guess I get it though I was really looking forward to this opportunity. I know I'm rambling and so I'm going to shut up since you're looking a bit weirded out but I guess now's as good as ever for introductions. My names Ebony.”
Too late I realise if he knows my surname he probably knows my forename too. I almost hit myself as I realise my hand is awkwardly hanging in the air.
The business seems to stand in shock for a moment, eyes blinking slowly as his brain processes all of my blabbering, before he quickly recovers and places his hand in mine. “I'm Nathan.” He glances behind him. “And this is my son, Cole. Who I can assure you is usually much more pleasant.” He stresses the last words in a way that let's me know he's berating his son.
Good. At least if I'm kicked out I will have the pleasure of exposing a jerk. I'm beginning to doubt whether or not he's actually a warrior. Away from the clouded judgement of my forced shift he doesn't seem mature enough for the job. Maybe his Dad is the actual warrior and he's shadowing him.
“Are you important?” My eyes widen. “I mean of course you're important. Obviously. But are you, um, what position are you? In the pack.”
I flinch. Selene, could I be anymore disrespectful. Nathan chuckles good naturedly.
“I understand.” He says, leaning down to pat my shoulder. “Let me get you a drink and give you a moment to settle, then we can talk.”
“Yeah, okay.” I agree. “Water would be really good right now, thanks.”
“A beer.” Cole calls to his Dad who hits the back of his head on the way to the kitchen.
There's a moment of silence I decide to break. “Look Cole, I think we got off on the wrong foot.” He raises an eyebrow in agreement. “I get that you were just looking out for your pack, but I swear I'm not a threat. And I don't think treating me like one is going to do either of us any favours.”
If what he said before about the Alphas seeing me as a threet is true I'm probably on my way out anyway. But just incase, I don't want to be making any enemies. That's not what I came here for. I have enough of those back home. I look to Cole hopefully as I assess his closed off face. “Truce?”
He laughs. It's a self righteous sound. It almost makes him seem ugly. “I don't trust you. You're not a member of this pack and if you can't even control your shifts I don't think you should be. Maybe things are different in your pack but here we protect each other. We protect our secret. We don't shift every time we want to throw a tantrum.”
“Sooo… no truce then?”
Silence. His face is unmoving. There's no glare, just a stare that makes me shift in my seat. “Okay, no truce.” I huff. “Fine by me.”
I think I like Nathan a lot more than I like his son.
*** A/N
Updates are now on Saturdays. Since I need to get a decent grade at college this year I may update less frequently (maybe every two weeks?).
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