Crimson Moon

Twenty

She looked at him in a new light then. For a moment, he looked weary beyond his years. His mouth and eyes were tight with tension. If worry and fear weren't eating away at him, stress certainly was. This man had built a brand new pack from nothing, and his whole life was dedicated to make sure they were happy and thriving, despite the fact that the Lycan world had labeled them as outcasts. He'd taken it upon himself to protect them from a terrible fate of judgement and treatment as a second class citizen among their kind. And he was doing it all alone. Sure, he had Will and the warriors, but Cain didn't strike her as the kind of man to share his burdens with anyone, not even his Beta. He didn't strike her as the kind of man to share much of himself at all, preferring to keep distance between himself and the world. Even the people he cared about. That was why even though his pack adored him, she still sensed that he wasn't really a part of it. Not the way he should have been, at least. He was their central figure, but he kept himself set apart. Not because he didn't care, but because he did. That separation from his pack would take its toll on any wolf, but especially an Alpha, who thrived on connections with his pack.

Lou stepped forward and reached out a tentative hand to rest on the back of his. This was one of those moments where, even though she knew he didn't want her like this, she really couldn't stop herself. Her heart went out to him. She wasn't really a member of his pack, and she certainly wasn't his Alpha female, but she couldn't stop herself from offering herself as one.

"Cain," she said in a soft voice as her temper died down, and he looked up at her with tired blue eyes. How had she not seen how this role weighed on him? How did Will and Ryland not see it? Then she realized that it was maybe because he hid it so well from them, and he was only now sharing it with her. "I'll be worried for both of us, if you need me to."

He stared at her in silence, making no indication that her words meant anything to him. At least until he pulled his hand away and fell back into his chair. "You should go," he said, his voice tense. "I have some things to take care of in here."

She balked, her cheeks reddening in shame. Had she said the wrong thing? Had she completely misinterpreted what she'd seen in his eyes? She took a few steps back, not meeting his eye as he watched her leave.

She nodded and made sure her voice didn't tremble. Why the hell would she think he wanted anything from her anyway? What did she do for him, other than bring trouble to his life and his pack? All she'd ever been good for was being a breeder anyway, why did she even bother to try and act as an Alpha female he could share his burdens with. "Of course. I'll leave you alone."

Lou closed the door gently behind her and buried her face in her hands for a moment. She kept letting him do this to her. But this time she had just been trying to help, not because she was attracted to him or confronting him, but because her heart had gone out to him. He could be the strongest Alpha in the world, she'd never met a more dominant Alpha in her life, but that role would still weigh on someone if they didn't share their burdens or lean on their back. Lou had wanted to help, since this was all her fault anyway, but Cain had very clearly rejected anything she had to offer him.

She was about to let a pathetic tear escape when she heard the familiar sound of Joey's voice counting, "One, two, three, one, two, three." as well the opening notes of Seal's Kiss from a Rose. She eased her way down the hall though the empty kitchen toward the living room, where the whole pack was gathered as Joey had Caroline locked in proper waltz form. The older woman was completely focused on their feet as Joey guided her around the room, a wonderful leader and dancer. Joey had worked in the human world as a dance instructor, as well an accomplished ballroom dancer.

Lou grinned at the sight of him in full teaching mode as he showed Caroline the steps and made sure her arms stayed firm in his. He tried to urge her to look up into his eyes, but she kept looked down at their feet. She spotted her old iPod on the counter, connected to a set of speakers. Joey had saved her iPod!