There were two people guarding the door as I stumbled into the hallway. It was Kasius and someone else. It occurred to me immediately that out of all the people that might have been available to stand outside, although I did not know the others in the house, Kasius felt somewhat like a targeted pick from Bazile.
Even they backed up in surprise as I was thrust from the room, passing a second long look of surprise between them.
On unsteady legs I tried to stand back upright as I looked up at them, and I saw the way Kasius looked down at me, first with an arched brow. "Whoa..." He looked at the door next. "Would you look at that Liam?" He laughed, turning back to me. "What'd you do to piss him off?"
I swallowed, turning around, considered bargaining to get back inside, feeling the panic of the unknown tickle the back of my head. But for the life of me I couldn't imagine a line that would get him to let me back, it would only serve to make him feel more gleeful about me even trying.
"Hey," Liam addressed me, reaching out.
I backed up, bumping into the wall beside the door.
"Jesus..." Liam laughed. "You need to chill, I'm just trying to take you to another room if he doesn't want you in his."
I hesitated, looking at both of them with a tight feeling in my chest.
Kasius frowned, getting closer. "What's up with your shirt? You two getting down?" He laughed, but the way his eyes examined me felt less clinical than I'd have liked.
"No!" I shook my head fast, disgusted, but that almost threw me off my balance and as I tilted forwards Liam caught me, my arms and chest bristling with the feeling, I lurched backwards into Kasius. "Wow, wow, calm down." He mocked, laughing, hands raised.
Liam glanced at the door. "What did you do to set him off?" He asked me.
That was a rather leading question, nevertheless I answered. "I might have said something hurtful."
Liam looked puzzled for a moment, then laughed. "What are you doing kid? Giving shit to the alpha, you got balls on you for sure..."
"Kid." I repeated, taking a deep breath to swallow my irritation and find my tongue. "I'm most definitely older than you. What's with the infantilising going on here? I'm a grown adult."
"You're a tiny-"
"If my height-" The room swam for a moment and I put a hand on the wall to make sure I was standing upright, another wave of heat making my skin tingle. They were so frequent now that I could barely stand.
"If height makes someone younger than you then there are some ninety-four year old's you'll outweigh in years as well." I bit out, it sounded a little harsher because real panic was setting in.
As my eyes darted about between them and the corridor, wondering if I could walk away or if they would stop me, I saw Kasius open his mouth to respond, some humour in his eyes, then he paused and I could see the moment he caught the scent in the air.
He moved closer suddenly and I leaned away, watching in real time as his expression changed. I felt the danger in the air and I backed away fast this time, moving along the wall to stumble into the corridor, creating a big space between us, but only because, as his eyes grew dark, he stood still and let his arms relax by his sides.
But as he stepped closer I moved backwards.
He cocked his head, his nostrils flaring.
"Who're you mated to?" He asked, his voice low.
"What?" Liam looked shocked as he stepped up, peering at me.
I could barely speak, it was getting harder and harder to just move around.
"Who you mated to Max?" He asked again.
Liam was looking at me too.
I swallowed, backing up a couple inches.
"You wanna stop or do I have to chase you?" He took a deep breath while Liam sniffed at the air.
I shook my head, although I wasn't sure why I was shaking it.
But the moment they approached, I saw the heat in his eyes, propelled by something greater than reason, I didn't bother to find out if they were professional enough to ignore whatever feelings came from catching the scent that I was apparently emitting.
I ran.
"Really?" I heard him say quietly. "You want to do that?"
It felt as though he was giving me a head start, and that wasn't a great feeling.
And with the full force of terror propelling me forwards I flung myself down the hallway and nearly missed the turning and ended up running into a wall.
I didn't think while I was running. I wasn't focussing on where I was going, it felt like a blur as I raced as fast as I could away from them, and I couldn't remember running so fast in a long time.
But no matter how hard I pushed myself, no matter how many years of running track after school as a hobby, the sound of footsteps still came close behind me following fast. I wasn't able to run any faster, my body was burning up so badly that I felt dizzy, my stomach tight.
My muscles aching in my legs already, my heart pounding louder with every step. I was taking large enough steps that I felt like my knees might buckle if I tried to slow down.
Still, as they were closing in on me I had no choice. My heart thumping I pushed into the door at the end of the corridor, technically one door of a double door, and with full force flung myself inside.
[Lowell's POV]
On edge wasn't quite the word to use. I was burning, the heat felt as though it was boring holes in my skin, and the anger burning holes in my brain. Bazile had a bite mark from Max, and that really shouldn't have meant anything to me, it was on his hand, not his neck, it wasn't a marking wound, but way my fangs extended automatically seeing it, I nearly bit myself accidentally.
My stomach was twisting, nauseous, I needed to go to him, corner him and... I was teetering on the brink of ripping out the guts of anyone who stood in my way, and it was challenging to sit still and pretend that storm wasn't happening inside me.
Instead I was still, hunched, my hands holding the arms of the arm chair I was sitting in, opposite my father in his study.
I fucking hated it here.
Couldn't breathe in this room I used to spend hovering behind him while he had me run errands for him, or simply stand there while he worked. Taking care of the house, the business, the income and outgoings, the bills and the people's issues, it was more work than anyone realised, and I'd respect his ability to keep everything under such good control if he hadn't left me out for dead and abandoned me.
More than a decade I spent working for him, treated like a second rate son. I stood behind him in this office mute and still and waited to be told to fetch a file or someone from the compound or answer calls like secretary while he saw me as expendable. More than that, as a liability.
I already knew his reasoning behind wanting us to fight.
Bazile was getting antsy, he saw people getting along with me as people supporting me over him. That was as good as a challenge for him, if I didn't get kicked out of the pack there would never be peace.
But my dad didn't stop him when he attacked me. Didn't tell me to leave and arrange outside accommodation for me, or even give me my inheritance from my grandparents.
No, the fucker let us fight, let him go crazy on me even after I was down, and then left me for dead after that.
This room made my skin crawl.
The same dark green textured wallpaper, bookshelves from one end to the other with of awards and pictures decorating areas, interfered only by a cabinet, a thick glass coffee table and expensive chairs, a massive dark green marble desk. Pointlessly opulent, yet it still managed to feel like a lawyers office somehow.
"It's about having a complete family," He smiled at me. "Ah, righting the wrongs of the past, shall we say."
"Drop the act." I growled through gritted teeth. "You want me here was much as I want me here so let me the fuck out!"
"I'm only looking out for you." He tutted, his ability to ignore the look I was giving infuriating as he smiled, rifling through the pages on his desk, stabled together.
"Then you wouldn't have let Bazile take my m-" I swallowed the word. "My friend away! You know he's not going to be treating the guy with respect! You're fucked in the head and the best thing that ever happened to me was getting away." I growled low, through gritted teeth.
He smiled thinly. "Bazile is treating your friend just fine," He replied flippantly. "Max was it?" He eyed me down. "The one you broke the table over."
"It cracked, a little along the edges."
"It's a table that's meant to come without a crack, along the edges or otherwise. Are we going to argue about semantics?" He leaned sideways with his head in his hand. "Someone might assume you're trying to remove the focus from your friend."
There was a knowing look in his eyes that sent a certain chill down my spine. But he was wrong, I was sure of that, Bazile was fucked in the head. I couldn't last more than today without feeling my sanity slip away, regardless of boundary I knew I would find my way to Max and the idea that I was going to scare the shit out of him with the state I would be in at that point made my stomach twist.
Just as I thought that the door slammed open and devil himself launched right into my father's study, shirtless and beautiful, like a vision out of a magazine.
And he smelled delicious. It shouldn't have been my first thought but it was, the minute he stumbled inside I caught the scent and I felt my eyes grow dark, my vision hazy, my blood on fire.
His eyes were wide as they passed between the two of us.
And then Kasius and Liam chased inside as well, panting eyes wide with shock, I saw the look on Kasius's face, saw the way he grabbed Max's arm.
I growled loud. Low and loud. A dark intense rumbling coming from my chest like I'd never heard before, but it was easy, and it was powerful, I felt the way it filled the room, loud and overpowering.
"Holy shit..." Kasius gasped as he fell into a kneel on the floor and Liam backed back out through the double doors, stumbled and fell backwards, looking a little pale.
I turned back to my father, who might have looked unfazed if his eyes were trained on me, perhaps weary, or perhaps also somehow pleased. It was hard to tell.
"Excuse us, alpha." I spoke politely, a thin curve to my lips.
I looked back at my mate, who was shirtless, inexplicably, running with the smell of fear lingering in the air, his face flushed, his eyes unfocussed even as he gazed in my direction, that delicious, addictive scent flooding the room. It made my head spin.
I stalked over to him and grabbed his arm and just that slice of contact made it a little easier to breathe, but it was all over, the last thread of control had been snapped at breakfast. This was just icing on the cake.
"Kasius," I addressed him sharply, his head swinging around to look at me. "Go kneel in the patio until tomorrow." I bit out, my words whipping through the air with a sense of power I'd never felt before. "Move from there and I'll break both of your arms."
I glanced back at my father, but he did not react at all, let me boss the guy about as though it was my business too, and that was just as well, because if he tried to intervene I wasn't sure I had the self control left to keep myself from biting him.
"Jesus Lowell..." I heard Max breathe out as I pulled him after me. His skin felt hot, his lips particularly red, the way his skin was flushed so delicious to me that it almost killed some of my anger.
I ignored him, not out of insensitivity but because my brain was burning, my fangs were itching, and instead I dragged him after me. When he lost his footing trying to keep up with me on unsteady legs I lost my patience and grabbed him and picked him up, carrying him the rest of the way. He yelled in shock but didn't argue with me or rebel.
I took him to the closest free room I could find, a half storage room with one singles mattress in it, without sheets, ignoring the one packmate I saw on the way who looked shocked and backed up out of the way. I slammed the door shut and locked it.
[Max's POV]
I cried out as I was flung to the mattress in the in corner of this room. I'd have complained but I wasn't in a position to. Burning up just as bad as him I pulled him after me, kissing him desperately on the lips, need burning in me, my cock hard already, my brain skewered, there was no voices left fighting for common decency anymore.
His eyes were blazing, his lips parted I could just about see the way his fangs were extended and there was a rush of nervousness, of anticipation, I shouldn't have known what to expect but somehow instinctively there was something telling me what was about to happen, what needed to happen.
He placed his knee between my legs, moving forewords like a possessed man, eyes dark and unfocused, as if hypnotised. His eyes travelled over me, pausing on my lips, on my neck.
He took a breath, his muscles straining at his shirt as he leaned over, placing his hands on either side of me, his form suddenly a little more dangerous, towering over me.
Actually being around Lowell, the look he gave me so automatically when he looked at me, it made me feel a lot taller than I must have been, because in this moment I realised just how much of a size comparison there was. And I'd have been intimidated by it if I wasn't so attracted to him that it gnawed at my chest, looking up at him thinking he was so hot that it was hard to breath just looking at him.
He ran his hand up from my chest, brushing over my nipples, toward my collarbone, up to my neck. And the rough fingers sent a flush of odd tingles down south, I swallowed down any noise my throat promised.
Intense eyes. Some anger still rolling off him into the area around him. And his narrowed eyes were pinned on me, I wondered if he was upset still.
"I bit him to get him away from me." I told him quietly, I wasn't sure how it worked but the table splitting was a pretty good clue.
His eyes flashed up to me.
His eyes had changed colour, I realised, they were now a blazing gold, a brilliant shifting gold that should have looked like contacts yet it was definitely his eyes. It looked like there was a fire letting off sparks deep inside of them.
"You understand right?" He spoke, his voice rough as though he had just woken up in the morning, his eyes piercing into mine, desperate to be understood, hung over me as he was. "I have to bite you. I need to."
I swallowed, nodding.
His eyes were dark when he leaned in and pressed a light, soft kiss on my chest. "I need to." He repeated, his voice low.
Then dragged his fangs against my skin, the sharp razorblades feeling like they could nick me at any moment, if I breathed oddly I was sure they could pierce through my skin, yet instead of getting scared my cock twitched. A wave of heat came over me, but this time it didn't feel quite as painful, mixing with the scent to make a certain blend of euphoria.
"I'll make it good." He promised.
[A/N] I'll just flex to impress my patrons real quick ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ feel free to join in...
♆ Deadnerd4life ♆ LadyQueen-Sama ♆ Alysse714 ♆ Lola ♆ Nakiro ♆ dianaluvsumore ♆ Aylaxana ♆ hasnoshamexx ♆ lily12243 ♆ Orphylia ♆ midnightdirrty ♆ Echo_53 ♆ tarry_omlins ♆ darkabyss7851 ♆ Onibun ♆ eatsyounu ♆ CrimsonEyedSinner ♆ Nightstalkingheroes ♆ LettieK ♆ Choktious ♆ min_aholic ♆ Madara ♆ nashoona ♆ Kasilo ♆ CraCkhEadviBeSsU_U ♆ hannah_khatter ♆