CHAPTER 11
The grey wolf in the woods last night.
Was it a dream?
It sure felt like it.
My memories felt hazy as I combed my wet hair fresh from the shower. The long, dark strands curled to the middle of my back. From my room, I could hear the bustle below before dinner was set-up. This afternoon was eventful with everyone preparing for the big barbeque tomorrow. Of course, I couldn't do much, thanks to my ankle.
The men hauled in meat of all kinds — twenty whole chickens, trays and trays of sausages, ribs, and steaks with four huge kegs of beers that were rolled in an hour ago. They promised it to be the best barbeque ever with Faye's popular honey potato salad in honor of the young men in the family that trained abroad.
Whatever the hell that means?
I dressed in a light blue jeans and tanned boots with a white tank top. Dinner was supposed to be different tonight, and everyone seemed eager for the eldest brother's return. But something else shifted in the air once his presence entered the main house. An unease hissed through.
I've never seen him yet. Apparently, he was in the meeting room all day. I applied some pink lipstick and blush, trying to make a good impression at the awkward dinner table. I hope it wouldn't be more uncomfortable than it was already.
I sighed.
"Gosh, I can't wait to get the fuck out of here and go home," I mumbled as I placed on some mascara but tossed it on the table when I gave up completely and made my way down to the living room.
Alice, Brett, and the twin brothers were already downstairs lounging on the couches. I hobbled to them with my ever-trusty crutch and plopped down on a single armrest. I hadn't realized I landed in the middle of their conversation.
"He's in a fucking mood," Mike gripped.
"Isn't he always?" Brett added with a sharp breath.
Zack tossed and caught a football ball into the air as he laid lazily on the couch.
"But this time he's really pissed off... Like he could rip out your throat without shifting pissed." Mike continued. "It's because of the... the..." his eyes drifted to me, and I smiled but winced when he'd grimaced. "The neighbors that's causing trouble at the borders." He said, which sounded a lot like code talk now.
"We got the situation under control," Brett huffed, playing with the auburn strands on top of Alice's hair, who rested her head on his broad chest.
"I think he's more pissed off about the situation here at home," Zack said and pointed to me.
I scrunched my nose. How fucking rude?! "Why are you pointing at me, Zack?" I snapped.
He chuckled and returned to his tossing. "You'll find out soon, little Miss Fragile."
Little Miss Fragile?! I cocked my head back with my lips pursed.
"Yeah." Mike got up and walked out of the room. "Good luck."
I turned to Alice and gave a heads up, wanting her to explain what the fuck they meant. But she just smiled weakly and looked away. I blinked hard and stood up, wanting to retreat to my fucking room. I didn't want to go to dinner tonight with all the alarms going off if my head like bank robbery. It was making my damn head throb, competing with the one in my freaking ankle.
I moved as quickly as I could to my room and made a sharp turn around the corner.
That was my mistake!
Without warning, I bumped into a brick! A solid chest and I jerked back, falling to the ground, ass first!
I whelped in pain, not for my ankle but for my ass! I snapped my eyes open and looked at black burnished shoes. My eyes trailed up to sleek trousers and further up to a shirt, all in black, clung firmly to biceps and a broad chest. Even beneath the material, you could see a muscular physique. I looked up at the most intimidating man that I've ever seen. He had striking features. Midnight black hair swept back, revealing a chiseled clean-shaven jaw. And his eyes... a bottomless ocean of sea blue.
There was something more to him, something different and overwhelming that exuded dominance, though I didn't have a clue of what it was.
He was all unsmiling, powerful, and dangerous with his mouth set in a hard line, just like his brother, Brett.
I tried to catch my breath. But failed. I stared at him with my dumb mouth agape. Fascinated by the utter magnetism rolling off him in waves. And right now, his eyes were laser-focused on me!
This man must've been Maddox. The eldest brother!
Finally, I tugged my eyes away and staggered up. His eyes watched me struggle to my feet. My hand wiped the butt of my jeans and I smiled stiffly at the formidable man. He didn't appear impressed, more so the opposite, as his lips turned into an unforgivable grimace.
"H-h-hi, you must be Maddox, Brett's older brother," I smiled awkwardly and stuttered like a halfwit.
He kept silent; he's left eye twitching as he breathed in deep with his chest rising.
"I'm Zoey, Alice's friend —"
He grunted and lifted his hand, swatting the air like I was a pestilent fly. His intense stare drilled into me. "You dare to speak to me, human?" His voice was deep and full of authority, with his eyes dragging up from my boots to my freaked-out eyes.
Did this guy think he was a fucking alien or something? I mean, he had looks that were out of this world, but that's as far as it went!
He moved smoothly past me towards the office, and I dared not look after him. I gulped. "What the fuck?" I breathed under my breath, still reeling from the daunting encounter.
"That's just great!" I huffed with lips in a pout. He might have been the sexiest man alive, but he's harsher than I expected. I thought Brett was bad... it looked like I just met the worst!
***
And I was right!
Dinner was awkward as fuck.
Brett's whole family gathered around the dinner table; anticipation mingled with agitation hung in the air. The table lined with full plates of roasted, extremely rare beef and buttery mashed potatoes with jugs of lemonade. The flickering two candles that were unexpectedly settled in the middle of the table added a touch of warmth to an otherwise tense atmosphere.
Everyone indulged in light and pleasant banter. Brett and Zack wolfed down their roast beef and spoonsful of mash. Willow chatted to Alice about the barbeque while Brett stabbed his steak with a knife. He glanced covertly to Maddox, who sat at the other end of the table opposite his father, Lincoln. Faye touched Lincoln's hand as they whispered in deep conversation. I glanced at Savina as I sliced through the tough meat with a knife and fork, the blood lightly seeping out. Her right hand caressed Maddox's rigid wrist.
I watched Maddox with lowered eyes. The man hardly touched his beef. He took a gulp of his clean whisky, staring daggers at his brother, Brett. I glanced between the two brothers as they glowered at each other. Maddox's gaze darted to his father next, and his left jaw ticked.
"Why are humans here?" he said in a low tone that vibrated from his chest. The table grew silent from pleasant chatter as Maddox spoke. The man's influence was undeniable. I swallowed hard my cut of beef.
He does think he's an alien. It must've been a cult thing as I stifled a giggle. His lethal eyes darted to me and I politely cleared my throat and drank my lemonade. I winced my eyes in thought, but was quickly jerked out of it.
"You dare to bring these two here, father... onto our grounds?" he said with venom. Savina stuck her nose in the air with the corner of her red lips curled into a smug smirk.
Faye breathed out as she pushed her plate away. She jumped in, attempting to diffuse the tension. "Let's not make this into a big issue, Maddox." She said firmly. "The girls are harmless."
"Of course they are," he smirked dangerously. "There're pathetic human women."
I looked at Lincoln, and he glared at Maddox.
"I told them, Maddox." Savina sneered. "No one wanted to listen."
"Shut up, Savina." Brett seethed, holding his knife tightly with white knuckles. I glanced at Alice, who dropped her gaze on her plate, playing with the mashed potatoes with a fork. Her eyes were on the verge of tears.
I breathed out hard, blinking at my friend. I didn't like what I was witnessing. But the tension mounted with each passing second.
Zack and Mike snickered as looked at each other as if getting ready for a fucking wrestling match. I shifted in my seat. The dinner table became a pressure cooker, ready to explode at any given moment.
"You're a disappointed brother," Maddox fixed his intense gaze on Brett. "Mating with the likes of them."
"Yes, stick to your kind," Savina added with a snarl.
Maddox grunted. "And to top it off, there are reports rogues breached our borders — making us look weak."
Brett's face flushed with anger as he jumped up to his feet, knocking his chair back aggressively as it fell to the ground.
I scrunched my eyes, hearing the odd sound rumbling from his chest.
Did Alice's boyfriend just growl?
Brett glowered at Savina and his eldest brother. Alice squeaked out as her left hand touched Brett's arm, but he didn't cool down. His eyes still raged with fury. He breathed in and out, twisting his neck from side to side, like he was fighting something inside that wanted to break free.
I blinked in fright. Someone call the fucking exorcist. That shit was weird.
"Enough!" Lincoln bellowed, and all eyes turned to him, even mine. "Not in my house. Not on my grounds!" his voice sounded exhausted, but his sternness flooded his tone. His attention turned to Maddox, who regarded his father not in admiration but more in sympathetic respect. "What I say goes!" he bellowed. "You're not in charge... yet."
Maddox narrowed his eyes and breathed in deep. He stood up and cracked his neck. Savina jumped up after him with a flip of her blonde hair. Her eyes admiring Maddox and gazing at him like a lover that she most definitely was.
"I lost my appetite," Maddox said with a tight grimace. "The air reeks."
Wow! This man was intense. I gulped as I watched him leave the dinner room, sucking the life with him. The loss of his presence was instantly felt as the air became lighter. Zack burst out laughing, and Alice's lips quivered. Abruptly, she pushed away her chair from the table and ran out and up the stairs. I followed her instantly.
After ten minutes, I staggered into my bedroom, where I found her sitting on my bed. It was time to give her the hard truth.
I swallowed and sat beside her. Alice picked at her fingernails and breathed out a shaky breath.
"Alice, I'm going to be honest with you." I started. "I don't think we're welcome in this house and I feel uncomfortable being around these weird as fuck people." I said and touched her shoulder. "I think it's time to go home."
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." She sighed and I breathed out in relief. "I'm so sorry I dragged you into this." She looked at me with concern etched on her rosy- cheeked face. "You're right, you should go home tomorrow."
I blinked three times. "Me? Alone?" I stammered, stunned. "Without you? Hell no! I'm not leaving you here alone with these angry people." I said, raising my voice, "You're coming home with me!"
She shook her head and stood up from the bed. Her arms rubbed the sides of her arms. "I can't... not yet." She said and bit the corner of her mouth. "I found out something." She whispered hesitantly with cautioned eyes.
"Like what?" I said, my heart pumping.
She glanced at me anxiously. "I can't say. I promised Brett." She gritted her teeth.
"You can say anything to me, Ally." I nodded. "There're no secrets between us, remember?" Even though I had a feeling she held a huge one.
She inched closer to me and licked her bottom lip. "Remember our conversation at the video store? The day Brett called me."
I scrunched my nose, trying to recall what she'd told me. "Mhmmm..." My mind still searching.
"Well, my suspicions about him were cor —"
Suddenly, there were loud knocks at the door as a fist pounded on the wood, making both Alice and I jerk. "Alice, c'mon," Brett boomed from outside. "Let's go to bed."
Alice shook her head. "We'll talk tomorrow at the barbeque." She smiled half-heartedly and moved to the door. "Oh, and don't forget to pack up, okay." She said and exited the room, leaving me alone with my puzzled thoughts.
What the hell?