C9 Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

My head is spinning and it feels like I have drank my entire bodies muscle mass in alcohol.

I sat up abruptly and peeled the thick blanket off of my body; I could smell my elder brother’s scent.

It is unlike him to look out for me, in a weakened state; sure he may have done such a thing when I was a teenager.. but now? Hmm.. there has to be a catch.

‘I am cooking some really, really greasy eggs and bacon, are you up for it?’. Trey’s amused voice echoed from the Kitchen.

‘Ugh.. absolutely not’. I recoiled at the thought.

His laughter was loud and it hurt my head.

‘Relax, brother. It is just some dry toast and coffee’. He chuckled softly.

Trey wore a light grey suit with a light red tie; his hair sticking up messily.

I sat up and looked down at myself; my shirt feels damp from sweat.. as do my jeans..

I let out a sigh and smiled at my brother.

‘Thank you’.

There is no point in being an asshole, especially when he is being nice.

I took the toast and coffee from his grasp and he sat down happily in front of me.

I frowned slightly as I knew exactly how bad he must have felt, having me in his home; I nearly killed him once.. and now we were playing nice.

‘I will not overstay my welcome’. I smiled, avoiding his intense gaze.

‘No. Alex, I actually needed to talk with you’. He sighed awkwardly.

‘What is it?’. I grumbled amid a mouthful of toast.

‘It is about Cherry, mother and father know where they live’. He frowned, guiltily at me.

‘What do you mean?’. I glared, setting the plate down on the side.

He immediately frowned at my shaking hands..

‘I wanted to go and make sure Astar was safe.. I did not expect to be followed’. He frowned, giving me an apologetic gaze.

Drew.. what the fuck is that asshole up to?

‘Astar is my daughter.. why the fuck are you getting involved in my business?!?’. I snapped angrily, gripping him by the front of his shirt.

‘She is my niece, Alex. The thing is if I had not gone, we would not have found out that Cherry is in over her head!’. He growled, shoving my hands off of his newly creased shirt.

‘Alright.. explain’. I gulped, swallowing the lump of anxiety in my throat.

‘Cherry has been seen with a member of The Dawn bloodline’. He frowned unhappily at me.

My whole body went cold; my wife has been.. fucking around with not only another Werewolf.. but a member of the very bloodline that staged a coup on our family.

If they knew who Astar really is.. if she still kept my last name.. they might hurt her.. or worse.. kill her to send a message to my family.

‘Why have none of the guards that I sent told me of this?’. I glared at him.

‘I told them I would handle it.. you are kind of scary.. apparently’. He scoffed, taunting me.

‘I guess it is time that I spoke to my wife’. I frowned, uncomfortably.

‘After no contact in eight years? That is not going to go well’. He smiled.

‘And what do you suggest that I do?’. I glared at him.

‘Allow me to deal with it, she only ever saw my face twice, it is either me or father’. He sighed, looking at me dead in my eyes.

I took a deep breath and sighed deeply; I definitely did not want father involved, he would likely turn both Cherry and Astar just to prove a point.

‘Alright, Trey. But you will be updating me every step of the way, do you understand?’. I frowned deeply.

‘The last thing I want is to force my niece into the bullshit that females of our bloodline have to deal with.. you can trust me, Alex. Our dispute is in the past.. Astar is part of the future of our bloodline and she has a right to live a normal life’. He reached out and took my hand, shaking it.

So, Trey despised what happened with our younger sister’s too? I took a deep breath and smiled at him.

‘If worst comes to worst, set a meeting with this member of The Dawn bloodline’. I sighed.

‘Of course, brother’. He smiled and then ruffled his hand into my hair.

‘Now finish your food and lets take a walk, you know bonding and all’. He added with a contagious grin.

I cocked my head to the side and gave him a small smile.

‘You are really alright, with everything?’.

He scoffed in response.

‘I would be lying if I said I was not a little annoyed about losing to my little brother.. but.. I have had quite a few years to get used to everything. You are still my brother, besides, you won our fight fair and square’.

I could not help but smile to that.. and it is not as if we did not both have scars from our challenge. I scarred his shoulder badly, sure. But, he scarred my stomach.

I sank my teeth into his shoulder, as he slashed his claws deeply across my stomach.

Trey is right, we are still brothers and he is very aware of the fact that I could have killed him and been done with it, but I did not.

‘Do you want to go for a run in The Watergrove?’. I smiled softly.

His eyes went wide; The Watergrove is the name of the little waterfall to the forest. It was actually nicknamed that by all three of us; Trey, Dante and I.

‘Why not, I have no other plans today’. He smirked at me.

And with that my brother and I went running together and thankfully it was uneventful.

‘What is the betting that Drew did not stick around?’. I scoffed, as my brother bent over taking a deep breath, tired from running so fast beside me.

‘There is no way he is stupid enough to have stuck around’. He chuckled deeply.

‘I guess I will have to take over Leadership of father after all.. just to beat the shit out of that asshole’. I glared at the waters edge, staring at my angry expression.

‘Do you still not want it?’. He frowned, cocking his head to the side.

‘Not really, I am much better suited to being an Alpha than a pawn of The Council’. I sighed, not meeting his gaze.

I slumped down onto my ass and frowned.

‘You must think I am really selfish, huh?’.

He sat beside me and ruffled my hair messily.

‘Truthfully, I never wanted that responsibility either. You did me a favour’.

I stared at him in shock.

‘Wait.. seriously!?’.

‘Dante is better with people and he understands the impact of wars with other Packs, disputes and not to mention, he can calm a fucking crowd of idiots’. He sighed, picking at his nails, uncomfortably.

‘But The Council would never agree, if they knew the truth of his sexuality’. I frowned.

‘Besides, even if they did, would Dante even want such responsibility?’. I added.

‘No, I doubt it. So, the only ones that are left, are married off and not capable of leading’. He sighed softly.

‘You know, I worry about our brother. What if some guy uses him and breaks his heart? How would we explain killing someone for such a thing?’. He raised his eyebrow, as he spoke coldly.

I could not help but laugh in response.

‘Ah, the same old overprotective bastard, as usual’. I laughed, ruffling his hair.

‘Oh, shut it’. He scoffed, lying back on the grass and settling with his arms above his head, in a relaxed pose.

So, none of us even want The Council position? Somehow it makes it a little easier to accept now.