Chapter 29 #2
“Thanks.” As we finally stood with our backs to the brick building, he positioned himself just in front of me and his gaze swept around the area like he knew how to protect me.
It seemed like I needed to question my mate a bit less.
But were there questions I needed to ask Webster?
“Is there anything I need to know if you have to shift?” Was that even the right word?
Webster didn’t seem offended, but he did think about it carefully as he watched the wolf whose name really even Google couldn’t translate walked closer to the plot of land.
“Drop really low. I’m large enough I’ll just be able to step over you and the other wolf won’t be expecting that.
Wolves usually aim to look bigger when they fight. ”
That was good to know.
But a lot of other things would’ve been good to know too…I needed to start making another list.
It wasn’t time for talking through it, though, because the idiot, as Braun kept calling him, finally called out as the other members of the pack moved to flank Braun on both sides. “Reckless and a liar. It’s not a good look on a fake Alpha.”
Huh?
“What?” Webster was just as confused as I was, which made me feel better. “Even I can tell Alphas from regular shifters.”
We were going to have to work on his self-esteem.
“For fuck’s sake.” Braun seemed to have lost his patience earlier than I’d expected.
Rolling his eyes, he tapped his chest. “Me Alpha.”
Webster nearly giggled as Braun pointed to the other wolf. “You moron.”
We were really going to need someone to explain how to say that man’s name.
“Alpha Otto explained the magic.” Sounding genuinely angry and disappointed if I was reading his tone right, the other wolf crossed his arms over his chest. “It might affect me, but I won’t let it fool me.”
That didn’t make any sense either.
“Does he seem to think Braun is using outside magic to make the pack think he’s the Alpha?” Webster nodded at my question but didn’t take his eyes off the two men.
How was Braun supposed to reason with that kind of crazy?
“That’s not how this works.” Braun’s tone was a mix of anger and frustration, and I wasn’t sure he knew how to deal with the crazy wolf.
Even the other two pack members had cocked their heads like it wasn’t making sense.
“You can tell I’m Alpha. I’m not your Alpha but you can feel the magic.
What kind of insanity is going on in your pack? ”
That was a very good question because everyone nonhuman I’d run into could clearly identify Braun as Alpha even if he wasn’t their Alpha.
“I don’t care what kind of amulet you stole or magic you acquired. I won’t be fooled. I’m loyal to my pack.” He was genuinely upset but I was fairly certain that was going to make everything worse. “Take down the spells around your compound and give me the pup.”
It wasn’t a compound.
Wait.
Did he live in a compound?
Had we asked Emeric what kind of living situation he’d been in?
Braun actually took a deep breath, probably telling himself to be patient because his tone was much steadier when he tried again.
“No. The spells around the pack land react to let us know when someone who means us harm is trying to enter. You’ve at least thought about doing us harm, so the magic responded to that. ”
Blinks.
All the angry man did was blink.
Were we making progress?
“Emeric belongs with us under pack law and council law. He’s also scared to go back because your Alpha had his father killed.
” Braun’s matter-of-fact tone seemed to be either confusing him worse or making him reconsider…
it was hard to tell which, though. “We don’t do that.
I have no idea what’s going on in your pack, but nothing you’ve said is right. ”
Or logical.
“The pup belongs to the Alpha.” Repeating nonsense didn’t make it true, but it was all the confused man had. “The Alpha said so.”
“That’s not something he gets to just declare.
” Braun didn’t take his eyes off the angry wolf, but I could feel him fighting to keep his tone calm and even.
“Our magic doesn’t work that way because we don’t make good decisions when we have that much power.
The legends made that clear. That’s why the magic works for the pack not against it. ”
Yeah, they’d probably need a checks and balances kind of system with that much power entrusted to them. But what kind of legends did they have? Did the pack have some kind of book on them?
Ugh.
It was probably up in the attic somewhere.
“That’s bullshit too.” Something about his anger had the angry wolf’s accent getting stronger but I couldn’t place it. “The pack submits. The Alpha owns the pack.”
Only in dark romance…everyone knew that.
Even Webster made a confused huff and shook his head. “Nope. That’s not how it works. Well, except in Mom’s romance novels.”
Oh.
Another reader.
“Um.” Webster’s quiet words had me leaning closer. “You might not be able to feel it but the magic is building around Alpha Braun like a bubble, and I think that’s what’s making the angry wolf more upset. He can feel it and it’s messing with him somehow.”
Was that the reason my ears kept wanting to pop?
Before I could thank Webster for explaining, Braun sighed, amping up the anger in the other wolf. “I’m not even going to respond to that because you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
Shaking his head seemed to be what took the other man’s insanity up to a dangerous level because I could see him vibrating with anger. “Why does he want Emeric?”
“He belongs to the Alpha.”
That was it?
Braun groaned like the answer was painful. “You don’t know why he wants the pup?”
Oh.
“I don’t question my Alpha!” His roared-out words were filled with anger and something I didn’t understand, but the way he was stalking toward Braun made his intentions clear.
Muscles bulging, he even ripped off his shirt like we were in some kind of B-movie.
“I will have the pup and I will destroy the fake Alpha.”
Yep, B-movie dialogue.
“Does he sound like he’s brainwashed to you?” Webster’s words mirrored my own. “This is weird even for us.”
Oh yeah.
“That’s the only thing that makes sense?” Maybe? But it’d also gotten dangerous because the angry man was charging full throttle at Braun and there was nothing I could do about it. “This has felt wrong from the beginning.”
And it was just getting worse because the angry wolf finally took a swing at Braun.