Chapter 4
Standing in front of me was a very intimidating man just by the amount of scarring I could see on his neck and to the side of his face. “Yeah, they never did heal right” he addressed the obvious placement of my stare which made me feel bad immediately.
“I only look because I wanted to ask if the scar tissue ever gives you any irritation. I may have a balm for you” I quickly covered my rude blatant stares.
This shaggy wolf gave me a twisted grin and in the same gruff voice he said, “Them scars have been living on this face for too many years to be saved now.”
I was hesitant when he took a step closer, only because we were completely alone in the part of the road we were on, but he extended his hand for me to shake it.
“I’m lead warrior Nealin,” he introduced himself. “Mira” I offered back.
“Yeah, I’ve heard 'bout you I just don’t make it into town much. I’m better out there” his eyes shifted to the thick of the forest. I nodded along as if I knew.
“My son, he’s another boy that’ll be returning from training. I’ll be sure to introduce the two of you. It’s always good to have a lead warrior in your pocket” he playfully winked and hushed me like it was some secret before chuckling to himself and walking on.
When I couldn’t find Melanie amongst the people in town I decided to head back to the Pack House to grab a few things in preparation for a few nights at her house.
I think the distance from being under the feet of everyone in the Pack house will be beneficial for all of us. As I climbed the stairs and made it onto the landing I almost bumped right into someone before stopping short.
“What are you doing up here?” Devran’s deep voice cut through the air. “I-i’m going to my room” I answered in a stumbling manor. His face hardened further which I didn’t even know was possible and his nostrils flared.
“You live here? On this floor?” he asked for some type of clarification. “Um, yes?” I practically asked a question I didn’t even know I was asking. Like why the hell he was pissed about that.
“This is my floor” he rumbled.
“And Jasper’s” I reminded him. It was the floor for the younger people of the house. When I had first come to live here I was placed with Jasper for most things. He sort of took me under his wing.
“Jasper’s” he repeated but under his breath. I thought that’d be the end of our exchange so I sidestepped him and took a step forward to head down the hall before I ran into the slab of concrete that was Devran’s body.
He’d intentionally cut me off. I had to tip my head back to look at his face from this close proximity. His eyes were iced over but steadily penetrating my own.
“Let me make something very clear here. I don’t like humans, in fact, I despise them. Your kind thinks they own the world that they so easily destroy every day of their miserable lives, but this pack, it’s mine now and a human has no place in it” he spat the word like it was the greatest of insults.
I stood there stunned to silence.
There was so much venom in his tone. It took a moment for it to sink in but when it did it felt like the floor was falling out from under me. He said I have no place here. He wants me to leave. My worst nightmare was coming true right now.
He didn’t stick around long after that. He just glared a moment longer before pushing past me and descending the stairs. Tears began to prick my eyelids and I ran into my room shutting the door.
Well I guess it’s not even my room anymore. I looked around for a moment taking in the details. The clothes in their drawers and my nicknacks atop the dresser, the pair of slippers under the bed, and bedsheets that smelled like me.
I had made a home here. I had things I owned and a place to put them. I thought I had permanence for the first time ever in my life and I was foolish to let my guard down that way.
I’ll never have my place.
I was suddenly crashing to the floor and sobbing right there in the middle of the room. Of course I knew I didn’t belong here, I am a human amongst wolves, but I thought...Jasper and Melanie felt like the real deal. People I care for.
Alpha Conan and Luna Leslie have been so generous as to take me in. I knew that then but I let myself get comfortable.
The most important thing I learned at a young age was never to get comfortable in an uncomfortable world, and I had forgotten that. My own philosophy on life.
I sobbed until the hyperventilating kicked in. I clutched my knees to my chest while curled up on the hardwood floor and tried to control my breathing.
I closed my tear-stung eyes and began imagining myself tracing my own name backwards starting from the tip of the very last letter and backtracking until the first.
It was a method I came up with when I used to have crying fits like these when I was a kid. Maybe they are panic attacks I wouldn’t really know. I just know I had to trace and retrace this time until I calmed down.
When I heard the heavy footsteps rushing toward me I almost lept up if not for the arms that were already scooping me.
“What the hell happened?! What’s wrong?” Jasper clutched me to him taking in my disheveled appearance. I was still processing the fact that I had fallen asleep curled up in a ball on the floor. He must’ve noticed my disappearance and came looking for me only to find that.
“Mira, talk to me” he pulled me away slightly so he could look me in the face. “I-I feel asleep,” I said, dazed.
“On the floor? And you’ve been crying I can see it in your eyes” he pointed out. When I thought about the reason I had started crying in the first place new tears formed.
“He wants me gone” I choked out. I heard Jasper sigh and pull me to him again for a comforting hug.
“I already told you he won’t do that. Stop worrying Mira” he sighed again. I pushed away from him and stood up now. “No, you don’t get it. He already told me” I snapped.
“What do you mean he already told you? He asked you to leave?!” I could see on his face he was utterly shocked and then an angry expression took over. One I hadn’t seen on him before. Jasper is so passive. I had never witnessed anything beyond that.
“He...he told me he despises humans. That we destroy everything we touch. He said it’s his pack now and there is no place for a human in it. He said the words like I was the most vile thing he’s..” I trailed off to catch my breath.
Tears were rolling down my cheeks and I just needed to take a moment to reel them back in.
“That fucking asshole” was the last thing Jasper said before storming out of the room. I quickly chased after him.
“Where are you going?” I tried pulling at his arm to stop him in the hall. “He can’t do that. I won’t let him” he hissed.
“Jasper! Stop” I shouted, effectively getting him to stop sprinting down the hallway. “Don’t you dare say anything. It’s an important day for you guys, for you. I’m not going to be the reason there is drama here” I shook my head at him.
“Mira, who gives a damn about tonight. If he’s threatening to kick you out it needs to be handled now” he explained.
“No, I won’t let you fight your own Alpha for me. It’s not worth it” I refused.
“You are worth it” he said in finality before taking off down the stairs. I gasped at the quickness and soon followed after him again. I couldn’t let this happen. I needed to stop it before it started.
“Devran!” I heard his voice shout.
“Jasper” I hissed, trying to grab hold of his arm again. Instead the two of us went barreling into the living room where the entirety of the house was sitting and enjoying the homecoming.
I quickly dropped Jasper’s arm as my eyes went wide. All heads had turned our way and I can only imagine what I look like.
“We need to talk,” Jasper stated, looking at his friend and soon to be Alpha in the face. Devran’s expression turned angry and he stood, probably already knowing what this was about.
“What’s up, boys?” Alpha Conan asked, clearly sensing tension. Neither of them answered; they just walked out of the room with me following.
“What is wrong with you?” Jasper started. Devran crossed his arms over his chest in a wide stance like he hadn’t a care in the world but his eyes told a different story. They were alert and on fire.
“You aren’t kicking Mira out” Jasper took a step forward which can be looked at as a challenge. I learned that was a dangerous thing in the wolf community. I took a step forward also but only to try and pull Jasper back.
“I’m not, huh? Is that a demand?” he calmly asked. Jasper’s nostrils flared and his body remained stiff. When Jasper didn’t respond verbally Devran continued, “And what makes you think you have any right in telling me what the fuck I can and can’t do?!”
Devran’s voice skyrocketed towards the ending of his sentence causing me to flinch. A growl left his throat and he took two steps forward so he was toe to toe with his Delta now.
“Please, Jasper, just leave it” I begged.
“You haven’t even given her a chance” Jasper growled low.
“She’s a human I don’t need to give her a chance” Devran cut in.
“What’s going on here?” Alpha Conan appeared and so did his wife. “Dev?” his mother asked. He and Jasper had yet to leave their fighter’s stance. Any second now they could just go at it and it was making me so nervous.
When Diego entered the room he stood right beside his newcoming Alpha. “He’s trying to kick her out,” Jasper told his other friend. I saw Diego’s dark eyes shift over to Devran and then back to Jasper.
“Woah, wait a minute” Alpha Conan stepped up. “Did you tell Mira she has to leave?” His dad wanted clarification.
He whipped around so he could face everyone in general then his gaze fell onto me. I was hugging myself in comfort but now even that felt like I was standing naked before him.
“I don’t know what poison she’s fed into all your brains but you seem to have forgotten that for centuries we’ve kept out of the human world and kept them out of ours. What the fuck makes this any different?!” Devran growled out. His father straightened his stance toward his son.
“You weren’t here. You don’t understand, but you’ll come to like her if you just get past the fact that she’s human” his father decided to soften his stance again. I could feel the young Alpha’s eyes blazing into the side of my head but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.
When he took a threatening step towards me Jasper stepped in the way. Devran’s eyes quickly shifted from me to his friend.
“She seems awfully important to you Jasp, tell me, what’ve you two been up to this year?” Devran asked condescendingly.
“Shut up, Dev. You’re being a dick” Jasper warned. Dev grabbed him by his collar and yanked him closer. I gasped, Jasper growled, and Diego and Conan tried reaching out to separate the two.
Everyone started yelling all at once. There were too many voices and the words muddled into one another. I think I heard someone say ‘relax’ and another say ‘don’t test me’ while others questioned everything. I know I heard Jasper growl ‘she’s staying’.
I don’t know who swung first but soon they were crashing into the wall while clutching one another and the vase from the side table came crashing down. The yelling, the fighting, the sound of things shattering all became too overwhelming for me.
This felt like a familiar scene and my body reacted before my mind did. I ran.