Chapter 7 Evan
EVAN
Jaxon’s orders to assist with Caleb’s pack and help keep the peace between the old and new means I’m going to be seeing him a lot more than I’d like. Given there will be lots of wolves, I won’t actually have to see him every time, right?
He’s probably busy, off doing Alpha duties like Jaxon.
But the second we arrive to help with their integration and give the old pack some peace of mind, the first person I spot is Caleb. Green eyes I’ll forever see in my nightmares.
I wonder how many people or wolves he’s killed—if he’s as blood hungry as his ‘dangerous’ father.
Nina leans into me. “He is honestly terrifying.”
I nod in agreement, but the waves of the bond inside me are conflicting. How do I tell my wolf to calm down and look at the bigger picture?
Jaxon introduces himself to Caleb’s pack members we haven’t met before, including their Beta, Felix, who is tall with warm brown skin. He has one of the most handsome faces I’ve ever seen, with his bright smile that’s surrounded by short dark facial hair that makes his jawline stand out.
A woman with curly brunette hair, stunning almond-shaped brown eyes, and golden bronze skin steps to Felix’s side and introduces herself as Zara. She’s beaming and looks more than happy to have us here.
Felix wraps his arm around Zara’s shoulder and kisses her temple tenderly.
“This is my wife,” Felix says proudly. “Thank you for coming down. We appreciate all the help we can get. We know it’s not going to be easy for them, and seeing some familiar faces might help.”
Jaxon nods. “I understand, and anything we can do to help. Next time, I’ll have to bring Ava down.”
“She’s busy today?”
“With our daughter.” Jaxon smiles.
Zara grins from ear to ear. “What’s her name?”
“Aurora.”
As their conversation continues, I feel eyes burning into the side of my head. My stomach churns, and I already know who it is before even turning. My throat tenses, and I gulp as I subconsciously start to tilt my head.
His scent is everywhere, impossible to escape.
He’s standing with his arms folded over his chest and a tight expression on his face. How did he end up with a bright and bubbly pack, and have such a cold exterior himself? There must be more beneath the surface, but I’m not sure if I want to find out.
I tear my gaze away and greet the rest of the pack with Nina and Leon, noticing that Caleb’s eyes follow my every move. I shift from foot to foot, unable to focus for a second. I take a moment and stand by the trees for some peace of mind, which doesn’t come when I sense a body approaching.
My eyes lift, and I find Caleb standing a few feet from me. His face is as hard as stone, and my chest quivers at the sight of him.
“Tell Jaxon you can’t help out with my pack,” he bites.
I try not to flinch at his harsh tone. “I’ve already said yes.”
“Why?”
A cold laugh escapes me. “Trust me, I’m not here for you.”
Caleb sizes me up, and I despise the way my skin crawls. “Have you told anyone?” his deep voice demands.
My brows furrow. “About us?”
I almost want to laugh.
“There’s no us.”
A shiver runs down my spine at the sound of his voice, and I dig my fingernails into my palms to stop the intense tingling that takes over my body.
Screw him.
“No.” I flare my nostrils. “I haven’t told anyone, and I don’t wish to.”
“Watch your tone with me.”
My eyes narrow at the edge of his words. “Or what?”
He steps closer, his height making me feel incredibly small, but I keep my shoulders rolled back and my head high. I’ve been bullied the entirety of my life, but I’m not going to let him do it, too.
“Do not disrespect me.”
“Like how you’ve disrespected me?”
“Keep that mouth shut, pups.”
My wolf cries out at the silly nickname, but it’s not one of endearment; it’s used to patronise me.
“You’re not my Alpha, and never will be. I don’t need to respect anything about you.”
His eyes somehow turn even colder, not an ounce of emotion that’s not irritation inside.
“You want me to stay away from you? Fine. I will. But you’re the one who has come after me twice now,” I snarl through my teeth. “So why don’t you leave me alone?”
Caleb’s jaw ticks.
“Glad we had this talk,” I say as I turn away.
Before I can take a proper step, his large hand wraps around my wrist and pulls me backwards. I yelp and tingles shoot down my arm, the bond inside me begging for more.
My eyes flick up at him as he tugs me to his side, and when my hip bumps into his, I hiss at the wound he left on me a few days ago. He studies my reaction before gripping onto the hem of my hoodie and raising it.
“What are you doing?” I bite out, but it’s too late. “Stop.”
His gaze lands on my healing wound. I took the dressing off after it kept peeling at the edges, thinking it would be better to air out.
Caleb’s forehead creases as he studies it. “Did you fall over?” he asks, his tone slightly patronising.
I recoil. He must be delusional.
“You did this.” I pull myself away from his grip. “When you tackled me the other day.”
He shakes his head. “Impossible. You would have healed by now, and I didn’t tackle you, you tripped over, and I crashed into you.”
I adjust my hoodie and control my breathing. The last thing I want him to know is my inability to heal.
“I don’t need to explain myself to you.”
Caleb’s green eyes flare at me.
I scowl back at him. “I promise not to come anywhere near you.”
When I turn to walk away, there’s a small amount of pride growing in my chest. Despite my body tingling all over and betraying my every last thought, I manage to make it back to Nina.
“Where have you been?” she asks curiously as she raises her nose an inch and inhales the air.
I freeze and pray she says nothing about smelling Caleb’s scent on me.
“Oh.” I clear my throat. “I went for a walk around the grounds.”
“You didn’t miss much inside,” she says. “But Caleb’s pack seems…nice.”
I hum as I wrap my arms around my elbows. “Compared to their Alpha, yes.”
“How long do you reckon we’ll need to come here for?” Leon calls out as he approaches us.
My head turns towards him, and I shrug. “Who knows?”
“Are either of you guys worried about the fact that we’re at the bottom of the food chain?” Nina chews her lip anxiously. “With training, and doing these little jobs because it’s all we’re good at.”
Leon stares at her for a long time. “We might not be at the top fighting on the front line, but at least we’re doing what is asked of us.”
Nina twists towards me. “What do you think?”
“Don’t worry, Nina,” I say softly. It’s a thought that plays in the back of my mind, but I don’t enjoy the fear in her voice so I reassure her as best as I can. “We’re in this together. And we’re not going anywhere, I promise. It might not be the best job, but I know Jaxon is grateful.”
“At least it gets us out of the house.” Leon blows out a breath.
I’d rather stay home and read books all day.
“You don’t seem too happy about it,” Leon comments as he studies my face.
“I–” I clear my throat. “Just sceptical.”
“Of Caleb?”
“Yeah.”
“Aren’t we all.”
“You never know, he might surprise us,” Nina says with optimism. “Besides, he's not too bad to look at.”
Leon groans and throws his head back. “Not you, too. Jesus. Why is everyone obsessed with him?”
“Because he is tall, covered in tattoos, and undeniably beautiful.”
I resist the urge to close my eyes in defeat at her words.
Dangerous in a hot way—and I need to stop thinking before my wolf takes over.
“Come on.” Leon starts to drag Nina away. “Better show our faces before Jaxon gets on our case.”
As we head back into the house, I tense and stare up at the building that no longer belongs to Cole, and now belongs to my cold-hearted mate instead.