The Protector

Chapter 5

I could practically hear the silent crude name Tom muttered through our mind link as he trudged out of the water. He was soaking wet, looking kind of like a giant rat.

Wagging my tail I feigned innocence. Tom took a step before whining in pain, causing me to instantly run to his side, my instinct to protect him kicking in. 

I sniffed his paw as an undeniable fear ran through me for my brother.

He whined as I bent my head down to look closer, but soon found a set of teeth on my fur. Tom wrestled me over to the water with a good grip on my scruff that he wasn’t planning on letting go. I decided that if I was going to go, he was too and we both toppled over into the creak, soaking our fur.

I saw the image of a rat in Tom’s mind as he looking at me, causing me to snap at hi which only made him let out the ugliest wolf laugh I had ever heard. Once we were back on dry land we shook out our fur before another image popped into Tom’s mind, an invitation to race. We raced back to the house, shifting on the way to change our clothes. We ran inside the house, shaking our hair out when we found Lina on the couch.

“Boys!” She screamed in fright even though there was humor in her voice. Tom and I laughed and pushed each other around as we made our way to the kitchen. A blonde girl was standing at the stove while a brunette one, was chopping some vegetables at the island. They were our kitchen helpers who were building their skills for the pack house which was the job they would have while being in high school. The brunette one looked up and gave me a flirty smile, which I returned. Once we sat down at the island Tom shot me a smirk to which I rolled my eyes.

“Boys, why are you soaked?” Brant asked once he came into the kitchen. He was dressed like a typical at home business man, a pair of black pants, a grey-collared shirt and shiny black shoes. Nothing like a typical Alpha-who usually wore suits. Then again, he wore suits when there were those big parties they’d fly out to that I tried to avoid.

“Oh, no big reason,” Tom said before biting into an apple. Brant looked at me after rolling his eyes at Tom.

“Son?” He asked. I had gotten used to Lina and Brant calling me, “son,” over the past few years I had been with them. Just like I had gotten used to calling them by their first names instead of their correct titles. I had seen the disappointed look in their eyes sometimes when I did it, like they wanted me to call them something else. Tom even pointed this out once to me. That they wished I would call them, mom and dad, but I just couldn’t. It was like my breath caught every time I tried to, leaving me suffocated. I had tried several times but at this point it kind of seemed like a lost battle..

“We fell in the creak,” I automatically answered before grabbing a red apple from the basket on the table.

“You’re so laaame,” Tom groaned at me. I shoved him, still being the faster one of us two.

“Well you boys need to take a shower before dinner.” Just then, one of the girl’s mentioned that dinner was done. “Make that, after dinner,” Brant corrected himself. Tom and I shared a discreet fist bump as we made our way into the dining room.

“I saw that,” Brant yelled back to us, causing Tom to chuckle. Tom and I sat across from each other like always. Tonight was Sunday, meaning that the Beta family and the Gamma family would be joining us. And that included the Beta’s daughter, Alice. Alice was a sweet blonde with pale skin who had sparkling blue eyes and an innocent mind. At least, that’s what she wanted everyone around her to think. Alice had come on me more than a few times, and not too subtly. I didn’t mind though, I mean-she was hot. Not to say we’ve done anything as far as going all the way, but she was pretty freaky which was enjoyable at times.

The guests arrived as soon as Tom and I sat down causing Tom to groan as we both stood up out of respect, earning a subtle slap from Lina. Once everyone was around the table, the Alpha and Luna sat down and everyone followed. Alice was sitting next to her mother on the other side of the table tonight. Thank God. She tended to have a roaming hand wasn’t really easy to ignore. Especially when you were sitting at a table with your family.

Family. Such a foreign thing that I had found. This family had accepted me as one of their own. I was now forever in debt to them. I don’t know what I would have done without them. 

Dinner was a blur, but an enjoyable blur like most. Everyone laughed and retold funny stories for the most part and even the reason why Tom and I smelled so badly came up and ended it a round of laughter. The food was delicious, as always, and I was more than happy to silently challenge Tom to see who could eat more of the peas-which we both hated. More than once did I catch Alice’s sharp features turned towards me, her blue eyes looking at me as if I was some sort of prey, but I ignored it. I wasn’t really in the mood for her eye r**e. Just wasn’t feeling it.

I mean, it would be one thing if we had something, but we both just obviously used each other. She still hadn’t found her mate and I… well I wasn’t even sure if I had one. It would be crazy of me to think that the Moon Goddess didn’t take mine away after what I did. After the pain that I had caused. Having a mate was a ridiculous thought- a silly dream.

After dinner, Tom and I said goodbye to the guests with Lina and Brant before running upstairs to our rooms to wash away the smelly water from the creak. I took a quick shower, washing my hair and body, before jumping out. As usual, I was careful to avoid the mirrors in the bathroom as I moved around to brush my teeth and hair. I slipped on a pair of boxers before crawling into bed, letting out a sigh of pleasure when my body relaxed into my bed. But my relaxation was over far too soon. 

I sensed something. Something in my room. My muscles automatically tensed up as my body prepared to attack. And then the smell hit me. That familiar scent that I was all too familiar with.

I jolted up in surprise as I heard the voice come from a dark corner of my room.

“Miss me?”