The Mark Of The Beast

8. Boy, Dont Be A p***y!! POV: Khyzer

Sure enough, good ol' Beelzebub was right on the money about following the news. There were some really bad fires in a short period in the city.

The tracker was all over any breaking news on something being on fire anywhere in the city or around the outskirts. The team has been assembled, The team being Me and the rest guys from round 1 of fetch the chaos demon for the Devil. Pretty much just, Max, Braidyn, Tracker replaced Sasha, since she switched pack jobs. Patrol shifts are not as time-consuming as Tracker's job. Working patrols left time for Sasha to be a mechanic at the garage she opened up with her partner. Sammy Jo,

Knoxville is down for round 2, Layla is down, and Jerricah replaces Stormy, Rhino is on call or so he texted. I growled when I read it. Glancing around the room, It's just square but it big enough that it is spacious In the center of the room was there was a tall rectangular table with a tall stool sitting around it. The top of the table looked like granite and was black light grey and gold color flecks that only stood out when the lighting reflects off the surface just right. The table legs were some kind of metal that was dark grey from the end that attached beneath the table and about halfway down the dark grey fades to black to the floor end. The stools match the table.

Directly behind me is a solid glass door except for the stainless steel frame around it and the stainless steel handle. On both sides of the were 2 desks with computers and other office supplies all across the top If it, placed against the up against the wall which Layla just sat down and started Typing. She didn't look at me when she came in 5 minutes ago. She spoke to everyone in the room in general but she didn't look at me.

I could smell it. I was standing in this room trying to remember which desk the Ipad was left in. Then what desk is the charger in? So I started walking around the room, opening desk drawers till I found the charger. I found the wireless charger instead.

Layla came in the door, I smelled it. She reeked of a stench like a mixture of baby oil, s*x, and probably Knoxville's ass.

Now she doesn't want to speak to me or look at me after she had the nerve to come in here smelling like she's been f*****g Knoxville. Werewolf heightened senses and my sense of smell is impeccable. She smells like she had s*x with him right before she came here from her cabin.

I instantly low growled and She froze for a moment and so did Tracker. After a few moments, they continued typing and clicking and shuffling papers. I will mind link her later.

Directly in front of me hanging from the ceiling was 75 inches flat-screen TV, the PC's cast screen, or something to it. Halfway between where Im sitting on a stool at the table and the far back wall is at the back of the room, which is my front since Im facing the wall and my back is to the door.

There is a desk past where the TV dangles also sat facing against the wall. With the same PC and office supplies set up and disheveled files stack in files stacked in a couple of places. Sticky notes everywhere. Next to the desk on the right sat 4 file cabinets lined up in a row. Then in the corner beside the file cabinets was a printer that stood as tall as my waist.

To my left and right sitting close the wall but not against it the wall like the other desks because they sat facing toward the center of the room and backs toward the wall, with plenty of space between the desk and It to maneuver the deck chairs around. There we 2 desks on the left and 2 on the right sitting faced toward the center of the room. Only 3 of the 4 desks have PCs and the office stuff on them.

One of the desks to right has a few small filing containers. The plastic ones with the blue lids have a carry handle and lockdown to the container that you stand the files upright in.

Tracker at his desk to my right was typing mostly. sometimes the typing would dissipate and he would read for a bit. I could tell by the way he kept furrowing his brows like he was concentrating. It wouldn't be long he would start typing again.

Braidyn and Mad Max were getting the real big pin up the board with wheels so they could roll it here. They are also getting coffee and donuts because Max needs coffee she said. Braidyn along with Stirling who is sitting next to me at the table right now, I don't know why he is, but I will. First Miss Layla. She knew I would smell him on her. I don't know why but the rage has started to slow boil in my blood. I keep pushing the beast back down. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. I really can't be mad but damn it. I ain't never smelled another male on her before either.

She is not my mate or mine. Sometimes she gets hers and I get mine. Then we go our separate ways. I ain't never smelled another motherfuckers scent on her before. I glanced over my shoulder.

She had to feel my eyes on her but she didn't look at me not even in peripheral. Layla looks like a pixie or not a werewolf. She is/is only 5'3. Male werewolves get bigger than females but they usually get enough height, to have a badass set of legs. Layla was short and her ass is thick. She's not fat though. She got the short pixie hair, She died it baby pink.

She and Stirling have the stylist or something because they have this thing where every piece of clothing they wear has to match. Stirling's hat when he wire one always matched his shirt and matched his pants, shoes, even underwear, and socks. Had to be all the same name brand and be the same colors or designs.

Stirling always wears a gold chain that matched everything else he had on. Layla's jewelry and accessories always match everything else dressing her body.

Layla's eye shadow matches her hair but the eye shadow glitters in the light. Her lip gloss is always baby pink. She's quite mousy but the time spent looking at herself in the mirror pays off because she can get attention and any other unmated males.

Stirling picked up the Ipad I haven't looked because im debating what I'm gonna say in the mind link. He started reading stuff and checking out what I was supposed to be looking at. I just looked at him. Watching him seem to know something about what he was looking at and tapping on the screen of the iPad.

Tracker opens the mind link. "Is there something troubling you Boss?" I glared at Tracker and he just smirked.

    "Yeah Tracker, a couple of things." Stirling was sitting to my right so I carefully reached my right arm out behind Stirling and pointed to the back of his head" Tracker, What is he doing?"

      "Khyzer Im a werewolf so I have a mind linking ability with my pack. I'm not a mind reader. Just ask him?" Tracker shrugged and kept on tending to whatever is on his computer screen. I gave Stirling a dead stare. "Tracker, he's your kid and you don't know why he's here, sitting right here, right now?" I rolled my eyes. Then turned back toward the black Tv screen that isn't even on yet and leaned my head to rest my chin in the palm of my hand.

I wasn't expecting Stirling to just blurt out what he was thinking, but the still sort of short babyfaced fucker did without any warning that he had something he wanted to say. "Yo, Dad, father-in-law! I know you guys are talking about me... Mind linking." He gave us both an offended look. His eyes say we were insulting his intelligence.

     "You may not be a mind reader but your son is a mind reader. Must be because he is adopted." With that, I closed the mind earning a middle finger from Tracker. I just cut my eyes toward Stirling and kept my eyes trained on with my moving head but Stirling felt must have felt myself studying him.

He kept one hand playing with the gold chain around his neck. Lately, he hasn't been wearing chains that matched everything clothing his body. Selena got him a gold chain for his birthday. It has a golden skeleton key hanging from the thick chain but the skeleton key is cool. Engraved lightly with what looks like tribal designs and the end of the skeleton key that is to be inserted in the lock has a small emerald, Selena's birthstone. Selena said she wanted Stirling to have the key to her heart for his birthday.

He looked up at me, his golden-brown speckled deep green framed in a faint squint as he knitted his eyebrows together heavily perplexed. "What?" The tone of his voice deeper than the baby voice he had a month ago.

I turned and looked my head to look past Stirling and glanced at Tracker who was silent but had a big smile on his face and his body shaking from laughing doing everything he could to remain soundless.

Suddenly the printer in the corner groaned to l like the pissed off T-Rex from the Jurassic Park movie. Quickly it started grinding out whatever Layla must have sent over to the printer but it's was to cover the snickering tiny goggle she was hoping I wouldn't hear.

      I opened the mind link to Layla "Tinkerbell I'll be dealing with you too. Later" I heard her heave a drawn-out sigh. I heaved a growled. She sauntered to the printer then back to her desk. Tracker opens the mind link "That wouldn't be the other thang bothering you,  now would it?"

     I closed the mind link and grunted. Stirling is still got puzzled looks drywalled to his baby face that is as smooth as a baby's bottom the tone of his skin complexion was cinnamon-brown but his hair color is naturally jet black but it hasn't often been its natural color.   It's been blue, green, orange, yellow and now he's a bleach blonde. I mean his hair is white and styled in cornrow braids with the side braids closest to his ears Zig-zagged unlike the rest of the braids that were in straight rows. Both his ears are pierced and the huge round diamond studs sparkle in the light.

"Stirling, Why are you sitting here? by me? wouldn't you rather be sitting by Selena? She likes for you to sit by her and take over her tablet. I know I saw you do it one time and she didn't dislike you sitting by her or you taking over her tablet?"I knew I sounded equally curious about the puzzled look he gave me.

He felt the one hand on the gold skeleton key dangling from the neck as he looked down at the iPad and tapped a few more times. He was thinking more than tapping the iPad. His tell-tale sign when he's the thing about something is the way he sticks his tongue out and rolls his tongue ring on his bottom lip.

I injected into his thought process" So where is Selena anyway. I thought you and her were inseparable for life or something?"

He looked at me with fear in his eyes and he got real still after leaning toward me a little closer and whispered. She's around here somewhere but I think she's mad." Then he abruptly drops his head face-first on the table and his arm free from not being full with that skeleton key. While the other hand still playing with it.

I wasn't surprised that he said Selena was mad. She gets that way a lot. She stays that way it seems since her 13 birthday she's mostly mad, mostly at me or that the impression I was under.

I turned my volume down to a whisper like Stirling and enquired further "Selena's mad? At who?"

"Me!" his whisper was loud but still a whisper as he pointed to himself. "I'm sure she is Mad as hell at me."

"Stirling why are we whispering? And why are you pretty sure she's mad as hell at you?"

"I don't know w-" Stirling cut himself off mid-sentence after starting it in a strained whisper. He started to speak again in a low none whispered tone. "I don't know why we whispering. I don't know why she mad as hell either. All I know is Lil moma is pissed OFF." He threw his hand up before laying his head back on the table with one arm around hiding his face and still playing with the skeleton key.

"Well welcome to club Stirling. I don't know why she's been pissed at me for 3 tears now. Braidyn and I are the longest-running members of this club and we would like to be friendly and say welcome to the club. Selena is getting comfortable with the fact you suppose to be her forever. she is getting comfortable with not impressive you all the time so get ready for her to be mad as hell all the time as you wonder what she is mad about and failing miserably to figure it out and asking her won't help because she never gives a real clear answer."I set up straight and placed both hands behind my head. He stayed with his hands down on the table groaning. The thought hit me and blurted out questioning Stirling. " Is that why you are sitting right here by me and meddling with my iPad? Your hiding from Selena?" I half smiled in amusement because I found it very amusing. At the same time, I don't know why he wants to hide from me. I know he ain't sitting in here by me being a pussy

I cleared my throat when I glanced at Tracker who was still engulfed in running down this demon. Tracker caught my glance at him. He decided to put his 2¢ in. "I could have sworn Stirling Perkins is just sitting in here waiting on his mother to get back with donuts and chocolate milk for him. He swore on his birth mother that he was dying of starvation and only donuts and chocolate milk will save him since they had already decided to go get donuts." Tracker's just as amused as I am about Stirling avoiding my daughter like she has the plague or something just because she mad but in Stirling's defense, she can get mean if provoked. Even if Selena is my kid, I can't give him hiding because she is mad at him. He is a werewolf for some time now. He will be Selena's mate so that makes him an alpha to the alpha female. regardless of the 2 of them, he is the male so he is the alpha on that note. He can't be hiding from Selena or anyone/anything for that matter.

The Ipad started bitching about a low battery I think. It should be bitching to be charged by now. At least I hope that's wrong because it's not making the usual notification tone for the needing charged. Instead, my Ipad sounding like 2 cats fighting. Hissing sounds and spits sounds, clawing noises, and caterwauling screaming from my iPad. "Why does it sound like that?!" I demanded in disbelief.

Stirling raised his head and peered down at the screen of the Ipad. "there is 15% left on the battery.

" Well, they take the iPad and go grab the charging pad from that desk and go plug it in there and lay the Ipad on it. You can also tell me what you were doing when you learned Selena was mad at you while you go get the Ipad on the charge." He did as told without even thinking.

"I already said I don't know. I can't say for sure if it's because of Veronica at school or something else. I ain't my fault the teacher partnered me with Veronica for the classwork. I just wanted to get it done and over with. But Veronica was trying to flirt with me and She kept approaching me afterward in the hall. I told her I've mated already to Selena. she acts like she doesn't want to hear it. Selena saw Veronica and has been mad at me since then. Idk. s**t be mad at Veronica. I didn't want to be all caught up in this s**t like this but I think that Veronica made it look like something to piss Selena off!"

Once he came to a pause. Tracker intervened. "Son, did you tell Selena any of what you just told everybody in this room?" sympathizing but Stirling doesn't always take the road most traveled by.

Stirling took slow strides toward coming back to his seat at the table but stopped and looked at Tracker"She didn't give me time, she was so mad I just gave her some space for a minute." he has resumed with one hand playing with his necklace and shoved the other in the pocket of his baggy jeans when started to pace.

The boy was deeply concerned. His expression said it's killing him that Selena is mad. I think his hurt is because she 16 and overreacting and reading more into it because she may still have a sleeping wolf inside but she still a werewolf nonetheless and possessive and jealous we are from time to time. Stirling is going to have more backbone than this to be with a she-wolf.

I took a deep breath and rubbed my temples."Oh, for the love of the Moon Goddess. My head is starting to hurt." Headaches tend to come on often. I think I'm allergic to bullshit. My pride and joy's boyfriend, who Im definitely allergic to, But what am I gonna do?

"Stirling!" I commanded.

"Yes, pops"Causing Stirling to blink a few times then backtracking his words. " Yes, Alpha."

"Selena maybe my daughter and future Alpha female, But you are the male. You're the alpha in the relationship. Put your foot down. Tell her to be mad at Veronica not you and chill out with all the drama. you're not interested in Veronica. Selena may not want to hear you out but you have heard her so she is gonna hear you then you're done discussing the matter any further." Stirling looked at me with a surprise like I was onsurd and talking crazy like a stark raven lunatic. For Moon Goddess's sake.

"You can't run scared of Selena every time she is cranky, bitchy, mad, irate, and just in a bad mood. She's so moist for years. Her moods are like ping pong balls bouncing all over the place. You're supposed to calm her as she does you, but make her respect you the same way you kiss her ass past the point of love and respect." our eyes met. How funny. He is trying to read me.

He isn't sure about what I just said. "Pops. She is always mad at you like this." his frustration heavy in his voice.

"Boy, I believe there are days she downright hates me. She was a sweet daddy's girl before she turned 13. I don't know what the hell happened when she turned 13 but she doesn't walk all over me." I said firmly.

"I don't want her to be mad at me like this all the time like she is at you. I don't know If she'll be havin' anything you just said coming from me" Stirling rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Is he nervous about what he just said? or nervous about Selena? He didn't drop his eye contact. He is being a man about it and looking me right in the face. Well, he is looking up at me still he isn't as tall or as big as he will get yet.

So be it then let's do this man to man, beast to beast is more like. I popped my neck and shoulders before crossing my arms over my chest. I need him to take me seriously. I didn't want to use my alpha voice but I am going to use an assertive tone. I love that he does worship the ground that pup of mine walks on.

He wants to do whatever it is he had to do to please her and keep her happy and content. His protectiveness toward her knows no limits. He will never hurt her or let her be hurt if he can help it. He lets her be as she wants to say and do as she pleases. He's happy if she is happy but I don't want my daughter to be mated to a p***y all her life. I need Stirling to be able to handle s**t and put anybody in their place if need be. Hiding from that sweet child of mine isn't a good start. They should understand one another even if it is rocky for a second. The Moon Goddess made mates just for one another so they will be fine in the long run. They are the only ones that are going to put up with each other for life.

Selena maybe my daughter but Stirling doesn't have to let her walk all over him even though he is happy to let her do it, i think. Stirling doesn't walk over her or show it when he gets jealous over her or anything else. It won't kill him to tell her to chill out with her bullshit, he doesn't have a habit of paying attention to other females besides my daughter.

He's still nervous. I see it in his expression. I don't want to add anxiety but there is no other way to say it to him. Our eyes still locked onto one another's stare. "Look here boy, don't be know no p***y. For damn sure don't come over by me being a p***y. Because I'm telling you right now I don't get down like that. Do you see Selena's moma sitting here?" I held my hand and pointed as I moved my hand in a circular motion when i said here.

 Stirling rubbed the back of his neck again he wrinkled his brows, growing confusion taking over his face. "No," he started hesitantly.

"That is because I'm not a p***y. I put up with all I was going to years ago. Selena ain't never tripping like that so just tell her to cool it and make sure you mean it when you say it. Tell her to take it up with Veronica, whoever the hell she is supposed to be. so you and Selena both can drop the issue."

He stood there looking at me like he was stunned or in disbelief. His hand on the back of his neck still like it was stuck there. He broke eye contact, darting his eyes down and the side then back at me then back down again. Tracker looks like he is amused. Layla scoffed at what I advised Stirling to do. I opened the mind link and told her, she better hush because I got a bone to pick with her meck.

Layla remained silent. Damn Braidyn and MadMax are taking forever. They aren't far I can feel them headed here and within the boundary lines. We waited Stirling has disappeared but will be back when his mom returns with donuts. That bit never stops eating. Tracker and I talked over some different ideas and things to do and what we will need, trying to Strategize on getting this rundown, ran down. Braidyn is going to pull security footage from both businesses that went up in flames and burned to the ground. There is also a really bad fire at Remington Arms. It's a skyscraper of fancy luxury apartments and penthouses. The fire started up top in one of the penthouses.

By pulling the security footage, and braidyn is gonna hack into the system so we can watch security footage at the places that have been on fire, the businesses most likely have cameras and the Remington Arms has cameras everywhere but inside the apartments and penthouses rented by tenants. That's the invasion of privacy but the entrances/exits, all the halls, elevator doors, and stairwell, and the parking garage should have cameras at every available angle.

So hopefully we can see who was coming and going around the times the fires started at all 3 locations. Maybe get a visual if Dahlia is parading around in their body. With a good enough video angle it a photo. We may be able to. run facial recognition on all the possible suspects caught on the security footage. Then we can go from there. This is different than last time when Dahlia escaped This time it ain't just her we gotta find and go collect but the humans that summoned her also.

When finally MadMax and Braidyn have returned. Max's arms are loaded with a few dozen donuts in boxes adorned with that donut that has pink icing and sprinkles from The Simpsons show and plastic grocery bags hanging from her forearm and wrist. Braidyn followed right behind her pushing the giant roll around the cork pin-up board, And got on his mom's heels Stirling comes running from the hall moments later, in a mad dash.

Max hadn't gotten everything set down. Stirling started digging in plastic sacks till he pulled chocolate milk. I smirked and Tracker saw it but he couldn't predict my reason for smirking.

Max busy opening donut boxes and segregating the items n the plastic grocery bags while pretending Stirling with mom questions. He pestered her back with half-answers. Tracker has stopped typing and clicking the mouse. He now sits his hands rested on the in front of him. He is beaming and smiling from ear to ear, engulfed in watching the interaction between Max and Stirling.

Max did not see my smirk. I cleared my throat. She and Stirling looked at me. Max asked me what J wanted to drink and what donuts I would like. I etched the corners of my mouth in a small smile. "It doesn't matter. Just surprise me."

"Ok, then just a second, and I'll hand you chocolate milk and a couple of blueberry and strawberry cake donuts." She said preoccupied with still Going to throw away the plastic bags and get napkins ready. Still moving Stirling around with her worrywart questions.

I decided to interject still smirking. "Hey MadMax, Your son was being a p***y earlier. I had to tell him about coming over by me and hiding like a p***y wasn't gonna get it." Thankfully I know her so well for our entire lives and I was ready. She hurled a donut at me with way too much force. I blocked with my left and caught it in my right perfectly but it broke in a couple of places and started crumbling from where it broke.

I grunted when I caught the donut. Everybody else in the room laughed. Max picked up a jelly-filled don't and reared it back ready to throw it, She was already throwing a string of cuss words at me. I chuckled and flinched throwing both hands up to block the incoming jelly-filled donut." Ok Max, Damn." I laughed as I dodged my head trying to anticipate where his throws were aimed.

She scoffed and growled threatening me"Alpha does not make me f**k you up today, Ya heard me!" she spat. Then let the jelly-filled donut fly through the air. I ducked off the stool and dodge a couple of steps to the side hoping to make sure the jelly donut missed me completely. She missed me and there was a wet smack of a noise. Stirling's laughter bolstered as he started cracking up. Trying to chew his bite of donut. Holding the rest of the donut in one hand. His free hand holding his stomach and letting out an "Hhmm!"

I started laughing aloud and hard like everyone else in the room at the site of the jelly-filled donut that hit Braidyn in the face and just stayed there. He was stewing about it. One eye was covered with red goo that splattered most of his face and the chunks of donut and icing that looks like it exploded on contact, the other eye still visible with rage lit up with a silver glow