The Women Between

Chapter 20: Anger

Gregory paced the office more times than he counted while waiting for his brother to show up. Frustration made him grumble, while anger made him snarl. In his mind, he is listing the many faults of Thomas, like he has never dressed well or been on time. His appearance is disheveled or has a “devil may care” look that defies his position in life. Right now, his brother is fifteen minutes, which is nothing out of the ordinary. Sometimes, he is half an hour late, if that. It is almost like he believes every event is made for him and everyone is waiting for him to show up. This constant disregard for others has been going on for a long time, and today, it is chewing on his last nerve. He cannot take it. At least not with the guilt worming inside him.

He must go to the Council Chambers soon. He especially wanted to be timely to counter anything the councilmen might do against their queen, but the Red Moon Pack was on his mind. His mate was hurt by their cruelty. There was a pang in his heart that gave him pain when he remembered how she was during her nightmare last night. He did not want to do anything rash that would make her disappointed in him. He just cannot stand by watching her relive it while the mate bond helps her through it. He has to do something for her that will abate her fear and pain.

His frustration turned into anger that bubbled inside him, screaming for him to do something instead of nothing. His teeth keep grounding together and his hands are gripping each other. It is almost like Morse Code that tells him to calm down or to fight. He was not sure which one. A growl escapes him that had his beta worrying about him, but it is his wolf that sent it out as he walked from the window to Thomas’ desk wearing a frown of disapproval. He breathed in and then out, letting the cleansing breath calm him down. Then, the vicious cycle starts all over again.

“He is always late,” Gregory hissed with a sharp bite in his tone.

“I know,” Matt drawled while standing between the two desks. He looked passive, like he did not care, except it was a rogue. His body was slightly tense, and his eyes flickered at the door. Occasionally, he would curl his lips under, like he was refraining from cursing Thomas. “It should not upset you that he is not here yet.”

“I have a lot to do,” Gregory replied quickly, refusing to tell him why he was upset.

It sounded like a mumble, but he was not really thinking about his grammar or his etiquette. His shoulders were slumped the entire time he paced while his head was down looking at the floor. When he switched his thoughts, he would straighten a little before going back to being hunched like a heavy weight is on him. He wanted to tell Thomas about the agreement he made with the Council before someone else did. And then, the need to talk about the punishment coming to the Red Moon Pack. Both are equally important for their mate to be happy and aware of the situation at hand, except he was unsure about which one they would talk about first.

“Does it have to do with your mate's nightmares?” Matt asked, trying to mask his anger. That made Gregory’s head snap towards him, looking slightly shocked that he knew. “I have reports from the guards and a few omegas about her screaming in the middle of the night. The omegas worried that you were harming her while the guards knew you were not. They said nothing, but I still must address their concerns. I’m only going to say that she had a nightmare and remind them that she came from a bad pack.”

“Good,” Gregory snapped with a bite of her tone.

“What’s good?” Thomas asked as he walked into the office looking sharper than normal in his light grey suit.

And he still wears no tie, Gregory thought, as he criticized his brother in his head. He had to shake his head at all the things making him angry this morning.

“I’m addressing concerns from the pack about the Luna’s nightmares,” Matt stated firmly as he turned his head towards the other alpha. “A few omegas heard the screams.”

“Oh?” he said with a slight high pitch to his voice and his hands going into his pockets to hide the fists he made of them.

“Easy, Thomas,” Gregory cautioned, showing that he, too, was angry. It shocked him a little bit to see his brother's anger. He knows the calm look is just a facade before it flares and hell is unleashed. “I’m just as mad as you are, and I do not need any incitement.”

“Then, tell me, Brother,” he said as his silent footsteps made their way to him. He stopped by his desk with a predator’s look in his orange eyes showing his wolf was ready to come out and play. His body was tense, too, that offset Gregory, but he kept still with no fear filling him. He refused to move as he kept his eyes locked on Thomas' eyes. “What are you going to do today in the office?”

“Thomas, are you alright?” Gregory asked, getting that twitch like something was off.

“I’m fine,” he said softly with his voice sounding deeper like his wolf was about to emerge and take control.

“Well, I can say that I am going to have a chat with the Chief Investigator,” Gregory huffed, hoping to calm him down. “Ten plus years of investigating the Red Moon Pack, and it seems like a waste of time and money. I’m going to make sure that it is priority number one for our mate.”

“Good,” Thomas nodded, looking less tense than a moment ago, but it was still not enough. There was tension in his brother's broad shoulders. “Is there anything else that I need to know about before I take over next week?”

“I had to make an agreement,” Gregory said, giving a hard swallow. He was worried about how his brother was going to react in his state of mind right now. If he does not tell him, then he will find out from the Council, which will make him angrier than he was now. “If we, you and I, do not find Cassandra fit to be queen, then we will have a figure head. I know. I know. It feels wrong, but I was thinking of fairness for the packs we rule instead of what we want. Plus, I have the councilmen’s daughters and granddaughters parading around with royal guards in selected packs to see which woman will be…”

Gregory did not get to finish explaining the deal before Thomas roared his anger, causing the walls to shake. Then, he punched his little brother. It hurt when he went flying into the wall from his brother’s punch, but he should have known this would happen. He knows he missed the signs of his brother’s anger rising, or it is just that he did not care. He knows that he deserves the hit for being an ass to his mate, but he does want to make it up to her.

He does recognize that he has made a mistake even without Thomas’ eyes turning red, and his wolf's scent thickly on the air. It is coming to the surface with his aura, causing something heavy and foreboding in this room. It is a feeling that drives a sane person mad, except the look on his face is manic. That was the difference between the two brothers. Gregory's face holds anger while his brother looks insane. Then, there was tension that came back fully to his brother's shoulders and into his body that pushed the gold fur out of his skin. It is his wolf. They had collided together in their joint anger that made him vibrate with the need to shift.

Gregory slid down the wall and stood looking at his brother, noticing all of this. His jaw tightened as he tried not to let the shift happen. It drew a tick in it that made Thomas' anger flare more. He put a blank look on his face while his nostrils were flaring from the effort to not fight his brother. He knows that Thomas can recognize the signs that he was not going to shift for a fight, but in this state, he cannot recognize anything. It is his anger that locks him in for the fight, no matter who it is.

Cassandra jogged into the kitchen with Simon trailing behind her wearing a smirk. She is breathily laughing at him while the omegas fix breakfast for the pack. The power of her presence from her mark was enough for them to look and bow. She waved them off, taking a drink of her water from her empty bottle, needing to quench her thirst. She did not care that they looked at her worriedly or that a few put on forced smiles while the rest smiled at her brightly. She was ecstatic to have started her normal routine and have someone that she could be playful with without it meaning anything.

“I beat you,” she laughed breathily. She turned her head towards him, seeing his rueful smirk stretch into a smile. “However, I think you let me win, which is not fair.”

“You are my Luna,” Simon pointed out respectfully. “How can I not let you win?”

“I see how it is,” she miffed playfully and feigned a small pout. “Is there no way for you to see me as Cass?”

“If I did that, then I would have to say I could not let a beautiful woman lose to me,” Simon chuckled.

She rolled her eyes and began to jog to the fridge trying to cool down her body slowly. A few omegas stepped out of the way for her to open the door and reach in, grabbing a bottle of water for her. She opened her bottle and drank a little bit before she tossed one to Simon. That was when Janet walked out of the pantry angry.

The door banged, making her jump and look at the woman with her red face shouting about someone. The look on the Head Omega’s face made her eyes gloss over and freeze in her movements to cap the bottle. She did not move an inch, waiting for the fear to pass and her heart to settle. It made her wish that she could have had practical training to help her through situations like this.

“Where is that lazy girl!?” Janet snapped as she slammed her binder down, causing a loud bang.

Cassandra did not think she would see this woman angry so soon. She did not seem like the friendliest woman, but she did not seem like the explosive type either. It has a few of the omegas running scared out of the door. She took a guess and assumed that they wanted to look busy like the rest of the pack. The ones in the kitchen kept their heads bowed and said nothing with irritation in their eyes. Her brows perked and her eyes widened, noticing everything around her that they were doing. Her heart was hammering as she knew that she needed to settle this problem before it got out of control. She struggled to pull the strength from somewhere to speak up instead of letting her instincts make her silent and ready to fight.

The new her was not supposed to be like this. So now, fear first and then ready to fight? She knows it will not help in a real situation, where someone is trying to hurt her. She finds herself ridiculous when it keeps happening over and over, again, except more with her mates. There is not as much fear with the pack as there is with them.

The cold water from the water bottle is cascading over the rim and down onto her hand. It wakes her out of this frozen state and into her defense mechanism that has her shifting her feet into her stand. She keeps looking at the red-faced woman waiting for her to acknowledge her presence, until the splashing sound jolts her. Then, Janet finally looks in her direction, which makes her wonder many things regarding this woman. She should have sensed the power radiating from the king’s mark on her neck, but she did not.

“Your Majesty,” Janet said, looking at her wide-eyed with shock. She actually looked ashamed to be caught like this while the omegas looked at each other worriedly. “I apologize. One of my girls is not attending her duties like she is supposed to.”

“Is…” her voice came out breathily, making her clear her throat and take a deep breath in. “Is she usually missing?”

“That girl has given us more trouble than she is worth,” Janet scoffed while leaning on the counter with her hip. Her fist is on the other hip while her other hand is tapping the tile of the island. She looked like she was trying to get a grip on her emotions. “She has been seen talking to more men than I can count on one hand and teasing them…”

“She is always running about trying to mess up everyone’s plans,” a snotty sounding woman said. She flicked her eyes at a brown haired woman. Her hair hung around her shoulders while her grey eyes looked spiteful with her slender face in a malicious frown. Her dark brown skin turned a darker shade. “If there is a party or a celebration, then she is sure to mess it up.”

“We’re surprised she did not mess up your celebration, Luna Queen,” Felicity said, sounding astonished.

“Who is she and what are her duties?” Cassandra asked curiously with her brows furrowed. She is anxious to meet this troublemaker, but she could not help wondering if it may be Maggie.

“Don’t you worry, Your Majesty, Luna Queen,” Janet said, softening her voice like it was no big deal. “I will deal with her.”

Just then, Maggie came through the door, drawing Janet’s angry glare at her. She froze and looked like she did not want to be in this kitchen. Her body trembled while she panted from the long walk back from the clearing in the woods. The way that she looked drew memories to Cassandra’s mind of herself when she had a particular bad run-in with one of the pack members. It made her heart hurt for the poor girl.

“Maggie,” Cassandra called extra chipper for everyone to understand that it was not her fault. She even got a bottle of water out of the fridge for her and walked straight to her. “Here you go. That was a long jog we took, so I think I am going to start you out on a mile jog.”

“You were with Luna Queen,” a blonde haired omega said with wide eyes. She was shocked and amazed at the same time. It seemed to blaze envy in her blue eyes.

“Yes, I invited her for a morning jog with me,” Cassandra answered for her. Maggie had bowed and mumbled something to her that she could not understand. “We had such a pleasant conversation after the Luna Dinner that I thought she would like to spend more time getting to know me.”

“Why was I not informed?” Janet asked indifferently.

“I forgot to tell her,” Simon answered softly with his lips curled inward.

“I see,” Janet breathed with a hint of anger.

Cassandra knows that something more is going on with this girl and the pack. Gregory and Thomas did not seem to have a problem with her, but the others did. She wants to know what this young woman has done to make them all upset with her, and if it is true about her promiscuous behavior. Maybe, she can help straighten out her life a bit and gain some respect from others. Maybe she can uplift her standing from lowly to higher.

“By the way, Maggie,” Cassandra called, deciding that now was the time to clear the air, “I was… Could you please stand up straight?” She did so, but she kept her head lowered like she was supposed to do in front of the high ranks. That did not please her at all, especially when she saw through the loose tendrils of her hair that tears were trailing down her cheeks. “They were telling me that you tease men and are a troublemaker. I want to know if that is true.”

“If that is what they say,” she mumbled and gave a shrug.

“This is your Luna!” Janet snapped, becoming harsh with her. It made her flinch at the way she was being yelled at, which added to her worries about this young woman. “You will speak clearly.”

“And truthfully,” Cassandra added while looking at the Head Omega with a frown on her face. “I do not care for other’s opinions about people. What I do care about is what you tell me.”

Maggie turned to her Luna with a sad look on her face that slowly switched to blank. She shifted in place while wearing that mask like she was debating something.

Cassandra already had her mask on- a light smile that gave reassurance. She felt its fakeness all the way to her soul, but she held it trying to wait her out to see what was going to be said. No one in this room made a sound or moved while they waited for this omega to say something. She could even feel the tension slicing into her body that she tried to repel instead of letting her become stiffened to it.

“It is lies that they bought from men that can articulate well to make it sound true,” Maggie finally answered. She had to speak through the scoffs and the hisses at her that made Cassandra raise her hand. She glared at each one to silence them, while feeling surprised that she had it in her to do that to these wolves. “I will stand by my statements- each and every one of them that I have given the beta, the delta, and the gamma. I did not lie.”

Something rang true with this wolfless woman. Now, she knows why she feels a kinship to her. It is almost like her old pack except they were brutal towards her, while this one gets ostracized. She had to do this carefully, though. If she took her side, then it would look like she was favoring her for that reason alone, but if she took the middle ground, then she would save her. What is the middle ground, though?

“What were your punishments each time, Maggie?” she asked coldly, which made the omegas jerk their heads towards her.

“I…” she began to speak, but she lost her voice.

“She was reprimanded to her room,” Janet scoffed with an eye roll, “but even that did not stop her.”

“Is your name Maggie?” Cassandra asked curtly, which made her shake her head.

There was a coldness whipping through her that she did not know she had. It was like something lashed inside her, freezing her insides to make her voice sound harsh and almost devoid of emotions. Her eyes even took on the look of someone deadly that narrowed on the Head Omega. She had no idea that she could become this way. Even while training those two years, she had not sounded so evil. This new woman seems to want to take the spotlight for some reason.

“I asked her,” she said, pointing to the omega still standing by the door.

“Luna Queen,” Simon called softly, almost sounding nervous.

“Maggie,” Cassandra snapped, turning to her sharply. “Speak up.”

“I was reprimanded to my room for a few days. They had forgotten to give me food,” she answered quickly showing the same nervousness as the others.

“I see,” she said, giving a nod, noticing that her fists were clenched. She used every ounce of her strength to say it without doing anything to anyone. She knows that this girl has had it hard now. The problem is that she is biased, and they need someone unbiased to not destroy the pack. “So instead of segregating her from the men or mentoring her or any number of things… You all choose to abandon her and mock her and probably a lot more than that. And here, I thought a pack was supposed to support each other, even its weakest member. I thought…”

A loud gasp slipped out of Cassandra as she grabbed her chest, feeling the pain in it. It was like someone reached through the bones and clenched her heart. Her eyes widened and someone called to her, but she could not hear them. The pain is too much for her to bear. Something was coming through the mate bond, which made her realize how she became so cold. It was one of her mates and the feelings hitting her were not good.

“Simon!” she yelled with a hint of fear in her voice. “My mates are fighting.”

“Then, you must go to them,” he insisted worriedly.

She looked at him imploringly saying, “I can’t.”