On Bended Knee

Chapter 4

"Andromeda, you have to tell me what's going on!" Jason was yelling at me as I tore through my office. Hector was standing in the corner completely silent. He moved periodically to avoid a flying chair or splintering furniture, but he was stoic otherwise.

Andrew had approached me at the border, literally bouncing like a child and full of questions. "What's he like? He looks like he could break a tree in half with his bare hands. Am I allowed to be friends with him even though he is your mate? Would he want to be my friend? I would want to be my friend, I'm a pretty cool pers–"

"Enough, Andrew!" I had screamed it at him. He immediately closed his mouth and his eyes went wide. He froze in place like a deer in headlights. "Do you want me to find you a friend or do you want to be a warrior? Because right now your Alpha's mate needs a guard." I snapped at him quickly and loudly.

Immediately he bowed his head and blurted out a "Yes, Alpha" and took off at a jog through the trees I had just stomped through.

FUCK.

I cursed at myself inwardly. Andrew was kind of a dope, but he was loyal and a good guy. He didn't deserve to be treated that way. Especially not by his Alpha.

My interaction with Andrew had added to my rage which was now manifesting in my office with my Delta and Beta watching from the sidelines as I tore through anything in my path.

"Motherfucker!" I scream as I toss my desk and it cracks down the middle. It breaks almost perfectly in half. I breathe heavily as I sit on the floor in a heap. My head hangs in my hands as Hector and Jason finally approach me.

"Andy, just tell us what happened."

And I do. I tell them every last detail. Hector's lip twitches as I tell them about the kiss and he fights a smile. Jason listens intently and seriously even though he used to change my diapers and now is hearing about me grinding on my mate. I finish telling them about Atlas and his reaction, then my subsequent escape.

"I don't understand," Jason says with a confused look on his face.

"Neither do I," Hector agrees. He looks contemplative in front of me with his arms crossed.

"You knew he was going to freak out, Andy. I have heard of humans taking the news better, sure, but I have also seen worse. He didn't try to kill you or call you a monster or anything. Given his reaction, it was definitely the right call not to shift in front of him, but I don't know why we were destroying furniture and calling him a 'motherfucker'." Jason finished as Hector nodded behind him. Jason was crouched in front of me, down on my level like he used to do when I was a child.

"The 'motherfucker' is me, guys." Hector snorted in a very uncharacteristic way and smothered his laughter after Jason shot him a look. He had the grace to look halfway apologetic.

"He was backing away from me and he started yelling and I thought, 'This isn't that bad, right? We can work with this.'" I look from Hector to Jason and back again. They nod along with me. "But then I smelled it. Fear. He was terrified of me. I can still smell it on my clothes!" I grabbed at my sweater and whipped it over my head, tossing it violently across the room. "He was afraid of me!" I yelled once more as a single tear slipped out and down my cheek. I swiped at it furiously and refused to meet their eyes. "And when I came back through the border, Andrew was waiting for me and he was just asking too many questions and I just snapped at him." Jason sighed as he stood and moved next to Hector.

"Andrew will be fine." Hector assured me.

"I still owe him an apology. He was just excited about me finding my mate."