Aston

Chapter 6

Red was relaxing with Kelly in the pack house when his friend Max walked in. Red sighed, the only reason Max would be here was because he was in trouble. Max was supposed to be running the perimeter today, but was called off by the alpha.

"What's up Max?" Red asked, eying Kelly.

"Got pulled off of the perimeter for some stupid reason." Max sighed, plopping down on the couch.

Max was a young boy, and had recently graduated from high school. He had every intention of being a warrior, and Anton knew it. He has set it up so that he could train with the young men to fight.

"Kyle actually pulled you off?" Red asked, concerned. He knew better than anyone that if Kyle overruled Aston, it was a power play. He believed that from the previous nights display, Aston wished to take over as alpha.

"Yeah!" Max exclaimed. "And it's so stupid! He literally didn't even have a reason for it."

"Did you ask?"

"Yeah, just said 'because I'm alpha and I tell you what to do.'" Max mocked. Red worried that Kyle might be listening.

"Well he has every right to." Red hated defending him. He once believed Kyle to be a decent alpha, but even before his mates death Aston was the one keeping the peace.

"I know, but I'm so bored now!" Max said.

"Tell you what," he said. "Kelly and I are about to start some rounds if you want to help us?"

"We are?" Kelly asked. Red knew that they had just finished, but for Max he was willing to do them again. Red elbowed Kelly in the ribs. He quickly nodded. "I-I mean we are." He agreed.

Max's face brightened. He loved being able to help out the higher members. Even if it was repetitive, Max was willing to do anything to stay busy.

As the trio start at their community garden, they see Kyle arguing with a few girls who are holding their heads down low. Red, concerned, approaches cautiously. Kelly and Max remain close.

Kyle was throwing things on the ground, clearly aggravated about something.

"I said she's not his!" Kyle screamed. "She's my mate!" Reds ears perked up, realizing that the young girls must have been talking about Amelia. He sighed, knowing that this would be an argument he didn't want to get into. But he knew the girls were terrified, and needed some comfort.

He ran up to them, standing between them as Kyle brings down his hand to slap them. He is shocked as his hand hits his arm.

"Move Red." Kyle growls. Red remains firm. "I said move!" Red still remained.

"Go back to your parents, little ones." Red said. The girls quickly took their escape. As Kyle reacted to grab the girls Red grabbed his hand. Kyle growled.

"I gave you an order to move." He snarled.

"Is this really what you're worried about?" Red asked calmly. He knew Kyle would be stupid to do something this public, especially during the day. Kyle growled.

"I have to protect my mate." He growled.

"Your mates dead, Kyle." Red said. This only seem to irritate him further.

"I know when I feel the connection," he said. Red did not back down.

"Kyle, you're on the verge of loosing your title. I understand that you want people to understand who you are, but pissing everyone off is not the way to do it." Red growled.

Kyle lost it. He threw a punch at Red, and he took it. Red didn't fight back. He knew that Kyle just needed to get his anger out on someone. Red turned his gaze back to Kyle, keeping his arms crossed. A red welt was forming on his cheek.

"Aston is lying." He growled. "Amelia is mine!"

"You lost her last night! You lost the Kat Kai!" Red screamed back. Kyle decided it was not worth the fight anymore. He quickly shifted and sprinted into the forest around them, destroying several tomato plants in the process.

Red turns back to Max and Kyle, who were staring in awe. Red had stood defiantly against the alpha and survived. What was worse though, was that he had yelled at two little girls for talking about another mans mate. They all three knew that word would spread quickly.

"This does not bode well." Kelly sighed.

"Should we tell Aston?" Max asked. "If it were my mate I'd be pissed."

"I'll let him know," Red said. "But there isn't much we can do. He lost the Kat Kai yesterday, I don't know why Kyle still thinks she's his."

"Something has been going on with him though," Max said. "I get that he lost his mate, but he needs to move on. Not try to steal someone else's."

"I know," Red said. "I'm just worried that things are about to get a lot worse."