Torn

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dedicated to Alaeryel. There's a note for you at the very end :)

*****

It was pitch black. The midnight chill seemed to crawl up my legs even though I was wearing leggings underneath my sweatpants.

I was waiting outside for my brother.

He had agreed to meet me but nothing else. He was already established in the human world, having a human mate and human children. He refused point blank to move anywhere with us. We had argued for hours on the phone while Mason packed up my things. Of course, I made him to pack up first. But that was beside the point.

You see, I didn't have the best relationship with my brother (his name was Jorge). He was a heartless douche bag and he professed to hate me but I still loved him. Every time we talked, we argued for hours but it was something that was comfortable in it's routine. We were still family and I only wanted the best for him and his kids. It may be an irrational fear but I couldn't help but think he wasn't safe out there, away from the pack.

Mason said that it was because I was alpha now and had to think about every member in the pack. Everyone had to be safe. They just had to be or I'd never rest.

So after a very very long debate, he agreed to come. But he didn't want to get his family involved so he was coming alone. And because I worry too much about everything, I was waiting outside of the house for him, anxious every minute he wasn't here.

Mason waited on the front steps with me, eyes following my movements as I paced. Dean was inside making sure there was nothing left.

You might be wondering why I was letting two boys do all of my critical packing. To be honest, Mason could probably do a better job of it than I ever could (I've said it before and I'll say it again: he was like the gay best friend I've always wanted) and all I really needed were my art materials and paintings. I didn't care about clothes; as long as my body was covered by something, I was good.

“There he is” Mason got up from the steps warily. He didn't approve of me calling Jorge. He hated him and the feeling was mutual. Jorge didn't think it was very lady-like for me to spend so much time with a boy. Mason hated that Jorge treated me so badly.

Jorge's sports car pulled up with a purr, a gust of heat hitting me as he smoothly stepped out. Despite myself, despite everything he's done, a smile stretched my lips and I ran to him, hugging him as tightly as I could.

“It's been too long” I murmured, hanging on even though his own arms had fallen lax. He cleared his throat.

“Yes, well that's all about perception” he told me uncomfortably. I finally let him go and stepped back. Mason tugged me to his side and Jorge sneered at him but didn't say a word to him.

“So, what's going on?” he asked me, ignoring Mason completely.

I wasn't the only one who was outside in the chilly air. Every single pack member was packing their things inside their cars. Only the essentials, as I had instructed. They worked quietly and efficiently. I had never been so proud.

“Let's talk inside. It's chilly” I said out loud, just to break the tension. Jorge nodded and pushed past me to lead the way inside the house. Although it was technically now my house, he still considered it his. And while he was scrawny and had a baby beer gut along with chicken legs, he still considered himself the alpha inside the house. It was funny, you know, with the current situation.

Cris didn't think it was that funny. She growled because he was stepping on her dominance.

While I always thought of this (me becoming alpha of the pack) as a curse instead of a blessing, I was beyond smug now. For once, I knew that I was superior to Jorge. I had more alpha blood than he did; indeed, I was an alpha. And that knowledge has never pleased me more.