Bark Or Bite

Chapter 25

"So, have you talked to Kol yet?" I ask Maximus as we make the twenty minute drive to Grandpa John's.

"Yes, I did." He stops talking.

"And...."

"Oh, there was no reason for him to be upset about it. If anything he probably wished I would have told him earlier." He adds nonchalantly.

"Why didn't you?"

"Well, I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up about us winning this war. With proper training, I think we have a great chance. If anything would have failed between you and Ian, I would not have wanted to break the news to my pack. So I waited."

It almost makes me jealous how straightforward he is with Kol. He doesn't worry about feelings, and he sure doesn't worry about who is accepting of his orders. I guess he has just been doing this a lot longer than I have.

"Stop worrying, Hannah. You should not be afraid to tell Cameron. You are Alpha. He is Beta. You two are supposed to have a mutual bond and understanding that allows you to easily have conversations like this. You are doing everything you do for the sake of your pack. It is your instinct. Everyone knows that." He grabs my hand across the console and holds it tight. His thumb traces soothing circles around the back of my hand.

"I know. I just hurt him once, and I'm always afraid that I'll do it again." My chest aches when I remember the hurt I caused Cameron and Max.

"I know, sweetheart. You can not let relationships effect the way you lead your pack. You will lose good people that way."

"I asked him to meet me at Grandpa John's. I figured we would get the most talking done there."

"That's good. I hope you're ready, because we're here." Maximus pulls the car into the short driveway and parks in front of the closed garage. He stops the car and takes my hand.

"It's your pack, Hannah. Lead it."

Maximus gets out of the car and I follow him into the familiar home. Grandpa John notices us first and he moves to give me a hug.

"Cameron is out back." He lets me know after releasing me.

I exit the sliding doors to the patio and find Cam sitting in the older porch swing. His feet keep the swing slowly rocking, but he stops long enough for me to take a seat next to him.

"Hey." I start.

"Hey." He laughs at my awkwardness.

"I know that this seems kind of formal, but I don't want it to be." I look away from his bright brown eyes.

"Totally formal. This old rusty swing really makes me feel important." He chuckles and I can't help but join him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I look down again, but this time he notices.

"What's going on, Hannah? John keeps acting like he's hiding something from me. I don't want you to do it to. I expect you of all people to always be honest with me." He looks at me.

I finally raise my head to look into his young, hopeful eyes. They're comforting. Everyone seems so on edge and serious nowadays. To see a familiar face with a genuine smile makes me feel a world of a lot better.

"You're right. We are hiding something. But I promise that I never wanted to hurt you or betray you in any way. Everything that I am doing or have planned is for the safety of the pack." He furrows his eyebrows.

"Of course, Hannah. I just want to know exactly what your plans are." His eyes hook mine as they search for an answer.

"I've had Ian train me the past couple of weeks. He knows more about vampires and Nik's fighting style than all of us put together. I figured with his training and his inside eyes, we would have an advantage in this war." Now it is my turn to hold his eyes. He falters a bit, but quickly composes himself.