Three Alphas, Three Mates

Chapter 35 - Mr. Huggles and My Young Grasshopper

Aiden gives me a cold look. I guess that's not the answer he wanted, but I just wave him off. I don't pay him, or the other two brothers' furious glances, any mind.

Ethel has only asked me for two things before, in the short time we've known each other. The first, to help Aiden when he was going through his whole 'imprint not mate' thing. The second... when he—as in Ethel— forgot to do his English homework and needed to copy mine. He claimed it was for the greater good of the pack or the universe or some crap like that. When he asks you for something, he makes it seem like his fate is literally in the palm of your hands. I'm convinced he's the master of manipulation, behind that seemingly unassuming demeanor, but I fall for it every time. This is the line though. This is the limit.

Suzie?

Heck no. I do take depression and ostracization seriously, but I take my bitterness seriously too. I'm just too petty. He's asking for too much. Why doesn't he get that I don't want to help people who don't care about me?

But then he gives me that sad, desolate kermit the frog face, and somehow I give in. I sigh and narrow my eyes. "Fine. I'll go speak to her when I have the time. No promises when that'll be." Never.

He nods. That's how I know he's smart. He knows when not to push any further, because I surely would've changed my mind if he opened his mouth again.

Brittany gives me an approving look. "Great idea. You can go talk to her when you go explore Aiden's division with Ethel."

"When I what?" I ask.

She gives me a look. "When you go explore Aiden's division... Oh come on, if anyone would like to remember, I'm the only one who finished their pack tour." she looks around at all of us.

The brothers give her the same disapproving look I do, even though I think it's for a different reason. "She's not going anywhere with him." Carson glares at Ethel.

Ethel slowly backs away behind Onai who just walked into the room. Onai spares him an uninterested glance. "What is it now?"

"Carson's trying to kill me over Mia for some reason," he says.

Onai raises an eyebrow and looks at Axel for some kind of clarification.

Axel gives him a wary look.

Onai looks at Carson and nods. I guess he got the clarification he needed. He looks back at Ethel with the a similar look as before. "So you really think I'm the safest person to hide behind right now?"

Ethel pales. "You're right." Painstakingly slowly, he inches towards Brittany while eyeing Carson.

She glares at him, pointing a warning finger right as his head.

He hesitates. Then he moves behind her anyway.

She stays calm for half a second—which is as long as could be expected with her. Then she starts screaming. "Would you get the hell away from me?"

He stares wide eyed, jerking back a little like he's staring at a crazy person.

"This is serious." Her narrowed eyes scan the room, stopping on Coach Kenet. "You wanna know why the troops aren't unified? It's not because they're weak." She takes a step closer to me, jabbing her finger in my direction. "It's because half of them only know what Mia looks like through mindlink. Our top priority right now is to protect someone they don't even know. That's ridiculous." She looks at me. "It's too much to ask, even for werewolves."

"If they can't sympathize with her, they should at least be able to sympathize with the idea that without her, we'll surely fall to ruin," Coach Kenet says.