Animals ✔

Chapter 15

Tiberius's eyes are still green-strangely calm in the face of Wesley's rage. He holds his ground, a growl building in his throat as Wesley approaches. Neither of them breaks eye contact, each waiting for the other to submit.

Neither does.

Kathryn is watching the exchange with guarded eyes, while Wyatt stares with open interest. Colin and Sampson haven't moved from their position at the back of the room, but both have clenched their jaws and curled their hands into fists.

I step away from Tiberius, assuming this is something he'd be better off handling without me getting in his way. I've never seen someone treat him so disrespectfully.

Tiberius steps toward Wesley and they meet in the middle of the kitchen. Wesley's growls grow louder and claws burst out from his fingernail beds. His teeth seem to lengthen and sharpen when he pulls back his lips.

"Should I take this as a challenge?" Tiberius is cool, irritation written across his features.

Wesley stops, his eyes narrowing slightly, and Kathryn's sharp intake of breath is loud in the suddenly quiet room. Wesley's eyes flash from black to blue as he fights for control. His clawed fingers clench into tight fists, drawing blood where they puncture skin of his palms. His expression is pained as his teeth sink slowly back into his gums.

The entire transition-from human to animal to human again-looks excruciating.

Wesley steps back, bowing his head and showing his neck.

Tiberius nods, accepting the display of submission, and the rest of the room-which had become deathly still as Wesley lost his cool-jumps to life as the members of both packs take that as their cue to leave.

Kathryn mutters a quick apology to Tiberius, her face flushed as she follows her still angry son out the door.

Wyatt shakes Tiberius's hand, promising to be in touch. He sends me a knowing look as he leaves, and I return it with a confused expression of my own. Linda gives me one more quick hug before following after Wyatt and Brody.

As soon as the door is closed behind her, Tiberius comes over and wraps me in his arms, pressing me tightly to his chest.

He feels warm against me. Comfortable. I lean my head back on his chest. It suddenly doesn't matter that I smell, or that he was almost in a fight mere moments before.

Even all the guilt I've been carrying around with me seems to evaporate when I'm wrapped in his arms. I sigh deeply, savouring the feeling before I pull away.

My questions are written in my eyes when I turn to face him and Tiberius frowns, taking his time before he answers them. "The boy," his voice is low, barely more than a growl, and his green eyes seem to darken, "suggested we hand you over to Ira. Then, he tried to challenge me. He's lucky I didn't take him up on it." Tiberius's eyes flash to black.

"Challenge you?"

"That's what it means to disobey or insult an alpha. If he hadn't submitted to me so quickly, it would have been a fight until he did-or until I killed him." The way he speaks, it doesn't sound like Tiberius would have minded killing Wesley.

I shiver at the thought.

Jon, who I had assumed was returning home after dropping me off, chose that moment to rush into the room. His eyes frantic, wild with a fear I've never seen on him before.

His brown hair is disheveled and there's blood on his shirt, the same substance that's dyed the skin of his hands a dark reddish brown.

He starts to speak before any of us have a chance to react. "They-she-she's..." he stumbles over his words. "They almost killed her, they almost killed another one."