Alpha Theo || ✓

27 | tension

"Holly!" Was what I first heard when I came from the door. 

There stood my big brother, Jack, with his arm firmly around an overly excited Lia. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face, in all honestly I felt my cheeks aching at how hard I was smiling. 

"Jack!" I cried out, excited, as I jumped up at him. The hug between my brother and I lasted a while and I unconsciously teared up as my arms tightened around my older brother. 

I hadn't seen him in weeks and he had no idea what was happening to me in the weeks that I was gone. Call me emotional but I felt like I had the right to cry in this moment.

And it seemed like he thought he did as well as I felt his own tears dampening my shoulders. 

"I've missed you Hollister." I held back a growl at the nickname he chose for me a while back. While I would usually scold him for using that colourless name, I was overly ecstatic to hear it in this moment. 

Letting go of my brother, I turned to Lia whose smile did not flinch one bit as she threw her arms around me. 

Despite Lia being Jack's mate, I always felt a close connection to her. I was afraid I was going to despise Jack's mate when he met her but in the end, never knew that I would have potentially loved Jack's mate more than I loved him. 

"Gosh, I missed your face." She sighed as she embraced me. "If you ever leave again, I will skin you alive." She raised an eyebrow at me as she threw a threat at me. A growl was heard behind me after her words and I held in a sigh.

"Didn't really have a choice," I muttered before feeling hands snake their way around my waist from behind. 

Jack's eyes moved from me to the large figure behind me-- his eyes darkening instantly. I instantly knew what was going through his head as his eyes fell upon my mate behind me-- Theo's arm firmly tightening around my waist the longer it was there. 

"Jack--" My voice was steady as I gave my brother my best warning tone. 

I knew that his first instinct was to fight the man behind me, our childhood was majority happy however it was constantly clouded by the horrors of Theo's pack and the constant battles we faced. To Jack, Theo is just a monster. 

"Alpha Theo," Instead of lunging for the throat, my older brother greeted Theo, Lia following in suit. I glanced up at Theo, noticing his jaw clenching as he looked upon the two wolves in front of us.  

After examining the couple, he slowly loosened his grip on my waist and moved aside so both Jack and Lia could walk through the door.

All four of us decided it was best if we went into Theo's office-- it was much more secluded from the rest of the house and we had to discover serious topics. 

I didn't feel like discussing my father's murderous tendencies in front of the entire packhouse, I only just got used to everyone looking at me and thinking of my father. 

We spent a lot of time in the office in silence, it was as if Jack and Theo didn't want to be in the same room as each other-- shocker. 

I looked at Lia, who rolled her eyes back at me before giving the back of Jack's head a deadpanned look. Seemed like she was just fed up like me. 

"Guys--"

"Yeah, Hols?"

"Yes, my love?"

 Both of the men spoke at the same time, causing their eyes to snap up and glare at each other, Jack's nose flared as he registered what Theo had said.

"'My love'?" He huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he narrowed his glare deeper at my mate-- the somewhat respect he had for him when greeting him at the door basically flying out of the window. 

Theo responded up shrugging his shoulders, leaning back on his chair as he held eye contact with my brother.

The energy in the room felt heavy, I felt like I was suffocating being surrounded by so much negative emotion-- you could almost cut the tension with a knife. 

My eyes met Lia's and I raised a brow as I attempted to telepathically complain to my sister-in-law. 

Since I haven't been officially initiated into the Black Dawn pack, I still have a link to my father's pack. I haven't been able to mind-link anyone from the pack due to the distance between us, however, I should be able to mind-link both Lia and Jack considering that we are in the same pack and so close to one other.

'This is painful,' I said to Lia via mind-link, hoping that it worked. Instantly her face lit her, telling me that my mind-link still works. My wolf yelped slightly within me, being able to use her abilities made her feel warm. Considering it has been so long since I have used this ability, my wolf rejoiced. 

"She is my love after all," Theo responded, his eyes flickering towards me for a moment before he looked upon Jack once again. Jack huffed back, his glare on Theo getting stronger as a low growl fell from his mouth. 

Lia rolled her eyes, blowing out from her mouth in a sigh while she rubbed her closed eyes in irritation. 

'This is very painful indeed, ' She replied to my mind-link, giving me a bored look before glancing between the two alpha males in front of us. 'Make it stop before it gets even worse'. 

I agreed, I wouldn't know what to do if they both started fighting. I've already seen Theo brawl with my father, I might go mad if I see one between him and my own brother.

Before the guys could go for each other's jugulars, I finally cut in on the conversation to bring the issue to light.

"Please guys," I looked at both of the men beside me, one being my only brother-- the person I grew up all the life-- and the other being my mate-- the man I am destined to be with by the moon itself. 

I hated to see them quickly hate each other, it would tear me in two if the toxicity lasted. I looked at Jack, who huffed through his nose before breaking his glare on Theo to look back at me. "You and Lia came here for a reason." 

"Dad," We simultaneously spoke. I notice Jack's face dropping slightly at the mention of our father and I felt my heart fall heavy. The image of my father has been tainted from me and it killed me to ruin it for Jack also. 

Theo cleared his throat, before standing from his seat. 

"Holly," I looked up at him as he walked in my direction, his hand gently brushing on my shoulder when he leaned down to place a kiss on the top of head. "I'll let you all speak in private, take as much as time you need." He squeezed my shoulder in a reassuring way before nodding his head at Jack and Lia. 

"Welcome to Black Dawn," Was the last thing he said before exiting his own office.

"Nice guy," Lia spoke up, sending a wink my way causing Jack to growl softly at his own mate. Lia rolled her eyes, waving her hand at Jack as if to shoo him away. "Grow up, Jackie." 

"Don't call me Jackie," He whined. Hearing them playfully bicker made me smile, it was almost as if I was back at home-- back to normalcy. 

But right now wasn't the moment to feel nostalgic--

-- Right now, I had to tell my brother the ugly truth about our father.