Reject (mxm)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Ruari

I should have known the moment we arrived at the pack house the trouble would start. Jean has been very docile after her confrontation with Prior and was quiet the whole drive back to Moonscape pack lands. That sort behavior should have alerted me to her current mood.

Jean is never docile, not without a cause.

Bran and Cale were waiting for us in the front yard when we arrived. Bran took one look at Jean and immediately lost his head. Not that I'm blaming the incident on him but he should have had more control over himself!

He watched Jean approach the pack house like a hungry animal and when he noticed her arms were curled around mine, he growled a possessive "Mine!" and charged forward.

Jean took the move as a threat and reacted purely by instinct. She doesn't like it when someone invades her personal space, especially not with me close by. She moved before I could hold her back and landed a solid blow on Bran's side.

I winced when the unmistakable sound of ribs cracking reverberated through the air. If Bran wasn't a werewolf I'd worry for his safety. As it is, Jean followed the first blow with a straight that landed on his left eye and finished it with a right hook that busted his lower lip. Before Bran could recover his senses Jean grabbed him and executed a perfect full shoulder throw. She then pinned him on the ground with a painful arm lock.

It happened so fast I didn't have time to react. All I could do was to try and control the damage after the fact.

"Jean!" I shouted handing Cale over Prior. "Let him go!"

Prior looked confused and he seemed to be under some sort of shock. After what he just witnessed I'm not surprised. He came close to being on Bran's current position if I hadn't intervened earlier. Jean could be quite an amazon if she's provoked and worse if she's on a foul mood, which she seems to be her current state. Bran really shouldn't have done what he just did.

"He started it!" Jean hissed her green eyes blazing. If I don't stop her now she's liable to do more damage. "Maybe I should break an arm now so he won't think I'm messing around." And to prove her point she twisted her body to one side and all Bran managed to do was let out a pitiful grunt.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head at her. Jean has a very short fuse and become very unpredictable when she senses danger.  

I crouched down and placed a hand on her back. When I was sure that she wouldn't fight me, I gently run my palm up and down her spine in a soothing gesture.

"Let him go sweetheart," I urged gently. Bran's breath is now coming in short gasps because Jean is slowly cutting off his air. "Forgive him 'kay? Just this once, for me. He's sorry so just let him go. Bran's at his limit and he might pass out. You don't really want that do you?"

I could see she was debating whether to listen to me or not and I breathed a sigh of relief when she finally released him and took a few cautious steps back to make sure she won't be vulnerable to a surprise attack.

Her eyes locked with mine. She doesn't look apologetic, little termagant, if anything she looked a bit smug. But from the leveled look on her green eyes I'm reassured she wouldn't make any more moves to hurt anyone, unless they provoke her first.

"She's human Bran," I whispered as I leaned over him. "You can't expect her to understand when you just charge in like that. Jean's a bit short tempered to begin with so you'll need a lot patience in dealing with her. I'll help but you need to keep your distance for now."

Bran nodded in understanding and he doesn't look like he's ready to stand so I let him stay where he was to gather his muddled thoughts.

I straightened and turned to Prior to take Cale in my arms.