I parked my car outside of Kyren’s house, wishing I’d been able to accompany Jack tonight at the witch’s party. But, with Kyren staying here instead of on campus, I had to split my time between them.
For the hundredth time, I wished they’d make up already. I’m starting to feel pulled in two different directions and not in the fun way.
Sighing, I turned the car off and stepped out of the vehicle. My nose smelled them before I saw them—my brothers sitting on the steps leading up to Kyren’s house. When they saw me, they stood, Jacob shoving his hands into his pockets while Kolby crossed his arms, already vying for a fight.
Then there was this shit.
I had enough going on in my personal life that I didn’t need to add family drama to the mix, especially unsupportive family members who wanted me to be something I was not.
“Jacob, Kolby.” I nodded to each of them. “How’d you find me?”
What I meant was how the fuck did you find my boyfriend’s house, and who did I need to kill to keep them from giving out my private information?
Jacob winced. “We asked the school office. They had this down as your primary residence.”
“And what exactly did you tell them to get them to disclose that?” I pushed, knowing that the academy took their students’ privacy very seriously. Even more so than a human college.
“The truth,” Kolby snapped. “Dad died, and you needed to come back home for the funeral.”
I shook my head laughing in disbelief. The audacity of these two. “I don’tneedto do anything. I already told you. I can’t be your alpha.”
“Can’t? Or won’t?” Kolby growled, eyes flashing yellow green.
“Both.” I tried to walk around them, but Jacob grabbed my arm.
“Please, Tate,” Jacob pleaded, clear distress on his face. “We need you. The pack needs you. There’s still the pact with the Crescent Moon clan, the one you agreed to. Are you going to make the pack break their word? Dad’s final word?”
I shoved the sleeves of my Henley up to my elbows. “And how exactly do you propose I fulfill that pact? Do you think the female I was promised to would be ecstatic to find out that her new mate won’t grow old and die with her? Or maybe it’s the man I’m in love with that might put a bit of a kink into that relationship? Think she’d be down for that?” I realized my voice was rising as I spoke, likely drawing attention from the neighbors, but I didn’t care. I was tired of them telling me what Ihadto do.
“Well... no...” Jacob started, his brows furrowed. “But they’re expecting to marry their daughter to the alpha. We can’t just offer them someone else.”
“And I’m not your alpha,” I snapped back, baring my teeth at them.
My frustration and rage at the whole situation started to poke at the beast underneath. I usually was able to keep a lid on the wolf. I was a cool customer most days, but nothing brought the beast out of you like your family.
“You’re being selfish,” Kolby snarled, waving his arms around. “Like always. Pushing your responsibilities off on us so you can go fuck around.”
He stepped toward me, his shoulders heaving clearly close to changing as well. “Tell me, is it worth betraying your family tofuck the undead? Is his dick like a popsicle, or does it even work anymore?”
My fingers curled into the front of Kolby’s shirt, pulling him close to my face. “Talk about Kyren like that again and I don’t care if you’re my brother. I’ll rip your throat out.”
“Fucking parasite.”
A roar ripped through my throat, and the nails on my fingers sharpened into claws. My hand came up ready to make good on my threat when suddenly, I was pulled away from my brother. A dark wisp wrapped tightly around my waist, lifting me away from them to land on the top of the porch next to the very vampire I was defending.
“Kyren,” I growled, unable to pull my wolf completely back.
“Hush, now.” Kyren ran a hand down my arm. “You’ve done enough.”
A yelp of fear pulled my attention back to my brothers.
More shadows had come out and held Kolby back while Jacob backed away his eyes wide from either shock or terror. Hard to tell with Jacob, he always played the weaker person, but there were moments where he let his real personality slip. He was far cleverer than any of us combined.
“Get this shit off me,” Kolby snarled, ripping at the shadows with his claws only for them to pass through them. “I always knew you were a blood sucking corpse—”
A shadow wrapped around Kolby’s face, keeping him from spewing anymore hateful words.
“Now that’s better.” Kyren hummed, his gaze dropping to my other brother. “I won’t have you harassing Tate. He’s given you his answer, which means it’s time for you to go.”
