Page 2 of Alpha Brock

~

“Hey, you guys are back,” my brother Brent comments as Jared and I walk in through the front door of the packhouse, craning his neck to look over the back of the couch he’s sprawled out on.

I kick off my boots, shrugging my jacket down my shoulders as I look his way. He’s the picture of comfort in a ratty old t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants, his hand buried in a bag of barbecue potato chips. Brent and I look a lot alike- we both have the same olive skin, green eyes, and wavy brown hair, except while mine hangs a few inches past my shoulders, his is cropped to a few inches above his own. I keep mine long enough to pull back when I’m training, a problem that Brent doesn’t have because he tends to be lazy when it comes to fitness. Honestly, with the way the guy eats and how inconsistently he works out, it amazes me that he’s in such great shape. He’s not as bulky as me, but he has a lot of defined muscle. Guess he can thank our genetics for that.

“You shouldn’t be eating this crap,” I grumble, snatching the chip bag out of Brent’s hand as I round the couch.

“Hey!” he protests, still chewing.

I roll my eyes, reaching into the bag and popping a couple of chips into my own mouth before handing it back.

“Beer?” Jared asks, heading toward the kitchen.

“Please.” I nudge my brother’s leg with my knee, and he moves to sit up so I can flop down onto the other end of the couch.

“Me too!” Brent calls after Jared, turning to me and shoving a handful of chips into his mouth. “So how was it?” he asks, crunching away.

I lean back, heaving a sigh. “Fine. The council agreed on sending aid to Denver, so I’ll be going out there in a few weeks.”

Jared walks back into the living room, handing a bottle of beer to each of us before sinking into the overstuffed recliner beside the couch.

“You already knew that though, right?” Brent cocks a brow. “So why is your wolf looking at me like he wants to murder me right now?”

Fuck. My wolf has been so close to the surface for the past hour that I kinda forgot about him- and the fact that the metallic swirls in my irises would be a dead giveaway of my agitation. That fucker’s always outing me.

Beside me, Jared chuckles, taking a swig of his beer.

I swivel to face him, shooting him a glare, and the two of us have a silent conversation with our eyes. Jared and I have this Alpha and Beta thing down- we’re totally in tune with one another. It’s no surprise since we grew up close. My father’s beta didn’t have an heir, so when he was ready to step down a few years ago, Dad asked me to choose his replacement. Choosing Jared was a no-brainer.

“You know he won’t let it go,” Jared laughs.

“He’s right,” Brent quips, grinning. “I won’t.”

I turn to my brother, narrowing my eyes. “You don’t have to live here, you know.”

We both know that’s an empty threat. While it may be outside of the norm for my sibling to remain residing at the packhouse after our parents have moved out, I like having Brent around. He’s one of the few people that really get me.

I turn and give Jared a nod, taking a long swig of my beer.

He swallows a gulp of his own before speaking. “Alpha’s a little touchy because another one of the guys found his mate tonight.”

Brent’s eyebrows shoot up. “Which one?”

Jared raises his beer bottle to his lips. “Jax.”

As Jared takes another sip, Brent looks to me. “Jax is the young one, right?”

“Yeah,” I breathe.

He’s not the youngest- that would be Chase, Alpha Vaughn’s son, who is only seventeen and hasn’t even joined squad leadership yet. Of the five of us who run the squad and will all run our own packs someday, though, Jax is the youngest at twenty-two.

“So he’s the same age as you were when Anna…”

“Yeah.” I down the rest of my beer.

“Shit.”

We’re all quiet for a moment, and I take the opportunity to get up and grab another beer from the kitchen. I pop the top off and take a sip, walking back into the living room as Brent and Jared are exchanging glances.

---