Page 39 of Pack Kasen: Part 1

I stop pretending to straighten the collar of my shirt and meet his gaze in my bedroom mirror. “You mean I needed more of an excuse to not savage Troy. He was being annoying.”

I dressed before breakfast. Yet here I am, back in my room, dressing again. All because I’d nearly killed the enforcer, and all for one seemingly innocent question.

“The feral… she’s quite beautiful, don’t you think?”

And that was that.

I ground his face in my bacon and eggs while he begged for his life, and my pack stared at me like I’d lost my goddamn mind.

For one brief moment I had. Because ofher. But my beta doesn’t need to know that.

I didn’t just make a mess of Troy when I nearly killed him. I made a mess of myself and the rest of the enforcers during our morning meeting in my office.

There were eggs, orange juice, and coffee everywhere. I had to return to my room to change out of my T-shirt and sweatpants, only to find I have a severe lack of T-shirts becauseI keep leaving my clothes in the forest instead of bringing them back to the house. Just this button up I hate because of this stupid collar.

I stop fussing with my clothes. “She’s frustrating.”

“You seem to have a problem staying away from her.”

“It’s my duty to ensure the safety of my pack. She is a threat to that.”

“I could?—”

“No,” I blurt out.

Finan’s expression doesn’t change, but his gaze sharpens. “Have you considered if perhaps you might be developing feelings for?—”

I growl. “Finish that sentence and you’re going out of the window, Fin.”

He clears his throat. “Have you tried…talkingto her?”

“She’s a feral. You don’t talk to ferals.” Why can’t I get this stupid collar to do what I need it to do? When I nearly choke myself, I give up. “You put them down before they lose control of their wolves and go on a rampage, killing everyone and everything within sight for no reason.”

His eyebrow rises.

I glare at him. “I was not like a rampaging animal at breakfast. Lower that eyebrow at once. I know control. Iamcontrolled. She will not win this battle of wills. The Wolf King does not lose.”

My fuckingGod, this woman is driving me to talk about myself in the third person.

Finan’s eyes sparkle with amusement. “Of course not, Alpha.”

“Let’s go to this meeting you insist is so important.” Spinning around, I stalk toward the door.

One of my least favorite tasks as Alpha is to mediate disputes. I don’t mediate all of them, thank fuck. Just the ones thatinvolve the most stubborn members of my pack. Finan is too understanding. A diplomat. Wolves don’t need diplomacy. They need someone to snarl at them to return them to order. Some people need to be made to listen.

In this case, Emilio and Joy have once again had a falling out which involved them nearly killing each other and destroying my home.

A soft throat clearing draws my gaze back to Finan, who hasn’t moved from where he was standing beside my bed. “What!”

His eyes dip. “Perhaps you might put on a pair of pants before your meeting.”

I look down and curse.

“My pants,” I snap, holding my hand out.

Finan picks up the black sweatpants I tossed on the bed and hands them to me.

I glare at him as I stuff them on, daring him to say one word. Just one damned word and I’ll launch him across this room.

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