Page 45 of Cruel Alpha Beast
It’s enough to keep her quiet, and soon enough, breakfast is done. The men head over to the front door before sunrise. Sawyer looks at me and gives me a nod.
“Be safe,” I tell him.
“I will,” he replies.
I follow them out onto the porch, leaving Shea alone in the kitchen for the tiniest moment. I stand on the front step for just enough time to watch the men become wolves and dart off toward the lake.
Chapter 18 - Sawyer
As I lead the others to the new meeting place, the sun is still breaking through the sky. One of the twins is sitting on the edge of the lake with a backpack at her side, playing with her messy hair. Peering out at us from behind the swarm of cat-o’-nine-tails is the other. And judging by the green bulb of light she has floating in her hand, the second one is Danielle.
Neither looks like they have slept all night.
I shift back into a human, inspiring the other alphas and Greg to do the same. Monroe looks over her shoulder to the woods behind them while Danielle eyes each of us individually. I can see in her eyes that she’s uncomfortable, but she still greets me with a polite nod.
“Glad to see you two are alright,” I tell them honestly. “Now, what happened last night? And what can we do to help?”
Danielle swallows hard, but before she can answer, Monroe rises from her seat and points at the forest, her lips parted in a small circle.
Just then, I hear the sounds of footsteps on the earth. A small figure comes through, and I don’t recognize her at first. The woman’s face and body are covered in bruises and cuts. If it weren’t for her strawberry blonde hair and the self-satisfied grin on her face, I may not have figured out it was Violet.
Sensing Ellis, Jasper, and Greg’s confusion, I reach behind me and hold out a hand, silently telling them to just stay quiet for now.
Violet’s devious eyes drift from each of us men to Monroe’s, before finally landing on Danielle’s. “Ladies, ladies,ladies…” she purrs. “What are you doing here with these filthy mongrels?”
Jasper growls in his throat, causing Violet to throw him a wicked glance.
“Oh, someone should swat that little pup with a rolled-up newspaper,” she says, tutting and shaking her head. “That could be arranged very quickly if you don’tbehave.”
I turn my head, throwing Jasper a warning glance. I hope he can read in my eyes just how dangerous this woman really is.
“I think the more important question is, why areyouhere?” Danielle asks, her voice only quavering a little. She’s scared, but it’s clear she’s trying to keep Violet’s attention on her and only her.
The respect I have for her grows exponentially.
“Oh, I just came to warn my favorite twins,” Violet says in a sickeningly sweet voice, stepping closer to the sisters. “You see, things are going to change very soon, for the better. For all of us. But all you need to do is stop contacting these fleabags. And stop trusting that old bat, Penelope.”
Monroe rises swiftly, as if someone flipped her switch on right then and there. “There isn’t a single person I would trust over Penelope. Least of all,you.”
“And who do you think you’re talking to?” Violet’s eyes and nostrils flare. “If I were like you, and I couldn’t do magic—heh, well, I probably would have walked into this river with rocks in my pockets, but that’s beside the point.”
Violet steps closer to Monroe, creating another fireball in her hands, tossing it up and down like a yo-yo as she circles the young woman. From what I’ve seen of Monroe, she isn’t asloud or sure of herself as her twin. But right here, right now, she stands tall. Brave in the face of danger.
“What I’m trying to say,” Violet continues, “is that I would worry about all of the things someone who has a problem with you could do.”
“I’m not scared of you,” Monroe tells her defiantly.
“Maybe you should be,” Violet says, levitating that ball of fire very close to Monroe’s face.
But before Monroe’s eyebrows can singe off, Danielle gestures with her hand in a way that looks like she’s waving someone over. Except instead of a person coming over, it’s a splash of water from the lake at our sides. The tiny little wave douses the fireball, leaving a tiny cloud of steam.
“Leave my sister alone, you crazy bitch,” Danielle says as calmly as she possibly can.
“You should use that water to clean your mouth out, Danielle,” Violet says venomously.
“And you should take a fucking hint,” Danielle counters. “I’m much more powerful than you could ever dream of being, so good luck with whatever scheme you’re concocting, Vi. Because I’ll bring you down myself if I have to.”
Fear flashes on Violet’s face for the briefest moment, and it’s like she becomes a different person. But then she becomes her awful self once more and throws her bruised and battered head backward, laughing up at the sunny sky.
