Page 158 of The Lands Defying
“No, you decided to give me attitude, you go over my shoulder.” He turns and heads west. “Are you just going to stand there?” he asks Josh, and I see his legs move in my upside-down view.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” I ask Josh, gripping Darius’s waist to try and see him better.
“Nope,” Josh replies, but I can hear the smirk in his voice. “What you two get up to is none of my business.”
“Really?” He has to be joking. “Who’s the traitor now,” I mutter.
“Yup, who am I to get between you two Vihnarns. I like my life, thanks.” I scowl and he chuckles, bending down so we are face-to-face as I lean up. “Despite everything, I’m happy you have him, Rhea,” he says quietly before patting my head.
“I think I am too,”I tell him down the link, which gets me a swat on my ass.
“Behave,” Darius warns, and I twitch on his shoulder from the sting. “I can help you with that.” He kneads my ass cheek.
“Later,” I whisper, my cheeks heating instantly at the word. Darius rumbles a pleased sound and I roll my eyes.
Damn Alphas.
We arrive at the cabin a short while later, the laughter quickly leaving us behind.
Darius sets me down in front of a cabin that we used to use for members who were prone to violence, the ones that we had to separate when the females were in heat.
It isn’t lost on me that Kade is now in here for his outbursts.
An Elite stands up straighter as he notices Darius, raising a fist to his chest in respect and bowing his head.
“Alpha,” he says in a nod, and then his eyes flick to me. “Alpha.”
I’m stunned for a moment, and then I wave him off. “Just Rhea.”
He gets a panicked look on his light brown face as he looks to Darius for a moment “Sorry, Alpha, um— Rhea. Alpha.”
Josh laughs behind his hand as Darius speaks. “Don’t worry, Kieth, Rhea doesn’t like the pack structure.”
He’s kinda right. We should all be treated as equals, but there is a time and a place for pack structure to be needed. To calm and reassure your pack members. To keep them safe.
Otherwise, I’m just Rhea.
I kick Josh in the shin when he mimics me being called Alpha. He pinches me in return and the glare on Darius’s face stops us both from continuing.
“Any changes?” Darius asks.
Kieth’s eyes glance to mine. “He was throwing things around in the room a while earlier, Alpha. But that has since stopped for some time.”
Darius nods. “Go stretch your legs, I will have someone else posted here for the remainder of the day.
Kieth fists his chest, and then there’s a flash of dark fur before he’s off, running into the trees.
The cabin is silent when I look at it, no sign of any movement within.
“He’s in there?” I ask Josh, making sure. He comes to stand next to me.
“He is.” He takes my hand in his, squeezing gently. “He’s struggling, Rhea. Just, prepare yourself.”
I peek at Josh as he looks at the cabin, eyes a little sad. My eyes follow it to the door, knowing Kade is in there and scared to enter.
What if it’s like last time?
What if he can’t look at me? What if he does and it’s full of disgust?
