Cassian's POV
"Cassian, let us go. We have a treaty. I'm an Alpha! Are you planning to start a war?" Rafel spoke in anger while he struggled to get his hands free.
"War?" I couldn't help but chuckle. How idiotic. "Your pack going into a war with mine will be considered suicide. Do you want that for your pack?"
"You signed a treaty!"
"You signed it too," I growled, causing him to flinch. "What made you think I'll let you go after you try to touch what's mine?" I glared down at him, my wolf was on the edge, wanting to tear down the flesh of the fool in front of us.
"I was drunk, o-okay? We weren't planning to do anything. We were just–"
"If you try to lie again, you'll end up like your beta, Rafel. So choose your words wisely." I warned him. I had no time for lies. I already knew the truth. I just wanted him to say it. The look of shame on his face as he admitted his mistakes is what I was looking for.
Rafel was sweating profusely. He looked at his beta, who was bleeding and lying on the floor, half dead. His nervous eyes fell on mine while I examined him uninterestedly.
He licked his cracked lips before stuttering out a reply. Is he really an Alpha? How pathetic. "We just wanted to try. She looked l-lonely…. You weren't giving her the attention she deserves, so we thought we'd keep her company…"
I raised a brow before I broke into a fit of laughter. My laugh made Rafel flinch and tense more than he already was.
"You wanted to keep her company?" I questioned, sporting a sadistic smile. "You already have a mate, Rafel. Do you know how fucking disgusting that sounds?" I growled.
I kept myself back from touching him because I didn't want his sickening stench on me. I'm not going to get dirty today.
"Elias, take care of him." I ordered one of my warriors. "Don't kill. Just make him wish he was dead and then throw him and his dumb beta out of our territory."
"Yes, Alpha," Elias replied eagerly. That guy always liked to mess with alphas. The gleam in his eyes made me remember the day when he chopped an alpha rogue into pieces because he dared to call me names. Rafel was in for a treat.
"Cassian, don't fucking joke with me. Tell this fucker to stay away from me or I'll come after you and your pack. I swear to the Moon Goddess—"
"Elias, shut him up."
"On it, Alpha!"
I lit a cigarette before walking out. All I heard were the annoying screams of Rafel as I walked towards the pack house. Fucking idiots. They really thought I would let it go?
I scoffed. There's nothing I hate more than dogs like him who don't know their place.
I reached the grand hall in no time. I stopped for a moment to throw away the half-burned cigarette before stepping in. The party was still lively and now everyone was dancing to some old-timey songs my mother arranged to play. I pursed my lips. This is going to give me a headache.
I rolled my eyes at their cheers and laughter. All the alphas who had their mates with them were already on the dance floor and along with them were mine and Ryder's parents. I let out a scoff as I watched them on the dance floor, dancing away to the cringe songs.
So lame.
Ivy was standing on the side awkwardly, while Ryder waited behind her like a bodyguard. She looked nervous and was giving out fake smiles to everyone who looked her way.
I wonder how someone frail like her managed to beat Rafel. Rafel might not be the strongest alpha out there but he's still an alpha. An omega taking him down is highly unlikely. Does she know how to fight? Even if she just did it out of pure instinct to defend herself, she had to have strength in her blow to get Rafel to fall onto his knees.
Did I underestimate her too much?
Hmm….
"You're back," Ryder let out a sigh of relief as soon as I got closer to them. "I'm out, man. I don't like loud music." He shook his head before walking out and grabbing a glass of wine from the tray of a waiter who was passing by.
Rascal. Didn't even let me talk.
"What did you do to them?" The omega was already in front of me when I turned back. I looked down at her wide eyes, staring at me expectantly for an answer. I took a glass of wine for myself. "Why? Are you worried about them?" I lifted a brow.
Her eyes narrowed. "He's an Alpha. I just don't want him to cause any trouble for our pack…"
I almost laughed at her concern. Trouble? Him? He'll have to meet the goddess for that to happen.
"We're not a small pack that would be troubled by petty alphas like him." I took a sip of my wine. "Enjoy the party," I told her before turning away to talk to the guests I didn't get to have a conversation with before. Even though I don't like crowded parties, I should at least make use of it now that I'm stuck in one.
My wolf was on high alert. Looking and scanning our surroundings, and pushing to the surface whenever someone got closer to that kid.
I made sure to stay close to the omega so she wouldn't run her pretty little ass into any more problems again. I was in the middle of a conversation about a potential business deal when my eyes fell on an unmated alpha asking her to dance.
She looked taken aback. I scanned the guy up and down. He looked polite and similar to her age. I made sure to look for any weapons on him. My wolf was scratching my mind relentlessly, telling me to go and drive the kid away.
When I looked at Ivy, her eyes were already on me. I think I saw a tint of mischief in her amber ones because the next thing I knew is that she had her hands in his. The boy gleefully took her to the dancefloor and twirled her around to the beat.
"That glass might break, Cassian. Go easy," The older alpha in front of me chuckled. "Let them have their fun. They're just dancing." He grinned at me.
"I don't mind." I shrugged off.
"You were glaring at him pretty viciously."
"That's just how I look," I took a sip of my wine.
"Now, that might be true." He laughed at his own joke while I just rolled my eyes.
—
The party continued for two more hours before we decided to call it off. I made sure everything was arranged for the people who decided to stay over before returning to our room. Ivy was already there, changed into comfortable clothes, and sitting on our bed with her hands in her lap, absentmindedly staring at nothing. She straightened her posture when I stepped inside, looking at me as if she was about to speak at any moment. She didn't.
I paid her no mind and went straight to take a shower. Parties are always exhausting. I need to relax a bit.
The kid was still up and sitting on the bed when I got back. "What is it?" I sighed.
I noticed that whenever she had something to ask me, she always fiddled with her clothes or hands. Like if she says something wrong, I might eat her alive.
"Are you not going to tell me what you did to those people?" She breathed out.
"They're taken care of. You don't need to worry about it." I put the towel away before taking out the hair dryer.
"You always keep things from me. I feel like a doll."
I exhaled heavily. "I made my men beat them up and throw them out of our territory. Are you satisfied now?"
Her eyes were wide as she stared at me. "But what if they—"
"They won't. They're not that brave." I cut her off.
I put the hair dryer away before stretching my limps. I looked back around to her still sitting up and just absentmindedly staring at her hands.
"Look," I said, catching her attention. "about what I said two days ago…I didn't mean it."
"W-What?"
Ugh…was it this awkward to apologize?
"When I told you to look for other men…I didn't mean it. I said that out of anger. I shouldn't have behaved that way. It's my fault." I breathed out.
She was silent and just staring at me like I suddenly grew two heads and popped a tail out of my ass. She stayed like that for a moment before her eyes narrowed skeptically. "Why are you suddenly apologizing? What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing. I just felt the need to do it." I shrugged it off.
"Are you–"
"Don't read too much into it. I just apologized because that wasn't something I'd say to anyone." I sat on the bed with my back against her.
I knew her eyes were on me. Her piercing stare every time I walked around half-naked was extremely hard to ignore.
"Sleep," I told her. How long is she going to stare at me?
"I'm not sleepy…" She replied.
I raked a hand through my hair. It's only half dry.
"How long did you train?"
"What?"
"I know you can fight. How long did you train?"
There was silence for a moment before she replied to me. "Papa started training me when I was little. I don't remember the exact time. As beautiful as it is, the forest is a dangerous place to live. Papa didn't want me to be perceived as weak because I am an omega."
"Hmm…" I nodded.
"Why didn't they kill your father?"
"I don't know… My papa didn't do anything bad. I know it. Even when we lived in the woods, he only talked fondly of his pack. I don't know what happened…"
That's suspicious. When Ryder went to investigate, the pack told him that they despised her father. Why would they let go of someone they hated that much? And her father held no grudges towards the pack?
There's something they're not revealing.
"Why did you ask?"
I turned to face her. "Nothing. I was just curious about the man who trained you so well that you were able to take an alpha down."
"Oh…I kicked his balls first…so it made the whole thing easy." She suddenly blurted out while scratching her cheek with a finger.
I raised my brows while she gave me an embarrassed smile.
"You did what?"
"Umm…kicked his balls? That's where guys are most sensitive, right?" She tilted her head before her cheeks suddenly turned red. "I-I once heard that the thing you have there easily experiences pain and plea—ugh, I mean I learned it long ago so I don't remember—oh my, look at the time! I should go to sleep. Goodnight!" She stuttered out in a hurry before hiding herself under the blanket.
I was surprised and a little amused. A small chuckle slipped past my lips at her reaction before I wiped that smile off my face.
What the hell am I smiling about?