The moment Alpha Josh stepped in front of us, a chill snaked down my spine. Something was off. My mate's whole demeanor shifted, a subtle but profound change I felt acutely through the bond. Her fear and hesitation bloomed within me, an unwelcome echo I hadn't anticipated. When my eyes first fell on her, I'd felt the undeniable strength of our connection, but this… this raw vulnerability, this palpable uncertainty, was something entirely new. I'd never heard of mates being able to feel each other's emotions so intensely before the marking, but then again, no one truly had mates anymore. Perhaps this deep, shared feeling was simply a relic of a forgotten past.
My mate's unease was a clear signal, one that immediately put my protective instincts on high alert. But it wasn't just her discomfort; there was something fundamentally wrong with that Alpha, Josh. His smile was a cruel deception, his eyes burning with a darkness that belied any pretense of amity. I felt the raw aggression coiled in his stance, the barely suppressed urge to rip our joined hands apart. And when my mate, with a hesitant breath I couldn't ignore, called him brother, I knew she was shielding a significant secret. Josh's behavior was far from sibling-like; a hidden narrative was unfolding, and I would discover it. His earlier expectation that she would sit with him, not me, solidified my suspicion that I hadn't been mistaken.
In response to my mate's disquiet, a subtle wave of my Alpha Aura had unconsciously emanated from me. I felt her awareness of it, her calm acceptance a testament to our profound bond, but my attention was fixed on Josh. He didn't even flinch. Most wolves would involuntarily expose their necks in submission, but he remained impassive, utterly unmoved. I had released only a sliver of my power, yet it should have had some effect, however minimal. He was undoubtedly strong, I could feel it, but the undeniable knowledge that I possessed greater strength remained my absolute certainty.
With the Alpha gone, my attention was wholly captured by my mate. Her attempts to hide her inner turmoil and offer reassurance were evident, but they were transparent to my senses. She didn't need to articulate her pain; I would uncover it, just as I would uncover any threat to her well-being. She was my queen, and my commitment was absolute: to banish all fear from her life and to protect her with every fiber of my being.
The moment we stepped outside, my Beta, Matt, was waiting for us, a wide, almost goofy grin plastered across his face. As we walked towards him, I gestured. "This is Matt my Beta, this is..." I trailed off, turning to the woman beside me. It hit me then – I hadn't even gotten her name.
"Cassy," she supplied quickly, her voice a touch softer than I expected. "Cassy Blackwater."
*Cassy. Cassy Blackwater.* The syllables echoed in my mind, a new melody I was already trying to commit to memory.
Matt's grin faltered, replaced by a flicker of genuine surprise. "Blackwater? As in... daughter of Alpha David Blackwater?"
Cassy offered a smile then, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Stepdaughter," she clarified, her gaze darting back to me. I could feel a tremor of nervousness radiating from her, a familiar undercurrent I'd sensed earlier. Instinctively, I gave her hand a squeeze, a silent reassurance.
And that's when the pieces really started to click into place. The way she'd forced a smile, the stark contrast between her and Josh—my instincts were screaming that he was her "stepbrother", not just a sibling. My gut feeling about his predatory interest in her felt less like a guess and more like a dawning realization. Something was definitely not right here.
"Derick," I said quickly, catching her attention again. She looked at me, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes, as if trying to place something. "My name is Derick, by the way. I just realized I never actually told you that."
"It is nice to meet you, Derick," Cassy replied softly, and hearing my name spoken by her felt like a key turning in a lock, making my chest swell in a way I hadn't anticipated. I found myself almost holding my breath, wanting to understand this reaction in myself.
Matt coughed, a little too loudly, jolting me back to the reality of the room. We'd fallen into a silent, intense gaze, and I noticed a faint blush creeping up Cassy's neck as she subtly shifted her focus to Matt.
"How about we continue this discussion back at the Lodgings?" Matt suggested, his tone pulling Cassy away. She gave a small nod. "Did you need to see your parents before we head out?" he added, directing the question to her.
I watched Cassy, trying to decipher the subtle shift in her demeanor. She kept darting nervous glances my way, her lip caught between her teeth. "Um…" she began, her uncertainty palpable, but before she could voice whatever was on her mind, a shift in the air announced an approaching presence. Turning, I saw Alpha David walking towards us, his Luna and Son trailing close behind. The woman who approached was a striking echo of Cassy, a mature reflection with a distinctly different eye color. Luna Iris, her long black hair sculpted into an elegant bun, was clad in a light blue sun dress that seemed to shimmer in the afternoon light. Beside her, Alpha David Blackwater, a formidable presence at 6'3" with neatly kept dirty blond hair and sharp brown eyes, placed a guiding hand on her back. They halted before us, and a prickle of unease traced my spine as I felt their assessing gazes sweep over me.
But it was Josh, whose eyes were not on me, but openly, ravenously, roaming over Cassy's form. The possessive glint in his brown eyes, ignited a primal fire within me. It took every ounce of my control to quell the urge to lash out, to tear those covetous eyes from his face. He made no attempt to hide his belief that Cassy belonged solely to him.
Deep within, my wolf stirred, a low growl rumbling in my mind, demanding to assert dominance, to put this arrogant pup firmly in his place. I tightened my grip on Cassy's hand, anchoring myself to the comfort of her scent.
"Cassy," Alpha David began, his voice resonating with authority as he stopped directly in front of us, "Introduce us to your new mate."
A subtle stiffening rippled through Cassy beside me. I turned to her, catching the flicker of strain behind the forced smile that graced her lips. "Father," she began, her voice betraying a hint of apprehension, "this is Derick." She then turned her gaze to me, completing the introduction.
"Derick, this is Alpha David Blackwater and my Mother, Iris Blackwater. And of course," she added, a slight tremor in her voice, "you already know my brother, Josh Blackwater."
Releasing Cassy's hand, I extended mine towards Alpha David. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alpha. I assure you, I will treat your daughter with the utmost respect and care."
Alpha David Blackwater's grip was surprisingly weak, and his eyes, already holding a glacial quality, shifted to Cassy. He practically sneered as he looked her over, the blatant disdain radiating from him like a sickness. "Yes, well," he drawled, his voice dripping with condescension, "Considering how she showed up, I'm simply relieved she managed to find a mate. Any mate, it seems."
A furious heat surged through me, a primal instinct screaming to tear the mask from my face and show this arrogant Alpha precisely who he was daring to look at with such contempt. But I held myself in check. Though I was the Crown Prince, here, miles from my own territory, I was accompanied only by my Beta, Matt Johnson. Starting a confrontation here, with only Matt by my side, was foolish. David had no idea of my true station, and to reveal it prematurely would invite more danger than I could afford. Not until Cassy was safe back in my pack would I allow myself to truly unleash my fury. Until then, I would bide my time.
"Yes, well," I echoed, my voice laced with a mocking sweetness that mirrored his own tone, "I'm just relieved she chose me, considering how, I, showed up." Alpha David's jaw tightened, clearly unaccustomed to such a blunt retort. He opened his mouth as if to unleash a torrent of disapproval, but I cut him off smoothly.
"Anyway, it was a pleasure meeting you, Alpha David. However, I'm sure my mate is quite weary and would appreciate the opportunity to rest before the ball." I gently placed a hand on Cassy's back, steering her subtly, and then turned my gaze back to her family, a polite smile plastered on my face, a stark contrast to the storm brewing within.
Alpha David glared, his lips thinning into a tight line, but he merely nodded, a silent acknowledgment of my dismissal. Her mother, Iris, offered a surprisingly amused smile, her eyes twinkling with an unreadable emotion. Josh, however, finally dragged his lecherous gaze away from my mate. He looked me up and down with a calculating intensity, his expression unreadable, but I felt the unspoken challenge in his stare. He seemed passive, but I sensed a predator's stillness, a coiled threat I'd need to keep an eye on.
"Lets go Cassy," I said softly and led her to the car my Beta was waiting at.