The fight hadn't gone exactly as I expected. Lisa was skilled—I had predicted that much—but toward the end, if Aries hadn't stepped in, I had no idea how things would have played out. There was a moment, just before he called it, where I could feel something shifting in Lisa, like she was about to lose control.
So much for being cool and composed.
As I made my way toward Rose, I caught Lisa and Phillip giving me a look. I was tempted to stick my tongue out or flip them off, but I controlled myself. Lisa needed time to heal—physically and emotionally. Humiliation wasn't something she was used to.
Still, I couldn't help but chuckle at my own thoughts.
The moment I reached Rose, she practically bounced in excitement.
"How did you learn to fight like that?! You looked so cool!"
I shrugged, trying to downplay it. "I trained a bit with my Ma. I'm not really that good, I just got lucky."
Rose scoffed. "Oh, please. No need to be humble. I'm so happy you won. Maybe now Lisa will finally learn her place." She laughed, and I smiled. Seeing her happy made me feel… good. It wasn't often I got to have that kind of effect on someone. Well, except Maron.
Then, Rose turned to me with a determined expression. "You have to teach me how to fight, Rex! You saw how bad I was out there. And Lily? She didn't make it any easier for me. I mean, come on—she's my brother's Third! There was no way I was ever gonna win that fight." She huffed, rolling her eyes dramatically.
Before I could respond, a voice chimed in from behind us.
"I can hear someone gossiping about me."
Rose spun around. "I wasn't gossiping, Lily. I was just stating the truth."
Lily approached with an amused smirk, but it was the guy beside her that caught my attention. He was handsome—I couldn't deny that. But not in the same way as Aries. Aries had this effortless, clean-cut charm, like one of those human guys you'd see in a college brochure.
Wait. Why was I thinking about Aries?
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, only to realize I had completely zoned out.
"Rex, you okay?" Rose asked, nudging me.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I replied quickly.
Lily grinned. "I really loved the way you fought, Rex. It was calculated and precise. We should train together sometime."
I nodded, feeling a little flattered. The guy beside her also gave me a nod, and I suddenly became aware of the power rolling off him. He was a Beta. That meant—
"I'm Julian, by the way. Aries' Beta." He smirked. "You had that same confused look Rose gets during pack meetings, so I figured I'd introduce myself."
"Hey! I don't make that face!" Rose protested.
"You do." Lily deadpanned.
They both burst out laughing, and despite myself, I chuckled. They were easy to be around—something I wasn't used to.
"Can I call you Rex?" Julian asked, tilting his head.
"Of course," I said, feeling oddly comfortable.
"Niceee," he grinned. "Also—great job knocking Lisa on her ass. She had it coming."
As we started walking toward the pack house, Julian continued, "Honestly, I was going to do it myself if the girls in this pack were too much of wimps to try. Maybe throw on a little skirt, crop top… make it a fair girl-on-girl fight. And trust me, I can pull off that fit."
His expression was so serious, I nearly choked on laughter. The whole group erupted, and before I knew it, I was laughing loudly. It felt strange… but nice.
"Julian, what the hell was that?" a voice called out from nearby.
Before I could pinpoint where it came from, Aries stepped into view.
Julian barely missed a beat. "Oh, Alpha, nothing. Just gracing these ladies with my charm." He grinned.
Aries' gaze flicked to me, his expression unreadable, but I ignored it. Julian was hilarious, and there was no denying it.
Then, without hesitation, Julian slung an arm around Aries' shoulder like they were lifelong drinking buddies.
My jaw nearly hit the ground. How could he do that to his Alpha?!
But Aries didn't react. He just sighed, shoving Julian off with minimal effort before they resumed walking ahead of us, deep in conversation.
I turned to Rose and Lily, still baffled. "Is no one surprised by that? Julian just—he touched him. Shouldn't he be showing respect or something?"
Lily threw an arm over my shoulder, grinning. "Oh, Rex, sweet little Rex."
Rose giggled. "They're not just Alpha and Beta, they're actually best friends. They grew up together."
Lily nodded. "Julian may be an annoying little shit, but he knows when to be serious. The rest of the time? He's just Julian—Aries' BFF."
"You should see them bicker," Rose added. "They act like children."
That… surprised me. I hadn't imagined Aries having that kind of dynamic with anyone. It made me realize just how little I actually knew about him.
And for some reason, that bothered me.
Before I could dwell on it, a sharp shout shattered the moment.
"TAKE COVER!"
Then—gunfire....