Shift

Chapter 20

This is so long overdue. I apologize for making y'all wait. Life has been a lot. But I miss writing, so I'm going to work it into my schedule.

If there are any discrepancies, please let me know. I still can't find my notes, nor can I access the pages I had previously written for Shift. So, please, bear with me as I find my groove with writing this story again.

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Owen drove back to Sargent Jasper. The rest of the drive had been relatively quiet aside from Kota's incessant tapping at his phone. The moment that Owen's vehicle came to a stop in a parking spot outside Sargent Jasper, Kota slipped his phone into his pocket and I released a sigh of relief.

The Toma Pack's apartment was empty. Kota stood stiffly next to Owen, his focus was completely on me. His emerald eyes were full of mistrust. Every move I made had him tensing like he thought that I was going to do something to hurt him or his Alpha.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

Kota scoffed, "We do have jobs and school to attend to."

Owen shot Kota a look, but the Beta didn't seem to notice. Sean glanced between Kota and me. His lips pressed into a firm line. I wasn't sure what was going through his head, but maybe he could see that Kota and I are like water and oil. I didn't hate Kota. I even liked how much he cared for his pack, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to move past the way that he had treated me. I understood that he had some past difficulties and I felt bad that I was some sort of trigger for him, but threatening to harm me burned any bridge we had at being friends.

"Why aren't you at school?"

His eyes narrowed on me, "someone has to watch you."

Sean rolled his eyes, and gave Kota a little nudge, "I'm perfectly capable of watching over Sang, and protecting our Alpha."

Owen looked like the thought that anyone needed to protect him was the most ridiculous thing in the world. After what the masked man had said at the hospital, I was more than agreeable to protection for him.

Finally looking away from me, Kota glanced at Sean with a raised brow. "I'm not sure that you are."

The smirk that had been lifting the corner of Sean's mouth dropped immediately, and a growl built in his chest. Owen's head snapped up. His eyes darted between Sean and Kota. The tension building in the room was almost palpable.

I stepped towards Sean, "I don't think that he meant it that way. I think he means that you're too close to me."

If I was suspicious of someone, around the people I loved, of having nefarious motives then I would have to agree with Kota. Sean was too close. He'd have no problem protecting Owen should he need it; I knew that without a doubt. I didn't think that Sean would ever be able to see me as a threat though.

Owen stepped around the pair that appeared to be having a staring contest. He placed his hand on my shoulder. "Don't interfere with this. If Mr. Lee wants to challenge Sean's dominance then he will have to deal with the fallout."

I interlocked my hands behind my back to force myself to be still. "How does dominance in a pack work?"

"The most dominant in a pack is the Alpha. Being Alpha is about more than being the strongest. It's also about being able to properly care for everyone within the pack. The next dominant is the Beta. Like Mr. Lee and Mr. Weiland, they are in charge of guiding those that are lower in the pack. Mr. Lee relays what I tell him to, and ensures that things get done. He also comes to me if anyone in the pack is having difficulties so that I can handle it." Owen paused for a moment when Kota snarled at Sean who looked cool as a cucumber. "I believe that Mr. Lee often forgets that Sean is an Alpha. We for lack of a better term are co-Alphas, but Sean's wolf doesn't need the control that I do."