Mutation

Integration

While we ate, I retold the story of the Buchannan and O'Shallesey Bear Clans to Alex. He listened while I spoke and didn't say a word until I was finished.

"Well... neither my wolf nor I knew anything about how... extensive... shifter spirit history was" he said, taking the explanation very calmly.

"Yeah, Memerat said you wouldn't know" I responded as I began to stand up and take my plate to the sink. Before I could fully stand, Alex took my plate and walked over to the sink. "Hey, wait, I can-" I began to object.

"Sit down" he growled, but not in anger. I could feel a sarcastic retort bubbling inside me but then a thought came to me.

He's just a brutish man...

He honestly has no idea how to express his feelings. He tries to do nice things but always messes them up when he opens his mouth.

I sighed and sat back down, watching his back as he cleaned the dishes.

"You need to start more extensive training" he said from the sink. I glared at his back, ready to forget the revelation I just had when he continued "you're strong right now, but there are so many things you could learn to do with your abilities. You shouldn't just kill this guy, you should decimate him."

Back to confused. Trying to understand him confused me beyond belief. I think he's trying to sympathize with me by helping seek revenge.

"You're right" I responded, then stood up and headed back to his room. I grabbed my car keys from the desk where I had seen them earlier and hustled my way back downstairs. As I passed the kitchen doorway I heard, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Uhhh, to get some clothes, DAD" I retorted sarcastically.

"Did you miss the part about a homicidal maniac who wants to kidnap you last night or are you just stupid?... and don't call me dad" he practically yelled.

"I'm not stu-" I took a deep breath and shut my eyes, reigning my temper in. He's an idiot. An emotionally stunted idiot. Breath. I chanted that mantra over and over again. "Go with me then" I ground out through gritted teeth.

"Fine" he responded. He stormed past me and headed to his room, I'm assuming to change clothes.

"Bring my clothes" I yelled as an afterthought.

"What an interesting thing to say to someone you hate" a masculine voice said behind me. It felt like I jumped a mile out of my skin. His unexpected voice had my heart racing.

"Holy crap Beta Andrew" I gasped, holding my heart.

"What? Only the guilty get that scared. What have you been doing?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I-What?" I asked. He continued to stare at me and wagged his eyebrow suggestively, glancing from me to the direction Alex just left. "What?! Ew no, oh geez, stop!"

He chuckled loudly and pulled open the fridge, "Well you can't blame me for thinking that, considering what you're wearing."

"I-" I began, but realized just how awful this entire situation looked, "Oh just shut up. And get out, people are banned from this part of the house anyways".

"I'm just getting some of MY juice" he said as he grabbed the bottle of juice from the fridge. He walked out of the kitchen with his usual swagger, "And yes, I know it was you that drank my last bottle" he said over his shoulder as he went upstairs.

I laughed to myself.

"What?" Alex asked as he walked up. He thrusted my clothes at me roughly.