An Alpha's Alpha

Apart

"No." Her whispered protest stilled him, sending a falling sensation through his middle.

Her tone, uneven and her breathing laboured. Her eyes were diluted with lust, a need that Jake was refusing to ignore any longer, mirrored in his gaze.

"We can't." She continued, wanton need written across her face, juxtaposed against her words. "We can't do this, Jake."

He growled before he could stop himself, "...your pack comes first, Jake. Our packs will always come first. They don't trust me, and maybe they shouldn't."

Whilst she wasn't wrong, it didn't mean that Jake wanted to admit she was right.

Jake leaned his head forwards, his forehead resting against hers. He breathed in her scent, the smell of her wolf wrapping around him and filling him, calling to his wolf. Cassidy shivered beneath him and Jake's resolve to let her go, nearly snapped.

"Mine." Jake growled, his eyes flashing wolf as he pulled away from her.

Cassidy's breath caught in her throat, a want pulling at her insides, her wolf fighting for dominance, fighting to acknowledge the claim in Jake's words. But, what she'd said to Jake wasn't a lie. Her pack would always come first and despite the feeling that she could find a home here, her pack needed her and they needed her to keep them safe.

Yes, she had her pack back, but it didn't mean that they were out of danger and she wouldn't be the one to get Jake injured, or worse.

Biting back the words her wolf wanted to speak, Cassidy broke the silence that had formed in the forest. "I'm not yours, Jake. You aren't mine."

She placed a light hand on his chest and pushed him away, he could have resisted, she didn't use any effort, yet he stepped back.

Cassidy couldn't bring herself to look at Jake and see the hurt written across his face. She knew it would mimic the feeling she had inside, and she couldn't bare the reality of it.

Brushing past him, Cassidy walked away and headed off to find her pack, eager to make sure that they were ok. It was nearly time to leave, again.

***

"Alpha!" They chorused, slouched in various positions around the room. The warmth in their greeting and the relief at having them all in one place again, almost lessened the cold, empty feeling she'd been trying to ignore since she left Jake in the forest.

Back in the safety of his home, his scent clung to her skin. She decided that the only reason she suddenly felt better was because her pack was here, and it was nothing to do with being in Jake's home, surrounded by his belongings, his scent.

Leah, sat propped up on some pillows on Cassidy's bed, interrupted her thoughts with a whispered curse. Instantly, Cassidy was aware of the pain waves humming around the wolf.

"Leah, shouldn't you still be in the medical centre?"

The she-wolf smiled grimly. "They kept staring. I didn't like it."

Cassidy rolled her eyes as she plonked down onto the bed beside her, "where's J?"

Saf, perched delicately on the other side of the bed, shrugged, "haven't seen her since you went charging off into the trees, a certain wolf following your tail." She teased, a whisper of "oohs" chasing her comment.

Cassidy shifted and ducked her head, fighting the blush. "Yeh, well. It's nothing."

"Nothing? He protected you in front of his pack. He protected us-" Saf fell into silence as she caught the glare on Cassidy's face, her wolf prickling her skin.

"He saved my life. That's all." The look that Saf and Leah shared went unnoticed.

"You bled. You burned." Kelsey whispered, making Cassidy jump. She knew she was in the room but hadn't realised how close she was. Kelsey stood right behind Cassidy, eyes staring into hers.

"Yes, I did, Kelsey." Cassidy stood up and turned to face her girls. "Caine found me, I don't know how, but he did. He sent one of his minions and he stabbed me." She gently pulled the hem of her shirt up, until the ugly, jagged scar was exposed. "The knife was poisoned so the scar hasn't healed yet, but I'm alive and safe, all thanks to Jake and his pack."

"We owe them." Leah said quietly.

"They shot you. I think our debt is paid, Le'" Saf cut in, her tone harsh in the silent room.

The awkward silence hung in the air for a while, until Cassidy noticed Kelsey staring at her. Her eyes looked odd, Cassidy noted. Her pupils larger than normal, her wolf flickering as though fighting an unknown force. When their eyes met, it was like something snapped inside Kelsey, as hungry eyes roamed Cassidy's form.

Before Cassidy could scream out in warning, Kelsey spoke.

"Hello, Love."

Everyone froze, as all attention turned to Kelsey. Her face was contorted, a borrowed smirk lingering on her face. Her eyes looked harder than before, a cruelty she didn't own echoed in her features. Her voice had dropped an octave lower and despite the words falling from her friend's mouth, Cassidy knew it was not intentional.

"Caine." She whispered, her voice catching on his name, as though her tongue refused to acknowledge him. "Let her go."

When Caine had first targeted Kelsey, he'd used tricks like these to isolate and confuse. He'd spent months slowly driving Kelsey insane, slowly ebbing away at her personality until all that remained was a familiar shell. That kind of torture....she never stood a chance, no one did. Ever since then he'd had the ability to speak through her, to use her a vessel, but only if he was close by.

Pain surged through their pack link, as Caine sent wave after wave of excruciating pain into Kelsey's mind. All of them felt it, but none more so than Cassidy, as memories flooded her mind, memories she'd fought so hard to escape.

"I'll see you soon." He promised, before Kelsey's face changed, her features more familiar and her eyes coming into focus.

It was as though the room breathed out a sigh of relief, as the temperature rose back to its normal level. It seemed brighter than before.

"Alpha?" A small voice whispered, before an unseen force rammed Kelsey's head into the nearest wall and she crumpled into a heap on the floor.

****

A/N

I'm so, so, so sorry.

Sorry.

So sorry.

So I know it has been WEEKS since the last update and I apologise - thank you so much to everyone who's commented/voted and added to reading lists and I'm sorry I haven't replied/ thanked etc. You are all incredible humans and I really appreciate you taking the time, not only to read this, but also to engage and comment and vote etc.

I've been MIA for a while, firstly because I was ill and then because I'm in the process of buying a HOUSE. (Holy hell, I'm not an adult yet. I refuse to be an adult yet! Where's Peter Pan when you need him?!) So, Yeh, I've been pretty distracted with that, so haven't been around - but I'm back! I promise I'm back now!

So here's a bonus update, with another one due on Friday hopefully!! :)

Anyway, hope you're all enjoying this - and having a great life - speak soon!

Also, quick question - do you think Jake will give up on Cassidy so easily?

Watch this space...

V_F