An Alpha's Alpha

Truth

He went to move towards her, "don't" she warned, half in anger and half in fear. Her wolf lingered close beneath her skin, ready for any eventuality.

He seemed to hum with anger and pent-up rage, be it from her endangering his pack or the tranquilliser, either way, he was angry with her.

He took a step forward, she growled under her breath and took a step back, slipping behind the kitchen counter. He kept coming but stopped when he reached the kitchen, the counter between them. He was respecting her space, her wolf's space - which meant that he didn't intend to kill her, yet.

He didn't speak, but nor did she. He just watched her calmly, his eyes boring into hers. She bristled underneath his unwavering gaze. Seconds turned to minutes, which lasted a lifetime. Finally, he blinked. His arm reached into his pocket and a small card skidded across the kitchen counter towards her.

"Tell me who Caine is." His tone was calm, yet authoritative, his wolf lending its power to his words. It was not a request, or a plea, simply a demand, and not one to challenge her authority. She realised, possibly slightly too late, that this was 'Jake the Alpha' speaking to her, not Jake the man who'd tried to mate with her only hours earlier.

That must be why he'd respected her space, he was all business, driven by his need to protect his pack. Cassidy straightened her shoulder, sucking air between her teeth as she considered her options. She could tell him everything, she could. Or, she could avoid the topic altogether. "I'm sorry for your loss, Alpha Jake. My pack and I will leave your parklands in the morning. I'm sorry to have brought this darkness to your door." She finished with a nod, effectively dismissing the conversation.

Ducking her head, she went to step around the counter - and him - when his arm snapped out in front of her, blocking her retreat. His arm shook with anger, his eyes slowly travelling up to her, a mixture of unbridled anger, fear and sadness in his eyes. It made her heart pang with sadness and guilt, she'd brought him so much pain.

"Alpha Jake." She started formally, "I-"

A bowl, probably designed for use for fruit, flew across the room, smashing against the wall. She stared at the shattered pieces, before slowly turning to the heaving man next to her. His arms had curled in front of him, his fists wound tight. She could see him battling his wolf. "Jake." She whispered, longing to reach out and take away the pain, the anger - take it all away.

"Tell me who Caine is." He half growled, more wolf than man demanding the answer this time.

Nervously, she ran a hand through her hair, before retrieving the small card from the counter, eager to distract him. The card was familiar, the handwriting on the front confirming her worst fears. She slowly unfolded it, her eyes scanning the words before flitting back up to Jake. He watched her, curiously, obviously eager to see her reaction to Caine's words:

'I'll see you soon, mate.'