Alpha Ember (ALPHA KANE BOOK 2)

12. Darius Does Something Good For Once

Ember

"I want to see the alpha," Redhead's companion declared, nostrils twitching as she sniffed the air. "He needs to bring back our kids." Her amber gaze locked onto the screen door on the opposite wall and she stomped over to it, boots thudding loudly against the wood floors. She threw it open so roughly I was surprised the glass didn't shatter, stalking out into the cold night without any hesitation. A mother wolf not afraid to confront the big bad wolf threatening its cubs- no matter how big or how bad that wolf was.

I wished my own mother was that ferociously protective and loving, too bad this woman was wasting all of those wonderful qualities on a rotten person. I wondered which specific rotten person was her son.

"Her name is Sue Taylor," Redhead told me archly. I hadn't been subtle in trying to puzzle out who the woman was. "Her sons are Eric and Hector Taylor. I'm Donna Reese, and my son who had to flee for his life because of your lies is Don Reese." She motioned to the crying woman. "She's Nina Jacob."

The woman whose son you got murdered. She didn't have to say it out loud. Nina sensed the unspoken statement anyway, sinking to her knees and hugging her shaking form as she rocked back and forth.

The sight broke my heart.

But my display of pity only pissed Donna off even further, she bared her sharp fangs at me and growled. "Save the acting for your clueless mate, kid."

She would've killed me if Jett wasn't here, I realized. The shock of the revelation was like ice water on my bare skin, sending shuddering chill after chill down my spine. It shouldn't have been that shocking, both Donna and Sue had already tried to attack me. Ian had pointed it out too, werewolves thought bloody murder was the answer to most of their problems. And now I was someone's problem. Not one someone either, but several someones.

"They're your alphas," Jett said. He was calm, unlike me who couldn't stop trembling. "Grief is no excuse for disrespect."

She curled her lip at him. "The one who better not give excuses is Kane."

She went after Sue, long hair like streaming red flames behind her.

I wanted to follow straight after them- I was getting a bad feeling about this whole thing- but faltered at the shrill pitch Nina's cries had taken on.

Jett looked on with a scowl.

"Jett."

He raised his brows at me.

"Can you calm her down?" I asked gently.

"She doesn't need to be calmed. The passing of a loved one creates a darkness within which we need to be swallowed whole by before we can gain the strength to face a world without that person."

The bad feeling increased in intensity, sharpening my reply. "Stop using fancy words to get out of comforting the poor lady."

He glowered. "I wish you'd be this outspoken when people threaten your life."

I winced. I'd forgotten how much his fact bombs felt when they were thrown in my face, but I didn't have the luxury of dealing with the aftermath of the explosion this time. There was a tugging in my chest that grew insistent by the second. "Please," I told him.

He sighed. Nodded.

I flashed him a thankful smile, hurried out toward whatever was making my heart beat fast.

***

May Wilder's garden was as eccentric as I remembered it, and showing no signs of neglect despite the fact that May had moved out long ago. Regardless of the healthy state of the eye-catching garden though, I didn't feel the usual need to take in the sight of the lovely plants, I also couldn't find the inner peace breathing in the fresh, flower scented air here right now.