b208 /bbCaine/b. bDisdain /b

    208 Caine: Disdain

    He’s not wrong, which only adds to its irritating vor.

    The teenager leans against the doorframe, arms crossed and eyebrows raised in what can only be described as pure adolescent judgment.

    He’s obviously idoing /ithis for a reason, Fenris says, finally helpful. He’s not happy iwith /i

    iyou/ii. /i

    “No.” He jerks his thumb toward Reggie’s unconscious form, meeting my gaze without a single flinch. “Take care of that first.” 1

    Instead, the kid shifts, deliberately blocking my path.

    “Inside,” Ron answers, unfazed.

    Ron looks me over, from head to toe, in a strangely assessing way. Then he says reluctantly, “And your looks, probably.”

    b3 /b

    “So, are you just gonna let her ex–boyfriend wander around her whenever he feels like it?” His tone drips with disdain. “I thought the almighty Lycan King would be able to keep Grace safe. Not looking too reliable from where I’m sitting.”

    Reggie’s still over there, unconscious, a pathetic representation of our kind.

    But I can’t let insubordination slide, even from a child under my protection.

    My teeth grind even further.

    Just shut up and manifest alreadyi. /i

    Ron doesn’t budge from his sentry position. I move to brush past him, eager to see Grace with my own eyes, confirm her safety, and breathe in her scent to calm the storm raging inside me.

    CAINE

    Ron stares at me with clear, calm eyes. “It better not.”

    “To keep you safe.”

    Still a coward, though.

    b208 /bbCaine/bb: /bDisdain.

    If I discipline him, Grace will probably be upset. She’s protective over bthese /bbchildren /band too soft–hearted. Pack discipline is much harsher than what she bwould /bhave bgrown /bup with as a human, though the details of how Brax raised her are a bbit /bbfuzzy/b.

    I swear, if Fenris was manifested-

    My back stiffens. “Move.”

    Pacing the perimeter helps keep my boiling blood at a simmer, even as Fenris growls and snaps in my head. He’s been half–asleep all morning, grumpy with the decision bto /bkeep him away from Grace and the children, and harassing me every step of the way

    here to remind me how terrible of an idea that was.

    “Hah.”

    It’s suspicious she hasn’te out and allowed the teenager out here on his own to greet me. Also, mildly annoying. Does she not want to see me as much as I want to see her?

    The girl seems to attract trouble in a strange way.

    This particr detail soothes something primal inside me. Fenris rumbles with approval.

    Of course not. The Lycan King has no qualms about disciplining his unruly children. His Queen, on the other hand…

    Ron blinks at me like I’m being deliberately obtuse. “Aren’t you supposed to be keeping your rtionship a secret?”

    Ron nods. “He’s gone now. Grace was pissed.”

    “It won’t.”

    iRight/ii. /iiIt’s /idefinitely because iyou’re /iscared of Grace and not because iyou /iwant to icoddle /ithem iall /iifor /ithe irest /iiof /itheir lives.

    He nces around me, and I follow his gaze.

    My mrs grind together at Fenris’s oh–so–helpfulmentary.

    The camper door creaks open and my head jerks up, my heart jumping eagerly. I’m blike /ban overzealous pup, desperate for an ounce of affection–but the feeling dissipates

    b208 /bbCaine/bb: /bDisdain

    almost immediately.

    iI /iilike /ihim.

    An upset Grace will be even more unwilling to acknowledge our rtionship publicly.

    “Where’s Grace?”

    The boy isn’t afraid–not even remotely. His heartbeat remains steady, his gaze unwavering. He has absolute faith I won’t hurt him, and it calms the rising annoyance in my chest.

    Retracting my glower, I focus on what’s important.

    I pause. Even Fenris halts his mental barbs.

    My head jerks back a little. “The ionly /ithing?”

    This time, I’ll leave Fenris here. I’ve only been gone a short amount of time and she’s already dealt with an insubordinate Lycan and this pathetic little alpha sniffing around; who knows what else she’d deal with if given a few more hours.

    My eyes narrow as I assess the boy’s unexpected challenge. Something unexpected flickers beneath my annoyance. The kid has balls, speaking to me this way. Most grown men wouldn’t be able to.

    All the Lycans are now aware of my fury with Reggie; they’ll be walking on eggshells around Grace. Of course, I was careful to reiterate that we are not mates per her wishes.

    Instead of cowering, Ron drops onto the camper steps with casual disregard and lets out a dramatic sigh.

    That damned whelp of an alpha was here.

    More importantly, he’s protective of Grace.

    iAbusing /iianimals /iis illegal under humanwsi. /i

    iWow/i. iYour /iintelligence has risen another pointi. /iCongrattions on leveling iup /iiyour /ibasic humanityi. /i

    “Raphael was here.”

    b208 /bCaine: Disdain

    biNo/i/b, iI /iijust /iidon’t /iwant to ishare /iime /iiwith /imy iidiot /iisoulbond/ii. /i

    Shoving my annoying wolf’s presence to the back of my head as much as I’m bable/bb, /bbI /bsquint at the boy in front of me. “You’re upset with me.”

    “Get out of my way, then.”

    Fucking coward of a wolf.

    I barely nce at Reggie’s unconscious form sprawled several feet from the camper. bI’ll /baddress his failure to protect what’s mer.

    iNot /iiso /iispineless /iiif /iihe’s /isneaking around behind iyour /iback ito /iiget /iito /iher.

    It’s Ron who emerges, shutting the door behind him to close off even a hint of Grace’s scent. There’s the faint scent of blueberry out here, something I’d breathe in deep in other situations, but not when it’s mixed with her spineless ex’s.

    iNo /iway. iI’m /iinot /iimanifesting /iuntil I iknow /ishe isn’t iangry/ii. /i

    Good.

    1

    My overeager steps slow as I approach the witch’s RV, an unwee and all–too–familiar scent heavy in the air.

    “No.”

    I stop my pacing and level a re in his direction, though I temper its intensity–no need to scare him. Grace would be upset.

    What the hell is this?

    “Oh, you just figured that out?” His lip lifts in a little sneer. “The only thing you have

    is you your power, and you’re not even capable of keeping her safe from your going for own people.”

    I suck in a deep breath, reminding myself I see this child as my own son. He’s usually more responsible and less audacious, but he’s mine now, and throwing my child off the steps is not an appropriate response to the situation.

    iI /iilike /iwatching you istruggle /i

    The temperature between us drops several degrees. Fenris snickers. bUnder /bbnormal /bsituations, he would be as irritated as I feel, but he seems to enjoy bwatching /bbRon /bget in

    208 Caine: Disdain

    our way.

    I frown, momentarily distracted. Applesauce? “That doesn’t exin why you won’t let me inside.”

    “She’s taking a shower with Bun,” Ron exins, still perfectly calm. “There was an incident with applesauce.”

    “Why’d you send him over, anyway?”

    “It won’t happen again,” I assure the kid, reminding myself he’s in need of protection. He’s upset with me because I failed to protect his family; it’s understandable. No point in picking fights with children. “He won’te near her.”

    It has inothing /iito /iido /iiwith /iiyou /iibeing /itoo lenient to iy /ia hand on ihim/ii, /iFenris drawls.

    My eye twitches. This kid…

    The grimace on my facees half from the reminder and half from Fenris’s mockingughter. “There’s no issue with checking on her safety.”

    My eyes narrow, but I can’t exactly argue with his mocking sneer in the Lycan’s direction. “Don’t worry. It won’t happen again.”