Eve

A wave of anger ploughs into me, knocking the breath out of my lungs. I'm starting to get a recurring sense that all these damn wolf people do is boss everyone around. It's getting on my last nerve, and I have had it. I'm sick to death of letting it happen, and for all I care, I would rather go down swinging as me rather than their bitch.

Taking a shaky step forward, the only person who hasn't been named so far sticks an arm out to intercept me, but it dawns on me that it's for protection when Jax's eyes burn brighter. Sucking in a deep breath, I growl, "I am here you know? I'm sick to high heaven of all of you wolf people ordering me around, especially after either attacking me or being involved in the matter!"

Once they shut up, all eyes are on me, but the familiar response to attention doesn't rise.

"I am not going anywhere with either of you," I state, glaring mostly at Jax. "All I want is to go home and forget all of this had ever happened for Christ's sake, and for crying out loud, stop calling me female, I have a name!"

Inhaling deeply to control my ragged breathing, I see the one now labelled as Kaden is sporting parted lips while his companion's eyes have slightly widened. As for the last one in the room, I can't see his face. The rage I had been feeling begins to subside now that no one is saying anything, and insecurity is quick to surface. When Jax's eyes begin to simmer from that strange glow, I take it that he's calmed down, and the stillness in burgundy's shoulders let me know he's eased up too.

"What do you want to be called?"

I'm taken aback by the straightforward question, but I'm proud my forwardness has placed me on common ground.

Should I be telling him my name though? One wolf on the verge of finding it is bad enough, but three? I'm asking to be served on a menu.

"I'm sorry, but do you honestly need my name?" I return, and there's a small chuff in front of me, and Kaden quietly watches the exchange.

"I guess not," Jax snorts, bridging his arms over his chest. Unlike my helper, their clothes aren't torn, and it's strangely intriguing to me. "But it is my duty to offer those newly turned a place in my pack."

A pack? With more of them?

"That's rich," helper scoffs under his breath.

"Something to say, rogue?" Jax fires, distaste dripping off each word.

I'm smart enough to know that's not his name but a label, one that's being used as an insult.

There's a warning growl. "Yeah, you're full of shit. First sign of trouble, your pack tends to boot them out on their asses before hearing the whole story."

Jax's eyes start to shimmer, and I'm stunned by the sight of his elongated canines. Gripping helper's arm, his muscles tense beneath my fingers.

"They're not going to lay a hand on you."

The words leave me breathless. I never expected to hear such a thing from him, and it only tips the scales toward the point where they're threatening to fall off kilter.

"You just had to, didn't you?" he seethes, eyes now two glowing rings of sapphire. "You can act—"

The sight of Kaden's face shocks me to the core. His head is turned down, fists balled, and what I saw of his features hold an unbelievable amount of grief. And neither of them can see it. Gritting my teeth, I focus on the sight of his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as I snap back to the conversation.

"—like what you did wasn't wrong. You still killed—"

"That's enough!" I scream, earning a nasty glare from Jax, but the threatening step he takes in our direction stops. Glancing down, I see my helper's nails have elongated, and I'm assuming his eyes are a piercing emerald now. "Yes, he killed someone, but I bet you have done too. When hasn't one of you?"

Saying it out loud terrifies me because I'm one of them now. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I pray the day never comes.

"Shield your thoughts, little wolf."

Right now, I can't concentrate on my thoughts or the stupid link, I want to scream to hell with it because there are more pressing matters to worry about than that.

"You don't know anything," he grumbles, and I make sure to pin him with my hardest glare.

Fighting the urge to cry and huddle up in a corner, I try to keep my head high to show I'm not going to be ignored. I'm a part of this as the rest of them, and I'm not being pushed aside.

"No, I don't, and to be frank, I don't honestly care," I grit. "I think we're finished here; I'm not going anywhere with you, and you came to deal with him. We all know our places, and I think that's where we should stay," I conclude, storming out of the room, only to wind up three feet from them in the next room.

"A word. Outside." I can tell that's Jax.

"Five minutes, then you're off my territory." Definitely helper.

Heavy footsteps hit the floorboards with a few groans of protests before the door slams shut. Huffing out a breath, I throw myself on burgundy's bed, drowning out their muffled voices by smothering myself with his pillow. Receiving an abrupt amount of his scent sends a shiver down my spine, the image of my face pressed against his chest as he carried me outside filters through my mind. Heat crawls into my cheeks before I groan and shut my eyes.

"Stupid wolf senses," I mutter.

Not even five minutes pass, and the bed dips to my right. Returning the pillow below my head, I sit up with expectancy. "Settled?"

There's a low grunt, and he remains silent as he hunches over, resting his forearms on his knees with clasped hands. I'm not sure what to say considering I hadn't planned to say anything after settling on the thought to bombard Ronny with all my questions. Bearing in mind, he plopped his massive self here beside me, I thought he would say something, but that doesn't seem to be the plan either.

"You have guts, little wolf. Only a few hours after transition and you provoke an Alpha."

There's something about his firm tone that fills me with pride because the words themselves sound like they would be said with astonishment. I'm between the decision he's proud or thinks I'm stupid.

"Well," I start, unable to bring myself to look at him, "he was a jerk. If I'm not going home, the least I can do is make sure the neighbours play nice."

There had been a smugness to his voice that I thought I would never hear, and it's strange to see it on his usually stoic face.

And there's that word again. Alpha.

"What does Alpha mean?"

With a low rumble, he shifts on the edge of the mattress, like the word itself puts him on edge, but I can't bring myself to think that anything unsettles this guy.

"A title. Forget about that because he's not yours," he grumbles.

A title doesn't give me a lot to go on. Recalling the conversation between us and the 'Alpha', I remember him offering me a place in his pack. Not lumping them with normal wolves, but so far, I'm going to assume the hierarchy runs the same. In that case, I just offended and possibly pissed off the leader and his army of followers.

"I'm here to talk."

I resist the urge to say 'aren't we already?' and wait for him to expand on his sudden openness. I'm not going to complain because everything ends in a clipped response or he changes to something else. I'm going to take what I can get, but one thing I'm not pushing aside is how long I'll have to stay here.

"About?" I finally prompt when he doesn't utter another word.

After the word leaves my mouth, my brain turns off at the sight of our proximity. Yesterday was only permitted because he was helping me get through the shift, then I told him hands off. Now. . . I can't bring myself to make a deal over it after what happened in the other room. I hated how Jax ganged up on him, especially over something that seems to be wired into their nature. I wouldn't be surprised if he killed as many people as this guy has.

"I can't say I know your situation, but I can sense how it makes you feel," he starts, taking me off guard, and my attention is all his. "I'm offering a compromise."

I would never have guessed this, not even from a mile away. If yesterday's me was told this was coming, she would laugh in my face.

Hitching a brow, I sit up straighter to show I'm willing to engage. "I'm listening."