“Yes, of course,” I mollified, and she frowned when Caleb chuckled as I made fun of her. “Same mother or father?”
She let out a tiny growl, the sound about as threatening as a kitten, and stomped away from us. I watched appreciatively as her ass swayed and Caleb shot me a look, hurrying after her.
“Hey,” Caleb murmured cajolingly as he caught up to her. “He didn’t mean anything by it. We’re just so used to everyone knowing us that it was strange to have someone mistake us for brothers.” He grinned, glancing back at me. “Bonus points for making him laugh. I don’t think that’s happened since,” Caleb stopped abruptly as I let out a rumble too low for Jess’s ears. She raised an eyebrow, growing curious as Caleb turned serious. “Well, let’s just say it’s been awhile,” he finally said, rubbing his hands on his jeans and she let it go.
“So, why do you live in a motel?” Caleb asked, eager to redirect the conversation to safer ground.
I caught up to them, her bag dangling from my hand. “Yes, why don’t we talk about you now?”
“I thought we had,” she remarked, slowing as we came out of the woods, the path widening under the arching electrical transformers. “What is this?”
“The path home,” I replied, not stopping and she scurried forward before I ran into her. “The electric company is kind enough to keep it maintained for us.”
“Ha,” she muttered, unamused as her neck craned up, catching sight of the huge power lines.
“Path of least resistance,” Caleb commented with a shrug. “It follows the road for a few miles.” He pointed to the west, indicating where the road paralleled our route. “We could walk along the road but we prefer the forest.”
“It’s safer to walk this way?” She questioned, rightfully doubtful.
“You could say that,” I replied coolly. “It’s safer for some.” My words lingered in the air, the implication clear that it wasn’t our safety I was concerned about.
“Oh,” she replied, her voice small.
“We usually take Dom’s Jeep, but when we don’t have football practice we walk,” Caleb explained, taking the outside as Jess fell in between the two of us, our strides naturally matching her shorter ones.
“How often do you have football practice?” She asked and I exchanged a glance with Caleb, pleased by her interest.
“Three days a week,” I answered, wondering if she’d be joining us on our walks home. “Alternating weight and endurance training to keep in shape.”
“Is there a prize if one of them can beat you?” She cast a glance from the corner of her eye to catch my reaction.
“No,” I replied without hesitation, the thought laughable that a human child could even come close to my strength.
“No one ever has,” Caleb divulged, grinning happily as he added, “Not even my brother.”
I almost smiled at the satisfaction in Caleb’s voice, glancing over as I reminded him, “In fairness, there’s no way your brother ever could. He’s not like us.”
“Hold on,” Jess yelled, jerking us to a stop. “Are you telling me you ostracize people inside your Pack too?” Her words took a second to register, but when they did, I reacted instinctively.
I seized her arms, bringing her to my level, suddenly wondering if it had all been a lie. She spoke of Pack like she understood it. The nature of our world was divided, between those who had the ability to shift from those who didn’t, and with one question she had managed to sum up Pack life.
“What are you doing?” Shock radiated from her question as she kicked helplessly, dangling in my grasp.
“What do you know about the Pack?” I growled, not wanting to analyze why her betrayal cut so deep. Her eyes widened at my snarled question, no doubt realizing she’d been caught in her own lies. I shook her lightly, keeping my grip gentle, as her head rolled around and Caleb clutched my bicep. “You’ll tell me what you know,” I told her warningly as she just stared at me in stunned shock.
“Dom, chill.” I could feel Caleb tugging on my arm, but his strength was no match for mine. I had been born to protect my Alpha, and blessed with a strength to surpass his own. “Put her down, Dom.” Caleb didn’t have the Alpha’s ability to command me, but I could hear the determination in his voice. “She doesn’t know anything. You can tell.” He grunted with the effort of trying to get me to release her. “DOM.” He shouted at me over the Pack link in vain, as I continued to hold her up so she couldn’t escape.
“Then why did she mention the pack?” I questioned, my eyes never straying from her face.
“Because that’s what they call you,” she bit out, spit flying from her mouth as her foot connected with my knee. I could tell she put some force into the kick, but it barely registered as she continued to speak. “Put me down you Neanderthal,” she demanded, glaring at me furiously. “I thought you said you were a gentleman,” she accused, twisting in my grip, and forcing me to readjust my hold so I didn’t hurt her.