Long chapter for y'all :)
Enjoy!
There was something to the allure of family; especially when you'd been raised outside of a traditional upbringing.
You come to believe that happy mothers and fathers with their perfectly happy children were just a concept that Hollywood used to sell movies.
A pretty picture to paint in commercials for insurance or shopping sales, or whatever the next big thing was that the media wanted to rave about.
All that Hallmark bullshit.
Draven had spent his time in self pity and had quickly learned that it did no good.
Wishing...wanting...none of it mattered.
In life, what you got was what you got, and the more you could figure out on your own, the better off you'd be.
So he knew better than to let this new image tempt his mind into false senses of hope.
He'd met the Pack. All of them, including the Enforcer's human mate, Caroline, and Stefan Salvatore, the brother he shared with the Alpha.
Everyone had been hospitable; kind, even.
But Draven wasn't naive. He was here on borrowed time, until Damon Salvatore decided if he wanted to kill him or not.
Fortunately, he didn't plan on letting it come down to that.
There was so much to do though, before that decision was to be made, and perhaps the pressure of a deadline should have made him anxious.
But it didn't.
Far from it actually, because knowing that the jury was only out for a short while presented him with a challenge that he didn't expect to lose.
Not when everything he'd been wanting, working toward, and dreaming of was almost within reach.
He took a settling breath.
Patience.
He would have to remain patient.
After all, he still had a little time.
"So, you don't like him?" Michael asked, leaning against the short wall on the back patio.
Daniel shook his head, placing the cigarette he'd bummed from his friend back between his lips.
"I didn't say that," he pointed out, with an exhale.
"You didn't have to," Michael told him, eyeing the smoke, "And since when are you the bad influence between us?"
"It was a long ride home," he defended, passing the cigarette back, "And I haven't had the chance to Change yet, so if you have another quick destresser available, let me know."
"Easy," Michael chided, taking his own hit, "I only meant that you seem tense. More so than usual. This Mutt that bad?"
Daniel considered the question, moving over to sit on the wall, wolf balance allowing him to cross his legs beneath him and still stay in an upright position.
"Bad isn't the right word," he decided, "He hasn't done anything...hasn't really said anything; except maybe a passing comment about Skylar, but that's not surprising and I think he was just using it to get under my skin."
"Skylar can take care of herself," Michael reminded him, resting his elbows on his knees, "But even I'll admit that I don't care for his eyes on her. And she isn't exactly the most introverted person around."
"She'll flirt," Daniel said, "But the Mutt's being watched too closely by everyone for it to be anything more. Besides, aren't the two were...you know, hanging out?"
Michael laughed, "Hanging out. Right. Since we were kids. I'm not an idiot, man. In our world, new is interesting. And Skylar has a particularly short attention span."
In the silence that followed, the nightlight of the forest became noticeable.
It was just after sundown and from the sound of things inside the house, dinner would be starting soon.
"You think he's dangerous?" Michael asked, almost as an afterthought.
Daniel shrugged, "I don't know. Compared to our powers, no, not really, but facing him as a wolf...we haven't seen him Change yet. It's hard to tell. But from what I've heard, he doesn't have any special training, never worked with a Pack before, and isn't particularly cautious. You should have seen the way he was blatantly disrespecting my father. I'm surprised he survived the trip home."
Michael chuckled, and lifted his smoke, "Well, here's to hoping it's a short visit."
The back door opened then, and Daniel smirked when Michael dropped his hand to hide their transgression, but thankfully, it was only Skylar.
She was dressed for bed; loose sweats and a thin tank that showed a hint of skin around her waist.
Usually he gave little thought to his sister's clothes, or lack thereof.
They had Changed together too many times for modesty to even be a thought, but now he was recalling the things Draven had said; the way the male's eyes had been raking over her, and suddenly even her ankles felt like more revealed skin than necessary.
He knew it would be a hell of a time convincing her of that, though.
"You guys smell like you're up to no good," Skylar grinned, shutting the door behind her.
"Just taking a break from the crazy," Daniel brushed off her statement, "How are things going in there?"
"Same as it ever is when the whole Pack is home, only Dad's in full interrogation mode. Hasn't let that poor guy leave his side all evening."
"That poor guy is Giusep-"
"Oh, I know," she waved him off, "I get it. But still. It has to suck, coming to a house full of strangers; some of which who want to kill you, and being forced to sit awkwardly and listen to stories about people you know nothing about, hearing status reports about a Pack you aren't apart of, and all the while being glared at any time you open your mouth. I don't envy the bastard."
Daniel smirked, "Yeah, well, he'll survive. And if he doesn't, it's just one less thing for us to worry about."
"Such empathy," she joked, coming to sit between them, "Oh, Kael, your mom was looking for you. Something about needing to set up a test date for your SAT?"
Michael groaned, "Great. Having to take a standardized test to determine the future I already know I'm going to have. Here. With the Pack. Where no one gives a fuck what my SAT score is."
Skylar laughed, "Sucks to be you. But it'll suck even more if she smells that cigarette. If you go around front, you might be able to make it upstairs and change before she finds you."
"Forget that," Michael leaned over and placed a quick peck on Skylar's lips, a gesture Daniel did his best to ignore, before standing to his feet, "I'll take the faster route.
They watched as he walked off the back deck, a little ways down the stone wall of the Manor, and with a move that was clearly supernatural, propelled said wall and pulled himself onto the roof.
"I keep the window unlocked for a reason!" he called down to them and Daniel shook his head as the blond disappeared.
"You've got that look," Skylar called his attention back as she moved closer to him.
Their arms were almost touching.
"What look?"
As he glanced over at her, she smiled, "That stressed, carrying the weight of the world look. It's giving you wrinkles."
"Is not," he made a feeble attempt at arguing, then sighed, "There's just a lot to think about lately."
"Like SAT Scores and College Admissions?"
Skylar's tone was nonchalant, but Daniel could feel the burn behind her words.
He studied her face and she stared back at him shamelessly, despite the fact that her question had been posed as an accusation.
"Jessica mentioned something when you talked to her behind my back?" he accused right back.
Skylar's eyes rolled, "It wasn't behind your back. You were out of town, I was being friendly."
"Sure you were."
"Oh, come on," she turned so that her torso was facing him now, "You know I'm not going to sabotage anything. I just wanted to have an actual conversation with her. And I did. I'm glad I did. I like her and I can see why you like her, too. Now stop trying to change the topic."
"And the topic is?"
"College," she reminded him, "And the reasons behind why you haven't mentioned wanting to go to one," her gaze was piercing, "Or can I guess?"
"Don't start," he pleaded, uncrossing his legs so he could stretch out a little more, "I haven't said anything because I haven't made any decisions. I'm just considering my options."
Her expression told him that she wasn't buying his play down of the situation, so he relented, "And maybe I was still trying to figure out how to talk to Dad about it."
"You want to go to school," she stated, "What's there to talk about? It's not like Dad's expecting you to take over as Alpha in the next five years."
Daniel shook his head, "It's not about school. I know he wouldn't have a problem with that; hell, Mom wouldn't let him have a problem with it, but it's more than that Sky. It's not just a University, some classes, a degree...it's my future."
She pondered that, then asked, "And what does that future look like, Danny? I mean, if we were normal; human...what would you want?"
The answer to that was easy, "I'd want to be a doctor. General Practice, maybe a pediatrician."
Skylar nodded, as if unsurprised, "Jessica mentioned you'd talked about med school."
He shrugged, "It's just something to think about."
"Danny," she chided, "It's me, you know. You can talk to me."
He smiled a little at her, "I know I can."
"Then talk," her hand touched her chest and he knew that if anyone had a chance of understanding, it would be her.
"I love our family," he said, first and foremost, "I love our Pack. I've never felt like I missed out, growing up the way we did, with what we are. I'd never wanted it to be any different."
"But," Skylar prodded softly.
"But I feel like there are all of these expectations on us," he sighed, "We're the only ones of our kind; and according to Dad, that means danger. We'd be hunted, or we'd be feared, or we'd be challenged, or we'd be taken and used...and I understand his reasoning; all of their reasoning behind wanting to protect us. He wants us to be ready. He wants me to be ready, because he knows that the Pack might be in even more danger with me as Alpha; more of a target."
"Sounds like Dad," Skylar nodded, "Why relax today when you can over plan for a threat tomorrow."
"Exactly," Daniel looked down at his hands, "So I've trained, I've learned, I've done everything he's ever asked...and I don't want it. I don't want to think about regime changes, Pack safety, secrecy laws. I don't want to hunt and kill every possible threat before it can even become so. I'm not...I'm not him, Sky. I don't want to hurt. I want to heal. And with my magic, I can. I can help people and actually make a difference in someone's life."
An image of Jessica, the night she'd almost died, came to his mind.
Her blood seeping out, soaking her shirt; staining the road; his hands, glowing white, taking the pain away.
"That's what I want for my future," he admitted, partly to Skylar, partly to himself, "A life outside of the Pack where I can save people, not hurt them. Where I can focus more on what my magic can do, and less on my wolf...but it's not possible. The Pack needs the wolf. And it is my responsibility."
Skylar could hear the finality of Daniel's tone, and it saddened her.
He was smart, she knew that; plenty smart enough to be a doctor, if that was really what he wanted.
And as much as she hated the thought of him ever being somewhere else; somewhere away from Pack land, without her, she knew that he deserved the chance to try for a life he wanted.
Nothing he had said was surprising to her.
It was something she had at least been able to sense, if not fully understand, and had building in her brother for years.
Hell, even as children, he'd mastered his magic long before he'd mastered control of his wolf.
And as for helping people; that was just Daniel's nature.
He'd spent his entire life looking after her, Michael, and everyone else he cared about.
Of the three of them, he always took lead on their hunts, always took the blame when something went wrong, and had managed to pull her ass out of less than ideal situations many times.
She looked over at him, and found that his gaze was still casted downward.
"I get the fact that you feel responsible," she told him, "But it's your life, too, Daniel. The only one you get. So if you want to do something outside of the Pack...why not do it? You could talk to Dad about it-"
"Yeah," he scoffed, "That would go over well."
"You won't know until you try," she pressed, "I know he's stubborn, but he and Mom both want us happy before anything else. And he's not going to understand unless you tell him. Just like with the baseball thing. You told him you were okay with quitting the team, so he just assumed you were, no matter what Mom or I said about it. You just have to care more about being honest than you do disappointing him."
Daniel shook his head, "What would you know about it?"
"Disappointing Dad? A lot," she laughed, "I live to let down, remember."
Daniel looked at her then, a small smile on his lips.
"You say that, and you want to believe it, but we both know that that isn't true," he stated, "You push the rules, sure, but you're Pack through and through. You always have been."
"So are you," she argued, "But being Pack doesn't mean that you have to be Alpha. Or that you can't have the life you want. If you just talked to Dad-"
"Skylar."
"It could help," she insisted.
Daniel chuckled quietly, "Okay, yeah. I'll tell Dad that I'm going away to college to be a doctor, instead of taking over for Alpha, and you can tell him that you're fucking Michael. We'll let the Pack take bets on which one of us he murders first."
Sklyar rolled her eyes, "One, Michael and I aren't fucking. Two, that's not even the point of this conversation, so bad comparison. And three, Dad wouldn't actually kill us. Maybe shake his head in silence why contemplating killing us, but the actual act itself he usually saves for threats against us."
Daniel shot her a look.
"I'm just saying," she sighed, "The worst thing that could happen from you telling Dad the way you feel is that he gets a little pissed. And guess what; he'll get over it. Hell, he might even surprise you."
"I'll keep that in mind," Daniel told her.
Skylar eyed him.
"You aren't going to tell him are you?"
"Nope."
Again, she rolled her eyes, this time standing to her feet, "Then have fun sulking, big brother, because I can't help you if you aren't willing to help yourself."
Now he smirked, "This is you being helpful?"
Skylar shrugged, "Maybe. But I'm reaching my quota for the day, so take what you get."
"Good thing the day's almost over then," he offered.
"Actually, I think I'm gonna see what the others are up to," she decided, glancing to the house, then back to her twin, "You want to come inside?"
Daniel shook his head, "Nah, I'm gonna sit out for a little bit longer. But you can go ahead."
She nodded, "Alright. Suit yourself."
She started to the door, then paused, looking back at him over her shoulder, "Hey Danny…"
"Yeah?"
A light smile, "I am glad that your home."
His lip turned up slightly, "I missed you, too."
She stuck her tongue out at him, then grinned when he returned the gesture, before opening the back door and heading inside.
There was one upside to having to be glued to the Alpha's side, Draven soon realized, after a few hours of being dragged around the house by the invisible rope that was all but tethering him to Damon.
And that was all the knowledge that the other Pack members brought forth to the Alpha.
Results of perimeter runs, suspicious activities, dramas with the other Packs, a wolf or two that made an attempt at going Rogue…and that was just one night's briefing.
He could only imagine the kind of intel one could get after spending a week with the Pack; a month, even.
Now he just had to work out what was disposable information, and what would be valuable in the future.
Nothing tonight seemed overly important at least, and by the time dinner rolled around, the conversations had moved to more personal natures.
School work, relationship squabbles, grocery needs, etc.
It was all so mundane; not exactly what he'd been expecting, but thankfully he was able to fade into the background of it all.
Bonnie, the witch that had kept him under her scrutiny the past few days didn't even glance his way as she refilled her mate's plate and smacked his hand when he tried to steal food from hers.
Elijah was lost in a conversation with the Pack Enforcer, who was also his brother, about some friends of theirs in Europe.
The twins and the pretty-boy male were alternating between joking with the rest and teasing each other for things they'd missed over the past few days.
And the Alpha, well, his gaze had been on his she-wolf since she'd sat in his lap halfway through the meal.
All the distractions made it easy to sit back and watch; to learn, or to think.
Thinking seemed the best option for now.
He needed to plan.
After all, he knew the objective, but there were so many routes to take that could lead to his destination, that it was difficult to settle on the one that he should prioritize.
It seemed obvious enough that he should focus on the core family, for now.
The Alpha, his mate, and the twins.
Especially the twins.
They were his age, less experienced, and therefore, less guarded.
Of the two of them though, Daniel already had suspicions.
Draven knew that he only had himself to blame for that, for the whole porch thing in Tennessee, but it had been too good of an opportunity to get a rise out of the male, that he couldn't pass it up.
Besides, he'd gotten something out of the incident; proof that the twins had mastered control over their abilities.
That was a start.
His gaze settled on Skylar now.
Gorgeous, sure, but a lot of girls were, so her looks were easy for him to ignore.
Her scent, however, mesmerized him; but he'd been prepared for that.
As a female wolf, his body responded to her on an instinctive level.
He'd felt the same when encountering Elena's scent, but seeing as she was so covered in Damon's mark, it was considerably less appealing than Skylar's.
Skylar.
The girl was probably the ideal choice for his selected route; as even Damon had mentioned, she was young and curious.
Naive in a sheltered way that would make it easy to win her trust.
However, seeing the way the rest of the Pack was around her, she would also be the most protected.
Daughter of the Alpha, a twin that had already choke-held him; not to mention the powers of her own that she possessed.
But where was the fun without a challenge.
He smirked a little, making his decision.
It was later than Skylar had thought, when she finally started up the stairs for bed.
Her parents had already turned in, and with the way they'd acted at dinner, she was almost certain she didn't want to know what was going on in their bedroom at the moment.
Daniel had excused himself right after dinner, probably to go call Jessica, and the others had made themselves busy in the living room, once dessert was out of the way; a few fading off as the time passed.
Usually, she would have joined them, but seeing that she still had school in the morning, and the fact that it had already been a long day, she figured it was best to go ahead and try to catch some sleep.
The floorboards creaked when she stepped onto the second floor landing, a familiar quirk to the old house that made her smile, but then something moved in the darkness and her eyes shot up.
"Sorry," a voice that wasn't overly familiar murmured, and she noticed their new guest, Draven, standing near the window that overlooked the woods.
"I didn't think anyone was still awake up here," she smiled at him, relaxing now that the surprise had worn off, "Were you given a room, or is my father making you sleep outside?"
Draven chuckled, "I'm being allowed a couch in the living room, but last I checked, it was preoccupied."
"Pack reunion," she smiled, "Whoever's left will wind down soon."
He nodded, then turned back toward the window.
The fading light from the moon outside illuminated his profile, and Skylar let her gaze sweep over him.
He was good looking, that was for sure; well built with brown hair that was a tousled mess on his head, and eyes that were a pretty sea-glass green.
But unlike Michael, or even her brother, who carried themselves as if they were unaware of how they looked, this new wolf held himself with a clear confidence.
Something that became even more obvious when he caught her stare and smirked, "See something you like?"
She arched her brow, then indicated to the logo on his shirt, "Not much of a Colts fan, actually. In fact, the whole idea of football always seemed a little pointless to me. Beating each other up over a ball is so juvenille."
"Well, it is an American Pastime," he reasoned, his smile still in place.
"No," she argued, settling against the wall, "That's baseball. A sport that is equally boring to watch."
She eyed his shirt again, appreciating the way the fabric stretched across his chest.
"Well, if we're being honest with each other," he tugged on the thing, "It's not even my shirt. I didn't have a whole lot with me when Jonas brought me to his Pack, so I borrowed it. However, if it's offensive, by all means, I can take it off."
Skylar grinned, "You really haven't lived with a Pack before, have you?"
His brow lifted, "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Obviously, you know you're good looking. But Packs run together, hunt together, Change together, travel together," she explained, "I you'd ever been apart of one, you'd know that male muscles and bare skin are about as impressive to me as the sun setting in the evening. Pretty to look at sometimes, but an inevitable part of every day that's easily overlooked."
The statement did little to discourage his smug expression, "Yeah? What about being female? Somehow I doubt the pack males overlook your bare skin as easily."
He'd taken a step closer to her, his eyes almost glowing in the dim light, but Skylar didn't back down.
She recognized the challenge in his gaze, whether he intended for it to be there or not.
"I was raised with the Pack here. They think nothing of it."
"And the other packs?"
"Learned their lesson with my mother," she said, "My father isn't very forgiving, and if giving his mate a second glance earns the reaction it does, they aren't going to be stupid enough to try it with his daughter."
They were close enough now for her to feel the heat radiating from his body; his chest vibrating as he spoke, "Must be hard for you. Put on that kind of leash. Doesn't sound like Daddy lets you have much fun. Supreme Alpha and all...I imagine that intimidates most males."
"Is this where you tell me that you aren't most males?" she challenged, holding his stare, "Because if so, I'm going to have to start wondering what kind of a girl you take me for."
"A sheltered one," he shot back, "Pedestaled; spoiled, maybe. Wants to have fun but can't quite shake the oppressive thumb. Protected by the Pack your whole life, despite, I'm sure, your many protests."
When she didn't responded, he grinned, "How'd I do?"
Skylar's lip pulled back over her teeth and she lifted her hand, "I can protect myself just fine."
Flames erupted there, a ball of fire swirling in her palm, illuminating the area around them.
Draven's gaze didn't waver, and he didn't step away.
At least, not until another creek echoed behind them, from the staircase, and someone joined them.
Skylar didn't have to turn to know who it was.
His scent was as familiar as her own.
Draven frowned at the intrusion of the other wolf.
Shame, really.
He'd just started to feel as if he were making progress.
Skylar's hand closed around the flame she had conjured, a light smirk on her lip as she moved her gaze to the interruption
It was the pretty boy with the long hair; the Enforcer's son. Michael.
"Showing off so soon?" he teased her, with all the comfort of familiarity, "Or did he already manage to piss you off?"
Blue eyes turned on him, the stare clinical, observing.
"Hardly," Skylar smiled, "We were just discussing how much fun it is to be me."
Michael's brow arched, and when he moved his gaze back to her face, Draven was rewarded with another piece of intel.
The male was attracted to her.
It was probable that he wasn't the first or the last, and that kind of yearning screamed of unrequitedness.
With a smirk, he decided to push some buttons; amuse himself.
"Sure you weren't intending to burn my shirt off?" he asked, being sure to watch the other male's reaction as he teased Skylar, "Since it was so offensive, and all. Or maybe you just wanted to see more of that bare skin you claimed you weren't impressed with. If that was the case, you could have just told me. I can be good at following orders."
Oh, he had the pretty boy's attention now.
"Following orders, huh?" the male was stepping in front of Skylar now, "Good. Then maybe you can follow Damon's and go find a couch to crash on. I doubt he'd been too happy if he finds you lingering here; and he's already given his warning."
Draven chuckled lowly, "You got the same hearing I do, Pretty boy, and we both know the Alpha's inches deep in that mate of his. Can't have a problem with something he doesn't see, now can he?"
"All Pack eyes are the Alpha's eyes," a new voice interrupted, and Draven looked across the hall to see that Daniel had opened the door to his room.
The were-witch male was glaring at him with unveiled disdain, and walked over slowly, coming up next to the blond, "Nothing happens here that he won't find out about, so you should probably take my friend's advice. Go to bed."
Draven looked between the two males, then glanced between them, at Skylar, who simply seemed amused by the situation.
Her eyes were focused, almost hungry; certainly entertained.
She was waiting for his reaction.
"Next time, then," he told her, offering a smile, before stepping forward, focusing on her brother now.
The male was his height, and didn't move from the path, "Wouldn't want to upset the Pack Prince."
Multicolored eyes narrowed at him, and he grinned, sidestepping the male, letting their shoulders brush in the process, but halted on the stairs.
"How was your phone call?" he asked over his shoulder, nonchalantly.
The male's mouth opened to respond, but Draven was walking away before he could, still smirking.
Skylar fought a chuckle as her brother glared after their new housemate.
It wasn't often he was thrown off his game, but something about this male certainly had him riled.
"What were you thinking?" he asked, turning to her, "Dad doesn't want us alone with him."
Skylar shrugged, "I was being polite. Besides, it's not as if we're really alone. You were in your room, right over there, and the house is full of Pack. I know how to scream and how to defend myself. Perfectly safe."
Daniel shook his head, "I don't trust him."
"You don't trust anyone," she shot, "But that doesn't mean you have to be rude."
"I was the rude one?" he asked incredulously.
She rolled her eyes, "You can't expect him to be nice when everyone's treating him like a criminal! Did you try to get to know him before judging him?"
Daniel shook his head, "Don't let his flattery get to your head, Sky. There's something up with that male. I don't like it."
"Well when you figure it out, be sure and let me know," she snapped, annoyance leaking through her tone, and she turned, storming down the hall to her room.
Sure, Daniel could date a human and not even tell the Pack, but God forbid she even have a conversation with someone he didn't give her permission to.
Screw him.
She had barely shut the door to her bedroom when it opened, and she whirled, expecting to see her twin, ready for an argument.
But instead, it was Michael who had followed her.
Probably because Daniel told him to.
She rolled her eyes, "Not now, Kael."
Michael didn't leave, only turned to shut the door behind him, "He's right. This Mutt isn't safe."
"I said not now," she reminded him, walking over to open the door; to the point of shoving him out of it.
"Yes now," he fired back, slamming his palm against the thing, preventing her from pulling it, "You can't be stupid about this, Sky. Not when-"
"So now I'm stupid?" she scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him, "Just because I'm being nice to a stranger?"
"That was a little more than being nice," he said coldly, bringing her up short.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Michael didn't flinch away as she got in his face, "That he could be reading something more into your politeness."
Skylar shook her head, "Unbelievable. It was a fucking conversation. I was being friendly!"
"Yeah," he huffed, "I'm sure he really wants to be your friend."
She laughed dryly, "You know, Kael, I never took you for the jealous type."
Ramming his shoulder, she pushed past him, with every intent of locking herself in her bathroom until-
Michael's hand closed around her arm, dragging her back.
She span around, fist closed, ready to nail him a good one, but he knew her too well.
His arm shot up, deflecting her swing, then twisting her arm until it was pinned at her side, and her back met the wall by the door.
She struggled against his vice grip, "Fuck y-"
Michael's mouth came against hers, hot and demanding; draining the fight from her as a new kind of fire built in her stomach.
His hands released her arms and buried into her hair, pressing her face against his, almost painfully.
She returned the favor, her nails scoring his back as she clung to him, gasping for breath as she lost herself against him.
After a moment, he pulled away, panting just as hard as she was.
The strands of hair falling into his face and the swollen redness of his lips made her want to attack him again, but his words steeled her.
"I'm not jealous," he told her, "I'm just trying to protect you."
Skylar took a settling breath, "I don't need protection. Yours or anyone else's. I can handle myself."
His brows lifted as he motioned to where her back was still pressed against the wall, "Clearly."
"Don't be a dick," she told him, pushing his chest until he backed away, "And stop being overbearing. You can tell Daniel the same thing."
"We're just worried about you."
" Don't be," she shot, moving now to open her bedroom door.
This time, he didn't stop her.
"And if I were you, I'd get to your own bedroom. Before my father has you joining Draven on the couch."
Michael shook his head, but knew better than to argue.
Smart male.
Sklyar waited until he had left the room before shutting her door and throwing herself onto her bed.
Annoying, overprotective assholes.
Like she couldn't handle herself.
She brought her hand up in front of her, staring at the skin; running a finger over it.
She could protect herself.
Her touch moved over to her arm, where Michael's grip had left red marks on her skin.
It was rare that she got to see him so...emotional.
Usually it was her or her brother in a mood.
Kael was the calm; the compromise between the two of them; the rock.
And now, Daniel had him on his side, arming against this new wolf.
It was hardly fair.
Though, she did have to admit, as her graze moved to her still swollen lips, the change in pace was a little hot.
Michael could kiss; there was no doubt about that, but his touches were usually soft, reverent.
Tonight had been something else.
A claim, almost, as if this new presence had him in knots, too.
She wasn't sure how she felt about that.
She wasn't sure how she felt about any of this.
Shaking her head, she rolled over and turned off the lamp beside her bed; the lone source of light in her room.
All of these thoughts were going to be a whole lot harder to work through if she didn't get some kind of sleep.
So she closed her eyes, and let the memory of Michael's lips and Draven's sea green stare take her off to complicated dreams.
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