Next chapter, woo.
Will possibly update again this week…if I feel like it.
Could vary.. I dunno.
Don't really have a schedule other then making sure it gets posted at least once.
Enjoy.
Camber got up mid morning, deciding he's lounged around enough already. It was the most sleep he'd gotten in a week and he could tell instantly by how relaxed he'd felt. It would have been a good day to lazed about under the sun.
He went down stairs shirtless and not even considering bothering with his thick hair that was like a lion's mane after sleeping. Having nothing to do anytime soon he wasn't worried about it. He'd already grabbed his laptop and sat on the couch before he remembered even having a guest.
He hoped she would stay asleep but knowing her stubborn streak, he didn't think the chances of that were good.
She was up only a few hours later and when she came down the hall in a strapless scarf-like material dress, he was relived to see that she had at least been willing to use the shower. Though she knew she didn't need it, Tibia couldn't resist an actual hot shower that she didn't have a time limit on. She was heading for the door when she noticed him and paused, thinking what she could possibly say.
"Mornin`..." she muttered.
"Hey." he said, glancing up from his laptop that he'd grown bored with.
She shifted her bag against her shoulder trying to think of something intelligent to say but she was still too on edge by her situation.
"You have a nice home." she said plainly when she couldn't think of anything else. Always being polite was something her mother reinforced.
"Thanks. Been my home forever." he chuckled. "I'll take it you had a good nights sleep." He got up, stretching slightly.
She nodded slightly, watching him intently, it being all she could do not to edge her way to the door.
"You don't gotta act like a rabbit ready to bolt." he chuckled. "I ordered something to eat if you're interested. Should be here in a few minutes."
"It's clear to me my personality would get me in more trouble than it's worth but that's something I've been taught to fix," She said before she could edit her words.
He raised an eye. "So you don't want pizza, fine." he smiled faintly.
"No." She shook her head, "I don't need food right now."
"Okay then." he said. Forcing her into anything wouldn't work and she wasn't one of his wolves he could order around. He picked up his laptop before setting it back on the desk on the opposite side of the room that acted as an office. "I expect you have plans on your day off."
"I'm still working this evening, I figured I'd work on my car for the day," she told him, divulging more information than she ever had before with no fight at all but something in him could tell that was not a good thing either.
He nodded slightly. "You gonna leave it there to work on it?" he asked.
"No point in driving it around and wasting gas when I have legs that work. As I said last night, it's close to the parts I need. Most of them anyway." Tibia explained.'
"Have it your way." he said, rubbing a hand though his hair. "If you see two pups by the junk yard they'll probably give you a hand. If you wanted a hand, that is."
"Hm." She murmured, "Probably the same ones that got you so riled up? Since I'm sure they're the same ones you've mentioned twice already."
He chuckled. "Would you relax. I'd offer to help but I know shit about fixing cars. The pups are actually good at it." he said, jumping up when he heard the doorbell, meaning the arrival of his food.
He moved passed her to answer the door, paying and grabbing the boxes after a moment. "Starving." he mumbled, carrying them back into the living room.
"I won't relax. You don't understand how insane this will drive me. My father did this to me once. He went insane and confined me, took away my freedoms and choices. He was an alpha too...once." she added meaningfully, "To you it may be simple. May seem mellow dramatic, but I need control in my life, its like walking around blind not to have it."
He watched her for a moment, setting the boxes on the coffee table and looking at her carefully. He knew about her siblings from what Bellaca had told him. To find out her father was the alpha in that situation sickened him. "I do understand. I just think your blowing things out of proportion. It's hospitality on my part. To have someplace decent and weather resilient to stay in your time here. I'm not your nanny, I don't care where you work or what you do otherwise. If your only here to sleep then fine. I'm not locking you away."
"It's control I don't have. It doesn't have to be the same to bring about the same pain. Don't assume you know, or else you'd know I wasn't taking anything out of proportion. You said that you didn't believe I was trouble but believing wasn't enough. I can think all I want that you won't be the same Camber, as most every alpha I've met, but once something becomes an instinct its no longer a choice. I can't change what was instilled in me since I was a child, I can only live with it." She stated.
He smiled. "So instead you'll calmly explain that to me, knowing I won't change my mind, instead of storming out to do what you want, knowing I have absolutely no authority over you?"
"I was hoping you'd change your mind actually," she stated solemnly.
"I wish I could Tibia." he said softly. "I gotta go with the gut feeling."
"I suppose you do." she nodded, turning to walk out just as Kael pushed open the door. She brushed past him wordlessly, not worrying enough to try and mask the broken look on her face.
"I feel left out." Kael murmured jokingly, smiling at his brother despite his curiosity over the entire situation. He'd caught the look.
"You poor thing." Camber said, opening the box. "You always show up when the foods here."
"It's a gift." he chuckled, walking over to sit across from his brother and taking a piece, "Sooo...fighting with Tibia I see."
"I wouldn't call it fighting exactly." he asked after taking a bit from his slice. "She's just not happy with me right now. I'm used to that."
"Just doing the job." Kael teased with a smile despite his mouth being full.
Camber laughed softly. "Yeah, pretty much. Being reasonable doesn't work with her. Her scars are deep."
"Yeah, Bell told me bout her siblings. That's insane" Kael muttered.
"It's disgusting." he muttered softly. "Her father was the alpha."
"Bell didn't tell me that" Kael frowned hard, sitting a little straighter upon hearing in information.
"I doubt she told her. I'm not even sure she realizes she let it slip to me yet." he said, knowing it was safe to give his brother information. He felt like his head would explode if he kept everything he had to deal with to himself. "As much as she dislikes pity I feel like she was trying to use that as leverage to gnaw at my soft side, assuming I have one."
"You do, buried under all that moralistic crap." Kael smiled lightly, "What did you do to her?"
"Made her stay in the room down the hall opposed to her piece of shit car." He said, shoving the rest of his slice in his mouth.
"And she's mad?" Kael asked slowly, raising an eyebrow and eating a bit more before answering himself, "Well yeah, she has that whole independence thing going on plus she hates you for being an alpha which actually makes less sense if her father was an alpha. Even if he couldn't find who killed her siblings, alphas aren't gods, clearly."
"I think it's much deeper then that." Camber nodded. "She doesn't hunt, I can guess why. Her mother apparently wanders too. Her father must be a real prick. She made it sound like me offering her the room was locking her in and stripping her of her freedom."
"Sooo he wasn't a good alpha, still a long time to hold a grudge but I guess I get it. Different to be messed with as a kid." Kael mused as he ate.
Camber nodded. "Honestly. Given what she's told the three of us at different occasions, I think her whole pack was fucked up."
"Would make sense." Kael nodded before grinning widely as he joked, "Hey, you think she's from the Oregon pack?" The thought amused him because aside from rumors very little was known about the pack that lay only a few states away and had at one time taken over four other states and their packs. Still they had a large control over land in Nevada. Anyone from the pack would be feared and shunned but Tibia seemed more from the southeast to him.
He shook his head and chuckled. "What? You wanna ask her? I'm not giving her more of a reason to hate me."
"I still don't know how you got her to stay here." Kael laughed, "Even I wouldn't insult her like that."
He sighed, reaching for the box again. "I told her to stay or leave."
"Camber..." Kael stared at his brother for a moment before shaking his head, "Hope she doesn't mention that to Bell."
"I don't care." he shrugged. "I know Bell is fond of her but something doesn't sit right with me. If something happens I'm going to be the first to know about it or it's not gonna happen at all and that means me being close whether she likes it or not."
"Okay. Just be careful with her." Kael said as he reached for another slice.
"I don't wanna hear that tone from you." Camber sighed, eating his slice as he leaned back again to lay on the couch.
"I didn't know I had a tone. I'll have to harness it to annoy you." Kael smiled at his brother.
Camber actually pouted at him. "I really need to give you something to do."
"But that's no fun" he grinned.
"Brat." Camber said, wiping his hands on his pants. "Did you come to harass me and help me eat my food?"
"More just the first bit, second part was a perk and a nice one I should add." Kael said, still cheerful.
"Yeah, love you too." he rolled his eyes. "What do you think the odds are of her actually coming back in a good mood?"
"Eeeh none? If she's as damaged as you think. Might get better after she sees Bell, clearly trusts her" Kael shrugged.
"Well damn, the scary aura will be wafting around my house for a while then." he muttered. "Ah well."
"You have such a way with the ladies Cam." Kael chuckled, "If only I was better, I'd teach you."
"If only either one of us really cared. Blaze is laughing his ass off at us." Camber said, getting up.
"Most definitely." Kael looked at the box of pizza consideringly, "Least you look better rested than usual. Maybe you really just need some company in this house."
"More like I went to sleep early. Take what you want." he muttered, and waved to the boxes. "I probably have things I should be doing. Wolves to bother, you know."
"I already ate though," Kael tilted his head, "Don't know if I need more."
"Then leave it there, you whiner." Camber chuckled, actually glancing in a mirror to try and fix his hair a little.
"But I want it." Kael whined purposely.
"Nope. I gave you a chance and you didn't want it. It's mine." Camber laughed softly. "I'm not Bell, I won't baby you."
"Yeah I know, that would be weird anyway." Kael chuckled.
"For both of us." Camber said, walking over and ruffling his brothers hair.
Kael only smiled at him, "I love you too big brother."
"Hm." Camber smiled. "Keep out of trouble, would you?"
"When do I ever get into trouble?" Kael raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Do I really gotta answer that?" Camber chuckled. "I can name two times right off."
"Only because you don't know have to have fun" Kael shrugged.
"Bite me." Camber chuckled. "It's more like I have shit to do all the time."
Kael flashed his teeth at his brother, "Waah. I'm dragging you along with me and we're going to the lake or something."
Camber raised an eye. "I'll come back to find my house on fire."
"Shit happens. If you're good maybe Tibia and me will even let you come on our road trip." Kael laughed.
"If I'm...boy." he chuckled, arm slipping around Kael's neck playfully to hold him in a headlock. "Who the hell do you think your talking to?"
Kael growled playfully, doing his best to trip his brother now, "I sometimes forget because you're such a nobody."
Camber chuckled, letting them both falling to wrestle with his brother on the floor. "Making yourself what?"
"The awesome one." Kael never lost the grin on his face despite the fact that he was loosing. He was always the weaker of the two. He was just happy to get his brother to relax a bit.
"Ooh, Bell's been spoiling you." Camber grinned, sitting on Kael legs.
"You can think that." Kael laughed, shoving his brother off suddenly but not going after him. Instead he tucked his hands beneath his head, "But I know the truth."
"Troublemaker. Since the day we were born." Camber smiled faintly.
"Never." He denied it still.
"Have it your way pup." Camber teased, getting up slowly. "Maybe you and Bellaca will have better luck dealing with Tibia. I have some things to check on."
"I'll do my best" Kael gave a solute from where he lay.
"I know I can count on you." he chuckled, walking from the room.
Thanks for reading! Please review!