Jughead watched as Betty danced around the Wyrm to some tune in her head, soft smile adorning her lips. He felt his own lips twitch in response. She seemed happier with each passing day and he couldn't be more fucking grateful.

Omega needs to be happy.

Yeah, she does. Jughead decided he'd make sure he'd do everything in his power to keep Betty Cooper happy. He took a sip of his whisky, watching as she swayed her hips, soft chuckle tumbling from his mouth.

"She seems happy, boss," Sweet Pea said from his left. He looked to the taller and nodded.

"She does," he agreed. The two men shared a smile and went back to looking at the patrons of the bar. Kevin was watching Quin and Fangs play a round of darts, with Kevin's eyes glued firmly to Quin's ass. Jughead rolled his eyes. The two idiots would need to get their sexual tension straightened out before the whole gang felt the fallout of them fucking.

Just then, Betty stopped dancing as she pulled out her phone from her back pocket, eyes scanning the screen. A look of concentration enveloped her features and Jughead was moving towards her before his brain had time to register with his feet.

"What is it?" Jughead asked, placing a hand to the small of her back. Betty chewed her lip as she stared down at her phone.

"Cheryl," she replied anxiously. "She wants to know why I haven't been to the Blossom manner in a few days."

Jughead growled. "You're not going there." Pausing, he told his wolf to stand down as he worked on reigning back in his possessiveness. "Or, at least I'll go with you if you do."

She nodded, paused, and then shook her head. "Can Cheryl come to the bar?"

It was a soft question, and she turned her orbs on him, looking at him expectantly. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I would much prefer that," he admitted honestly. She tapped out a quick reply, fingers nimble as they moved across the keys on her phone. He watched her fingers, swallowing as he wondered how nimble they'd feel against parts of his body. Parts that rightfully belonged to her and her alone.

"Done," she murmured. "She'll be here within the hour."

XXX

Cheryl Blossom arrived in all her glory. From her fiery hair to her sharp-as-wit attitude, the vivacious woman came with her claws ready to dig into the first person she could reach.

"Why the hell are you miscreants holding my cousin against her will?" Cheryl demanded, rounding on the first person she saw. Unfortunately, it was Toni.

"Watch who you're calling a miscreant, fucking red," Toni snapped, eyes narrowed into slits as she eyed the woman standing too close for comfort.

"Cheryl, for fuck's sake, calm down," Betty hissed, making her way to her cousin, Jughead trailing right behind her. Cheryl looked at Betty, then rounded on Jughead.

"Did he force you to stay?" Cheryl demanded, tone venomous and Jughead remembered what Kevin had said about her being protective of people she cared about. He'd support her on that one if it wasn't for the fucking fact that she was insinuating he was harming Betty. Jughead growled.

"Watch how you speak to me in front of my mate," he snapped.

Cheryl blinked. "Mate? Explain." Turning her glacial glare onto Betty, the redhead tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for an explanation.

Betty bristled. "Not that I owe you any explanation, but his words are true. We're mates."

Cheryl blinked at the animosity Jughead felt rolling off his mate in waves.

"Why…are you mad at me, Betty?" Cheryl asked, suddenly unsure of herself.

"I don't know Cheryl, is there something you want to tell me about?" Betty demanded, folding her arms across her chest.

"Uh…I don't know?" Again, Cheryl sounded sincere in her confusion.

Betty looked at her for a long moment, staring at her cousin as an attempt to read her. Eventually, she nodded.

"Penelope killed my family," she said simply.

Cheryl gasped, stepping back as if she had been slapped.

"No," she whispered.

"Yes," Betty hissed. "I don't want to believe you knew she was going to do that. So I'm not even going to entertain that idea. But, did you know she's a hunter?"

Cheryl shook her head, rocking back and forth on her heels. "No Betty, I swear I didn't. You have to believe me. God, you have to."

Jughead watched as the two cousins looked at each other; one calculating and the other determined to prove her honesty. Betty eventually nodded and hugged her.

"I believe you. And, I need to. After all, you're the only family I have left," she murmured as they folded into one another's embrace. "Well, Jughead is family too but you know what I mean."

Jughead was proud for that little declaration, something not missed by any of the Serpents.

Fucking whipped, boss.

Shit, she's already made him lose his balls.

What balls? The balls she has wrapped around her fingers.

He didn't even bother telling off his crew; they were one hundred percent fucking right in their teasing.

Jughead turned to look at Cheryl. "Can you tell as anything about Penelope?"

Cheryl looked at him, then Betty, who nodded, then back to him.

"She's not the best mother," she said. "She doesn't give a shit about her family, but I didn't think she'd be a hunter. I had no idea she was doing that on the side. And, I had no idea she would murder my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. I swear, I will do whatever you guys need to help bring her down. Was she working for someone?"

"Hiram," Betty said quietly, Kevin squeezing her shoulder as Jughead interlocked their hands.

Don't harm yourself, baby. Not anymore.

She squeezed his hand as if she read his mind. He hummed in contentment before looking at Cheryl who looked gob smacked at Hiram Lodge being the killer.

"Lodge? The man who claimed you were a second daughter to him?" Cheryl gasped.

"That man isn't a father to me. He killed mine," Betty said firmly, voice low and pained.

Jughead rubbing a soothing thumb into her neck, hoping to provide comfort anyway he could.

"It's okay, baby," he murmured. "You're okay."

She nodded and kept looking at Cheryl, waiting for some type of answer.

"Yeah, I guess he doesn't have the right to that title anymore," she muttered, rubbing a hand over her face. "Okay, I can get information for you. Find out why Penelope worked for him. Why she killed your family."

Betty nodded. "Please do. And, stay safe."

Cheryl looked at the Serpents who were around them, eyeing each of them carefully. "I'd say the same for you, but I think you got a protection here more than I could ever provide."

Chuckling, Betty nodded. "I agree."

The two women hugged quickly before Cheryl was on her way, promises to stay to the ground and find out what she could leaving in her wake.

Author's note: Enjoy. Xxx