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My father’s alpha bark has her flinching back. My chest rumbles, a growl close to the surface before she reaches out, pressing her hand to my chest, soothing me. He knows damn well that doesn’t work on me, hasn’t since I was five, but he still does it, knowing it affects Serena.
“Don’t. Let’s just get through this and go home,” Rena says, almost pleading and I nod, despite wanting to fight back. He shouldn’t treat her that way. It’s wrong, but that’s an argument I won’t win. I’ve spent years trying to convince him and gotten nowhere. If anything, I think it makes him hate her more when I defend her.
But he can hate her all he wants. Rena is my family. I’d choose her and the guys every damn time over this charade I grew up in. They taught me what family was supposed to be, and this shit isn’t it. Reaching down, I thread my fingers in hers and pull her behind me toward the dining room. She tenses but doesn’t pull away, and I know it’s petty, but fuck my father. He can go to hell.
Besides, tonight isn’t going to be fun, no matter what I do. I know why he was so adamant about getting us all here. There will be no pleasing him because I’m done being his little obedient lap dog.
This isn’t my home, and they aren’t my family. They never really were.
The tension’s so thick that it almost feels like a cloud hanging around the room, slowly suffocating me. Today was a fucking shit show. Hell, the last few weeks have been, but I know we’re not done yet.
Far from it.
Something’s changing, and while I can’t put my finger on it, I feel it. My beast can feel it. It’s not just me, either. There’s been a shift in all of us, and with every passing day, it gets heavier and harder to manage.
It’s as if the world’s tipped on its side, and we’re struggling to find purchase again.
Too bad it’s only going to get worse.
I might be upset with Pike for his complete lack of control earlier, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s my brother, my pack, regardless of what the law says. He doesn’t know that I know, but I’m well aware of why his parents are so pressed to have this specific dinner. In the past, if we were unable to make dinner, they would simply have it without us, and we’d go the next month. It’s not ideal and makes dealing with Pike’s need for affection and attention damn near impossible, but it’s not the worst thing that could happen. Sometimes, I even prefer dealing with his clingy nature versus going to the dinners.
This time, though, they insisted on rescheduling. Add in the fact that Harlow and her parents rescheduled, and it’s a recipe for disaster.
Blair catches my eye as I drop into the seat between him and Sol. I see the wheels turning in his head. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he’s too smart for his own good. He knows something’s off.
The others file in, picking seats at the far end of the table.
Pike’s father, Victor, sits at the head of the table with his mother, Rebecca, to his left and Harlow to his right. Harlow’s parents sit with Rebecca, and I’d bet the empty chair next to her is meant for Pike, though he’d never take it. Pike’s five younger siblings sit after them, with the girls on the left and the boys on the right. Jace sits next to the empty chair as he’s the second oldest.
For the most part, Pike’s siblings aren’t so bad, if not a little misguided. I don’t blame them, though; they were raised this way, and whereas Pike had us, they stick to their pack. Something I think their parents enforced because of Pike’s closeness with us.
We’ve always tried to divide ourselves from them, and for the most part, they don’t seem to care so long as we show up like their good little lap dogs. In fact, I think they probably prefer it.
Without speaking, we leave two seats open for Pike and Serena. Pike usually sits at the other head spot, though we don’t have a ‘head’ role in our house. When we deal with his parents, it’s easier. Besides, none of us want to sit opposite his father and his death glare, or should I say he doesn’t want us to. If he looked at us the way he does Pike all night long, he would end up with a broken jaw.
Shit, where are they?
I check around the room, only to come up empty.
“Pike!”
Victor’s alpha bark rings out around the room as he also notices his son is missing.
Fucking asshole.
He only does that when Serena’s around. Everyone else in the room is strong enough that it has little to no effect, but with her being prey, she’s still susceptible. Fortunately, we have been able to help her get stronger over the years, so it’s not as bad as it used to be. When we were younger, it used to damn near have her on her knees or jumping to do whatever was demanded of her. Now, she does little more than wince. It still pisses me off all the same, though. How dare he attempt to hurt her. It pisses all of us off.
I watch the guys carefully. With everything going on lately, the last thing we need is for one of them to go off on him. It won’t do us any good, at least not while Pike still needs them. Sol and Storm wear matching scowls but remain quiet, and Blair’s only tell is his clenched fists, which sit on his lap below the table and out of sight.
If they’re already this keyed up, I can’t imagine tonight is going to end well, at least not for them. I can’t say I care much, though. So long as we’re fine, the rest of them can get fucked.
Before I let my imagination get the best of me, Pike strolls into the room with Serena in tow. My eyes instantly go to the place where they connect, his fingers intertwined with hers as he all but drags her behind him. Annoyance flares to life inside of me at him touching her. After what happened earlier, he doesn’t deserve her even being here, let alone touching her. But the look of determination on his face as he beelines for the two chairs we left empty has me holding my tongue.
Like I said, things are changing.
Unfortunately, one of those things is not how Serena handles these assholes.
She casts her eyes down to the floor the second she enters the room, only peeking up slightly as they reach our side of the table. I fucking hate how docile she is with them. I know it’s not because she’s weak. She’s trying to keep the peace, for Pike’s sake, but damn it if I don’t hate it all the same.
