Chapter 42

When James collided with Jett, the Alpha hit him so forcefully against the wooden vertical wall it knocked the breath right out of the ex beta. His head knocked back against the solid structure hard enough he was seeing stars, but it wasn't enough to disorientate Jett that he didn't see the fist come flying at him. Jett ducked right under the swinging arm and wrapped himself around James’ middle in a bear hug, using the wall as leverage as he pushed off of it and took James down to the ground, right into the mud.

The collective intake of breath from the warriors and pack members that had been in the training area who were witnessing their alpha going after the newest member of the pack fell on deaf ears as the two men wrestled in the mud for a moment, Jett getting a single punch in on James before the Alpha took control of the confrontation and flipped Jett over him where James quickly gained the upper hand by scrambling up to kneel a knee directly on the wolfs chest, growling down at the ex beta savagely, his tone commanding authority over the older male.

As soon as the fight had started between James and Jett, Alaric and Jaxson had quickly gone to clearing out the area of onlookers, not knowing how this was going to turn out, what it was about or how far James was going to go in fighting the man. By the time the last onlooker was rushed away and they came back, James was putting his full weight on Jett’s chest and had a hand around the mans neck. He looked incredibly close to shifting right then and there and the anger that radiated off the alpha was the only thing keeping Jaxson and Alaric from interfering.

“Why wasn't I informed?!” James repeated for the third time, his temper growing with the wolf each time he didn't answer him. He was reluctant to cause any damage to Jett, knowing how much Cassidy cared for the man but that reluctance was starting to wane and his head snapped up, growling when Alaric stepped close, trying to intervene.

“Alpha… He was probably trying to protect her. The same as you. He wouldn't have said anything. As a beta it is our job not to give out information unless we are given permission. He is loyal James. You cant fault him for that.” Alaric said in a reasonable tone once James stopped growling at him for getting too close.

Jaxson had come in from the other side, keeping his distance but going to his knee. He was not blood to James, but he was as good as any brother could be to the alpha. His loyalty and strength had earned him his right to be the gamma of the pack and he held just as much sway as Alaric did with the packs young alpha. “James. Use your brain and not your anger.” He scolded James in a gentle voice now that the three of them were alone that made James seem angrier for a few seconds, his grip tightening on Jett’s throat more before the alpha let go and stood, glaring down at Jett.

James wiped at the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth where Jett had gotten in the lucky shot to his face, his green eyes dark and murderous as he towered over the wolf taking in deep breaths of air in the mud. “He is lucky… I don't break him in two and feed him to the ferals.”

James weighed a hell of a lot more than he looked and the Alphas grip was bruising, crushing Jett’s windpipe where he could hardly get a breath in when it was combined with the knee pressing into his sternum. When James lifted off of him, Jett lay still, unmoving other than to breathe deeply and keep himself calm. It had taken everything he had not to fight back. He wasn't fully a part of this pack yet and he was naturally uneasy about the possibility of being outright attacked for being the stranger among them. James’ words however brought him back to reality and he blinked, looking up at James and frowning before he slowly sat upright, holding his chest and letting out a cough. “What in the fuck exactly did I not inform anyone about?” he asked in a cold tone, returning the glare to James.

“Your Alpha. Her current mated status. Anything about her really.” James informed him with heated words and when Jett gave him a blank expression of not understanding, James flexed his fingers into balled up fists to keep from going after Jett all over again. “The fact that Miss Roan was unmated was clear. But you told us nothing else. Least of all she was still a virgin. Females start enjoying life around sixteen or so here and you can scent-”

Jett started to laugh, a low chuckle that turned into side splitting laughter that had him falling back onto his back in the mud while the three from Blackstone pack looked on at him with frowns.

“This isn't a laughing matter, Taylor.” Jaxson reprimanded the ex Beta who rolled to his side before he got up on his knees, still chuckling.

“Oh but it is… It is hilarious. So… You are coming to me, attacking me, because you assumed Cassi was some kind of slut and was sleeping with me or anyone else she came across that caught her eye like they do in your pack?” Jett said to James who bristled and lunged at Jett again without any kind of warning, taking Jett back to the ground again but this time he wasn't just trying to get Jett to submit to him, the man and wolf within James together were willing to kill over the perceived insult at Cassidy sleeping with others.

Everything within James roared at the thought of Cassidy sleeping with anyone besides him. With anyone touching her or even looking at her other than him. It was a blinding jealousy he wasn't prepared to experience or handle. His blood boiled and he seen red just as he attacked Cassidy’s former beta, letting his fists fly in a furious rage. He had never been so angry before in his life that he could remember and with every satisfying thud of his knuckles to Jett’s body, the anger just seemed to intensify. “She was unprepared for a mating!I injured her body because I was not informed!” James snarled at Jett just as Jaxson was gripping his arms to keep from damaging the other wolf if he kept going, holding James back while Alaric worked on getting Jett out from under James and away from the alpha as quickly as he could.

“So its my fault you are a fucking animal and cant control yourself?!” Jett snarled right back at James when the alpha admitted to hurting Cassidy. He had been allowing Alaric to pull him free from the alpha, but now he was fighting the BlackStone beta to get back at James. “You hurt her?! My Alpha-” he started to yell and was cut off by the bone crushing squeeze of Alaric’s arm around his waist as he was hauled back wards, the beta growling low in his ear.

“Shut up. Alpha Black is your alpha now. Your charge is no longer yours to worry about. James has every right to be upset. He should have been told, you knew they were mates. You know how matings can be. Our Luna could have been seriously injured if our Alpha didn't keep control of himself through it.” Alaric all but hissed at him over his shoulder before he let go of Jett when the man lost the fight within him over the explanation. So much that Jett didn't even lift his head over the guilt he was feeling.

Jaxson had been holding James back and it took all his strength to do it. They couldn't have James going into a rage over jealousy of another man that as far as Jaxson could see was innocent of doing anything wrong. “Get Taylor out of here Alaric and get him cleaned up.” Jaxson said to the Beta and without a word, Alaric was hauling Jett up to his feet and taking him to the apartment the Jett had been given to stay in. “Fight with me. Not your pack.” Jaxson said firmly, turning James to face him and then getting in a fighting stance, arms and hands up to protect his face. “Just like old times brother. Give me your best shot.” He taunted with a smirk, knowing he had distracted James away from the incident with Jett when the Alpha growled and copied the stance. “Tell me what the hell happened to bring you all the way down here to see your big brother?”

James didn't answer, he felt like a fool now that his head was starting to clear a little. “Go to hell Jax.” He grumbled before he threw a punch that resulted in Jaxson ducking and then grappling James, both of them going to the ground for a refresher in who had better holds than the other, neither aware of the eavesdropping wolf that had seen the entire altercation from start to finish disappearing behind the buildings and off into the trees.