Chapter 9: Chapter Nine

James Pov

James watched from just outside of the cell through the small viewing window as the little female drew first blood on his brother. A very rare smile touched the corners of his mouth. Not many could outsmart his younger brother Hunter. Those that could were the highest ranking wolves in his pack. It took a lot of courage to go up against a wolf of an Alpha’s family and the female faced him as if she were his equal. The wolf in him became excited and he felt his blood warm at the thought of teaching the female a lesson for her aggression against his pack. Making her submit beneath him where she belonged like the rogue sympathizer she is.

That thought made James lose his smile. No, where the woman belonged was right where she was. In chains for helping the rogues bring weapons into his homelands. A dangerous gleam shined in his eyes and his hands curled up into fists. The rogues were growing braver and attacking openly where before the only problem they had ever had with the strays had been the stealing of food and supplies. Now they were just openly walking right into his territory. It made him look weak and looking weak was not what he was about.

“Alpha? We are bringing the prisoner back. May we pass?”

James turned at the sound of one of the warriors that had been assigned to the prison for a guard position and then his eyes fall on Jett. His upper lip pulled back into a snarl at the man’s broken and bloodied face. He stepped to the two guards who were carrying the unconscious suspected rogue and took a knee in front of Jett while at the same time, grabbing the wolf’s hair and lifting his head to look over his face. “I take it he didn't give you any answers, did he?” James asked without taking his eyes off Jett’s swollen and battered features. When the guards both shook their heads no, he gave a little snort. “Figures. They never do on the first day.” He said gruffly before standing up and unlocking the door for the men. “Take him in.”

James watched the guards as they went past him, dragging the man over to his chains and hooking him up just as the doctor and Hunter were finishing up and leaving the cell. James stepped aside as the doctor rushed passed him with an ‘excuse me alpha’ to get the blood work to the lab. “Got your ass kicked by a human female? Wait until I tell our brothers.” James teased Hunter with as much humor as he could spare and it earned him a glare from Hunter as his brother stood across from the hall and rubbed his neck.

“You tell anyone that happened and Ill tell mother you're sleeping around again.” Hunter shot back at James. He waited until the guards were out, the door locked and he and James were alone in the hallway in front of the door. “You are right though, she isn't human. I don't know what she is. Maybe she was human and that rogue has been keeping her as a pet? Either way, We will work on her tomorrow. Give the rogue some time to reconsider his lack of cooperation.” Hunter said as he looked over James slowly, frowning at his brother who was standing looking through the viewing window of the cell with a look that only could be described disgust or anger. When he didn't get an immediate reply from James, Hunter frowned and stepped over to his brother, reaching out and gripping his shoulder.

James had been transfixed, watching the female in the cell. As soon as the door had shut she had ran over to the rogue to the end of her chains, straining to reach for the unconscious male like a love sick pup. An emotion he had not experienced before flooded through him. Jealousy ran hot and cold at the same time through his veins. How dare that female reach for the rogue like she was… He wanted to barge in and rip her away from the male. He had started to growl aggressively, not even hearing a word his brother had said to him and when a hand gripped him by the shoulder that aggression snapped and he lashed out at Hunter.

He was used to dealing with many emotions. Anger. Grief. Happiness. Concern and Contentment. The last of which he hadn't felt for several years now. Jealousy however, was something he had not felt since he had gained his wolf. It was powerful and gripped him like an iron fist. When his brother touched him, James turned around so swiftly Hunter never seen it coming or expected it. James half way shifted, jet black fur sprouting from his skin and bones popping as his face elongated and his teeth lengthened as he turned on his brother and slammed Hunter up against the wall. James rarely got so aggressive. Especially with his brothers. Seeing an alpha half shifted was only witnessed when they were in battle as the alphas in a pack were the only ones dominant enough to do it.

It was a terrifying sight to see and the second he was pinned against the wall Hunter submitted instantly to James. They were brothers, nearly identical in every way except James had fought to be born first and he had the dominant gene over all of them. Hunter made a strangled sound of submission half between a whimper and a whine and turned his face away from James, his eyes lowered to the ground and shrinking himself back against the wall to make himself as small as he could. “You will not touch her!” James snarled in Hunter’s face, his sharp nails and fists gripping Hunters shirt and lifting him a little off the ground. His wolf was reacting as if it was wild and protecting a choice piece of meat from his brother and the scent of raw fear brought him back to his senses a little.

James dropped Hunter the second he realized what he was doing, instantly shifting back and stepping away from his brother. He didn't apologize or give a reason for his behavior, just stepped back to the viewing window and watched the woman. “I will be questioning her myself. I want to be the one to get answers From her and the male. If they want to come into my territory… with so many weapons… I will get the truth from them.” James said in a cold and almost cruel sounding voice.

Hunter had rarely made his brother angry enough to be turned on like that. Sure he could test Jame’s temper as any younger brother would do, but James had never came at him out of aggression before. “If thats what you want… I will let your Beta know for tomorrow.” Hunter said in a quiet tone, leaving James to scowl at the door before he hurried to get out of the prison.

James barely noticed the departure of Hunter. His eyes were glued back to the female in the room that was quietly talking to the male wolf that had woken up from his beating. Aggression coursed through him when he seen the male crawl to her. He growled lowly deep in his chest, fighting for control from the animal side of his mind. The wolf side of him wanted in that room. To rip the human away from the other wolf and then tear the wolf to pieces. To take that human that was so full of herself to attack a wolf and show her just what the BlackStone pack did to humans. Humans were not welcome in his territory if they were not under his protection. Especially humans that were consorting with rogues.

Something triggered in James mind while he was watching the human interacting with the beaten rogue wolf. Something primal he didn't logically understand or even at the moment realize what was happening. Before he registered what he was doing, James was punching in the code to the door to get into the room and when it clicked open, he stepped right in with a low growl.

Cassidy had been at the farthest length her chains would allow her to go and when Jett had woken up enough, he had crawled towards her. She had been assuring him she was fine and unharmed. That all they had done to her was take some blood for testing. She had just convinced him that they would be safe for the night and for him to rest when the black haired man came barging in on the two of them. It was clear from the way he held himself, the way he walked with pure confidence and arrogance that this wasn't the wolf she had struggled with just a short while earlier. This was the man from before… that had been touching her when she woke up. She had hardly seconds to scramble up to her feet when the man stalked towards with a growl, his green eyes bright and gleaming just as he grabbed her by her arm and jerked her forwards to him roughly.

“You are coming with me… And you will give me answers.”