Chapter 20 MY TROUBLESOME COUSIN
Even with so little effort to get ready this early in the morning Samuel can still look so good, like some kind of model or Greek God, with sculpted figures. Life isn't as fair to me.
He is watching Dominic and Dylan with a carefully trained expression. I can tell by their reactions something is wrong. Dylan must have mind linked him and told him what was going on seeing as their expressions all mirror each other. I let the blanket fall to the bed when I take his hand and stand up with him. He places his hand around my waist protectively and walks me to the door.
Dylan and Dominic respectively move out of our way and start down the hallway just ahead of us. From what I can tell, almost everyone is still in bed except for the few early risers, and some of the pack fighters that have been on boarder control overnight.
They bow their heads at us respectively as we pass by them.
I grow even more confused when the group traveling with us leads us outside. Kyle is now with us as well, and Brian, another fighter, all of them wearing grave expressions. This is nothing new for Dominic though, but Brian I don't know about.
The daylight is just peaking though the trees and I can see the slightest bit of light emitting from the sky behind them. Samuel never releases me the entire way to the mysterious building where we stop. I remember seeing this building before and freeze when I remember what Samuel told me it was for, a kind of torture chamber.
Is he bringing me to see a possible threat or a rogue? This is where they keep the questionable wolves that trespass onto their land without permission. What purpose do I serve being here for this? Is Samuel already letting me be a part of the decision making of the trespassers fate?
I freeze when we enter the building. The familiar scent hits me even before I see him. I begin frantically searching the room for him. I can only hope they haven't hurt him. Dylan leads us through another door inside the building that seems to be filled with holding cells.
They are all empty, apart from one.
It is him.
"James," I gasp. He looks like he might have been in a slight scuffle prior to being here. His clothes look a little bit crumpled and even ripped in a few places. There are some cut marks that are already healing on his head and arms.
I tare from Samuel's arms and run toward him, but he catches my arm before I get more than two steps from him and hold an unsure expression on his face.
"So it's true, he does know you?" he asks.
"He's my cousin," I state, removing my arm from his grasp. This time he doesn't stop me.
James' arms reached through the bars and hug me. I don't fail to notice his look and the sigh of relief he releases in my presence.
"What are you doing here? Is everyone alright? Are you hurt? Who sent you?"The questions are tumbling from my mouth one right after the other before he even has a chance to answer them.
"We've been asking him that for the past hour and he wouldn't answer. He said he only wanted to talk to you. He claimed you knew each other," Dylan interrupts.
I nod in reply but don't answer, nor face him. I am too worried about James.
"What happened to you?" I ask him.
He smiles playfully despite his condition and chuckles. "I may have gotten in fight on the way in."
I pull away from him and shake my head in disapproval. "You really shouldn't do that. You could have been seriously hurt."
"Don't worry. We went easy on him." Dominic says toward my cousin.
I know he is only doing his job, but I want to growl at him for attacking my family. Afraid I will disrespect Samuel's pack though, I refrain.
"And I may have started it," James adds with no regret."Why are you here," I repeat to him. "Why did you leave the pack?"
Before answering any questions he looks behind me at the pack and scowls. He doesn't want to answer with them in the room.
"Whatever you have to say to her can be said in front of us," Samuel states, his tone holding finality. He is worried for my well being. It feels nice to know he cares so much.
I sigh. "At least tell me everyone is alright."
He looks worrisome. "For now at least. Though, I can't speak for everyone."
"My parents?"
"Alpha Logan," he answers.
A growl escapes from behind me and within a second Samuel is pressed against my back. His breathing is heavy and angered as I can feel it on the back of my neck. It makes the hair on my arms stand up."You came here to tell her about him?" he asks. "Why should she care? He has everything he wants, my mate and his pup."
The words from his mouth are bitter and filled with hostility. I'm sure that if I am not standing between him and James right now he would have grabbed him through the bars of the cell.
"He has fallen as Alpha," James spat at looks at me with slightly softer features. "His dad took over the pack for him. He fell apart after you left. He hasn't been the same. Even Josephine notices it. I think he regrets his decision of rejecting you even if he refuses to admit it."
Everything happens so fast that I don't have time react. As soon as the words leave James' mouth, Samuel is pushing me into Dylan's arms. He is careful not to let me fall because he caught me off guard. It seems Dylan has been expecting it the whole time. Next, Samuel has James' body pressed into the bars as he tries to pull him through it.
I panic.
I have never seen Samuel so angry before. If this is what the mention of Logan and Josephine brings out in him, than I never want to speak of them again. I am frightened for the well being of my cousin.
I push against Dylan's iron hold, but to no avail. I am unable to escape his beta strength. If only my wolf was back I might have done better against him. The only thing I can do is to glare at Samuel.
"What the hell?" I shout at him.
He doesn't bother to turn around at my words. He acts as if I haven't even spoken.
"What was your purpose in coming here?" he asks James. "Was it to get her to go back with you? Did you think it would be as easy as telling her some pathetic story of her former Mate?"
James only smirks at him. something I so desperately wish he shouldn't have done. He is purposely trying to provoke him.
"Isn't it?" he challenges him. "Wouldn't you go running back to Josephine the first chance you could? She is technically still yours, isn't she?"
"She is not mine," he roars. Even I cower back from his tone. "She made her choice. She severed the bond between us more than a month ago. I'm impervious to her now. She no longer has an effect on me. And as soon as Grace is mine, that pathetic excuse for an Alpha will be the last thing on her mind as well."
Everyone in the room goes completely silent. The saying that 'you could hear a pin drop' can't be truer. My eyes widen. I can only imagine the shock I feel mirrored on my face.
James is frozen in place. His careless attitude that I have become so accustomed to is long gone and fear is placed in his eyes. When Dylan finally releases me I run to him. I grip Samuel's arm in both of my hands and try to pull him back. He is strong though, too strong for me.
"Let him go," I order, though there is some pleading mixed in with it. "Please?"
I hate how weak I sound, but I don't know how else to handle the situation. I am really in no place to be handing out orders. After all, it is my cousin who has trespassed onto his land and provoked him. He is the one who has done wrong not Samuel.
I am in surprise when Samuel releases him. He lets his hands drop to his sides and takes a step back trying to control himself. He gives me an apologetic look after her realizes how easily he has lost control. I think Josephine effects him a lot more than he cares to admit.
I shake my head at him in disbelief before looking back at James.
"Was this what you came for; to try and convince me to come back with you? Because if it is, Samuel is right, it won't be that easy."
He shakes his head. "No, it isn't. He's still going to mark her, even though most of us disapprove. He's doing it out of guilt and obligation to his pup. I can't stand back and watch the pack become even weaker than it has already become, so I left. He's making us look pathetic and I no longer wish to be a part of that pack. Myself and a few others have decided to leave. We were heading west to join The Uplands pack when I thought I'd stop to see you."
"How did you find me?" I ask. "I didn't make it known where I was going."
"Uncle told me. He said you were safe here, but it might pay for me to stop and see you along the way. He wants you to know about the pack. I know you're not part of it anymore, but with your parents still being there I just thought you'd like to know."
"I do," I agree." Thank you. But why are you going to Upland Pack? Why not stay here?"
He looks behind me again and chuckles, his careless attitude once again returning. "I don't think I'd exactly be welcome here. Besides your mate doesn't seem to like me."
He is looking directly at Samuel as he puts emphasis on the words mate. He is trying to get another rise out of him, but all he receives in return is a glare. Samuel is desperately trying to keep in control of himself and James isn't making it easy for him.
"Can you please stop provoking him?" I snap at him then turn to the guys behind me. "Could one of you open the door please? He's not some criminal, he's my family."
No one makes a move to do as I request and all eyes go to Samuel, even Dylan's. He is clearly letting him call the shots here.
"Open the damn door, or I'll do it myself," I threaten.
Seeing my anger directed at the wolves, Samuel looks to Dylan and nods.
Dylan steps forth with the key and turns the lock letting him out. I step into the cell with my cousin and wrap my arms around him before he even has the chance to walk out.
"I wish you would have told me you were coming," I smile over his shoulder.
"And ruin the surprise? Never," he chuckles.
When I pull away from him he looks me over. "You seem to be doing much better now. They seem to be taking very good care of you here. I'll give them that much."
"They are," I agree. "And so is Samuel. If it weren't for him who knows what would have happened to me."
Even though I am ticked at him for the way he has handled the current situation, my statement is true. I still owe him everything from digging me out of the grave I was putting myself in.
"I guess that's true," he states. I can tell he hates to admit that out loud but at least he is agreeing with me.
"Come into the house and we can talk," I say, stepping out of the cell and giving him room to leave.
Samuel catches my arm quickly and drags me off to the side away from his entourage and James. It isn't rough, but it takes me slightly by surprise. I yelp at the abruptness of it.
"He is a rogue," he says before I am even able to get a word out. "He trespassed onto our land and, so far, has shown no respect to this pack or me."
"He's not a rogue," I argue. "He's going to the Upland pack tomorrow."
"Until he is officially part of that pack he is a rogue. They are the ones I am supposed to protect this pack from."
"Fine," I sigh, no longer wishing to argue with him. It just isn't worth it. We're supposed to be learning to become mates not fighting with each other. "He's my cousin so tell the pack he is a visiting relative. It wouldn't be a lie. We'll see him over to The Upland territory tomorrow."
His face remains grim, thinking about my words. After a moment he finally nods.
"Fine, but he stays in the room next to us. I don't trust him yet and I want to keep an eye on him."
"Okay." I feel his attitude over this whole thing is a little much, but then again, he is the Alpha and I am not. He will just end up doing or thinking however he wants.
I turn and I am about to join James when Samuel stops me again. His hand catches my wrist and spins me around to face him once more."My wolf is returning and he's coming back with vengeance. I'm sorry for my anger back there. After being gone nearly a month he's gonna make up for his absence. I might be a little... bipolar, if you will. I can't really help that," he explains. "You'll need to keep your cousin in check around me and my pack. I won't be disrespected in front of all of them. It will make me look weak and that's not something I need just before I take back my rightful place as Alpha."
"I got it," I say. That isn't asking too much. He has every right to ask that of James, him being on his land and all, and I don't want James to make his wolf angry.
He releases me seeming happy with my reply and visibly relaxed. I almost don't hear him when he mumbles a, "Thank you." I think I might have been hearing things until I look into his eyes and they show his true appreciation.
He seems more like the Samuel I was used to now in that moment. If it's one thing I've realized now, it's that I have no idea what to expect from him in the future. With his wolf starting to come through he's gonna be more Alpha than anything and it's gonna get worse once he's freed. I just hope we won't bump heads too much when that happens. Being back in his element is definitely speeding along the change in him.
I am starting to feel that maybe I only know the broken Samuel instead of the Samuel he really is. I might just be in for a surprise to find out his true side. But, I am still very curious to find out.
Maybe when my wolf comes back I will be changing too. Every day I miss her more and more. Part of me is still missing insid
e with her gone. Just maybe Samuel's wolf can bring her out again. After all, they say a wolf's claim can do a lot of things. And just maybe I am ready for it.