25. Chapter Twenty-Five

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

MALLYN'S POV

I watch on from the forest as they creep back toward Ezra's dorm room. My beast is itching to follow and join them as they hold holds, laughing and smiling with one another. Annex grabs Micai, her laugh floating toward me as they stop to kiss.

I clench my fists, my beast growling in my ear, ‘Ours,' he repeats, pushing me toward them. To join them.

It wasn't anger or possessiveness rolling off of him, but more of a want…a need to be with her and my brothers. To be together.

They head inside as I walk through the forest and closer to the dorms.

Creed wanted me to grab Ezra and Annex and go check on Erving , one of our contacts and the source for our tip last night.

The one that was a bust and a complete waste of our time.

The potential seller or distributor of that new drug didn't show up, leaving us to wait around for hours and waste time we could have spent elsewhere. Or precious time spent with a certain blue-eyed girl.

I open the door to the boys' dormitory and make my way up to Ezra's room, which is three levels up and at the end of the corridor.

I didn't need to worry about being quiet or stealthy with all of the other students gone now. Only the Tracers and the old caretaker were about. And I could easily outrun an old man in his sixties who was half blind and moved about as quickly as a garden slug.

The Tracers were the only issue.

I didn't like the feel of them during the interview. My beast had been growling non-stop to come out and play as they asked their dull questions.

My beast had never done well with authority, always knowing he was the more dominant one between them and us. And itching to show them all that.

When they saw a glimpse of him during the interview, they shrunk and moved the interview along faster so that they wouldn't be trapped in a room with him any longer than necessary. I guess there were times when his presence was helpful.

He growls inside me. Annoyance rolls through me with the thought as it reaches him.

Either way, we both could agree to not liking the Tracers in the academy and in our domain. And around Micai.

That was another thing. She shouldn't be left in the academy alone while they were around. The dogs of the council couldn't be trusted, and neither my beast nor I wanted them around her. The sooner they were gone, the better.

In the meantime, I'll have to talk to Creed about it. Micai couldn't be left here with them. At the very least, she had helped me and had kept Annex safe with us the night of the academy's attack. He may still not trust her, but her actions so far have shown us all that she's worthy of just that—our trust.

No matter how much he denies it, it's evident how she feels about Annex and Ezra and how they feel about her. She isn't a passing phase. Our little group was changing, and he would have to accept that and her. She is permanent.

‘Ours,' my beast growls, a toothy grin appearing in my mind as I knock on Ezra's door.

There's a slight shuffling from inside, along with Annex's gruff voice, before I hear Ezra's steps approaching the door. He pulls it open, and the scent of her arousal instantly hits me and makes my dick twitch in my pants. A feeling of want takes hold of me and pushes me forward to her as I take a step inside the room. But I quickly halt my movements as I meet Ezra's annoyed gaze.

"What is it, Mal?" he calls, dragging a hand through his hair, his chest bare as he glances back toward Annex and Micai on the bed. She fixes her top as Annex huffs beside her.

"Creed—"

"Fuck no!" barks Annex, jumping from the bed and walking toward us. "We already did that shit last night and wasted time I could have spent buried in Red. I'm not doing it again. Fuck Creeds orders!"

"I agree." Ezra folds his arms, anger bleeding through his features. "It's obvious what Creed's doing, and we're not playing along anymore."

His words have me nodding, acknowledging Creed's attempts to keep us all busy lately. Smaller jobs like this one tonight would usually be handed off to our other contacts, but Creed was purposely keeping us busy.

I glance at Micai, a slight pink blush tinting her cheeks as her gaze meets mine.

Was he trying to keep Micai at a distance by giving us more work?

I sigh. I know my brother is worried about her. He didn't like anything out of his control. And Micai was a variable he wasn't willing to play with. Yet I could see he was also drawn to her as much as the rest of us. He was just better at controlling himself.

But it's because of those feelings that he keeps pushing her away so coldly.

I don't think even he truly understands his feelings for her. He's never spent more than a night or two with a woman and has never kept them around for so much as a meal. He's the most guarded of us all, having lost and been betrayed multiple times by the people he's loved in the past. He doesn't let others in without a fight.

Thankfully, Micai doesn't seem like someone who would back down so easily. She might just be the one to kick some sense into him.

"It's Erving. Creed wants us to check on him and determine why the information was off. Usually, Erving is always on point." I sigh, flicking my gaze between Ezra and Annex. This would also be a fight, trying to get my brothers to work tonight and leave Micai. But I couldn't blame them.

"Doesn't matter," Annex seethes, glaring at me. "Tell Creed to go himself."

"You know he's stressed with the plans for the Christmas eve party," I argue. He had too much to organise and was the only one willing to do all of that shit for it. If it were any of us here, there wouldn't be a party to begin with. However, Creed said we needed the new contacts for our overall goal.

"He needs to learn he can't control everything around him. We're not one of his pawns, Mal. We're a family. He can't keep acting like this. It'll only push us all away," Ezra adds, a tired look marring his features.

My brother had always been the closest to Creed, his second-in-command and Creed's go-to. Although Creed's behaviour lately and outer dislike of Micai, is driving a wedge between their once close relationship. And clearly taking a toll on Ezra.

"I get it." I glance toward Micai as she watches us. "And agree. We can talk to him about it. But right now, we don't want this poison in our territory. It won't be good for anybody."

"Another job?" Her soft voice floats into my ears as she creeps up behind Annex, his hand automatically wrapping around her as Ezra takes a step closer to them. "What kind of work do you all do anyway?"

They glance my way, their eyes boring into them. A want building there to tell her about the other side of our group. They didn't want to keep secrets from her. And neither did I.

Annoyance and frustration take over their expressions as a beat of silence passes between us.

"Just boring crap," Annex states, sighing as he pulls her into him, his eyes narrowed at me in a scowl. "We just have to visit an annoying chimp that gave us some shitty info."

"Erving's part fae and shifter, not a—" Ezra begins before Annex continues.

"He's annoying as hell, is what he is," Annex groans, dragging a hand dramatically down his face. "Always tapping away on that damn keyboard of his. The guy has more interest in those damn keys and screens than finishing a fucking sentence. Pisses me right off."

Micai chuckles softly beside him before her lips part, a curiosity building in her gaze. "So you're just meeting up with someone?"

"And just having a small talk," I add, shifting her attention back toward me as my beast and I bristle from the attention.

"Okay." She nods, a small smile stretching her cheeks. "Then you should go." She peers over at Ezra and Annex before pulling away and heading toward the bed, throwing their clothes at them before putting on her own shoes.

Annex shakes his head, a stubborn expression taking over his features as he glares playfully at her. "No. I'm not leaving you again, I want—"

"Then it all works out." Micai cuts him off, a mischievous grin stretching her plump lips as she stands up and grabs her hoody from the dresser. "Because I'm coming with you."

Micai turns toward me, waiting for some kind of argument. But she wouldn't get it from me.

My beast and I have accepted her entirely. We want her company and will take it any way we can get it. We'll happily put up with Creed being grouchy and complaining for a few days if we can spend even an hour longer with her.

My grin widens with the surprised look taking over her features.

"We'll take Ezra's car. It has more space." I look toward Ezra and Annex as their grins widen, their eyes flickering to each other before they throw their clothes on quickly. I turn around and head out of their dorm door. All of them soon follow behind me as we move together as one.

Spending the night with Micai and my brothers…My beast rolls under me, a sense of contentment spreading throughout us both.

Nothing could make either of us happier than all of us being together.

‘Pack,' my beast growls . And I nod.

Our pack.