Chapter 8 - Cyrus

“Are you sure about this?” I quip with a raised brow and arms crossed as we stand at the ingress of the woods.

“Why?” Cassandra glances back at me, an equally speculative brow raised as if gauging my response. “Are you gonna tell me I'm too fat to join patrols?”

“I never called you “fat,” Cassie!” I defend. “I—

“Not in so many words,” she grins, the twinkle in her eyes as sadistic as her grin. “Don't worry, Alpha Cyrus,” she sniffs. “I'm quite agile in wolf form.”

“I don't doubt it…” I murmur under my breath, gulping as regret washes over me.

I'd seen Cassandra in wolf form before. Of course, I don't doubt that she's capable of these patrols. I just don't like it.

I can't leave her to her own devices. I'm not sure what she's up to, only that she's out to prove me wrong.

It's like she's always waiting for me to scold her about something. I don't blame her. I haven't always given her a reason to believe that I feel drawn to her.

Until the other night, when I saw her in that black dress… I couldn't help but be drawn to her, my mind at war with my body as my arousal turned feverish, my body temperatures soaring to dangerous heights.

Now, it's preposterous to even dream of pursuing her, even if it's just for her flesh, which glows like exquisite marble against the night sky's natural light. My best friend's interest in her is the only reason I'm acting cold.

Is it the only reason? If it wasn't for Jarrod, would I consider pursuing her?

It's only now, as I glance at her discreetly with that question on my mind, that I notice the constellation of tiny brown freckles pebbling her nose. I gulp, realizing that the last time I noticed the cuteness of that intricate feature was the last time I saw Cassandra nine years ago.

I catch myself quickly, reeling in my thoughts and reaffirming that I have no intention of acting on my baser needs. Not here, in Mysthaven, anyway.

I'd learned my lesson a long time ago—Emily was a mistake I don't wish to make again. I'd rather keep my endeavors to the human world, where no one knows the nature of my identity and the advantages of being the pack's Alpha.

“Why…” I take a deep breath as we near the ravine on the west side of Mysthaven. “... Why did you want to join patrols?”

Cassandra shrugs as she hangs onto a tree and kicks off her shoes. “I thought it would be fun.”

“Fun?” I chuckled dryly, watching as she rolled her shoulders to get them loose. “Is that the only reason?”

Cassandra turns to me, planting her hands on her hips. “Is there any other reason I'd join?”

My suspicion hangs on the tip of my tongue but I'm not ready to admit that I know something is happening between her and my best friend. Perhaps it's denial that has me shaking my head.

“N-no,” I relent, turning my face toward the mountain. “I just didn't peg you for someone who would care about the safety of this pack.”

“Consider this my way of proving that I do,” Cassandra huffs. “I care more than you realize.”

I turn skeptical eyes on her. “Then why did you leave the first time around?”

Cassandra's eyes soften then, a sadness flashing by the warm hues of dark, earthly brown. Regret grips me as if my question was a little too tasteless.

But Cassandra can't possibly expect me to forget that she abandoned the pack with no explanation. All her mother told us back then was that Cassandra received an offer she couldn't refuse.

Was that all that drove her to leave the pack as if we meant nothing to her?

As if I didn't—

No.

I stop myself from going down that road, lifting an expectant brow as I wait for her reply.

“I—er—I had that job offer…” she replies tentatively. When a howl resounds in the distance, Cassandra's attention is pulled away and she sighs in what can only be relief.

What was that about?

“We should go,” she says before shutting her eyes to invoke her wolf.

I should shift, too, but I'm frozen on the spot when a gentle wind passes and carries her scent toward my airways. The sweet notes of flowers in bloom are mellow, tugging my heartstrings with a beat of a foreign yet innate need to be close to Cassandra.

As silky ivory fur ripples across her skin and her body morphs into that of her wolf, I can't help but remain fixated on her. For the first time in my existence, I marvel at the majestic nature of a wolf I only perceived as ordinary before tonight.

I hadn't paid much attention to her in the past, only because of my denial that I was so attracted to her in human form. An attraction that I refused to acknowledge since doing so would only have led me to the throes of bodily pleasures.

I could never bring myself to cross that line with her. She was a friend back then, and perhaps I respected her too much. In turn, I used bitter words as a defense mechanism, disrespecting her only because of the war I was fighting within.

She's not the same young, geeky girl who hid her braces behind a half-smile. She's become a woman—one I cannot seem to stay away from, as hard as I try. When she turns the majestic head of her wolf toward me, rich brown eyes lock on mine, and she whimpers.

That's when my wolf bursts free without hesitation, compelled by the sudden urge to come forward and protect the she-wolf who watches me intently. When I land on the ground with strong paws, my wolf takes a step forward, and I suddenly want to coil her into the soft tresses of my fur and hold her close.

“ Alpha? Are you with us?”

Jarrod's question enters my mind unwelcome like an intruder walking into a moment I can hardly make sense of.

What is this sudden need to protect Cassandra? Why am I unable to tear my eyes from hers?

“ Yes… We're here…” I respond reluctantly.

The moment is lost when Cassandra turns toward the mountains. Her wolf ears perk up just as a group of Moon Shine wolves emerge from the woods, led by Jarrod.

“ We thought we'd go hunting tonight,” Jarrod suggests, his wolf head dipping in a curt bow.

“ Of course… Go ahead,” I reply. “Cassandra and I will stake out over the river.”

Cassandra turns to me. “ I think I'm gonna join the others.”

I stare long and hard at Cassandra, those treacherous claws of envy returning in the dark recesses of my mind, threatening to clutch me with envy.

Of course, she'd want to go with Jarrod. I'm nothing to her.

Except, I am the Alpha.

Perhaps it's the slight shatter of my heart that prevents me from exercising my power and commanding her to stay with me.

What would she think, anyway? There's no point in starting a fight with her. What reason would I have for wanting to keep her by my side? Except that it pains me when I nod and watch her following Jarrod to the mountain with his group.

Great!

All I can do is stand here, feeling foolish and out of place. In my own pack!

The audacity!

Snorting through my wolf nostrils, I decide that wallowing in these disgraceful thoughts is no way for an Alpha to behave.

Cassandra Chikara is quite capable of holding her own, even if my inner wolf strangles as if trying to force me to follow her. She doesn't need me. She never did need me.

I turn my head to the ground, inspecting the way the dust I'm kicking forms clouds of earthy particles around my ankles, mimicking the shackles keeping me from going after her.

What I need is a distraction before I lose my mind.

Whimpering to soothe my bruised ego, my ears fold over my face as I transform. I shove human hands into my pockets while a tug in my heart forces me to stare up at the silhouettes of wolves climbing the mountain's incline.

Against the background of the navy sky littered with stars, only one wolf stands out as if her soft tresses of gently billowing ivory fur were painted on a master's canvas.

I gaze at the sky, where the Master floats, wincing at me from Her humble abode. The Moon Goddess sure likes jokes. She carved Cassandra's perfect curves and created me with a will of iron so strong that I don't need a female counterpart.

Muttering under my breath, I fight the pull in my chest and turn on my heel. The polarity of the imaginary magnet tightens, but I fight the urge to turn back to the mountain. With every ounce of resolve I can muster, I trudge ahead to distract alone.

***

“What can I get you, Sir?” the pretty woman behind the counter throws me a sweet smile, flinging a towel over her dainty shoulder.

I shake myself, the residual chokehold of those intrusive thoughts about Cassandra still lingering as a bitter aftertaste long after I’ve found my way to the city.

Needing to extinguish the flames of a fire that shouldn’t be burning inside me, I order their strongest bourbon and rap my fingertips on the table impatiently.

What’s coming over me?

First, I can’t stand the thought of Cassandra being back in Mysthaven after making it abundantly clear nine years ago that she couldn’t care less about the pack.

Then, I can’t fathom the thought of her and my best friend being an item.

The latter shouldn’t bother me at all, but it’s crippling jealousy that gets washed down my throat when I chug the rich drink and ask for a refill.

“Rough night, huh?” the sweet bartender chuckles lightly, and for the first time tonight, I take a good look at her when she passes me a refilled glass.

With tight brunette curls framing her face and barely touching her shoulders, her round face is the friendliest one I’ve seen tonight. Eyes beaming with blue brilliance, it’s a pleasant face that can hold my attention long enough to push Cassandra out of my mind.

Lord knows I need the distraction! Luckily for me, my Goddess-given charm is the aura I exude without batting an eyelid. It’s the type of charm that always works on humans and makes my quests as easy as a gentle breeze.

All I have to do is smile and human women melt.

Like the human tending the bar tonight, her eyes sparkling with wonder now that she’s managed to get my attention.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” I sniff, lifting the drink and spectating the woman’s reaction as she watches me take a sip. She has no idea that I’m a werewolf, and it probably comes as a surprise that I’m onto my second glass without a trace of being affected by the strong liquor.

I have to stifle my bemusement, setting the empty glass down and nodding at the back bar.

“Anything that might interest me back there?”

“Apart from me, I’m afraid not,” she smirks slyly, cheeks growing bright with color.

Her bold attempt at flirting is intriguing enough to hold my attention. Leaning in, my eyes twinkle suggestively. “When do you get off work?”

The woman’s lips toy with a smile. “In an hour.”

“Maybe we can share a drink when you’re done,” I propose with a smirk that has her breath catching in her throat. Satisfied that I’ve just reeled in a willing fish for the night, I order a martini this time and sprinkle in some crushed wolfsbane when the bartender tends to other patrons down the bar.

Using a toothpick to stir the herb into the drink, I watch intently as the dried powder rehydrates, thanks to the vodka. Finally, I can put something in me that won’t burn out before it reaches my stomach.

Chuckling under my breath, I take a few slurps of the drink while stealing glances at the bartender. She’s a keen candidate for tonight’s distraction, and I’m eager to get my mind away from the pack and all the responsibilities that weigh down on my shoulders.

Except, I’m not duty-bound to keep Cassandra safe, yet it feels as if that’s the reason I feel the need to be around her all the time. Like her, safety has suddenly become my priority, even if I don’t understand why.

“She has Jarrod…” I mumble bitterly under my breath, though the reminder does little to calm my nerves. It has the opposite effect as acrid bile crawls up my throat.

Why does it bother me when whatever they have going on between them would only make it possible for me to dismiss the attraction I feel for her? I shouldn’t care this much when I’ve already decided that I hate the she-wolf. I hate she-wolves in general, but Cassandra Chikara sticks out like a sore thumb, standing up for herself and always going against anything I say.

Her defiance seems willful as if she had a special grudge against me. Is that why she left in the first place?

Was I important enough to be the reason she left?

“I’m ready to leave if you are,” the bartender says, snapping me from my thoughts to notice her putting on her jacket.

Usually, a human woman’s eagerness would be the driving force for my decision to never have to give up my antics out here in the human world. Yet, somehow, tonight feels different as I notice the woman’s willingness to follow me, a stranger, to whatever I have planned for tonight.

It’s almost… Disgusting.

All I can think of is the way Cassandra pulled away from me that night outside her cottage when I was so clearly undressing her with my eyes. Then, she clearly didn’t care about what I thought of her in that white dress on the night of the full-moon gathering and instead lapped up the attention Jarrod was giving her.

It’s never been so hard to get what I want.

Wait.

Is that what I want?

I lift my head, a frown tugging at my brows when the brunette’s face morphs into a face I was hoping I wouldn’t see for the rest of the night. The only reason I’d hoped for something so absurd was so that I wouldn’t have to face the truth I’d been denying all along.

Cassandra Chikara is the only she-wolf I’ve ever been remotely attracted to. It’s those plump curves and voluptuous chest that draw me in. It’s never been anything to be ashamed of. I only made it seem that way so she wouldn’t catch on that if I permitted it, my cock would engorge with arousal just for her.

Fuck!

I blink fervently, but Cassandra’s face lingers before my eyes, slowly fading away in an imaginary whiff of ivory smoke similar to her wolf’s fur.

Maybe I’d consumed too much wolfsbane. That's why these heinous thoughts haunt me—thoughts I shouldn't have about the she-wolf who abandoned her pack. So I get to my feet to test the stability of my legs, which happen to work just fine.

“I—I’m sorry,” I apologize to the bartender when her face returns to normal—a face I can’t stand anymore. One that reminds me that Cassandra is the only one who isn’t as easy as the rest.

She’s a challenge that I must conquer. I'm the Alpha, and I can't stand for loss of any kind.

Without waiting for the woman’s reply, I run out of the bar, and find the closest alley to shift. Once in wolf form, I run through the woods, the hooting owls encouraging every step until I find myself back in Mysthaven.

I make a beeline for the isolated cottage on the edge of the woods, behind the main house, where only a small flicker of orange light through the back window signals that Cassandra is home.

Shifting back to human form, I take a deep breath to fill my lungs and chest with conviction before raising a hand to knock on her front door.

Of course, I’d want to protect Cassandra. I am the Alpha, after all. That's all this is, me checking up on her to make sure that her patrols went well tonight.