Page 16 of Brutal Alpha's Sold Mate
“I’m trying to keep you alive,” he says, his tone clipped. “You think Jacob is bad? Just wait until you have a run-in with our other brother, Reed. You haven’t even met the rest of the pack.”
“Maybe I don’t want to meet them,” I shoot back. “Maybe I’d rather deal with the demons back home than sit around here waiting for someone else to fix my problems.”
His eyes narrow, and for a moment, I think he’s going to explode. Instead, he takes a step back and drags a hand through his hair.
“You don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?” I demand.
“This isn’t just about you. Now that Jacob knows you’re here, the rest of the pack will find out. We don’t have control over the narrative anymore. I was planning to introduce you the right way. The proper way/”
“Maybe if you didn’t make enemies out of your own pack, this wouldn’t be a problem.”
“You don’t know anything about my pack.”
“Then enlighten me,” I challenge.
“You wouldn’t understand,” he insists, shaking his head. “Just… don’t wander off again. Not unless you want to find out exactly how dangerous my family can be.”
I hold his gaze, refusing to back down. “I’m not afraid of your family, Theo. And I’m not going to let you treat me like a prisoner.”
“Fine,” he bites. “Do whatever you want. Just don’t come crying to me when it blows up in your face.”
“Don’t you worry, Theo. I won’t come crying to you for anything.”
He whips around and stalks off into the trees without another word. I watch him go, my hands clenched into shaking fists at my sides.
Part of me wants to scream after him, to hurl every insult I can think of until he’s as angry as I am. But I don’t. Instead, I take a deep breath, forcing myself to focus.
I still have a message to deliver somehow, and I’m not about to let Theo—or his family—stop me.
Chapter 6 - Theo
Walking into the banquet hall feels like stepping onto a battlefield. Only, the weapons are smiles and polite claps instead of fangs and claws. The room is alive with the voices of my packmates, and the wooden beams above us are strung with lights that send a warm light over everything.
In the gilded heart of the Black Cauldron territory, the ballroom is ablaze with the kind of anticipation you can almost taste. The room pulses with the energy of the pack—my pack—gathered to celebrate, or at least pretend to celebrate, something I’m still wrestling to fully grasp.
Jacob, ever the charmer, has taken the role of host to heart, ensuring everyone sees just how delighted he is by my recent union. He parades around the room with Kai, his arm securely wrapped around her waist. His laughter booms louder than anyone else’s now that he’s dragged her onto the dance floor. The sight grates on me, and a slow burn in my chest is growing harder to ignore with every spin and dip they make.
Kai, for her part, is a study in controlled patience. Her smile is flawless, her nods perfectly timed, but there’s a tightness around her eyes that tells a different story. She’s playing her part well. Too well, which only pisses me off more because she sure as hell doesn’t play that nice with me.
As Jacob twirls her around again, I catch snippets of conversations from the pack members around us. “She’s quite something,” one remarks with a note of respect in his voice. “Not what I expected Theo to bring home,” another whispers, not bothering to hide her curiosity.
Leonard leans closer to whisper, “Keep your friends close, Theo, and your potential enemies closer,” he advises. “Yourbrother’s making a show. Don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing you lose your cool.”
I nod, though every muscle in my body screams to pull Kai away from Jacob’s too-familiar grasp. “He’s not just making a show,” I point out, watching as Jacob dips Kai, and she throws her head back in laughter, a sound that doesn’t quite match the wariness in her eyes. “He’s trying to plant doubt about who she really belongs to.”
“Then remind him whose territory it really is,” Leonard suggests with a smirk playing on his lips as if he enjoys this dance of dominance as much as the one unfolding before us.
The lively tune ends, and for a moment, the room holds its breath. Jacob’s eyes meet mine across the floor. There’s a challenge clear in his grin. Kai looks between us, a frown momentarily breaking through her perfect façade.
As the band picks up a slower, more somber tune, I see my moment. I push through the crowd, which parts for me. Their whispers create a wake behind me, and each step feels like I’m walking through water. When I reach them, Jacob is saying something low to Kai, his hand dangerously low on her back.
He releases Kai once he notices I’m standing there, but his hand lingers until the last possible second—an intentional show of possession that has my wolf pacing dangerously close to the surface.
“May I?” I ask, extending a hand to Kai, not bothering to glance at Jacob. It’s not a question, really. More of a reclaiming.
Kai looks from my hand to my face. There’s a storm brewing in her eyes, and for a second, I think she might refuse me in front of everyone. But then, slowly, she places her hand in mine and lets me draw her close.
