Page 4 of Caged Between the Beta & Alpha
“No, I’ll tell them when I return if Uncle El hasn’t already done that,” I said, drinking the water.
Aunt Angela nodded, and I knew her strained relationship with Dad only got worse with each passing year. They barely talked, and when they did, they clashed.
In the beginning, Aunt and her mate, Cassandra, had moved to the Blood Moon Pack, but when Cassandra’s mom became ill, they moved back to the Dark River Pack and decided to stay. I knew Dad was the reason for that, but I never really asked what the final push had been because I, too, had my secrets, and I didn’t want anyone prying in my life either.
“You earned this, Raven. I have watched you train endlessly, push yourself further and harder. If anyone does, you are the one who deserves this. I am proud of you. So, when you go back, I want you to keep your chin up and face them all.”
Our eyes met, and I wondered how much she knew or assumed, but I simply gave her a faint smile. I would do exactly that because I wasn’t weak.
Two days later, I arrived home. Dressed in a pair of black jeans, a purple halter top, a leather jacket, and boots, I stared up at the huge wall that surrounded the pack grounds. When did they build this?
I approached the gate, driving slowly, and lowered my car window as the guard looked me over. A small smile crossed his lips, and I gave him a bright one in return.
“Raven Jacobs!”
“The one and only,” I said, flicking my hair dramatically.
“Damn, girl! I never knew you were coming! We were only expecting the new Head Warrior… holy shit, it’s you?”
“I guess so.”
“I won’t keep you waiting then, the Alphas are waiting.”
“Nice seeing you again.”
I drove through, trying to keep a cap on my emotions. I wasn’t ready for this. Goddess, I didn’t think I’d ever been ready for this, but I had to do it. I parked up outside the packhouse, and, to my relief, it was only Uncle El and Aunty Red.
“Raven. Welcome home,” Aunty Red said, coming over the moment I got out of the car and hugging me tightly. I hugged her back, inhaling her familiar, comforting scent.
“Thanks, Aunty Red,” I said before Uncle El gave me a tight hug.
I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. He had lost the last of his closest friends two months ago, and I knew it must be affecting him greatly. I looked up at him, my heart skipping a beat as I looked into those cerulean blue eyes, eyes that reminded me of Liam’s.
“I haven’t actually told the boys your back,” Uncle El said, smirking. “Think they’ll be happy.”
“I’m sure,” I said, faking a smile, very aware of Aunty Red watching me keenly. “But I think I’ll see them tomorrow; I need to go home first.”
“Ah, yes, I did tell Haru and Kimberly you were back,” Aunty Red said.
“Great.”
Later that night, I was back home. I didn’t unpack because I wanted to ask Alpha El if I could relocate to the packhouse, and, boy, I think I was making the right decision to do so. The tension was suffocating. I stirred my food on the plate, not even wanting to eat the orgasm-inducing dishes my mom had cooked with the tension.
“So, Alpha Elijah told me you applied for the Head Warrior position,” Dad remarked, his jaw clenched and his sharp brown eyes looking at me calculatingly.
“Yeah, I did,” I said blandly.
“You didn’t once consider to, I don’t know, ask my opinion?”
“Umm, why would I?” I raised my eyebrows. Was he seriously going to still do this?
“Raven, don’t speak to your dad like that,” Mom said quietly. I pursed my lips, taking a deep breath to calm myself down.
“Too much time spent around Angela. It was bound to happen,” Dad added, drinking some of his fresh orange juice. Oh, for real?
“Dad, how can you blame Aunty for this? Like, for real, she has nothing to do with my decision!”
“That attitude is a mirror of hers,” Dad hissed.
