Page 37 of Outcast
Jameson shook himself out of his trance and stepped in front of his father. "I know what she is. It is sensitive information that we must keep between us and the elders. We don't want to...rile the pack." He muttered the last part low enough that the others wouldn't be able to hear, even with their enhanced shifter senses.
It was a tense few moments as I tried to discern what was going through the alpha's head. Jameson blissfully blocked his dad's cock from my view, for which I was eternally grateful, but his face was easy to see, and what I saw didn't bode well.
He was grinding his jaw, and the thick vein in the middle of his forehead was visible from him straining so hard. Taking his son in, he ground out between clenched teeth, "And you didn't think to tell me about this when we chatted this morning, why?"
Jameson tried his best to keep his voice strong, but I heard the slight tremble to his words. "We planned to talk to you after the meeting. I didn't want it to get in the way of you denying the mate bond as soon as possible."
A low, humorless chuckle came from me at his response. And here I was feeling like maybe he wasn't a Grade A asshole—maybe just a Grade B.
Seth winced as if his friend's words physically wounded him, but he didn't stop his loving strokes through Kira’s hair.
His son's words must have satisfied him, because the alpha finally relented, "Bring her to the elders’ hut. I'll gather them since they don't partake in these festivities any longer." He turned to leave, calling over his shoulder with a tone that sent fear through me, "But don't think I'll forget about your indiscretion, Jameson."
My brows furrowed at Seth, who merely shook his head with a knowing look on his face. Before we could get into that, Kira shifted back to her human form. Seth jerked his shirt off, and I helped maneuver her to a sitting position so we could cover her quickly.
Leering eyes fell upon us, and I couldn't contain the snarl that tore from me as I whipped my head towards the closest bystanders. They immediately averted their eyes. I didn't care if nakedness was natural for shifters, no one was allowed to look at my mate's body.
Except for Seth. I liked him.
After he slipped the shirt fully onto her, I scooped her into my arms and stood. Glancing down at her, I couldn't help the panic that spread through me at her unconscious state.
Seth stood and began walking with me out of the yard. Dirt crunched behind us, alerting me to Jameson following us, and I whirled on him.
"How fucking dare you!" I spat.
Seth placed a hand on my shoulder, "Now isn't the time."
Dead eyes looked back at me as I narrowed my gaze at Jameson. "Do us all a favor and stop acting like you give a shit whenever you randomly feel like it. You've caused her enough pain. You rejected the bond. Learn to live with that. Alone."
Dismissing him, I turned with her in my arms to head towards the seldom-used elder’s hut. It lay on the outskirts of the pack village, but that was the most I knew of it. No one entered it without an invitation, and I most definitely had never had a reason to be there before.
Seth stayed in step with me, continuously casting worried glances at Kira. Breathing deeply to steady my emotions, I tried to block out the sounds of the steps that followed us, knowing I needed to get Kira to a safe place and not fight Jameson right now.
A chill hung in the air despite the sun shining through the clouds now, and I pulled Kira closer to me, hoping that I could provide her some warmth considering her lack of pants. We walked into the tree line that surrounded our village, and the tree branches swayed with the wind, rustling together.
A few minutes passed before we reached the large stone cottage. Seth moved in front of me to open the old wooden door, walking in first to scout out the room. His head popped out, and he gave a quick nod, letting me know it was clear.
I ducked slightly to get through the doorway, straightening once I got through and taking in the warm fire burning in the back of the open room. The crackling wood called to me, and I strolled towards it.
It was barren in here, surprisingly filled only with a table strewn haphazardly with scrolls and books, as well as some scattered chairs. I didn't know what I expected, but it wasn't this.
Maybe some organization and more furniture?
Perhaps they really didn't need it anymore. Rumor had it that the elders of each pack used to be consulted on all matters before the alpha made decisions, but it wasn't that way now. Our pack became known throughout the world after our alpha won the tournament many moons ago that established who the most powerful one was.
The council entrusted the winner with special missions when needed and made them privy to private information. Basically, they were groomed over time to take the next open seat on the council.
A ruffling of papers pulled my attention towards Seth, who was rifling through the items on the table.
"Anything interesting?"
Holding one up to examine it, he shook his head, "No. But I've never really been interested in the history of shifters or the prophecies in the Cognitonis, to be honest."
I grunted my agreeance. Pretty boring shi—. Wait.
"Do you think there is something in there that might help us understand Kira’s powers? I used to think the prophecies in there were all just stories for kids to be entertained or scared by, but with what we've seen, it makes me believe that there's more going on than we can reasonably explain."
I’d managed to forget about Jameson for a few minutes, until he popped his head into the doorway, an annoying grin on his face. "Oh, did Kira not tell you? Selene visited her and told her she is a part of the Dark Prophecy."
