Chapter 2: Suspicious Behavior
-Celeste-
My brother seemed confused, and so did the rest of the group. This made no sense. While my family’s territory didn’t align with my new one, my brother and the pack did not live far from me. Should he not be part of the meeting?
“You look so confused right now,” I pointed out.
“I am a little,” he admitted.
“Why?” I questioned.
“I had not heard about any expansion.”
“But how come? You should be part of any meeting regarding the territories changing. Especially when you live so close. Dad is getting older. You’re going to take over soon.”
“I know. Why do you think I feel confused?” he asked me, and I fell back on the couch, crossing my arms. It made no sense. Why was Zack talking about expanding when my family knew nothing about it? “You think dad is in on it?”
“Dad is home,” he replied. “So is Mom.”
“None of them are at the meeting?” I asked in disbelief.
My brother shook his head, and I could see a strange feeling flickering in his eyes, yet I couldn’t pinpoint what. I was about to ask when he suddenly stood up, telling me to wait there.
“Wait, where are you going?” I asked.
Some of the others followed my brother, always staying close to their future alpha, and the room began emptying. I thought they had all gone to figure out this weird, expanding idea my mate had gotten, but then I noticed someone left in the room.
“Great,” I mumbled as I noticed Brendon was still left. To my surprise, he was watching me, and there was a very unpleasant look on his face. I just waited for him to go for a sore spot. He always knew how to make me grit my teeth in anger. However, he didn’t speak. He merely watched me. “Have something you want to say?”
“No,” he replied, one arm slung over the back of the couch as he turned his body a little. Despite his answer, he seemed to want to say something.
“Go on, we both know you always comment on everything I do,” I snapped.
“You want me to comment?”
“No, you just do it whether I want to or not. Or do you not remember the last time you were dissatisfied with my mate?” I retorted.
“You wore a dress shorter than any of your pants. I knew he made you wear it because it wasn’t your usual style. It made you uncomfortable, but you wore it for his sake, so he could parade you around,” Brendon reminded me.
“You made me uncomfortable by practically calling me a street worker,” I snarled.
“I did not call you a street worker.”
“I said practically, meaning you didn’t say it directly. I liked that dress.”
“You hated it, but you’re too kind to say no to a gift.”
“That’s common curtesy!”
“Not when the dress makes you look like a street worker,” he told me, a smug smile spreading on his lips.
I grabbed a pillow, flinging it at him. “Asshole!”
He glanced at where the pillow hit him on his chest and then moved his deep blue eyes to me, a strange anger swirling within them. It always made me nervous. He had a certain power that only a very skilled warrior could have. I slid a little to the side on the couch, trying not to let myself be intimidated by his look.
“Your mate is the one making a fool of you again. I think you’re the one who doesn’t realize who the asshole is,” he snarled at me, then grabbed the pillow, throwing it back on my couch without aiming at me.
“He is my mate. He wouldn’t make a fool of me,” I reminded him.
“Sometimes the bond just isn’t enough.”
“And why would you say that?” I asked.
Brendon shrugged, not replying to my question, which made me intrigued. I hadn’t spoken to him in quite some time. Probably not since I got mated. We had seen each other, but this was our first conversation in almost four years. I met Zack when I was 19 and got mated when I was 20. I hadn’t missed our conversations, as they always left me feeling awful, but still, it felt sort of sad that we hadn’t spoken at all.
“It’s fine,” I assured him, changing the subject. “Maybe Zack isn’t even expanding that big.”
Brendon began shaking his head. “And that is why you’re the fool.”
“What?”
“You always believe the best in him when there isn’t much to believe in.”
“I don’t get it. Why are you hating so much on him?” I questioned.
“It’s not just me. Have you asked your brother what he thinks?”
“My brother was happy for me. He is happy for me.”
“He put on a smile because he can’t fight a true bond, but I know he hates him.”
“That’s not true,” I insisted.
“It’s true,” Brendon informed me.
“No, it is not. My brother is happy for me. I am certain of it.”
“And yet you had to add certain of it,” he mocked.
“You’re the one putting stupid ideas in my head, as always.”
“If I could truly put stupid ideas in your head, you wouldn’t have gotten mated to him,” Brendon said and stood up, looking at me with that same dissatisfied look as always. It angered me so much to see it.
“What is your problem?” I snapped.
“Clearly, your mate,” he replied before my brother came back with the whole group, yet even though he tried to hide it, I could see something was going on.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he told me.
“No, I can see something is not right. Talk,” I demanded.
My brother shook his head, and instead he waved me along. I stood from the couch, glancing only briefly at Brendon before I followed my brother to the front door. He opened it, and the gesture was clear, yet I felt confused.
“You want me to leave suddenly?”
“I have some things to do with Dad today,” he told me. “I thought I was free, but it seems like I am not.”
“Just talk to me. What is going on?”
My brother leaned closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing. “I will tell you when I can.”
“No, tell me now.”
“Just wait, Celeste. Please.”
“Why am I always the last one to know?” I snarled and crossed my arms.
“Just go home, and I will call you.”
“You better!” I spat before I turned on my heel to go to my car.
I angrily got inside and turned it on before speeding back to the territory, but if I hadn’t gotten an answer in a few days, I was coming back.