Chapter 14

[Celeste]

How many hits does it take to kill a werewolf? Let's find out.

"Celeste, don't be hasty. My brother already knows what he did was wrong. Greyson and I will take care of this." Leo stands in front of his soon-to-be dead brother and my blood boils further. Vincent should take me like a man and not hide behind Leo like a coward!

"This. This? Your brother bit my sister! You think I wouldn't be pissed off? How would you feel if my sister bit your brother?"

He looked at me like 'so what'. Urg...men. They're hopeless....

"They'd probably have a drink over it like sick shits celebrating manhood." Lexie muttered under her breath. Her father scowled at her and she shrugged. "It's true."

Face palming myself, I groaned. "Actually, forget what I said."

"Don't worry Celeste, Charlotte will be fine. The bite will heal." Greyson assured, but the grim look on Bennett's face said there was more to that bite then Greyson led on.

"What if my sister got rabies from him?!" My fist connected with Leo's chest. "You better had him checked out!"

Leo grasps my fist into his, preventing it from it beating anything, or anyone else. Greyson doesn't like that Leo hasn't let me go immediately and growls like an aggressive bulldog. I'm tempted to tell him, Sit boy! But I don't. He might as well pee a circle around me to mark his territory.

Vincent peeps over his brother's shoulder. "I'm sor--

Before he could finish that last word, I shoot daggers at him. "Don't you dare apologies after what you did! When I'm through with you, all you can eat is wet dog food."

Vincent staggers back in defeat and his fists tighten between his sides, avoiding my gaze.

Greyson annoyingly wraps his arm around my waist and I jerk back in response, which makes him irate. "What makes you think you can take on a newly turned werewolf?" He asks me.

"If I don't try, how will I know I won't succeed?"

His response is a dry smirk. "I love your enthusiasm."

"And I hate yours." You can practically hear the thunder between us as we face off.

Leo clears his throat. "Hate to break the love quarrel--

"This is not a quarrel!

"This is not a love quarrel!"

Greyson and I yell in unison.

Leo rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest.

"That was not a love quarrel. And I'm not done with him!" I point at Vincent.

Greyson groans. "You are not going to lay a hand on him."

"Why. Is he too fragile? Afraid of hitting a girl?" After the words slip out my mouth Vincent lunges towards me like a snarling mad animal. I glimpse at his eyes for one second and all I could see was pure thoughtless murder. The blues in his eyes disappeared and his pupils dilated into opal orbs. This boy was bent on killing me. Really kill me and all the fight power I had earlier switched into cold hard fear.

I screamed as his hands elongated into claws and were mere inches from gashing my face.

"Lexie," I heard Bennett yell just before I closed my eyes and barks, snarls, cries and whimpers were made by what sounded like dogs.

"That was close. You really need to watch what you say sometimes. I swear, one of these days you might get yourself killed with that mouth of yours. And I thought I was bad, you are so much worse." Lexie had me shoved to the ground right before Vincent attacked me.

When I opened my eyes, three humungous dogs were piled up over Vincent's thrashing body.

"What the hell just happened?!" My heart raced as adrenaline kicked through my system.

"Newly shifted wolves are unstable that's why we keep them locked up for a while until their wolves are fully controlled. Vincent's wolf got ticked off by what you said. Vincent can't suppress his wolf yet, so don't blame him for it."

Two of the dogs were about the same size; one had shinier black fur and the other looked a tad bit more majestic and older. The smallest of the three had sandy brown hair with a white face. It wasn't growling like the other two. My guess would be that wolf was Leonardo.

"Is that Greyson?" The dog with the shiny black fur reassembled Fluffy.

Lexie nodded. "Dad's the wolf that's greying."

Bennett obviously heard her say it because his head lifted and his pointed ears raised straight.

Standing, I watched as Vincent screamed and snarled for release. He picked up my sound and his eyes darted at me.

"Let me go! I'll prove her wrong. I can take on a girl!" He snarled and Fluffy hovered behind his ear growling in warning. Vincent bowed unwillingly and submissively. Bennett made a thundering command and Vincent immediately went slack without a sign of complaint.

Lexie asked me to keep my distance and give the guys room to work. "Vincent's wolf considered your words earlier as challenge. Young pups are like temperamental teenage boys."

Leo's wolf nudged Vincent's shoulder and Vincent feebly got up. I sucked in a breath when he looked at me over the shoulder. For a second, I thought he was going to attack me again, but to my surprise he gave me a remorseful expression. His eyes were not dilated anymore, but he looked physically exhausted.

With all ounce of bravery I had left in me, I marched up to him and slapped him across the face. Lexie swore under her breath before she grabbed my arm. "Are you crazy? Didn't you hear anything I just told you! You can't piss him off when he isn't stable!"

Everyone looked absolutely horror struck by what I just did. But shit, that felt good. If I couldn't kill him for what he did, at least that was enough to avenge my sister...for now.

Fluffy instantly placed himself between me and Vincent. He shoved his wet nose against my stomach as if reproaching me.

Vincent touched his reddened cheek. "Uh." All heads watched him wearily of what he would do next. His fists fisted again and his shoulders tensed. I'm really going to die now.

No one expected him to start laughing.

Vincent clutched his stomach and burst out into tearful laughter. "Oh god, I really needed that." He sighed in relief. Happy tears formed on the corner of his eyes and he wiped it with the back of his hand. "Thanks Celeste."

Huh...okay.

"Sure, anytime." I thoughtfully replied. "If you need me to hit you again I would happily do it." I showed him both my fists to express how keen I was to do it again.

Vincent held his hand up. "Once is okay, my wolf might kill you for it and next time I might not be able to control him." He honestly thought he could hurt me and made a steps of safe space between us. "I'm sorry for attempting to kill you."

This wasn't a normal conversation, but nothing was ever normal in my life anymore.

"Sure. But biting my sister: apology not accepted. You're going to pay for that."

He nodded in agreement. "I know." Vincent really looked upset over it. He did have deep feelings for my sister and a part of me wanted to sympathize him.

"What. The. Hell." Lexie shook her head in disbelief. "How are you able to control yourself after she hit you?"

Vincent shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt normal."

"Normal," She lifted her brow and cross examined him from head to toe. "Young pups such as yourself shouldn't be able to control themselves when slapped like that." And to test out her theory she slapped him too. On the same cheek.

The bomb went off. Vincent snarled and his teeth snapped together. His body posture widened and his fingers extended with sharp pointed nails.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Lexie said before she pulled out a small object from her back pocket and sprayed it on Vincent's face.

Vincent retracted from the substance that covered his face. He recoiled to the ground and was on his hands and feet, screaming in pain.

"You shouldn't have done that." Bennett was back in his human form wearing nothing but his pants. I looked away embarrassed, hiding my face with my hands.

"Eww, dad. Put your shirt on." Lexie grabbed his shirt on the floor and threw it to him.

My eyes were still closed when I felt someone else's body heat radiating behind me.

"We would have helped you. There was no need to pepper spray him." It was Greyson behind me. From the sound of the zipper, I could guess he was putting his clothes on. Little fantasies started to conjure up in my thoughts before I could stop them.

My hands were about to move out of my face when...

"Where did my pants go?" Leo asked.

Greyson hissed behind me and his hand covered my eyes. "Leo, cover that ass up before I kick it out of here."

"Oh my poor eyes!" Lexie cried.

Vincent was still groaning in pain.

"Leo, as a person of the law, I don't think public nudity would look good on your record." Bennett teased.

"Oh shut up-I mean. Alpha, don't you think I need a little help here? When I shifted, I just threw my clothes without looking. I think it's in the bushes somewhere."

"Greyson, help Leo find his clothes. Lexie and I will take Vincent to the basement floor." The dungeon, I thought.

"My hand is kind of occupied."

Apparently I'm incapable of shielding my own eyes. Lexie and Bennett carried Vincent off dissapeared into the house.

"Greyson, remove your hands off me." I attempted to remove his fingers one at a time but he placed his other hand over the other one.

"So you can see another man naked? No way."

"I'm not going to look." I wasn't even planning to.

"No" he said childishly.

"How mature."

"I know." I sense the smile on his face.

Something warm and soft touched the bare part of my neck and I reacted by tensing. "Greyson, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"That thing I just felt." Did he just kiss my neck?

"I don't know." He answers sarcastically.

I whip around and remove myself from him. The first thing I see is that smug smile on his face that told me he did what I just said he did.

"You did!"

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did!" I puffed.

"Can you two stop being so lovey-dovey. It's literally making me sick." Leo walked up to us with all his clothes on. "I could hear you from a few meters away. You too are already starting to sound like an old married couple."

Greyson snorted, but a pleased look was plastered on his face.

"We are nothing close to that. I don't even like him." I glared at Leo.

"I don't need to be a lawyer to read the lie in that sentence."

Before I could object, Greyson cut in and changed the subject. "How's Charlotte?"

My teeth bit my tongue. I wanted to say a million things but I needed to hear the answer from Leo.

"She's at the hospital. I was able to subside Vincent wolf from claiming her. I carried her closer to the house and her brother Trent found her a few minutes after. She has a deep bite mark on her shoulder, deep enough to leave a permanent scar. Her mother was hysteric when she saw her bleeding so much."

The news had me trembling. I turned to Greyson. "TAKE ME TO MY FAMILY!" I punched him on the chest. "MY MOM IS WORRIED SICK! YOU STOLE ME AND NOW MY SISTER IS HURT! You don't understand how much my mother has already suffered! My father was taken from us at a young age, we went through a lot together and I was always there for her. How can she survive without me? TAKE ME BACK TO MY FAMILY!" I cried.

Greyson caught me before I collapsed. My fists continued to punch him on his stomach. Charlotte was in the hospital. I wanted to see her for myself.

Leo's jaw clenched. "You will see your sister again."

My eyes searched his for any sign of a lie. There wasn't.

"What do you mean?"

Greyson sighed. "When our wolves choose a partner, an intimate partner, we're bond to that person for life. Vincent's wolf didn't randomly bite your sister. It's rare for pups to find their mate before shifting, but it happens. Your sister is obviously Vincent's mate."

"So you're going to steal her too?!"

"No, we won't be doing that." Leo explained.

"She isn't an Alpha's mate, her life isn't threatened like yours." Greyson explained.

My heart dropped to my stomach. "So what's going to happen now?"

"Charlotte will heal. Psychologically, I don't know how well she will react from what she remembered what happened last night. I have to keep a close watch on her." He was talking about my sister as if she were a lab rat. "When Vincent is stable-which can take three weeks-he will need to explain to her about all this. When she accepts Vincent and our pack, she can come here and see you. "

Three weeks I might see Charlotte.

This does little to relax me. "My sister is soft-hearted. She might not take this news lightly. I want to be there when Vincent tells her."

Greyson and Leo look at each other in uncertainty.

"You can't go outside." Greyson reminds me.

"Not even for a few minutes?"

Leo frowned. "We can't risk it and Alpha Bennett would not allow it."

"Can't she come in here?"

They remain silent for a few minutes, then Greyson speaks up. "I will have to talk to my father about that."

"Can she tell our mother about us?"

Again the two are silent. Are they telepathically talking to each other?

"Let's take on step at a time." Greyson clears his throat. "We still haven't talked about our wedding and-

"Wow, hold up. You think I've agreed to that? No way in hell am I marrying you." Hold my hands out and leave a hands length distance away from either boys. "Marriage is about the consenting union of two persons who agree to share each other's lives with one another."

"One soul and two bodies. Yes, I am aware." Greyson nodded.

"No, you are not aware. Get it through your thick skull that I haven't consented to marrying you."

Greyson smiled silently to himself, while Leo absentmindedly gazed at the sky pretending to be miles away from this conversation.

"Love can come after the ceremony. I know we are meant for each other. My wolf tells me so. The night I saw you from your bedroom window, I knew you were it for me. There is no one else."

My heart fluttered. "You can't know that by looking. Love is complex, it doesn't happen like lightning."

"True, but for wolves we tempt fate by instinct. Have you read the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't get poetic with me. I'm not one of those romantics." All lies, I am one of those romantics. And the way Greyson always stared at me-admiration and pride---had my heart twisting in knots. Was I starting to like him?

No, it can't be.

He smirked. "Romeo looked at Juliet once and he was in love."

"They were sixteen. They were too young to know what love really meant. Puppy love killed them-pun intended." I mentally laughed at my own joke.

Greyson smirked. "They loved and fought for what they thought was love despite their families loathe for one another. Look at us Celeste, You are human and I'm a beast. In society's views our relationship would be abnormal. There is this pull inside me that tells me one day you and I will learn to love each other. I'm fighting to get there, but you haven't tired yet. You haven't accepted me and what I can become. A monster and your protector-your friend and your someday your lover."

We blush at the same time. Leo was totally gone. I think Greyson's speech scared him off. Heck, even I wanted to run for the hills. Talk like this could have women melted in a puddle.

What do I say to that? "Umm..." Brilliant. He bent down on one knee. Oh my gawd. "What are you doing, you idiot. Get up!"

He reached into his back pocket.

OH MY GOD!

And produced a velvet box.

SOMEONE SHOT ME.

"Greyson, don't do this?!" I pleaded.

"Do what?" He said in confusion. He opened the velvet box and inside I see a gorgeous diamond... anklet. "Leo said that girls love jewelry, especially anklets. He said that it signifies how I think you're beautiful. If you wear it on your left leg it means that you are taken."

It was like a bucket of ice water fell on me.

It was stupid to think he was going to propose!

And Greyson...He literally lives under a rock. Although the gift was thoughtful, I'm not going to wear that piece of jewelry to symbolize his ownership.

"Greyson, if you really want me to learn how to love you. Making me wear jewelry for your expense will not get me there. I'm not wearing it, although I think it is quite beautiful."

He looked disappointed. "Why not?"

"Why don't you ask Leonardo, he seems to be well educated in the topic of love and relationships?" I walk away, towards the house.

"Where are you going?' He asks.

"To find my sanity, I think I've lost it."

He shakes his head. "That tongue of yours..."

Three weeks...If I wait that long what will lay ahead of me?

NOTE: Dec 24, 2016

HAPPY HOLIDAYS YOU FREAKISHLY AMAZING PEOPLE!!! I'M BACK!!! I've graduated and I'm ready to write again after a year of constant chaos. I have edited this book again so you will find some changes to the style of writing. This book has been closed off from the public but I have made it visible once more. SO YOU BETTER BE GRATEFUL, you marshmallows! Let's make one thing clear though IF YOU COPY MY BOOK...I WILL FIND YOU.

BE WARNED. xo