Chapter 53

"Mark," Krey said like his name was toxic on his tongue. His eyes darkened by the second. "Is this a fucking joke?"

"What?" Victoria looked from Krey's angry face, to Pip's sudden fear, then to Mark trying to show a smile that trembled at the sides. "You... know each other?"

Krey stepped forward with clenching fists. Mark stepped back, gulping. "This is your mate?" Krey asked his cousin.

"Um, yes. We met when the first annual meeting was supposed to happen. How do you know him?" Victoria's anxious eyes flicked to Pip. Krey was furious, and she knew when Krey was furious, he snapped easily.

"Why don't you ask Mark," Krey growled. "Are you still looking to fight? Well here the fuck I am."

Mark shuffled further away until Victoria grabbed his arm. Mark was ready for a sudden disappearing act. "Let's talk somewhere else?" she said, quickly glancing around when people near them stopped talking to watch what was going on.

Krey was fuming and zoning in on Mark's twitching face until Pip held one of his fists. "Krey," Pip, with darting eyes, didn't want to draw more attention to them. "Let's just go."

Krey was silent for a moment. His slate face was unreadable and dangerously blank, until he muttered, "I'm not letting him get away, not this time."

Krey lunged forwards and grabbed Mark by the scuff of his shirt. He dragged him through the crowd and through the door to their left. People were in the corridors, so Krey pulled him through the building until they reached somewhere quiet.

Pip and Victoria hurried after him. Francis and Sid followed too, suddenly very nervous, and ready to stop their Alpha if he moved too quickly to violence.

Krey pushed Mark away from him, so furious, he then charged forward and pointed a finger in his face. "Tell me, did you piss your pants when Victoria showed you her wolf too?"

Mark flushed a dark red. "That was you?" he asked, smoothing down the front of his shirt.

"Of course it was me! You and your friends chased Pip through the woods to beat the shit out of him!" Krey yelled in his face and Mark pinned himself to the wall, looking to Victoria for help. Mark was almost six foot. Krey still towered over him.

"Krey!" Victoria grabbed his arms and yanked him back. She stood in front of her mate and pointed a stern finger at Mark. "Tell me that's not true."

"I-I-" Mark looked to Pip who stood awkwardly and silently, not knowing what do say or do. "It's not true."

Victoria visibly deflated. Her arms slumped by her side. "Dammit Mark. I know when you're lying."

"You told me to tell you it wasn't true," Mark said with a small smirk.

"You think this is funny?" Krey's neck was red with anger.

Victoria turned and pushed hard against Krey's chest to stop him charging to her mate and punching him to oblivion. "Calm down, right now!" she yelled. Her eyes were a cluster of green fury.

Pip backed away, and Francis and Sid stood closer. Both Krey and Victoria were terrifying when angry.

"Mark, how do you know Pippor?" Victoria asked, standing between Krey and her mate.

"We go to the same school," Mark mumbled, crossing his arm and slouching against the wall. He chewed on his thin lips. His eyes were like grey beads staring at the floor.

"Pippor," Victoria said, softening her tone when she saw him standing sheepishly to one side, fidgeting violently with his fingers. "How do you know Mark?"

"W-We um-" he cleared his throat. "We grew up together."

Pip's fear towards Mark was evident when Pip could barely look him in the eye.

"Mark, why were you chasing Pippor through the woods?"

"Because that's what he does. The night I met Pip, he climbed over the fence into the institute because Mark and his freaks chased him through the woods until Pip had no choice but to trespass. Pip would have rather been punished by us than get caught by Mark. I hope you're realising who your mate is, Victoria." Krey's voice was deep and colder than Pip had ever heard him.

Pip watched Victoria's reaction. She didn't look surprised, and he felt a little sorry for her.

"I know he has that nasty streak in him," Victoria said solemnly.

"I-"

"No, Mark," Victoria interrupted, snapping her head in his direction. Her blonde curls fell in front of her face. She stared at him, but not unkindly. They were mates. Being unkind to each other wasn't impossible, but hard and unlikely. "I hear your snide comments about the way people look and the way people dress. You're surrounded by wolves and you walk around here like your head is above everyone else." She then turned to Krey. "Are you going to punch him?"

"I want to," Krey growled. His brown eyes were now pulsing red.

"Well don't. Mark has a cute nose, and my parents are already struggling to have you in their home. Let's all just calm down."

Krey used all his will power to coax his wolf back from the surface. Think of Pip, think of Pip, think of Pip. He looked to his mate, cowering by Francis and Sid. Pip was scared, he saw it in his big fearful eyes. "Say sorry to Pippor right now," Krey demanded. An apology wasn't as satisfying as a cracked nose, but it was a start.

Marks silence sent all eyes in his direction. He seemed reluctant to make one, and Krey was angry all over again. "Right now!" he roared.

Even Francis jumped from his deep booming voice bouncing off the walls.

Victoria chipped in too. "Mark," she hissed. "Apologise to Pippor."

"Sorry," Mark mumbled.

Pip barely heard him but was happy to leave it at that.

Krey wasn't.

"You obviously don't mean that." Krey tried stepping closer but was once again pushed back by Victoria.

"Krey," Pip eventually spoke up. "Please can we just go home?" He hadn't expected greatness from the night but seeing Mark had hung a dark cloud above his head.

At once, Krey returned to Pip's side, sensing his sadness. "Watch your back," Krey growled to Mark who stopped sticking himself to the wall now that Krey wasn't so close. "One wrong move and I'll come for you."

Victoria sighed like she had seen Krey that way a million times. "Don't take that with a pinch of salt, Krey means every word," she warned Mark. "Anyway, I thought this night was going to be fun and-"

"When are these ever fun?" Krey grumbled, crossing his arms, feeling his black blazer tightening around his shoulders. Krey thought back to last years meeting. He sulked in the corner, getting drunk and watching his parents dance and laugh and smile like the entire world was theirs.

The thought unsettled Krey. One very bad decision had changed everything. He looked down to Pip who had been the best thing to happen to him in months. Dad would've liked him, he thought to himself. His father was a curious man and would've made it his mission to get to know Pip until he felt like a part of the family. His dad would've liked Pip's golden heart.

"We're going," Krey said bluntly. Victoria had a comforting hand on Mark's shoulder. Krey was disappointed; Victoria was kind and deserved better. "If you visit Crescent Packhouse, leave the bully. We don't want him."

Pip was first to move, desperate to leave. Krey, Francis and Sid followed him down the corridor and back to the main room packed with werewolves. Pip paused by the door, too shy to yell over the music to tell people to move.

Krey on the other hand, had no problem shoving people aside to get through. He pulled Pip along, scanning the room for his mother, just to check that she was mingling with others and not on her own falling into a miserable pit of despair.

He spotted her standing with Saphine and Brandon and a few other Alpha's from northern packs. His mother had a drink in her hand, untouched. She stood with the group but couldn't have been further away. Her eyes glossed over and stared at nothing. She didn't listen to those laughing and chatting loudly around her.

She was lost.

Krey's mother looked miserable. She's the one grieving the most, but she'll stay the longest to show that she's not sad at all while I'm running off to prove how guilty I really am.

Krey tightened his arm around Pip and continued walking. The night was still young, and he couldn't think of anything better than cuddling up to his mate and watching a film to take his mind to another world.

Before they could reach the main entrance, Krey suddenly halted when Francis ran around him and blocked his path. "Omega-"

Francis shushed him, sniffing the air. She could smell more than Krey because she didn't have a mate's scent overwhelming her nostrils. "I smell something that's making me anxious." Francis sniffed some more, closing her eye and frowning to concentrate.

Sid sniffed the air too and started to frown.

"The smell is familiar, but not in a good way," Francis murmured.

Krey was growing impatient. "Well you can figure it out on the way back-"

"No." Francis opened her eyes wide. "Krey, we must leave but not by this exit."

"What do you-" Krey then smelt it. Wafting in between his mate's scent was a smell that made his arm hairs stand on end.

Francis panicked when she realised why the scent made her so distressed. "I smell southern wolves." The wolves weren't just from any enemy pack, but the pack that had avenged their Alpha's mate by killing Krey's father. They were back for more, and likely back for Pippor Monty.