Page 50 of Winter Unleashed
Ciara smiled at me then smacked a frowning Isaac. “Snap out of it,” she said. “I’m your mate, remember.”
“You misunderstand,” Isaac replied looking at her with a shocked expression.
“Do I? Or are you upset about seeing someone you pined after for years fucking my brother at the breakfast table?”
I choked on my coffee. But that wasn’t as bad as Liam crushing his mug in his hand. I dabbed at my chin with my napkin while Liam brushed at his pants with his. We stared at the other couple. I tried to think of something to say to break the tension. If Liam thought for even a second still Isaac wanted me, he’d kill him. Literally.
“You misunderstand,” Isaac repeated, saving me from having to save him. “I’m not upset about what we just saw, I’m upset because of something she did at the Academy.”
“Excuse me?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
His frustration surprised me, but I was relieved it wasn’t because he’d seen me screwing Liam. We’d become friends when he’d been nine years old, and I’d still been in diapers. We’d had that brief relationship when I was eighteen, and even though it had ended quickly, he’d try to start things up again every so often. But he really pressed the gas on that when Liam and I had started talking.
Isaac had not been a fan of Liam’s, and he’d tried to warn me away from him. When he found out Liam is my mate he was upset for a while. But then he found his mate, Ciara.
He smiled down at his tiny mate. “You’d think after almost two thousand years, you’d stop getting jealous.”
My eyes widened and I glanced at Liam, but he deliberately did not look at me. I could have said the same thing to him. But truth be told, it was a little exciting knowing little ol’ me could make him insecure.
Ciara sneered at Isaac. “And you’d think after thirty-three years you’d stop…”
“I’d stop what?” he asked, brushing the hair from her face.
She blushed then frowned. “I wasn’t jealous.”
He leaned over to kiss her. “Okay, sure.”
“What did I do at the Academy?” I asked before they were the second couple to have sex at the table.
Isaac turned his attention back to me. “You spoke to Wallace about his son.”
My face screwed up in confusion. “What are you talking about? I didn’t…”
“After the incident with Ebony,” he reminded me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re upset because I told him I’d take care of Damian if he didn’t?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand. Why would that piss you off?”
“I’m not angry, it’s just that I’m Alpha. You made it clear you don’t want the position. It wasn’t your place to speak to Wallace.”
“Damian is a piece of shit who preys on the girls in the school. Wallace has left it up to the so-called school bully to teach him manners.” I shook my head. “It shouldn’t be the responsibility of another adolescent to take care of Damian. That’s Wallace’s job. As that little fucker’s father and Alpha. I wasn’t trying to be Alpha. I was doing what any responsible adult would do in that situation.”
“You should have come to me first. Ebony is in my pack. It was my responsibility to handle the situation.”
“I don’t understand, you’ve never cared before.”
“Well, I care now.” He softened his tone. “Look, all I’m asking is for you to come to me before you react next time. Show me the respect I deserve as your Alpha. As your friend.”
“Okay… I’m sorry. Next time I’ll speak with you before I react.”
“Thank you,” he said. He lowered his eyes and pushed his food around the plate.
I nibbled my lip as I studied my best friend. “Is this because the packs are changing their minds about me? Are you scared they’re going to demand I replace you?”
“Yes. I heard two women talking at the bar at Mac’s the other night.”