Chapter 146

I month later…

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I was standing blowing into my hands in the chilly March air.

The door opened behind me and I saw someone coming out. 'Not him.' I said for the hundredth time.

Thresh had sent me to pick up Kratos, who was currently in a bar, in Fort Nelson.

(Fort Nelson is the town closest to the airport that we use to get to the Haven.)

Kratos had called Thresh and told him that he was here along with the best from his pack.

A few people had come out of the bar but none of them had been Kratos.

I twisted my lips in annoyance at the man's attitude. He'd told Thresh that he would be at the airport then called him and said that he was in a bar. The only bar in Fort Nelson.

I huffed a sigh and pushing away my fear and nervousness I entered the bar.

"ID please." The man at the door said. I gave him a look, people always tell me that I look much older than my actual age but instead of making a big deal I showed him my license and he let me in.

I could vaguely make out Kratos's strange channel but like before, it continued evading me.

I stopped and tried to focus but it disappeared.

I sighed. Maybe he'd come to me, but time was short and I needed to be on the road soon, preferably with the Alpha.

I went to the bar—something I never thought that I would ever do—and the bartender asked what I wanted.

I could hardly hear him over the loud music but he didn't seem bothered by it.

"Have you seen a tall guy, black hair and blue eyes?" I asked loudly.

"Sure have, creepy guy." He answered.

A small smirk appeared on my face, he can be.

"He was in that corner there, some of his buddies are still there." He nodded his head in the direction of the far left corner.

"Thanks." I yelled and then made my way to the said corner.

Three Lycans were sitting around a bench, one was flirting with a girl at the table next to them.

I thought it was strange that I hadn't sensed them before but it was fairly hard to concentrate in the loud distracting place.

The guy in the middle took notice of me first. He didn't say anything, just watched me. He had short brown hair with a thick moustache covering his upper lip. It didn't suit him. His dark eyes regarded me.

"Where is he?" I asked.

All three men turned to look at me, each of their faces dead serious.

"I'm with Thresh." I said and their expressions didn't change.

I rolled my eyes, "Has he ever mentioned a Brooke? No? Alright just tell him that there's a Brooke here."

I listened as the untrusting Lycan mind linked his Alpha. In the brief link I learnt that he was the Gamma, he was mated and was not allowed to drive back to the hotel.

I soon sensed the strange channel closer to me and I turned around to see a very disheveled Kratos. His dark hair was coming out in tufts and his white dress shirt was wrinkled and untucked from his stained, dark grey pants.

I squinted my eyes in confusion, "What happened to you?"

He didn't answer and walked to the bar.

I'd only met the man for a few seconds before, but in those few seconds I'd made a few analysis. He'd lost his mate, probably depressed about it, I know I would be. He had called his gift a curse, maybe he was struggling with it.

I walked to the bar and attempted to quell the anxiety that was arising at standing next to a man that was drinking. I'd sat across from Mark when he'd been drinking but Raph had been next to me.

Right now, I was alone.

I took a deep breath and bit the inside of my lip. With a crazy amount of courage, I slid the glass filled with golden alcohol down the bar to the stool three seats over.

Kratos glared and moved to reach for it.

"Please." I said, "Don't."

He looked at me angrily with his blue eyes.

"Why'd he send you?" He asked as he ordered a glass of water.

"I was hoping to come with my mate, but Thresh didn't want him to come because you could probably hack into his mind." I said watching the unpredictable Lycan warily.

He huffed a laugh, "He was probably right."

"What are you doing?" I asked as he ordered another glass of water, having finished the first.

"Drinking, do you mind." It wasn't a question it was a statement that he wanted me gone.

"As a matter of fact I do." I paused for a few seconds, "Why?"

"Why what?" He asked as he moved to sit at a table.

"Why are you drinking?" I asked sitting down across from him.

He watched me for a couple seconds then replied, "Because I want to, is that a problem, Brooke?"

I didn't answer and we just sat in silence in the midst of the crowd.

I opened my mouth but it took me a moment to speak, "Is it about your mate?"

At that I felt two hands grab my arms and hold me down. I looked up and saw two guys, their eyes glazed as they held my arms down with a strong grip.

"What about her?" Kratos asked and I turned to face him.

"You said she died, are you feeling depressed?" I asked feeling a little outside my comfort zone asking such a personal question.

"Yes, as a matter of fact… I am." He reached over and stole a person's drink without having them freak out and the hands on my arms relaxed and left.

I licked my lips and tried again, "You can't just do that."

"Why not?"

"Would she have liked it? If you drank when you were depressed?" I asked, knowing it would strike a nerve of some kind. Instead, he laughed.

"What else is alcohol for?" And he raised his glass I jumped when everyone else did too.

"Could you stop doing that." I asked. It was very disturbing.

"No." He answered.

I decided to try another approach, "How old are you?"

He looked at me, "Are you serious?"

I nodded, "Yes. Are you older or younger than Thresh."

He narrowed his bright eyes at me then spoke, "Younger." He took a sip of his drink.

"Hmm." I nodded, "And I take it you don't particularly care for your older brother. Well, I don't particularly care for my older sister sometimes but I still love her and would help her if she needed it. Right now, your brother needs your help."

He continued to look at me, then tilting his head he asked, "What about you? What are you?"

I paused, we'd already discussed this in Montreal, I'd explained that I was human. And it was a weird question to ask at the moment.

Realizing my confusion he continued, "You're not a Luna, you're not a head. You're not a mother and you're not a Lycan. You're a Beta's mate."

I felt hurt by his words and it probably registered on my face.

"So, what are you?" He asked in a smooth voice and with an aloof expression.

I blinked a few times but answered strongly, "I am a Beta's mate. I'm a wife. And that's all that matters to me. I don't want to be a leader, I don't think I'm quite ready to be a mother and I'm not a Lycan, and that's okay."

He watched me a few seconds more and I became determined to attempt a compromise to get him to come.

"Mmh, I'm not sure I like that face." He said while stealing another drink without the owner's objections.

I gave him a short glare then sighed and said, "You can drink in the car."

"Can I drive?"

"No! No, no you can't drive." I said finding my hand shaking from his words I hid it under the table but he ducked his head and looked.

"Did I make you nervous?"

I ignored him and began to tap my foot agitatedly.

Taking a shaky breath, "Kratos-"

"Ah, ah. Here I'm Kevin." He stretched his arms indicating the room.

I rolled my eyes, "You made a commitment, you're here, you might as well see why."

He sighed overdramatically and hunched his back, "Ohhhhhh, fine."

I sighed in relief.