38 A Difficult Alpha

Kratos.

I kept my face neutral. So far his gaze was settled on James, only drifting to me every so often. I was doing my best not to grimace from the agony coursing through my right arm, I'd refused refreshments and food, even though my throat was dry.

"So…" Kratos muttered, "Beta Raphael is dead, then?"

James nodded, his demeanour stiff.

I was biding my time, when the opportunity arose I would bring up the subject of why we were here. First I would let Kratos get what he wanted to say out, he was clearly interested in James. I didn't know if he'd tapped into his mind yet, but the thought had me frightened.

Even if he didn't see my thoughts, he would see James's interpretation of me, of what I went through.

With my left hand I grabbed a hair elastic from my jacket pocket and wrapped it around my right hand. I spun it around my wrist, focusing on it and the conversation.

"And… you're now her… bodyguard?" Kratos asked, his head tilting to the left as his eyes darkened. I tensed, sensing that Kratos had discovered the truth of our "relationship".

"Alpha Thresh has ordered me as Gamma to protect her." James answered, he wasn't doing a very good job at hiding his anger.

What was he angry at?

"Has he now?" Kratos's eyes stayed fixed on the beige and red rug on the ground, but I could see that he was reading something.

He inhaled and straightened himself, relaxing against the back of the couch, "And what happened that caused this need of protection?"

"An incident." James ground out. I could feel the tension rising in the air. One of the Lycans would stand up soon and challenge the other.

Snap!

Both sets of eyes turned to me as my fingers began to fidget with the hair elastic again.

"Kratos." I started, cursing myself for how shaky my voice was, "You know we're here for a reason, and-" I swallowed, trying to inhale oxygen as my lungs fought the life force. "And if I know you then I-" Snap! "Know you've already guessed that reason."

He watched me, his piercing blue eyes unblinking as he watched my hands shake. I hated being this weak, and it bothered me that more people knew about it. Kratos and I had shared a mutual respect and now… I deserved no respect.

After a long, unsettling silence he crossed his leg over his knee, "You're right, I have. But do tell me, why was my dear brother, Zelus was killed."

I blinked.

Snap!

Kratos frowned, but I ignored it. The elastic has a plastic bead on it that caused a deeper sting, but kept me focused. I didn't know how to answer him, but by how he subtly glanced at James he was searching his mind for answers.

"Stop." I ordered.

He narrowed his eyes and a lazy grin spread across his face, "Why? Did I perhaps strike a nerve?"

I closed my eyes, doing my best to calm my racing heart, "I know what you're doing Kratos. Don't act innocent. And I don't think it would be wise… for me to t-tell you why or h-how Zelus was killed."

"Alright then," He agreed, but I could see he had another plan in mind, "Then why don't you tell me what happened to your beautiful hair, it didn't seem like you had any plans to cut it last we met, did you happen to sell it?"

I inhaled sharply and tried to fight the pained gasp at my legs erupting into pins and needles.

Snap!

"And why do you continue to do that?"

"To focus."

"And to distract your thoughts." He muttered, his blue eyes searching, "Distract them from what?"

"You don't want to know." I ground out.

I needed to get out, to get away from Kratos's keen eyes. I couldn't stand which meant James would have to carry me.

"I believe I do." He replied, his voice cold. I stilled. He was trying to get in my mind.

I panicked and grabbed James's hand, the other one gripping my skull.

"Don't. Get out." I whispered, doing my best to fight his frigid, prying eyes from invading my mind. I'd built so many walls. Just when I thought I would scream from the hysteria building inside me, he stopped.

I raised my head and saw an unreadable expression on his face.

I let go of James's hand, realizing I'd been clasping it like a lifeline.

The room went utterly silent, I rolled my eyes when an image of another one of El-kor's torture came to mind. Silence. Drove me mad, and if this silence kept up, I would start panicking.

"Well, I will not bother Thresh as he deals with the remainder of Zelus's Pack. But there is something else you should relay to Thresh," He looked between me and James, his eyes landing on James and picking him as his target, "Dart, has been making strange movements-"

"We know." James interrupted. I fought the frown that wanted to appear on my face. What did he mean, he knew? Now I was being kept out of the loop?

"Oh, so you do? Well then…" He started, his eyes dropping to the carpet as a sly, discreet smile played on his lips.

I grasped James's hand, "I need to get out of here." I whispered, holding his deep, dark brown eyes. Almost like mine.

He grunted, "No, you don't."

I dug my nails into his hand, partly because of how desperate I was, and partly by accident. "I need to get out."

"So go."

"I can't walk."

"And why's that, Brooke?" Kratos interjected into our conversation.

I held his eyes, they were cold and serious. He knew something. Maybe he'd seen one of my attacks, or one of the times I'd been paralyzed before.

I swallowed and met James's gaze, but he was watching Kratos, while the Alpha watched me.

My legs still burned with the pain of the paralysis, my arm felt heavy and stung dully.

I was beginning to panic from the idea of being trapped with Kratos who was reading James's thoughts.

James sighed, "Since we've no place to stay and no car, could you lend-"

"I'd love to. Up the stairs, to the left and at the end of the hall is an excellent bedroom for you two." Kratos interrupted with a pleased smile.

James nodded and standing drew me into his arms. He had just passed under the threshold when Kratos called, "Wait, one last thing."

James turned and the Alpha watched him with a deadly cold stare. James gasped and I felt his arms release me.