Chapter １７
Charles rolls his eyes, and, shakes his head; then, shoots her a truly amicable grin, and, switches his crossed legs … resting his folded hands on top of his right knee … then, tells her, with a most, stereo-typical inflection being detected …
“Oh, honey; please … you don’t have to worry your sweet, pretty, little head over me.”
Snow immediately thinks … Okay; so we’ve gone from effeminate to ‘flaming (?)’? Totally at ease … almost strangely ecstatic, for some reason … Snow smiles from ear to ear. She starts to ask …
“So … you’re …” Snow can’t seem to bring herself to finish asking … so; Charles bails her out …
“Yes; that’s right … I’m a big proponent of that saying ‘to each their own’.” He winks, and, gives her another amicable grin.
Snow thinks … First Rose and Roger; and, now Charles. Staying around here might be fun. … Definitely interesting. Then, she tells Charles, “It’s a pleasure to meet you; Charles?”
Charles laughs; and, jocularly retorts, “‘It’s a pleasure to meet you?’ … My; you certainly have good manners for a rogue.”
Snow and Charles … instantly clicking … already feel like good friends; and, laugh. Jake isn’t amused; and, feels like Charles had just slighted Snow by that comment. He snaps …
“Gamma … don’t you dare call your Luna a rogue!”
A bit taken aback at first by his sudden outburst, Snow and Charles look at each with quizzical expressions on their faces; then, at the same time, they just burst out laughing. This confounds, and, irritates the already perturbed Alpha. Then, Charles tells Jake …
“Now, Alpha… don’t go getting your panties all twisted up in a knot …” He mischievously … in a playful way… looks at Snow, and, remarks, “… trust me when I tell you; it’s very uncomfortable. … I tell you this from my own personal experiences.”
The two laugh again; but, Jake seems like he’s about to blow a gasket … his ire’s quickly soaring. Snow sees this from the corner of her eye; and, tenderly places her hand on the fuming Alpha’s thigh, and, soothingly rubs on it. He instantly jolts his head to face Snow; and, dazedly gazes at her. He’s not sure what he’s feeling; as she gently glides her hand back and forth over his thigh … it isn’t an amorous or sexual sensation … but, it is pleasurably warming and relaxing. He feels himself calming with ever rub; and, his ire is quickly subsiding. Charles is impressed by the tranquilizing affect Snow seems to already have over Jake.
“I guess it’s time I should return the good manners, and, say that it’s a pleasure to meet you, too; Snow.”
Snow looks at him, and, graciously smiles. “Really?”
“Oh, yes; honey … it’s a real pleasure to meet the girl that could wrangle in, and tame our Jakey; over here.”
Snow immediately looks up at the Alpha and chortles. “Jakey?”
The Alpha sharply turns to face the Gamma, and, fiercely glares at him; while menacingly growling. An unfazed Gamma simply switches up his crossed legs again; and, rests his folded hands back on top of his left knee, now. He tells Jake …
“Please; not another hissy fit, again. … Snow, honey; be a dear, and, rub on his leg some more, and, get him to calm down before he pops a blood vessel. … I swear; you can be so sensitive at times; Alpha. … See … that’s the problem with these Alpha’s; Snow … that just got too much testosterone swirling in their bodies to know what to do with. … So; they throw their little tantrums, now and then. ”
Snow, still chuckling over the nickname … and, the amusing banter provided by Charles … immediately follows his directive, and, starts rubbing Jake’s thigh again. And, almost instantly, he’s calmed down. And, after a couple of minutes of this relaxing rubbing; Jake sarcastically asks Charles …
“Tell me something, Charles … why is it that I’ve kept you on all these years as my personal assistant? Do you have any idea; because I sure don’t?”
“Oh; that’s easy. … Because I’m the only in the pack that can put up with your hissy fits.”
They laugh. And, Jake concedes …
“Yeah; that’s true … you probably are.”
The fact is, just like with Daniel; Jake also grew with Charles. They were raised together like they were three brothers … well; maybe two brothers and a ‘sister’ … and, now they run the Cerberus Pack together. And, this is why Charles can say the things he says to Jake … and, be able to walk away alive.
The driver announces, “We’re almost there; Alpha.”
“Alright; thanks.”
It suddenly dawns on Snow again; that she’s been ‘abducted’, and, being taken in a car to somewhere … and, she still has no idea where. She stops rubbing on the Alpha’s thigh … actually; she’s been so caught up in their antics that she didn’t even realize she was still rubbing it … not to mention that; it kind of felt, and, came natural for her to do it. But; there are more pressing things weighing on Snow’s mind, now. She tries to muster up the courage; and, when she does, hesitantly asks …
“Excuse me; Alpha Jake … where are you taking me?”
He doesn’t reply right away. Jake remains silent; stoically looking at the anxious Snow. Then, after a moment or two; displaying that same stoic expression. “You want to know where I’m taking you?”
Snow nervously nods.
He remains silent for another brief moment; then, his facial expression softens, and, he grins. “I’m taking you to your new home.”
Snow doesn’t reply to him. She sits there in total silence with a blank look on her face. She thinks … My new home?
The Sedan turns off the county road, onto a secluded dirt ‘road’ that cuts through an area which is densely laden with an array deciduous trees mixed in among a multitude of large patches of scrub … providing the best camouflage in the entire Cerberus territory that nature could provide. This is one of the main reasons for selecting this particular location to construct the Alpha’s residence; which, besides the Alpha and his family, the Beta and Gamma families can also reside there as well, if they choose. It is here, that most of their more critical and pressing meetings concerning any essential matters of the pack are held; not to mention, one of the places where pack members … providing they have an approved appointment … can consort one on one with the Alpha about any of their issues or concerns within the pack.