Behind The Alpha Book 4 CASS
Chapter 12

(Chapter song ‘Talk' by Hozier)

CASS

“You’re going to be back before we have to leave right?” Curtis asks as he holds Jesse’s jacket.

“Yes, baby. This shouldn’t take long. I just need to settle a score.” Jesse tightens his gun belt and grabs his oil skin from Curtis. He stands in front of him as he shrugs it on. “I’ll be back in time for us to leave. I promise.” He grabs Curtis' cheeks and kisses him.

Seeing two guys kiss for the first time didn’t make me feel as weird as I thought it would. In all honesty, I’m jealous as fuck. My eyes shoot to Embers lips and back to the guys as we wait for Jesse to get ready.

A few more kisses and Jesse breaks it. “You just git packed up and I’ll be ready to go. I love you. Don’t ever think I don’t.”

Curtis smiles. “I love you, too. Be careful.”

“I will.” Jesse kisses his forehead and turns to us. “Let’s clear this up real quick like.” He grits as he walks between Ember and I out the door.

“Bye, Curt.” I wave.

“See ya.” Curtis smiles and gives a quick wave.

We walk out the door to the hallway.

I turn to him. “So…You and Curtis, huh?”

The tough looking cowboy almost instantly melts. “Yup. He’s my bronc. Who knew? I really thought after Penelope, there’d be no one for a dirt dog like me. Turns out, Curt gits me. All of me. He makes me feel real. I dunno. It’s weird. He doesn’t care what I am or what I’m in the mood for being.” He leans to me. “The man gives mean belly rubs and ear scratches, I’ll tell you what.” He clicks his teeth and winks.

I chuckle as I shake my head.

Ember stands us in a circle. “Ok. Where’s Puck?” She obviously wants this show on the road.

“Welp. When I last caught up with him, he was in a warehouse in Manhattan. I can’t git you close. He has a block on it. So, if ya blink to downtown, we can walk there.” Jesse says.

“Ok.” Ember grabs both our arms. “Manhattan here we come.”

In a literal blink, we’re in an alleyway surrounded by skyscrapers. I thought Phoenix was loud. Nothing compared to New York. Even at 2 in the morning.

Jesse steps out onto the sidewalk. He gets his bearings. “This way.” He points up the street.

We walk behind him, avoiding people as they walk our way. The traffic blares horns and yells as it virtually stands still. It’s busy tonight.

I step around a guy and his shoulder bumps mine. I turn to him. “Sorry.” He looks back, smirks and his eyes glow gold. My lips fall. I jog up behind Jesse. “There’s Lycans here.” I whisper.

“Yup. The place crawls with ‘em. Keep your head down and don’t cause a ruckus." He says low.

I nod and slide back to Ember. “Hopefully, we get this done quick. The last thing we need is Lycans.”

“Agreed.” Ember says looking around.

We walked for several blocks before Jesse turned down a side street. He points across the street to a warehouse. “In there.”

“Can you sense him?” Ember asks.

Jesse shakes his head. “Maybe. It’s hard to tell. He’s not blood so the tingles aren’t as strong. It feels familiar.”

We all look around as we jog across the street in the dark. Ember leads the way to a side entrance under a single yellow light in the wall. She grabs the handle and it opens.

She looks at us and puts a finger to her lips indicating radio silence. I nod.

We step into the dark warehouse. It's filled with boxes and weird tools. There’s large black pots on fires with steam coming out of them and tables with liquids boiling in glass containers. It’s like a mad science lab in here.

We walk to the center of the room and search the dark corners.

“PUCK!” Ember yells to the echoes.

She eyes the place with her hands on her hips.

Jess pulls out his guns. “Brace yourselves.” He growls.

“For what?” I glance at him.

Just then the entire building started to shake. It was so violent, the stuff on the tables exploded. One of the pots fell off its fire and its contents sizzled across the floor. I struggled to get to Ember as we both tried to stay on our feet. Windows exploded and stuff from the roof crashed to the floor. Terrified birds vacated as fast as their wings could fly, squawking the whole way.

The room filled with a deafening whine. I hold Ember and scrunch my face as my ears threaten to explode. “WHAT IS THAT?”

Embers covering her ears. “MY BROTHER!”

“WHO DARES ENTER MY SANCTUM?!”

The voice is huge, deep and dark. It booms off the walls and smacks us right in the chest.

“PUCK! KNOCK IT OFF!” Ember yells.

“NOT UNTIL YOU SAY WHO THE BEST BROTHER IS!!” The dark voice booms again.

I turn my pained face to hers. “What?!” I pant.

Ember shakes her head and drops it. The building shakes even more.

“I'M WAITING!”

Jesse steps forward. “PUCK! KNOCK OFF THE ACT AND GIT YER PUNY ASS OUT HERE!”

“JESSE? UH…PUCK’S NOT HERE…”

Jesse looks at us, arches a brow and looks back into the darkness. He pulls a six shooter, aims and fires a shot. We hear it hit something.

“OW! ALRIGHT!” The voice was still loud, but the deep and dark suddenly disappeared and changed to a higher pitched whine.

The building stops. Things fall and rest as we regain our composure.

Ember fixes her hair. “You alright?”

I dig a finger in my ear. “YEAH! ONCE THE RINGING STOPS!!”

She smirks and turns to face the darkness. “Come out, Puck.” She demands.

From around the dark, cackling comes. We all try to pinpoint where, when a figure emerges from a corner just opposite of us.

From the shadows comes a young man. Say early to mid twenties. Shaggy black hair, light skin and yellowish eyes. His smile is huge and his skinny frame almost shines. He’s slapping his knee as he laughs. He points to us. “You should have seen your faces.” He laughs harder while holding his stomach. “Ahhhh!” He waves his arms in the air as he walks, teasing us about being scared.

I lean to Ember. “Can I hate him?”

“Yes. Please do.” She steps to her brother. “If you can stop and grow up for a split second…I need to talk to you.”

Jesse steps up next to her. “I think we all need a few things to hash out.” He growls.

Puck instantly stops laughing. “Your dad made me. Don’t blame me.”

“Oh, I blame you and I’m taking my hide before I leave here today.” Jesse nods.

“Puck.” Ember barks.

Pucks scared face turns to Ember.

She crosses her arms. “As much as I hate to ask, I need you to make something for me.”

He smirks at her. “So, you do need me.”

“Don’t even. If I could kill you I would.” She clenches.

He stands with attitude. “Dear sister. You wouldn’t kill me. I bring life to your pathetic existence.”

She gets in his space. “Listen here, you little worm…”

He just laughs. “You’re anger doesn’t scare me Ember.”

The sound of a gun cooking surrounds us and in a flash, Jesse has his gun to Pucks temple. “How about this?” Jesse glares down the barrel. “Angel dust. I’d curb that attitude if I was you.”

Pucks eyes go to Jesse. “Angel…How?”

“I know people.” He grits.

Puck slowly reaches up and places a hand on the gun. He slowly pushes it down. “Ok. You have my attention. Ember, what do you want?”

“I need a heart smasher.” Ember supplies.

“A heart smasher. What for?” He ticks his brow up.

“None of your business.” Ember scowls.

“No. It doesn’t work like that. The heart smasher is a dangerous weapon. I can’t just give it to anyone.” He eyes his sister.

“Ok, fine. I screwed up a match.” She sighs.

“Whose?” Puck asks.

Ember flicks her gaze to Jesse who nods. “Mine.”

Pucks eyes immediately meet mine. He looks back at Ember. A smile creeps across his lips. “You’re kidding right?”

“Nope.”

He points to me. “With that guy?”

She looks back at me then turns. “Yep.”

“Did…Did you really shoot yourself in the foot?” He laughs.

Ember shakes her head and throws a hand out. “Yes, ok…Laugh it up…Yes. I shot myself in the foot. Now, I need to undo it. The heart smasher.” She holds a hand out.

He crosses his arms. “I don’t have one.”

“What do mean you don’t have one!” Ember snarls.

“I mean, it’s a custom order. It’ll take a week to make one.” He informs.

“A week!” Ember freaks out. “I CAN’T WAIT A WEEK!”

Puck closes his eyes and shakes his head. “You want my skill, sis. You wait.”

I walk up behind her. “We can wait. It’s OK. I don’t mind. I’m certainly in no rush.” I say over her shoulder.

She looks at me and squints her eyes. “But I can’t…Puck!”

“Sorry.” He motion his hands out to the side.

Jesse folds his arms. “If you’re lying…” He scowls.

“Yeah, I know. You’ll fill my ass full of lead.” Puck says smugly.

“I kill you.” Jesse confirms.

“Whatever.” Puck waves him off.

Ember looks at me then her brother. “Fine. One week, Puck. That’s it. If you don’t, there will be nothing left for Jesse to shoot.”

“Don’t threaten me.” Puck glares. “Or I’ll just disappear and you won’t get your arrow.”

“That’s a promise, Puck. I will hunt your ass down and the longer im attached to him, the angrier I get. You know what happens then.” Ember puffs her chest, pushes on him and meets his eyes in a death glare.

“Ember, let’s just go…” I grab her arm. I’m not liking the energy I feel from her. I also been getting weird vibes since I walked in here.

“Why so soon?”

We turn to the voice that just entered the room.

I cinch my brow and try to understand what I see standing in front of me. “Mike?”