Big Bad Wolfie
Chapter 13) Reasons Why

...Jason's POV...

I can hear her moving around in there. It's just making it even harder to wait until tomorrow to do everything I have planned. I don't know what she could be doing in there, but all I do know, is that I'm not getting to sleep until she does.

I didn't get a second of shut eye, which means she didn't either.

Which also means she's gonna be even more bratty and hard to deal with, and I'm going to have even less patience for it.

'And I'm going to have even less patience in waiting to be able to have my mate JASON,' my wolf, Malaki, cried.

I rolled my eyes.

You know she doesn't even have a wolf right Malaki? And I'm pretty sure she's not into that beastiality stuff.

'I'm fine with that. Just know I'm gonna be taking over a lot more often when you finally —'

That's enough of that. I don't need anymore temptation myself.

It's a little earlier than I usually start the day, but I decided to get up and get ready anyway. After doing all the basics, I threw on a white button up and dark blue jeans. Looking in the mirror, I thought about how would style my hair today. I ran my hand through it.

Done.

I waited a few more minutes, and heard Emily arrive in the hallway. She walked into the room across from mine.

Her room.

"Alright, get up," Emily barked.

Haha, it's funny hearing her act all mean.

"Go away!" I heard Maria whine.

Apparently she's not much more affected by it than I am.

'Aw, how cute. Isn't our mate adorable?'

Yes, yes. Go back to sleep Malaki.

'But she's so '

Night, night.

I heard a bunch of rustling.

"UuUuuUuUGgGggGhhHH!"

Oh my goddess, did a dinosaur just resurrect from the dead?

"I hate all of you."

"Yeah, you've mentioned it."

Oh, nope, it was just my mate being forced out of bed in the morning.

Well maybe if she had actually slept in it, she would-

Before I could finish my thought, a knock came from the other side of my door. "Alpha?" Emily called.

It was Emily, Claire, Bruno and a certain someone else with a particularly sweet scent on the other side of the door. I opened it, and my eyes were immediately drawn to hers, then they raked her body that is still only dressed in the sweat pants and T-shirt we gave her last night. How does she manage to still look delicious in it?

'Perrrrr' Malaki purred.

Sleep!

I took in and appreciated her hips first, and then waist and thighs and everything. I panned down, then back up. I revisited the slightly chapped but infinitely rosy lips I couldn't take my eyes off of last night, then her average to larger sized nose, then her perfectly cut jaw, to her pale but a adorable cheeks — when she smiles cute dimples appear there. Her cheek bones rest high on her face, but not too high. The perfect height I think would be the best way to describe it. Then, last but not least, certainly not least, probably the best actually, her eyes. Emerald green. So deep, like a dark forest I could fall into and never want out of.

"Come."

I started walking down the corridor, not waiting for a response. I knew they would follow me.

I thought about putting my hand at the back of her neck anyway, just as an excuse to touch her, but decided against it. The others would replace it suspicious. Emily knows, but the warriors don't. And an alpha replaceing his mate that can't immediately become Luna needs to be kept under wraps.

We walked down all the stairs and winding hallways to finally reach the front door. Zach met us there and followed us out.

We reached the staircase leading up to the doors and stopped, and I turned to Maria.

"You remember what I said?"

She rolled her eyes.

Malaki and I both growled.

"Of course, how could I forget?"

'Why does she always have to roll her eyes at us?'

I don't know Ki.

"Good," I nodded. "You'll be coming with us around the territory and introducing us to everybody in the central area. Who they are, who we are. What they do, what we do, stuff like that," I informed her. She sighed. "Let's get it over with then, I guess."

She led the way, which I'd usually have a problem with, but don't now, because of the amazing view from back here.

'She looks too good in those sweats.'

We followed her towards the first house on the right and came up beside her when she neared the door. She knocked. The person on the other side was quick to answer.

Maria took a deep breath. "Mr. Sellers, Hello, how have you been?"

"How have I been? Really? How have I been. Did those words actually just come out of your mouth you little know-it-all brat?"

Woah.

"Lemme tell you how I've been -"

"Mari!" A female voice came from behind him. She quickly pushed him aside and tackled Maria in a hug. Maria returned the favor with a smile. "Oh my gosh, I'm so glad that you're okay!" The girl beamed. "Well I'm not! She -"

"Dad, don't be mean," the girl turned to the man, cutting him off once again.

He rolled his eyes and they eventually landed on us. His daughter followed his gaze and found us, as well. Almost like they're just now noticing our presence, frowns sketched themselves onto their faces. "Um Mari," the girl looked back to her. "What's going on?"

She let out another sigh and gestured to me. "This is Jason, he's an alpha

"Your alpha," I corrected.

She stared at me.

"This is Claire and Bruno, warriors."

'Of course, just like our mate to completely ignore us'

"And this is Emily, I don't really know what she is, but she's been forcing me out of bed in the morning so, that's something."

Oh my goddess. She has no filter.

"Guys, this is Mr. Sellers and Cami. They live here with Samantha Sellers, Cami's mom. Mr. and Mrs. Sellers help keep tabs on the blood portions everyone receives —"

"Which have been going down a great deal, and —"

"And Cami goes to school at the high school down the road," Maria continued, talking through Sellers' interruption.

Haha, it's funnier when she's ignoring other people.

"Yeah," the girl named Cami nodded, clearly a little nervous around us.

"Okay," I nodded back. "We only have one more thing to ask, and then we'll be out of your hair," I looked between her and her father. "Do the two of you have any fighting experience?" I question.

Maria and the other girl shared a look. At first I was concerned she would do something stupid, but she gave Cami a reassuring nod.

Hm.

Cami looked back at us. "We know the basics," she shrunk back a little. "like most of the people you'll talk to," she informed.

I nodded again. "Thank you, c'mon."

On to the next house.

"Wait," Zach, my beta, called. He looked back. "And Mrs. Sellers? May we speak with her?"

***Maria's POV***

I turned back with everyone else.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Wolfie started walking back over.

I followed. I made eye contact with Cami and alarm was evident in her eyes.

Oh no.

They were darting between me and the vast woods surrounding the territory. It's clear to me what she's trying to say. She's not here. She's there. As in, not in her house like she's supposed to be. Out hunting probably. Her family was one of the ones that got a decreased amount of blood.

Of course the others wouldn't know that, and wouldn't know she was practically always out and about amongst the trees. That's the only way I got the message. Because of this, they only looked at us suspiciously and kept walking back to the porch.

"Um, she's... Sleeping!" Cami exclaimed a little too excitedly.

The wolves raised an eyebrow.

Oh double no.

"Well, can you wake her up?" Happy asked, with an even higher raised eyebrow.

"No!" Both Cami and her father nearly shouted.

I gave them wide eyed looks.

If they don't stop this, they're going to make Wolfie and his friends' jobs a whole lot easier in replaceing them out.

"She um," Cami hurried to think of an excuse. "Hasn't been feeling well."

"Oh," Zach looked between me and her.

I nodded quickly.

"Well, then maybe we could go to her -"

"No!"

Goddess help them and their lying skills.

"She's contagious!" Cami jumped to justify.

"Yes, very contagious," Mr. Sellers nodded vigorously.

"Hm..." Happy hummed.

He looked to me again discreetly. We locked eyes.

Crap, he knows.

They're being too obvious something's up!

I shot him a pleading look before anyone else could notice, but we had to snap our attention back to the front when Wolfie looked our way.

"I thought vampires had a practically indestructible immune system," he stated with slightly furrowed brows. "Even better than werewolves'." "Um-duh-uh, we do! She's just really sick. Like REALLY sick. Any other creature would be dead by now," Cami babbled, laughing nervously at the end. "Mhm..." Happy grumbled. His thick arms are crossed across his broad chest now with the ghost of an almost amused smirk on his face.

He replaces this funny, does he?

He looked to Wolfie, then to the two people in front of him. "Well then, I guess we should let her rest."

Happy gave a last knowing glance to me and the two Sellers. The only ones present in the home.

"Alright, now really on to the next house," Wolfie started in that direction.

"Yes, hope she wakes up soon, and take care so something like this doesn't happen again," Happy instructed. We all know what he meant by that.

The Sellers nodded frantically in agreement.

I sighed, partially in relief and partially in omg-that-was-bad. But it could have been worse.

We knocked on the door to the next house and did the same drill, only with less complications this time.

We've been doing this for a few hours now, and we're finally approaching the last house. We've been lucky in the fact that everything has gone smoothly up until now.

Though, it may have less to do with luck and more to do with the fact he still has all the people that actually would cause trouble locked up.

I'm leaning more towards that option.

Though, that may actually help my plan go more smoothly. I need everything calm and normal seeming right now.

So, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing we're about to finish up accomplishing just that.

Then the scream rang out through the territory.

It was loud and high pitched. Someone fearing for their life.

All of us forgot about the interview and started sprinting over. As we got closer to where the shriek originated from, I could tell by the smell it was a werewolf and vampire together. Though, who is attacking

who?

I got my answer when I skidded to a stop in front of an infuriating scene. It was a house member of mine, Lukas, 18, holding a werewolf girl that looks around our age against a tree by the throat. "Hey! Let go of her!" I heard Wolfie yell from the background. He started taking strides towards them.

Ignoring him, I jumped into action. I know this kid. If you don't act fast, everything will go to crap even faster. I grabbed Lukas by the arm and shoulder and flung him off the girl and into a near by tree. When he moved to get up with hate in his eyes, I glared his way, "Don't even think about it." He looked me in the eyes, and once he saw who I am, huffed and plopped back down. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Thank you. Don't move!" I pointed a stern finger at him.

I slowly turned to the girl trying to catch her breath. I crouched down. Everyone immediately went on high alert and nearly shoved me away from anywhere near her.

"Um, excuse me! I just helped the girl," I glared.

Wolfie turned around, looking furious as ever. "You."

He wasn't looking at me though. He's looking at Lukas.

Glaring holes into Lukas actually.

"You -!"

"What the h3ll were you thinking?!" I jumped up, cutting Wolfie off. I can't hold it in anymore.

Lukas was silent.

"Well? Speak! What was your reasoning for attacking an innocent girl?" I shouted at him.

"Oh, she is not innocent. None of them are," he spat. Sneering at Wolfie And the girl.

"Oh really? Fine. What did she do to you? I don't see any marks on you like you left on her." Like the giant red mark circling her neck left by Lucas' hand. She doesn't even smell like a warrior. At least not like

the two that stand by my door.

"She's with them!"

"She's not a soldier!" I hollered. "She's just one of their random pack members. Y'know how you tell the difference? I'm assuming she didn't show any hostility towards you before you jumped her. You don't look

like a hair has been touched on your head. Which only leads me to believe you started the fight. And if you did, you're the bad guy, Lukas. I can't defend you."

"But she's "

"I don't care what pack she's from!" I cut him off, already knowing what he's gonna say. "She's a person and you attacked her for no reason! That's unacceptable."

Silence.

From everybody. Nobody's rambling over the girl, and she's not even breathing heavily anymore.

Everyone's eyes are just on me.

...Jason's POV...

I just witnessed one of the reasons why she's so well respected.

I don't care what pack she's from, she's a person.

That's what she said.

That's one of the things so many people are impressed by...

It's amazing...

... And it just won't do.

If I want to keep all the power, I'm going to have to keep that under wraps, along with the mate bond.