Siren Calls

Chapter 6 - Siren Call

Thomas

"You doing okay?" Irene asked as I finished up on another pack vehicle. This one's muffler was starting to sound off. Sure enough, it had a couple of pinholes, and I needed to replace it.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I grunted, tightening the last bolt. I really didn't want to do this today, but I knew there was no avoiding anything when it came to Irene. She gave me a couple of days to stew in my emotions, and then she would ream me out until she was sure I had received enough hell for my behaviour.

"Oh, I don't know because it's been two days since dinner with your sister, and you have done nothing but spend every minute that didn't involve sleeping or eating in here working on another vehicle to make sure you were too busy to do anything else.

I let out an irritated sigh, sliding out from underneath the Tahoe. She wasn't wrong. I had been avoiding the packhouse like the plague, and the sooner I got my shop up and running, the sooner I could make sure I was only here when I needed to be. I wasn't good with people, especially not with entitled females who thought they knew best. I knew it was a dick move to snap on Paige like I did, and I get it Irene used to be the enemy, but she wasn't anymore, and I was sick of people not seeing that.

When Paige flung her insults at Irene, all I saw was red. It was times like then that I was thankful for the ring Colette got Balor to make me because, without it, everyone in the room would have been dead. Eris wouldn't have cared if they deserved it or not. He fed off my emotions, and anger was the most violent one out of all of them. It always sent him for a tailspin, and it took a good day or two before he calmed down enough to let me take over again.

I looked down at the ring, rubbing my finger over the glowing sapphire. Colette told me I didn't owe Balor Bloodstone anything for this ring, but I would eventually find a way to pay him back.

"I'm good, Irene. Just drop it."

"I have known you for a long time, Thomas. I know when you're good, and right now, you're miserable. Don't let what that girl said get to you. She had a point: I don't seem like the sit-down-and-take-it type, but she didn't know me before all of this. I'm an exhunter, and I'm in her territory. She's allowed to not trust me right away."

I gritted my teeth, slamming the drawer of my toolbox a little too hard, causing the whole thing to shake. I turned around, my eyes meeting hers.

"I said drop it, Irene. I don't give a fuck about what she is and isn't allowed to do. She had no right to talk to you that way. You're right. She doesn't know you, but that doesn't mean she can talk to you that way. I won't let anyone treat you that way, especially after everything you have been through." Irene pursed her lips, shaking her head.

"You can't control how others treat me, Thomas. I see the way everyone watches me; I hear the whispers. I'm a threat in their eyes, but their views won't change if you keep storming around town like you could kill someone at any given moment. They are scared of you, too. They just give you more leeway because your sister is their Luna. You getting mad at everyone else makes it harder for me." I forced myself to relax, the ring on my hand glowing brightly as it worked to contain the beast that lived beneath my skin.

She was right. Me getting angry like this wouldn't help anything. I needed to move on from it and let Irene handle it herself.

"Listen, I'll talk to Paige and straighten it out, okay? You just stay here and keep brooding over your cars." Irene teased, giving me a stiff smile.

"I don't brood." I defended. Irene laughed, shaking her head.

"Okay, big guy, whatever you say."

***

"Again." Paige's voice echoed down the hallway leading to the gym. I didn't mean to come down here. My original plan was to grab some food from the kitchen and then head to my room for the night. But the second I heard her, it was like my legs had a mind of their own, and I found myself walking toward her.

"Come in, guys. I'm not training a bunch of babies. You guys want to be the best, then you need to move faster." She ordered. The sound of grunting followed. I peeked around the corner, finding a room full of pups working up a sweat as they worked on their hand-to-hand combat.

The group of kids didn't even bat an eye at Paige as she stood at the front of the room in a pair of tight leggings and a black sports bra, her hair braided back from her face. I let my eyes linger as I dragged them over every dip and curve of her body.

Paige had one hell of a mouth, one I found myself loving each time she opened her mouth, unless it was saying something rude toward my friend. But her mouth was no match for her body. It was like it was made to taunt me. Of course, she had to be the one she-wolf in all of Canada to get under my skin.

"Okay, that's enough for tonight. Next week, we're working on defence. And we will be shifting, so make sure you and your wolves are in sync. I don't want a repeat of last year's Griffin and Kingston fiasco. Got it?" A few pups groaned in protest, but they all nodded in agreement.

I watched as they got up and made their way out of the gym, a few of them casting me a nervous glance as they walked past, but I didn't pay them much attention when my eyes locked on Paige drinking her water.

Who knew drinking a simple bottle of water could be so tempting?

"Hey, Peterson. You ready for some one-on-one time?" The same dumbass from a few nights ago shouted as he entered the gym from the yard—his buddied snickering behind him like he was top shit. Clearly he was too stupid to take my threat seriously—big mistake. Paige ignored him, rolling her eyes as she made it a point to show him her back.

I couldn't help but smirk at the insult. Showing your back to any wolf showed them just how little a threat you thought them to be.

"Aw, don't be like that Peterson. I know you're just playing tough to get. I admit it was cute at first, but I know you want me. So, let's quit the games. What do you say?" He stopped in front of her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"You. Me. My place? I swear I'll have you forgetting your own name by the time we're through."

My back stiffened, even though my wolf was suppressed. I could feel him scratching against my skin. I was moving before I could stop myself. But before I could reach them, Paige was moving. It was like I watched the whole thing in slow motion.

One second, the dumbass was touching her. The next, he was flat on his back—a whimper leaving his lips right before the sound of a bone snapping filled the air.

"The only thing you make me want to do, Felix, is vomit. Now touch me again, and I will make sure your arm is so fucked up that not even our Luna can fix it. Do I make myself clear?" She hissed in his ear. Felix the pussy nodded his head, his friends all staring at Paige in horror.

Paige pushed up off the floor, eyeing the other three males whose faces were now a shade paler.

"That goes for you fuckers too, and anyone else who wants to test their luck. Make sure to spread the word too. I'm done entertaining you, idiots. I'm your Beta, not some unmated female waiting for her mate. Now, get the hell out of my face and take this idiot to the infirmary. Someone there will help set that break before it fully heals." They didn't argue, all quickly working together to help up Felix, passing me as they made their way to the infirmary.

"Enjoy the show?" Paige clipped, pulling my attention back to her. I quirked a brow, looking at her. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I was hoping you'd break his nose too, but I guess there is always next time." Paige snorted, rolling her eyes.

"What makes you think there will be a next time?"

"'Cause he's too stupid to understand a broken arm means stay the fuck away even if you tell him that too." Paige pursed her lips.

"Did you come here to yell at me some more, or did you have something you needed to talk to me about? 'Cause I have shit I need to do."

Paige giving me the cold shoulder should have pissed me off, but if anything, it pulled me in more. I hated how she talked to Irene, but when she was rude to me, I couldn't help but find myself wanting more of it. It had been a while since any female stood up to me or gave me an attitude. Most females were too scared of me to even give me the time of day, let alone talk back.

It was oddly refreshing.

"Are you always this mouthy, or do you save all this attitude for me?"

"If you want me to submit and flutter my eyelashes at you like all the other females in town, you got another thing coming. I don't play nice." Paige moved to pass me, but my hand shot out, gripping her forearm and stopping her.

Paige looked down at my hand and then back at me, her jaw ticking.

"I wouldn't expect any less from you, Firecracker. If I'm being honest, I had no plan to come here tonight. I was minding my own business getting ready for the night when I heard you. I got curious."

"Ever heard the saying 'Curiosity killed the cat'?" The corner of my mouth tipped up into a sly smirk. Paige's hazel eyes tracked the movement.

I couldn't resist leaning in, my lips brushing the outer shell of her ear—the sweet smell of cinnamon and vanilla filling my nose. It took everything in me not to breathe her in.

"It's a good thing I'm a wolf then." Paige let out a small gasp, her throat working as she swallowed hard. I could hear her heartbeat pick up, and I wondered if she could hear how much she affected mine, too.