6| Overzealous

"He's lying," the words echoed in Denzel's mind as he descended the last few stairs. He wondered why Reid would lie about his whereabouts last night, and he was eager to get back to Nira to ask her why she had said so. He never doubted her, though, not even for a split second.

Denzel, now standing at the center of the living room, took one look at Nira, who had assumed his position on the overlook, and nodded. She headed to their bedroom, and finally, Denzel turned his attention to Reid again.

"Hey, Denzel, I'm sorry for being impulsive," Reid said. "You are right; it won't happen again."

"Damn right, it won't," Denzel said gruffly and sat on the opposite couch.

For a while, silence just hung in the air. Denzel had been dwelling on what Nira had said, and Reid, well, with his head bowed and fingers interlaced, was waiting for Denzel to tell him more of anything he had on his mind.

"So, the intruder escaped?" Denzel suddenly spoke, causing Reid to lift his head.

Reid freed his fingers, adjusted himself on the couch properly, and said, "Yeah, he did. I propose we haunt down those bastard rogues encroaching on our territory, make an example of one of them, and the rest would flee."

Reid was doing it again, making suggestions rather than waiting for instruction from his alpha. Denzel shook his head as if to disagree with him, but he was irritated by Reid's overzealous trait.

"I was going to say that too," Denzel said breathlessly. "Well, not exactly how you said it. How do we haunt them if we don't even know who they are or where they live? Tonight, though, we would lie in wait for the rogues, and if we catch anyone, we would not be making an example of them. I'd like to know more about the Bluefur pack, so inform the others that any rogue caught is to be captured alive for interrogation. Am I clear?"

Reid breathed profoundly and replied, "Yes, alpha, I perfectly understand. I'll inform the others."

"Good." Denzel stood up. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me?"

"No, I just came to explain why I wasn't accounted for after you called off the haunt last night."

"Alright, if that's all, you are dismissed," Denzel said smartly. He walked towards the staircase, and without looking back, he heard Reid's footsteps shuffling to the door. The door unlocked, but Reid paused.

"Denzel," Reid said, turning to look at him and leaving the door slightly ajar.

Denzel huffed. "What is it, Reid?"

"The mating season is in two weeks, and you are yet to find your mate," Reid said and fled off laughing.

Denzel scoffed and shook his head. Reid didn't like Nira either, and at every opportunity, he found ways to remind him that she was not his mate. Denzel was about to climb the stairs, but he turned back to lock the door using the key and bolt.

As Denzel made his way up the stairs, he wondered about the rogues calling themselves the Bluefur pack. Rogues were supposed to be rogues because they didn't fit into any pack. How did a bunch of rogues organize themselves into a pack? Also, how had they been able to keep their identity a secret and evade capture for a prolonged period? They seemed to know when to encroach, where to infringe, and when to move on to a different domain. Oh, his wasn't the first territory the Bluefur pack had infested. Over the years, they have gone from place to place before landing on his side. But whatever their goal was, Denzel was pretty sure he would put a stick to the wheels of this rogue's accelerating infestation.

He drew a long, dreamy breath, closed his eyes, and exhaled sharply. Even without entering the room, he could tell that Nina was bathing, and her scent intoxicated him to the bone marrow. Perhaps he should join her in the bathroom. Fuck Reid, yeah, fuck him, Nira might not have been his mate, but he had a great affection for her.

Denzel's palms curled on the bathroom doorknob, and he twisted it gingerly, knowing it would open easily. Nira was not even startled for a bit. Yeah, she always knew things before they happened, things even he could never have known. Heck, she could even tell who would die next. Nira was a banshee, a harbinger of death.

Denzel's lips went dry just from staring at her perfectly formed naked body, which was covered in soapy water, causing her skin to glisten even more.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me until you die, or would you rather come and help me scrub my back?" Nira asked in the most melodic voice he had ever heard from her. Well, of course, in Denzel's case, Nira's voice always sounded melodic.

Denzel, without replying, hurriedly took off his clothes and joined her. He put aside his curiosity about why she had earlier said Reid was lying and decided to enjoy their shared shower experience. Nira took the bottle of bathing gel and dumped some on his head.

Denzel took the soft, fluffy sponge from her and washed her back. A playful smile curled up on his face as he imagined where their actions were taking them. Of course, they wouldn't just bathe themselves and be done with it, no. There would be more, and he was looking forward to what more could be.

Denzel leaned in to find her lips, and Nira stretched on her tippy toes to meet his, and they kissed passionately as the water kept pouring over them. In Denzel's mind, his heightened senses made it appear like they were kissing under a waterfall.

After a while, when they had just stepped out of the shower, they were still cladded in their towels when Denzel asked, "So, hey, Nira love, why did you say Reid was lying earlier on?”