Lowell and Yuri were there, both standing tense, feeling Father’s power all the way up here. Matt was sitting on the bed, dressed, his hair wet, probably from a shower. He had a plate on his lap with a nice-smelling sandwich.

“Reid?” Yuri asked with a worried expression on his face.

“He sent me to my room like a fucking child!” I growled, hitting the door in anger. “I give him all the information I gathered and what does he tell me? ‘Thank you, now get out of our way and stay in your room.’”

“Reid.” Yuri put a hand on my shoulder but I knocked it away, not wanting to be touched and calmed like a damn pup.

“Why can’t he just trust me for once? What does he think? That I’ll join the damn vampires or something?” I yelled, but Yuri quickly pushed me up against the door.

“Reid, stop it. Matt,” he whispered. Fuck. Fuck, Matt was here.

“Vampires?” said-person asked, confused and looking at Lowell for help.

“Another mafia family,” Lowell said, cringing at the lie.

“Damn it,” I growled, but did my best to calm myself down for Matt’s sake. “He sat me on a bench, Yuri, that bastard.”

“I know, just breathe.” He let me go slowly, making sure I wouldn’t freak out again. I didn’t, I walked to the bed, that still smelled of sex and sat behind Matt, pulling him closer to me, knowing my wolf would calm down if he smelled his scent.

“You’re not allowed to join the war?” he asked and there was hope in his voice.

“No.” I sighed with frustration.

“I’m sure Father has a good reason for all of this,” Lowell said, always the good loyal son. I stayed quiet, knowing my angry words would only hurt him. Everyone went quiet, giving me time to calm down, to breathe.

“Hungry?” Matt suddenly said, holding the sandwich to my mouth. I took a bite realizing I did indeed feel hungry only now. The sun was already going up. Damn.

“That’s good, where did you get it?” I asked with my mouth full.

“Lowell brought it up,” he said, smiling at my brother. “He’s really nice.”

“Yeah, he is… My other siblings not so much.” I scoffed. Yuri chuckled and when I looked up at him I met Lowell’s gaze behind his shoulder. He smiled at me, but all I could see was his hurting gaze from when I left to talk with the Silver Hearts pack. “Look Lowell, I’m sorry I didn’t…” He didn’t let me finish.

“It’s okay, Reid. I get it, you were angry.” He smiled. “It’s alright, I know you love me.”

“I do. You’re my little brother, I will always love you,” I told him, meaning it.

“Oh, that was really cute,” Matt suddenly said, grinning up at me. I rolled my eyes at him, but he just laughed. “Really, I didn’t know, you had emotions.”

“Go to hell,” I told him, still holding him close to me though. Before he could say something to that, the door opened and Scott walked in. He immediately wrinkled his nose, smacking his lips in disgust.

“Sheesh, could you at least open a damn window? All I can smell is cum.” He shook his head.

“Scott,” I said, frowning at him and shaking my head. He doesn’t know. Said my face.

“Oh?” Scott seemed really surprised by that as he closed the door behind himself. His eyes then landed on Matt. “So is that your fun night here and there?” Scott quoted me again, grinning at Matt. “No one special huh? You liar.” He shook his head as he laughed.

“Shut up, Scott.” I glared at him. I so didn’t want to deal with that right now.

“Well, hi I’m Scott, nice to meet you,” he said, holding out his hand to Matt.

“Hi.” Matt smiled a bit overwhelmed, but shook his hand.

“So, Alpha kicked you out of the team, huh?” Scott turned back to me. “What a bummer.”

“Please, when has Reid ever listened to him?” Yuri snorted, leaning against the door.

“Well, this time he doesn’t have a choice,” Scott pointed out, hinting at the alpha power without mentioning it in front of Matt.

“Reid?” Yuri turned to me with a smile on his face.

“No, stop.” Lowell shook his head jumping down from the table to stand in the middle of the room. “Father doesn’t do anything without a reason,” he said, thinking hard. “There must be something…”

“Maybe he thinks they’re after you,” Scott said suddenly. We all looked at him in confusion. “What?” he asked. “I mean, Reid is one hell of a fighter, especially when it comes to cadr--” he stopped, then quickly continued. “In this kind of a fight, we could really use him. So what sense does it make to leave our best fighter at home?”

“He probably thinks I’ll join the opposite side or something,” I growled under my breath.

“He’s not an idiot.” Scott shook his head. “Bran died and you came running, ready to find whoever was responsible. And even when you were at Elliot’s and Yuri called, you didn’t even hesitate, running here ready to help. Alpha’s not stupid, he knows you’re loyal,” he said. “It would be reasonable to think you are being targeted here. I mean…” he looked at Matt. “They did get your little boyfriend here. Why would they, other than to get you distracted? Angry?”

“Yeah, everyone who has met you just for a second would know about your… wolfish nature.” Yuri grinned at me, the predatory smile a bit scary. “The second someone threatens to take something from you, oh boy.” He shook his head. “You get right down vengeful and combined with the pack surely being mad for having not one but two gays here… You would be distracted, angry, lost to your…” Yuri shut up so as to not say anything in front of Matt.

But Scott finished for him. “Lost to your inner beast.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Matt turned to me confused but looking like he was about to start laughing at any second. Well, we could hardly tell him I was dominant meaning my wolf would distract me with bloodlust.

“But I haven’t been here for years,” I argued, still not wanting to believe this.

“Well… Everyone knows that you were close to Bran…” Lowell said sadly. “And killing him would surely get you back…”

“But why me?”

“You are a Ghealach and that name means power.” Scott pointed out.

“Still this doesn’t make sense, it would surely be easier to kill me anywhere else, than here.” I shook my head.

“This whole theory doesn’t make sense. It’s a bunch of bullshit,” Yuri said, frowning. “Reid is not that important.”

“Gee thanks, Yuri.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“What I’m trying to say is that there is Trystan, the next al—Leader of the Pack. There is Alistair, your father if they really want a powerful Ghealach. And why would Baltazar have anything to do with this? It doesn’t make sense,” he said, then sighed. “Look, we could be theorizing here the whole night. But the point’s still the same. Are you joining the war or not?”

“Please say no.” Matt sighed quietly under his breath, but every werewolf could hear it.

“How cute, your boyfriend’s worried about you.” Scott laughed mockingly.

I made a face at him and passed the comment. “I’m not even sure what I would do… I mean, I forgot my bag at the hotel… I have weapons there.” And my wolf figurine. “I will need it. Then… I guess I could try getting into the vampire territory.”

“You could?” Yuri raised an eyebrow. “Do you seriously think we’ll let you go alone?”

“We?” Scott asked, a bit shocked. Yuri just frowned at him. “Yeah, yeah right, friendships have magical power and all that jazz. Let’s beat the evil, ladies.” He grinned, winking at me.

“Come on, this is crazy,” Lowell said, coming right to me and grabbing my hands. “You can’t just go to the vampire territory. You might be a Ghealach, but you’re not that powerful. Please, Reid,” he said with tears in his eyes. He hugged me and the pull of a submissive wolf made my heart ache.

“I’ll be fine. Plus someone needs to watch Matt,” I told him.

Matt though had a different opinion. “Maybe I can hel…”

“No!” I yelled at Matt immediately. He winced looking up at me with those blue eyes of his. “Sorry, Matty, but you can’t help with this. Stay here with Lowell… Please, I need to know you’re safe.”

“Okay…” he said, looking down at the sandwich still on his plate. I let go of Lowell and reached down, to turn Matt’s face up.

“I will be back for you,” I told him, giving him a quick kiss.

“Well, this is all good and dandy, but how are you going to break Alpha’s… rules?” Scott asked when I let blushing Matt go.

Go to your Matt, keep him safe… I replayed Father’s command in my mind. “He told me to keep Matt safe, if I kill the Mercenaries he will be safe,” I told him. Being an Alpha meant you could force your will on others, but every command could be twisted around. That was why loyalty was so important. You will not join the search, and you will not go after the mercenaries… My wolf reminded me. “I mean… I go after the cadracs, not the mercenaries. And I won’t join the search I’ll start my own.”

“See? He never listens.” Yuri grinned at me, the affection in his gaze making me warm from the inside.