The hurricane was closing in, and I had no real idea how to prepare the pack for such a storm. Teddy was rapidly giving me mental instructions, guiding me through every step. I could tell he wanted me to impress Phin and show him that I could lead effectively. I was thankful for his support because I initially planned to have everyone run north to the Monroe land. Instead, we were battening down the hatches, planning to ride the storm out here. This was going to be my first hurricane right on the coast, and I was freaking out. Like, really freaking out.Phin was impressive. He helped, moving around with Teddy like the guy I'd heard he could be. I'm relatively sure I'd never seen him sober before. Now, I was seeing it firsthand. He was organized, efficient, and commanding. Everything an Alpha should be. It gave me a strange sense of hope for him and this pack. Even if I was in charge currently, he was still the bloodline Alpha. They were Bays. I was a Monroe. Farris returned, repo
TEDDY The storm was bearing down on us, and Cassy was determined to get everyone to safety. We headed out to the bayou land together, knowing that convincing the most stubborn omegas to come in would be a challenge. The last time we had an old lady refuse to leave, she ended up dead. We couldn't let that happen again.Cassy managed to persuade even the most resistant omega to come up. Her determination and empathy radiated, and they agreed to follow us back to the packhouse one by one. As we arrived, the storm hit with a force that shook the ground beneath us. Essie had returned, and I could tell Phin was happy about that. Through the bond, I could feel Cassy's anxiety rising. My little city girl was out of her depth, facing a hurricane head-on for the first time.I made my way to the old beta wing attached to the packhouse, where I found Phin. He looked up as I entered. "How's it going?"I decided to be honest. "Cassy's handling it well, but she's freaking out over the storm like
Teddy fell to his knees as I started to lose it. He buried his tongue inside me, and I cried out. My hands tangled in his hair, and I momentarily worried that I might have pulled some out.He was moaning and growling against me. I came hard, my body shuddering as he continued to lick me, his tongue working in and out as my body writhed and vibrated through the pleasure.He looked up at me with a satisfied smile, wiping his mouth as he crawled back on me. He kissed me, and I could taste myself on his lips. "Do you have another round in you?" he moaned against my mouth.I nodded eagerly. "Several more," I growled as I raked my nails down the back of his arms. He buried himself inside me, hard and fast. He had been soft and slow before, but now he was rough, primal. "Oh, fuck yes, fuck," I cried out.He covered my mouth with his hand, reminding me of the thin walls and the many people in the house. I nodded, and he tried to pull his hand away, but I grabbed it and whispered, "Don't suf
TEDDY The storm surge lasted for hours, bringing with it memories of the big one from my childhood. The water rose higher than I'd seen in years, almost swallowing the house whole. Unfazed by the chaos, Cassy was fishing away. She'd flash a triumphant smile whenever she caught something, making my heart swell.I grabbed my bow and started shooting the alligators and gars that came up around the house. My instincts sharpened with each shot. The swamp was alive with creatures seeking refuge from the storm, and we took advantage of the opportunity.Phin came out. "Can I use the bow?" he asked.I hesitated, unsure about putting a weapon in his hands. Cassy's voice cut through my thoughts. "Stop acting like that around him. He's okay," she said.Trusting her judgment, I handed Phin the bow. He struggled with it at first, being right-handed, but quickly got the hang of it. He aimed at the biggest gar that surfaced, took a deep breath, and released. The arrow hit perfectly. "Merde!" he scre
PHIN The remnants of the hurricane still lashed against the windows of the packhouse. I had never felt so restless. My entire body hummed with frustration and the desire to do something about it. Essie had agreed to spend the night with me again. It kind of felt like when we were growing up together in the pack house. My Dad favored her, so she always lived in the house with us. She was never assigned a job like a normal omega, so she often hung out with Teddy and me. Only after Dad left and Oxxy was born did Teddy start thinking her job may have been us all along. Dad knew how strong of a sexual drive alphas have, and it seemed he provided what he thought I needed. I didn't want Teddy to be right, but he likely was. That was how Dad's mind worked. I led her into my new room in the Beta wing, Teddy's old beta suite before he decided to hide in the old fishing shack to escape me.I always acted like I didn't know, but I knew. He was the one pack member I could read. She followe
CASSYThe sound of shattering glass jolted me awake. The remnants of the hurricane still howled outside, the wind and rain relentless. I slipped out of bed and went down the hall, following the noises of a fight. When I reached the common area, I found Teddy trying to clean up the shards of glass. The front door was wide open, blowing back and forth as the wind whipped through the room. "What happened?" I asked, feeling my pulse quicken. He looked up at me and groaned. "Phin's drunk. He threw a glass, probably gave me a shiner, and stormed out onto the porch like a child." Dammit. Phin was drunk again. Just like Teddy predicted, here was the fallout. I had to get better at not giving Teddy these I-told-you-so moments. After everything we'd been through, he was still letting us down. I had to take a deep breath because the anger made me shake. Shake and want to break something. I'd never been this mad as a working Alpha before. It was intense. I stepped onto the porch, ready for a
Hearing Cassy say she would never be a Bay was a blow to my ego that I didn't expect. It felt like she was rejecting a part of me, my heritage, and what I thought we were building together. This was an important conversation we should've already had. I'd always just assumed she would take my name. It was a given, right? I guess I was wrong. It was one of many important conversations I was starting to regret not having. We had damn near a year before she was marked to have them all. Yet, we spent most of it either rubbing against each other or fighting over so many stupid things I couldn't even name anymore. It wasn't for lack of trying, at least a few times. But try telling a 17-year-old female alpha to calm down enough for those types of things. I was fighting an uphill battle from the start, and I knew I would be right from the moment I heard her voice on the first day. "What do you mean you won't be a Bay?" I demanded. Cassy crossed her arms, looking defiant as she leaned agai
TEDDY I drove back to the house with the family in tow. The fight with Cassy was still fresh, and I knew we needed to resolve it. "Got the family with you, huh?" Phin said, eyeing the parents and kids in the truck. "Yeah, they needed a place," I replied, getting out. "Can you help set them up while Cassy and I talk?" Phin nodded, a knowing look in his eye. "Sure thing. But listen, you gotta put her in her place, Teddy. She'll love it." I frowned, not quite sure what he meant. "You think that'll make her take my last name?" Phin laughed, shaking his head. "Probably not. Nothing will there, frère. But it'll help you get some control of her and help her get control of her emotions a little." Maybe he was right. Maybe Cassy needed me to take charge, to show her that I could be the man she needed. I took a deep breath and headed inside. I found Cassy in the kitchen, her back to me as she stared out the window. "We need to talk," I stated. She turned, her eyes wary but defiant.