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.
CASSY Teddy smiled as he slowly traced his fingers up and down my spine. I was in bliss, total bliss. I tried to not think about how Phin likely facilitated this moment between us. Sitting on the porch earlier, I watched Teddy drive away, kicking up water and mud everywhere. Seeing his truck disappear into the distance left a hollow feeling in my chest. I wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to make sense of everything. The argument had taken a toll on both of us, and I was left sitting here with Phin.Phin was still on the porch, sprawled out on the swing, looking worse for wear. He was clearly still drunk from earlier, but his usual bravado was tinged with a hint of vulnerability."Ya know, Cassy, he's not gonna let this go easy," Phin slurred, his words heavy and slow.I sighed, looking over at him. "I know, Phin. But I can't just give up who I am."Phin laughed bitterly. "You think any of us give a damn about who we are? We're all just playin' roles, darlin'.""Maybe," I ad
CASSY After the hurricane, Teddy, Phin, and I went out to survey the damage to the omega camps. The devastation was immense, and the camps were all but gone. This wasn't just about homes being lost, it was about lives being shattered. I glanced at Teddy, whose eyes mirrored my own sense of determination, and then at Phin, who looked more worried than ever."We can't let anyone return to these camps," I said firmly. "We'll create community housing up by the packhouse."Phin frowned. "That's gonna cost a lot, Cassy.""I don't care about the cost," I replied. I could see the conflict in his eyes. He struggled with the idea of me, a female, taking charge and making significant financial decisions... As usual. It was emasculating for him, but there was no time for that. This was about the pack's survival. About twenty families without a home to call their own. If what they had in those Omega camps could have been referred to as homes. It is more like a shelter at best. I immediatel
We worked through the night to set up new housing for the omegas displaced by the hurricane. It was a hard effort, but by the end of the night, we had twenty-five shells ready to be turned into homes. Despite us telling them they could continue to stay in the pack house where there was electricity, they all decided to move into their new homes now. Honestly, those shells were probably better than what they were living in when they lived in the swamp anyway.I watched Cassy and Phin during breakfast. Cassy was teaching him different methods and how to do various things. Things we just didn't bother with down here. I knew most of it, even though we were raised together. When I found out I would attend the one at the Monroe mansion, I hit up reels online hard. I watched every how-to I could get my hands on. I didn't want to show up there and look like a fool. I was set on making a good impression and was convinced my mate would be there. I had been right. They were starting to get al
PHINCassy sat between us in the limo, radiating confidence. "Tonight is going to be great. Just remember to have fun and be yourselves."The drive to the ball was filled with light-hearted jesting, I'm sure, meant to ease my nerves. When we arrived, the grandeur of the Hervoux pack's estate took my breath away. The mansion was a typical high-class Gulf Coast beauty, with sprawling verandas, tall white columns, and large bay windows. Spanish moss draped elegantly from ancient oak trees on purpose, swaying gently in the evening breeze. Lights twinkled in the trees, and music floated around the area from speakers I couldn't even see. It was like stepping into another dimension.Cassy stepped out first, holding her head high, and Teddy and I followed her lead. She knew exactly what to do and where to go while we looked like lost puppies following her lead. We were in her world now. Inside, the ballroom was a sea of elegant dresses and sharp suits. As we entered, I could feel eyes on