Chapter 9: Thaniel

I had moved out when I was eighteen and eventually bought my own place. It was easy to save up when it was just me that I had to worry about. When I didn't have a family to feed or an Omega to take care of.

"So... that was a pain in the ass." Mike laughed, and I wanted to slap him.

"Would you have rather one of us end up dead?" I snapped at him, and he raised his hands, backing down. "Sorry."

"You know we wouldn't have died, right?" Daniel leaned over the back of my seat to talk to me. "Being beasts gives us the high ground."

"You quote that damn movie and I'll smack you upside the head." I growled and focused on the road.

"Wasn't going to, but damn, what has your panties up your ass?" Daniel laughed and fell back against his seat.

"Nothing. Let's just get this money to my dad." I sighed and hit the gas, speeding through the city until I reached the massive house.

My parents' home was bigger than the rest on the street and had acres of land attached to it. It was this old colonial style home with tall pillars and gorgeous molding that made most of the neighbors jealous. They even had their own vineyard attached where they created their own red wine. Only a select few markets got their hands on the stuff. My parents were picky about it, which was fucking ridiculous if you ask me. They liked to call it, Liquid Rubies.

I was distracted by how close Daniel had suddenly gotten and part of me really wanted to smack him with the case of money in my right hand.

"It's not the human, is it?" Daniel whispered at me, and Mike laughed.

"We talking about that chick again?" Mike teased and I wacked him upside the head with my free hand. "Why you gotta beat up the shy blind man?"

"Seriously?" I glared at him, and he bit his tongue and snickered. "All I did was save her from an asshole that you..." I pointed at Daniel with an accusing finger. "...said had changed!"

"Yeah, well. Can't change a man that asked to be vexed." Daniel shrugged and I suddenly gave a deep growl, lunging at him and pinning him against a tall pine tree. He swallowed hard beneath my hand as I choked his neck. "Really?"

"I'm sick of everyone's bullshit. Knock it off." I shoved him against the tree once and walked back towards the house.

Daniel rubbed his throat and walked up to Mike. I didn't care if I was being an asshole. I was sick of being accused of loving this human girl when all I did was save her. Damn Amy. Amy. Amy. Amy. Amy... I internally growled as her name repeated in my head against my will.

"Fucking hell." I ran my hand through my hair and Mike clapped me on the shoulder.

"Ya know if you like that chick... it's okay. I won't tell a soul." Mike whispered low enough for me to hear and by the way Daniel peered over, I knew he had heard it. Our hearing was too good to hide shit.

"Do you like her?" Daniel peered over, and I growled and punched the front door instead of knocking lightly on it in a respectable manner.

"Fuck you!" I burst out right as my dad's butler answered the door.

"Master Thaniel."

"Alexander." I nodded at my dad's butler and walked past him with the container of money.

Daniel and Mike followed me inside my parents' place with little complaint. They disappeared somewhere else, I assumed to the kitchen to get free food. They always ran off when I went to deliver money. I shook my head and walked over to my dad's study. Of course, Alexander followed me there to announce me before I opened the door.

"Thaniel." My dad's voice sounded loving like he hadn't seen me in ages when he had just seen me not too long ago.

"Hey, dad." I walked into the room and set the container down onto his desk. "Brought you the money."

I unlocked the case and it popped open to reveal stacks of cash. I watched him pull out a bundle and sift through it with his fingertips like he was thinking about it and doing math in his head.

"We good?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"We're good. Now, sit. I wanna talk about this human woman." My dad gestured to the chair near his desk and began to take the money out and stack it to count it.

I sighed and sat down in the chair with my legs wide and my arms rested on the armrests. My dad brought me over a glass of brandy, and I took it without even questioning it. After that bullshit, I'd drink anything at this point.

"What is there to say?" I pressed my lips to the edge of the smooth glass and took a long sip.

"Loads if you are willing to fess up about what happened." My dad groaned as he brought his own glass to his lips. "Is she a witch?"

"No," I burst out and sat up straighter with an irritated expression. My breathing came out in pants as I growled at my dad.

"No need to get protective. You realize this is what I would expect from an Alpha that has found his mate." My dad gestured towards me with his glass.

He opened a box of cigars and slid it towards me. His office always smelled of smoke, brandy, and oak wood from the furniture and shelves of old dusty books. I sighed and took one, letting him pass me a bronze cigar cutter. I heard him flick a clipper lighter a few times and puff on the end of his. He didn't smoke often, only when he was in a meeting whether with one of his kids or some big name. It didn't matter.

I caught the clipper lighter, as he tossed it to me, with ease. I took my time, lighting it until it became bright red from sucking on the end of it to make it cherry. I sighed and rested my hand on the arm of the chair, tossing the lighter back to him.

"What do you want to know?" I rubbed my temple and tried to calm my breathing and my heart down. I was scared that my father would judge me. It wasn't something we did. We didn't save humans. I sure as shit knew that.

"Who is she?" His voice came out rough and on edge. I could tell he wasn't pleased with me.

"Some human named Amy. Christian Alpine had her as a captive against her will. I don't know anything else." I brought the cigar to my lips and inhaled, trying to hide my emotions.

"And you're for certain that she isn't a witch?"

"Yes." I blew out smoke and sat back against the chair with one leg drawn up. "She's human, for sure."

"Why did you save her?"

I could tell by the way his eyes narrowed that he was upset with me. That he was accusing me of something that I shouldn't have done. I didn't know what to tell him, but I was damn certain that my ass was in trouble with the man. No one else stepped up to save her when Christian had slapped her across the face, but my dumb ass had.

"I can't see a woman being mistreated, human or not." I answered matter-of-factly. I didn't have another excuse. Something in me told me to jump in and save her.

Some instinct had coursed through my veins and made me move against my will. Whether it was her alluring scent or the way that she acted. Something made me jump to her rescue. I really couldn't answer my dad or anyone because I honestly didn't understand it myself.

"Well, I mean, son, we taught you that from the day you were born, but a human?" My father looked at me like I had committed treason.

I had done what I thought was a good thing, even if I couldn't explain why. Even if I couldn't tell anyone why I had done it, I didn't think I had been wrong. I hadn't been wrong.

"Does it matter if she is a human? She was in distress." I stabbed my cigar out on the ash tray and stood up. "I only knew she was a woman that needed saving from an asshole. What more do you want from me?" I threw my hands up and turned to leave his office. "You got your money. I'm going."

"Sit your ass down here and talk to me." My father's stern voice stalled me in my tracks and my back bristled. If I had been a wolf, my tail would have been between my legs.

"Dad, I don't know much about her. She's a human and was with Christian. I saved her after he slapped her and pinned her to a wall in a bought-out club. What more do you want to know? I don't know anything more. She followed me to my car. She is a brat. She is fascinated by Alpha, Beta, and Omega shit. I really know nothing else." I waved my hand through the air as my breathing picked up and I became more frustrated. I was so tired of being asked about this random human that I had run into twice now. It wasn't like I was searching for her. I wasn't. I just wanted to get away from her. "Why is everyone so concerned about me protecting a damn human when Christian had her as his pet?" I shouted at my dad in my frustration. "What is with the fucking fascination with me?"

"I would expect it out of Christian, but not my son." My dad finished his glass of brandy and pointed at me with the hand holding his cigar. "Not my own flesh and blood. You were young when that vexed woman got her claws in you. Naïve. I don't want to see you make that same mistake again and at what cost?"

I growled low in my chest at my dad, irritated that he would call me such a thing. I wasn't naïve. I had learned a lot since that day. More than he probably knew. The burn on my arm felt like it was on fire, and it all seemed new, like I was reliving that day over again.

My father knew nothing of what it felt like to be lured by a witch for years and then burned by a brand, turning you into a beast and breaking your heart at the same time. He had met my mother in a very typical way in a college business course. I couldn't really blame my parents for not understanding it when they had met and became beasts together in some weird business deal that they took together with a witch.

Mike was the closest to understanding my pain, but it still didn't come close to it. Everyone's past was different, and none were the exact same other than someone vexed was behind it.

I stubbed out my cigar, blowing smoke out from between my lips with a deep sigh. "I got it, dad. Thanks for the talk."

"I don't think you do, son." Here he went with his crazy ideas about what it was like to be in our shoes.

"Alright." I threw my hands into the air and walked back over to fall back into the chair. I widened my legs and rested one elbow on the arm with my cheek on my fist, while I swirled my other hand through the air. "Carry on."

"Don't be smart with me, boy. If you so much as are caught with a mortal, it'll put your pack on the blacklist. You are the Alpha, Thaniel. Never forget what that means." I watched him jab at me with his cigar between his fingers.

"Yeah, I know." I rolled my eyes because while he knew what it was like to be a beast, he didn't know what it was like to be an Alpha like me. He didn't know what it was like in my shoes.

"Don't fuck with my business." My father jabbed at me again with his cigar and I had enough. I got it. I loved my dad, but damn if he wasn't serious about his career.

"Okay. Understood." I slammed my hands down on the arms of the chair and pushed myself to my feet. "I'm gonna go now. I have to prepare for the full moon with the others."

"And Thaniel?" My father's voice made me turn around with my shoulders up near my ears.

"Yeah?"

"You made me proud tonight. Good job on the deal. Here's your cut." I caught the money that my father tossed me with a smile.

"Thanks." I nodded, gesturing with the stack of money before pocketing it and leaving.