20.

1620 Words
CHAPTER 20 RALPH POV Oh for f***s sake. Why wouldn’t she be alone? Lyall sent down the bond, tone cool but lethal. Exactly. Rafe snapped. I sighed deeply, drawing our parents attention. “Something you want to share?” dad asked, eyes hard. You’re a f*****g coward. I thought, but made sure I didn’t link to him. “Well? Speak up son.” “Which son?” I asked, raising my eyebrow. “What?” “Which. Son?” I replied, accentuating each word. He glared at me. “Are you insinuating I don’t know my own children?” “I’m not insinuating anything.” “Sweetheart, you’re both our pride and joy. Of course we know who you are,” Mom simpered, but she didn’t try to identify either of us and I think we all knew that neither of them could be confident in their choices. How delightful to never be recognised as your own person. Though to be honest, there were worse things in this world than to be confused as Rafe. “Don’t forget we’ve got the greeting dinner in two weeks,” she continued on. “It’s important we put our best foot forward when meeting all the packs for the first time and do make sure you both get your hair cut too, you want to look your best for the new females you’ll be meeting.” I didn’t care about any of that, least of all any of the new females Mom was practically drooling over the mere thought of. It was all so insignificant. “Lyall never gets asked to cut his hair,” I point out sullenly. “Lyall is going to be Alpha of his own pack,” Dad tells me. “He doesn’t answer to anyone.” “But we do?” Rafe snapped. Jesus, little brother sure was on edge today. “Mind your mouth Ralph,” Dad snapped to him. “Your mother has asked very little of you, so you will obey.” And there it was. Proof yet a-f*****g-gain that we were interchangeable to them. Rafe pushed the food away from himself and stood up. “I’m getting ready for school. Have a good day sir.” Rafe said the last word with obvious sarcasm but swiftly kissed Mom on the cheek and swept out of the room before Dad could punish him, I was right on his heels. “You know this is bullshit, right?” He asked once we had made it into his room and shut the door. “The way they treat Rini, that we are likely going to be stronger than dad even as Beta’s but he still doesn’t respect us and this f*****g joke of a ball coming up.” I rolled my eyes. “We haven’t exactly been angels to her either.” When I met his eyes, identical to my own, I almost didn’t recognise the male staring back at me. “Things are changing.” He told me slowly. “You know our future has already been written,” I reminded him. “f**k that. You and Lyall can find the oh so special mate everyone won’t shut the f**k up about, I have zero interest in that.” If he thought rationally for a moment he would remember that none of us had an interest in that. I didn’t want to feel tied down to a mate, especially at 18 and I knew Lyall was resentful about it, but far too honourable to disregard our duty. “I’m not going to the ball,” he said firmly, yanking on his clothes almost violently. God, wasn’t he meant to be the easy going, rational one? I sure as s**t didn’t want to have to be the peace keeper like Rafe usually was. “Little brother…” “I’m five minutes younger dickhead, it barely counts.” “Every second counts baby bro,” I said with a smirk, moving to the door that joined our rooms and moving inside so I could also get dressed for school. “Whatever,” he called, slamming the door and locking it… actually f*****g locking it! I took some deep breaths and then moved to my wardrobe, it took up a full wall of my bedroom and I couldn’t help compare this to the pitiful wardrobe Rini had. Get your s**t together. She’s not your concern and it’s not like she has to walk around naked because she was no options. I yanked a pair of ripped jeans over my legs, and a sage green jumper with a printed skull on the back. We weren’t really meant to be wearing anything to school with pictures or print of any kind but no one was going to say s**t to me and I wouldn’t care if they did. Heads up Lyall sent. Little Rabbit is out of the shower but flat out refusing to take the phone we got her or put on the clothes laid out on her bed. She’s saying she would rather go to school in just a towel.” I’m about ready to put her across my knee and spank her into submission. Rafe snarled so loudly and viciously I flinched a little. He didn’t respond to Lyall though, just took off at a dead sprint, leaving me to wonder if Rini was as powerless as people believed. From where I was standing? Seemed like she wielded power over us all. RAFE POV I was a male on a goddamn mission. All I could hear in my head was Lyall threatening to spank pretty Rabbit and mentioning she was just in a towel. Just. In. A. Towel. I mean come the f**k on. Time seemed to freeze that’s how fast I moved and before I knew it, I was bursting through the basement door (I refused to call it Rini’s room) and staring at Lyall who was going slightly red in the face and Rini who was wrapped only in a towel, with her arms crossed over her chest. “Rafe, thank goddess you’re here, can you tell this Neanderthal to give me back my clothes and get out of my room?” “It won’t matter what he tells me,” Lyall said smoothly. “I’m not leaving without you and we aren’t f*****g leaving until you’re dressed.” “Then give me back my clothes!” Rini shouted. “I DON’T f*****g HAVE THEM!” Shit. “Lyall doesn’t have them,” I said evenly, raising my hands to try and calm her. Rini glared at me and used one arm to indicate the pathetic cupboard that was now only holding 3 hoodies.. “Oh? So they’re just got up and walked away?” “No,” I said quietly. “I had them removed.” “You…you what?” She asked, betrayal flooding her eyes. Goddamnit, I could not seem to get it right with her. “I had them removed,” I repeated. “You should never have had to live in clothes that didn’t fit or clothes that were discarded. You deserve things to call your own, to be able to wear what you like not just what you’ve been given. I couldn’t stand it anymore so I removed them while you were sleeping. I’ve got a whole bunch arriving today for you to choose what you do and don’t like. Please don’t be angry.” She genuinely looked speechless. “You did that… for me?” I smirked. “Well I don’t think the clothes I ordered will fit any of us.” Rini glanced at the outfit on her bed. “And what is this?” I rubbed the back of my head nervously. “I had Silas arrange that with Suzie. He must have dropped them off while you were showering, that’s a reason for you to use the phone by the way, so you can thank both he and Suzie and also have a line out to your world.” It went without saying that she didn’t view our home as hers or our world as one she wanted to be part of either. No, Rini’s world was studying, plotting her escape and a singular friend who was incapable of protecting her. What a cluster f**k. “I… I don’t know what to say,” Rini whispered, looking at me with such heart breaking vulnerability. “Say you’ll get dressed so Rafe doesn’t follow you around all day at school warning any guy off taking a peek under that deliciously short towel.” Ralph drawled, leaning against the door frame. The vulnerability instantly disappeared from her gaze and instead irritation burned brightly. “Right, well no one has ever gotten a peek under this towel and I’m not going to start allowing it today, so all of you get out. I’ll see you at school.” “No,” Lyall said firmly. “You’ll see us in 10 minutes when we walk you out to the car and drive you to school.” Rini opened her mouth to argue but Lyall was already there, a single finger over her lips. “No. It wasn’t a request, it wasn’t a suggestion and it’s not a negotiation. Get dressed, put your phone in your pocket and meet us outside because if you don’t? Ralph has all of your books and he will burn them.” Her eyes snapped to Ralph who smirked and feigned warming his hands against a fire. Rini shoved at Lyall and turned her back to us all. “I don’t need 10 minutes. I’ll be out in 5, now leave me alone.”
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