Talons

Chapter 156: The Type

Colton’s POV

The drive back to pack territory left me feeling numb after Mike, who I thought just wanted Rhea for her body, mocked me by telling me how close they were and the promises they made.

I think I would have preferred them to have a s****l relationship that meant nothing, because there is something much more painful about him telling me how sad my mate was anytime she went home and came back. 

I didn’t even know that Lark sided with the omega who attacked her, just like I didn’t know that her parents beat her. 

There was also the fact that, obviously other than height, the man and I were on completely opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to looks, but then again, Jack and I aren’t exactly a close match for one another either.

No matter how I slice it, I’m not only the ‘bully’ my mate would talk about with another man, but I’m also not even her type.

By the time I climbed out of the car I had thought myself into a dark place, and I didn’t even want to see Rhea for the rest of the day, but at the same time I wanted her to talk to me.

I shouldn’t have to hear about her sister’s ex-boyfriend trying to force himself on her from anyone else, but then again, I walked right into that meeting, thinking I was going to come out victorious.

“You okay bro?” I look up to see Trey and frown. He is much closer to the type of man my mate prefers, and for the first time ever, I’m jealous of another man’s looks. “Colt?”

“I’m fine,” I mumble, sitting behind my desk and plopping my head on the surface.

“Umm, by definition of ‘fine’ do you mean completely depressed?”

“I met with Rhea’s ex today.”

“Did you kill him?” I let out an involuntary chuckle, wishing that I could, but I can’t. 

“He’s too high profile for that.”

“That explains the mood then.” I know my gamma is trying to cheer me up, and he has successfully convinced me to talk.

“He and I just look so different.”

“So that’s what this is about?”

Trey goes on a rant about Rhea being much different from other girls I’m normally attracted to as well, but he’s only half right. 

After my wolf became smitten with Rhea it was hard to find my usual type attractive. I started looking at shorter, thicker girls.

“Does that count though? We weren’t attracted to them; we were just using them as a replacement for who we wanted.” Orlin has a point, but I’m still bitter.

I loudly groan, and a curious Trey asks me what the man I met looks like in person.

“Like you,” I say resentfully.

“That makes for an interesting game,” my gamma replies.

Mandy’s POV

Colt mind-linked me to take B to the gym, so after getting her from her garden, we changed, and headed to go workout.

I don’t know what the man is thinking by sending her into the bullpen unmarked, but I’m confident B can handle her own. Still, just in case, Carter is already waiting and I’m sure he gave warnings.

He waves us over and tells my cousin to connect her phone to the gym's speakers.

“Is this okay?” she questions, making us look at her weird. “I don’t have seniority.”

“Who the hell did you work out with in the past?”

“The football team,” B replies, making Carter clutch his imaginary pearls. 

“Don’t ever let Colt hear you say that,” he says. “There are very, very horrible images that come to mind when a man hears ‘football team’ leaving a woman's lips.”

“What are you talking about?” I question, staring at my mate in shock. “You never told me that before.” He looks at me with a deadly serious expression, pressing close to me in a way that is kind of turning me on.

“Mandy, have you been working out with football teams?” It’s my turn to gasp as I just caught on to how bad it sounds.

“Yeah, don’t let Colt hear you say that, and you… why are you thinking of my little cousin in that way?”

“Your little cousin is my luna, it’s my job to protect her; speaking of which, you do have seniority.” I look to my cousin, who I thought was going to correct Carter, but she says nothing as she cheerfully pulls out her phone. 

The entire gym falls silent with the song she chose, but I'm not shocked at all. B will listen to the hardest rap song and immediately follow it up with death metal. Then, to cool everything down she may sprinkle a bit of pop or R&B into the mix. 

Now that I think about it, she has always been well suited for the title of luna. She has her dislikes, but she is accommodating to all people around her, so after the first song has finished, the grumbling faces of the people who don’t like the genre soon became smiles as the music shifted into something they could get behind. 

It was odd to see the men settle into a routine; before B came, they worked in small groups to avoid conflict, and the only reason they are bunched together is because of Trey’s new orders. There was no music playing when we came, and that was by design. 

I have seen my mate and Colt break up so many fights over something so trivial as the wrong song playing in the gym, but right now; everyone seems happy and the fact that their future luna created the playlist seems to be helping. 

“You’re finally back,” I say after spotting Holly, who has become the unofficial ambassador. Miracle and Dolton are with her, which makes me wonder where Lisette is.

“After what happened yesterday, Titi Beautiful didn’t want to stay out too late, but what the hell is going on over there?” Holly points to B, who is rapping the lyrics to a song with my mate.

I know that he is just as excited as the other men around because, as odd as it may sound, working out with an alpha or a luna is a huge honor. It’s almost as though she is elevating us to her level by being around us, and the feeling is infectious.

That’s why I was so excited when B protected me. I mean, she’s my cousin, but she is also my luna, and her selflessness allowed me and my children to live. She might as well have put me on a pedestal and called me her favorite person because that’s how giddy I felt. 

There is also that fact that B isn’t stuck up, and she’s okay with acting silly. It's a refreshing quality, one I hope Colt will pick up on because the pack seems to enjoy it.

“If Colt sees them staring at her like that he’ll kill them all,” Holly says, snapping me out of my mind.

“I don’t think he would; our alpha is changing.” 

Colton’s POV

Trey and I get to the gym where we are going to put his plan in action. We found a pack member who looked annoyingly similar to Mike, and we’ve ordered him to flirt with my mate. While cruel, he will be well rewarded for his sacrifice.

“I’m not sure about this,” Ken says. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“That is why I gave you a script. Besides that, what's the worst that can happen?” Trey asks as he urges Ken forward. He’s simultaneously mind-linking me that we should be ready to save the man’s life, and I can’t help but to chuckle.

“Alpha, I don’t like this.” The man says. “What if she holds a grudge?”

“She won’t because she isn’t like that.”

“But what if you hold a grudge?”

“Are you saying that my luna will agree?”

“No, I’m just-”

“Shush,” I say, listening closely. I can hear the second song from my workout playlist, and I wonder who is choosing the music right now.

“Crap, I specifically told them no music,” Trey says, understanding how petty men who naturally size each other up can be.

However, when we step inside, I see my mate two stepping to the music while circling her shoulders, clearly warming up for the punching bags.

Playing, is a metalcore band that I listen to and oddly enough, their songs have techno beats mixed into them, making them danceable. 

Most of the men in the room are staring at her, but she isn’t paying attention, and when the beat drops, she starts punching at the bag Mandy is holding like a maniac. 

I step forward, wanting to intervene, but Trey stops me, pointing to Carter who, while wincing, hasn’t moved. 

Fortunately, Mandy was able to hold her own, but in sensing that she can’t handle what my mate is dishing out, she taps her cousin’s shoulders, gesturing for her mate to take her place as she goes for water.

“Alpha I’m scared.” I kind of feel sorry for Ken, but I promise him that he won’t die, which might be a lie if I don’t react quickly.

“Remember, don’t fight back.” I issued the command because Ken is in our top twenty-five of male fighters, and I don’t want to take the chance that he may hurt my mate.

Rhea’s POV

I was punching the bag with Carter when he made way for an unknown male, telling me that he has to get Carly. 

That sounds like a lie, but I shrug it off because it may have something to do with Mandy’s pregnancy, which I shouldn’t know about, but do.

The man who takes his place starts making small talk with me. At first, I didn’t mind it, but it eventually takes a turn toward flirting, and I’m immediately put off.

He introduces himself as Ken, and despite the fact that he is making no attempt at whispering, no one has come to stop him, which tells me that this is some sort of test.

Mike once sent one of his teammates to flirt with me, which resulted in me catching a cramp from laughing so hard, and while I’m not certain, this seems like that time. 

“I see you haven’t let him mark you yet. If he isn’t doing it for you, maybe you should find someone else?”

“I’ll pass.” I walk away from the bag, but the man follows me. I can tell he is mind-linking and when I spot Colton hiding, I realize that this is some sort of sick joke.

“If he’s too rough, I can be gentle; likewise, if he’s too gentle...”