Talons

Chapter 152: The Couple

Rhea’s POV

I stick my head out of the bathroom and look all around the room. Colton is gone, but a set of clothing has been pulled out for me. I guess Janet must have stopped by to chat, and took it upon herself to find me something to wear. 

I’m not complaining though. The outfit is much more relaxed than the girl typically chooses, and right now, I don’t want to wear anything fitted.

I do my routine, dress, pull my hair into a bun at the top of my head, and step out of the room to find Colton pacing.

“Am I in trouble?” I question, thinking that I may have broken a pack law, but he relaxes the moment he sees me. 

“What? No, of course not, it's just that I wanted to make sure you had time to eat before our meeting, but you took a long time.”

I hadn’t been rushing because I hate getting blood in my hair. Once it’s dry, it's hard to get out, and although I can’t smell, I remember Jamie bending my head over a sink to properly scrub my head because the smell of old blood was making her sick.

“Sorry, but I don’t have much of an appetite right now. Can I cook for us later?” Colton agrees, and we head to his office where Mandy is eagerly waiting. 

I can tell she’s excited, but Carter looks angry that she isn’t taking the situation as seriously as she should. Wanting her to understand that, while we are safe, anything could have happened, I remind her of facts.

“Mandy, today could have gone a lot differently; what if Tyson panicked?” My cousin stills before looking down, and her mate can clearly sense her mood.

“Sorry,” Mandy replies. “I just realized how dangerous that was. What if there were no low branches? What if Tyson wasn’t around?” Carter hugs his mate and mouths the word ‘thank you’ to me, appreciating how I gently reminded Mandy that even though nothing happened, it could’ve.

Trey arrives shortly after, and they start having a boring conversation about how the rogues were missed, how they got in, and who was on patrol… I really had to tune out after a while because these men know nothing.

“Are we boring you?” Colton asks and I nod vigorously.

“You’re working harder, not smarter. Pull up the patrol routes and cross check it with the men scheduled for that section.” I’m responded to with a blank face that gets my gears going. “You don't have patrol routes?”

“Our men circle the whole territory with a gap in-”

“That’s enough,” I say, actually disappointed. “So, what you are saying is that you’ve got a predictable pattern going, and you're confused as to how it failed you.”

“Since you're so informed on the matter…” Colton tosses a folder on his desk, and I pick it up for inspection.

“Beta Carter, I’m disappointed in you.” Trey stifles a giggle, so I rope him in as well. “Gamma Trey, your irresponsibility is also on full display.” After taking a calming breath I hold out my hand. “Pen.”

Colton’s POV

My mate hasn’t been on the territory long, but using the border maps, her knowledge of the Claw pack territory, and what she knows about the surrounding land, she’s able to make changes that makes all three of us feel like sh*t.

We have been arguing over mind-link since she started drawing, but the most bothered by the situation is Carter, who feels like Rhea just opened a floodgate within his mind. 

As she draws and explains, he adds his suggestions based on his knowledge as a pack member, and Rhea carefully notes his ideas after checking with me and Trey on availability of guards.

“This doesn’t make any sense; how are we working less people, but covering more ground?” Trey picks up the maps and carefully studies them while Carter explains that what Rhea did was make smaller, overlapping routes that encompass the whole territory.

“Those extra men will still be on patrol, but they will walk within the territory, not around it.” Understanding dawns on Trey, who isn’t gifted with coordination the way Carter is.

“Do you think we can implement it tonight?” Carter questions. 

“I know the guys would love these changes, especially since the rotation includes breaks,” Trey adds. “We can at least show them what the extra training is gearing them up for.”

“If you can communicate it to them effectively, do it; but I don’t want any confusion, and no one is to get a copy of the maps.” Carter nods at me, still studying the new arrangement, but his attention is immediately pulled away by Trey.

“Oh, that’s cute. You guys are matching.” Rhea looks down at her clothing then back up at me, clearly just realizing that I’m the one who picked her outfit.

“You... made me... wear... couples clothing?” My mate questions me like a television mob boss, and I’m kind of afraid. Mandy’s hands are exaggeratedly covering her mouth as she looks between us, but I can tell she wants to laugh.

“We look-”

“Like dufuses!” Rhea shouts, and Trey shrills like a crow in laughter. “Have I ever struck you as the kind of girl who wants his and hers anything?”

“No,” I say in defeat. “But you don’t tell me what you like, so I have to guess.”

“Fair enough, but this… Off limits.” Rhea points between herself and I, and I have to admit that my feelings are hurt. 

“Why?”

“Because it’s an insult to us…” My brow furrows, and Rhea makes a gesture with her hands while breathing deeply. She can see how confused I am and I know she’s trying to reign in her irritation. “Couples who do stuff like this are either A. insecure, or B. trying to compensate for a lack of emotional attachment by projecting an image of togetherness for everyone to see.”

“Told you,” Mandy says, looking at Carter with a very pointed expression.

I actually remember a time when my beta was depressed because Mandy didn’t want to wear a dress that matched his tie at an event we attended. We drove together, and she said similar words, but he was convinced that she just didn’t want to be coupled with him.

“So, two people can’t just love one another?” Carter asks sarcastically, and my mate one ups him with facts.

“Colton, was there any love involved when you picked this outfit out for me?”

“No,” I practically whisper, and Carter sends a mind-link for me to find my balls, so I give him the finger. 

“I rest my case.” Trey has gone silent, but I can see that he has something to say, so I encourage him to speak up, hoping he can defeat the boss.

“So… you and Colt are a couple now?” Rhea practically jumps out of her skin, holding her heart in an exaggerated manner while looking at the man in shock.

“I- I- I did not say that.”

“You kind of did,” Carter says mockingly.

My gamma and beta continue to tease my mate who starts breathing heavily, but instead of being angry, I'm oddly satisfied. 

Rhea implied that we are a couple, and even if she didn’t mean it, it feels good to know that I’m not the only one who is growing attached. 

“I told you not to do it. Now save her from your foolishness,” I wisely take Orlin’s advice.

“Carter, you better stop before she tells Carly to cry all night. I think she might listen.”

“About that...” Trey says, but I mind-link him that he needs to inform the patrols of the changes, so he pockets his question, but not before linking me that he isn’t dumb. 

Trey, like me, has gone through all the stages of goddess studies, so he knows something is up with my mate, and while I plan to tell him, I don’t want her to know.

“Do I need to file a report?” Rhea suddenly questions, and not for the first time, I realize that she’s uncomfortable when people mind-link around her.

“We will try not to do that in the future,” I say, confusing my betas and my gamma, who think I mean the report, but Rhea understands completely.

“We don’t file reports for rogue attacks in this pack,” Mandy says, and Rhea gasps in horror.

“Then how would you track if there's a-” She suddenly realizes that our pack was never broken into sections, so even if we file reports, it wouldn’t be specific.

“It's something we will start doing from now on, okay?”

“Also, not all rogues are violent, some have been wronged, so you should tell your men to urge compliance before force.” Trey scoffs, and everyone except my mate glares at him.

“Sorry, but everyone here knows how I feel about people who betray their packs.” I really want to snap right now, but I’m convinced that Rhea will handle this situation much better than I will.

“So, is that what you think about me? That I betrayed my pack?”

“What? No, you didn’t… Well, you are- But you aren’t… It’s not the same B.”

“Is it not a fact that I’m a visiting rogue and have been a rogue since I was sixteen?”

“Yes,”

“Because there are many packs who operate using that logic, I was always afraid to trespass on someone else’s territory. By your logic, I should be dead by now.”

“Did you give the rogues that came today a chance?”

“She did,” Mandy offers. “They chose to attack.”

“The one in charge said he had a specific target, either they were going to kill me or take me. I could have killed them immediately, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt, which is all I’m asking you to do for others.”

“Okay,” Trey says, his shoulders slumped over in surrender. “Your point is very well made. I will tell them, but that opens up a new discussion… How the hell did you kill three adult males with no injuries?”

“I didn’t,” Rhea replies. She lifts her shirt’s sleeve to show a scratch that is already beginning to heal, and while it's nothing, I have a strong reaction.

“What is that? Why didn’t you tell me? We should go to the infirmary. Did you clean it? Does it hurt?” I don’t stop rambling off questions until Mandy’s snort snaps my attention to the shocked faces in the room. 

Her face is red and covered in tears from how hard she is trying to suppress her laughter.

“Oh, how I wish Holly was here.”

“That reminds me, where is my cousin?”

“Out with Miracle and her family.”