Scum (Book 2)

116. Rivalry

Elijah's POV

Noah is really f*cking up my game, but I can't blame him because Chey was 'his' first.

That doesn't mean that I'll give up, but I've taken a step back, hoping that he'll do the same, but what I wasn't counting on was Iris's fake friendly act.

I've known her for years, and once had a crush on her, but she, within my hearing, said that she'd never settle for someone without a rank.

Because of that, I worked hard to build myself up, so when her drug-addicted brother left the pack, I was more than qualified to take his place.

Fast forward six years, and we're both mateless and single, but now she wants a relationship.

If things between us didn't follow an ugly path, I probably wouldn't have minded, but she treated me like I was beneath her until just a few years ago.

My uncle doesn't even like her, but she is a ranked member's daughter, and she plays a vital role in our pack, so I respect her, but that's about it.

Finally though, Iris gets bored of trying to poke holes in Chey's character and walks away, allowing me to swoop back in while Noah is distracted by some of our other friends.

"How come you aren't dancing?"

"No one else is dancing." For as simple as Chey's statement is, I feel like it carried more weight than what she meant, and I seriously dislike the fact that the girl seems to have been neglected in her youth.

"Let's go." I pull Cheyenne to the dance floor, nervous for both of us because I'm not the best at dancing, but fortunately, neither is she.

That helps to loosen our nerves, but as the music changes so does the atmosphere, and before I know it, I'm hugging her from behind.

Cheyenne doesn't get offended though, she just goes with the flow of the music, chuckling every now and then, which gives me even more confidence.

"You are so very beautiful."

"I've heard," she responds, but it's not in a cocky way.

She's simply stating a fact; people have told her that she's beautiful before.

"It's a good thing you can take care of yourself too…"

"And why is that?" Again, Chey sounds cocky, but she's drunk, and she's actually asking me a question.

I, however, am not about to let this flirty behavior go to waste, especially since I still have the woman wrapped in my arms.

"Because a lot of idiots may have ideas." The music changes, so I, regrettably, have to let Chey go to dance with her now.

She and I are standing face to face, laughing again because she just started flexing her muscles, but comparably, my arms are much bigger than hers, so I just made a face at her.

Sadly, the moment is ruined by my brother, who comes carrying two drinks, one intended for Chey, and the other for himself.

For a second, Cheyenne looks scared, but after my brother gives her puppy dog eyes, she takes it, giving me the impression that she's had an unpleasant experience before.

I don't like that she's come from a place that seems to have put her safety on the back burner, but then again, she's an alpha female, so she may have been seen as a threat.

That said, I plan to show Cheyenne that if she chooses me, she’ll never have to lift a finger ever again.

Marissa's POV

Miguel just sent me a text that made me burst into laughter, but then he sent a picture, making me deeply concerned.

"What is it? You almost woke the baby." Jett just managed to put Sophia into her bassinet, so I quickly apologize, knowing that, even though he works, he’s an active parent, so if our daughter wakes, he’ll stay awake too. “That expression doesn’t look good.” I hand the man my phone, and he immediately cringes. “She’s got to get better at reading emotions.”

In the image I was sent, Cheyenne is sandwiched between the two brothers, and it looks a bit like they’re dancing.

“I don’t think this is Chey’s problem. She sees them both as friends, but they clearly aren’t accepting that.”

“Let her live-”

“With two men?!” Again, my mate cringes because this is an odd and gross situation.

We aren’t that much older than Cheyenne, but she’s like a daughter to us.

Be that as it may, she’s still our alpha, and we should be respectful of that position.

“It’s weird, but this is the first time she’s doing something purely for fun. She probably doesn’t even realize that they’re competing, and Miguel and Dyson aren’t going to let her leave with anyone there.” That’s probably true, but I still don’t like it.

“Do you think she’s too old for me to give her the talk?” Jett struggles not to laugh, not wanting to wake the baby.

“She doesn’t need ‘the talk.’ She needs a friend to tell her the truth, just like she needed a friend to tell her that her old alpha was a manipulative as*hole.”

“I feel like that Noah kid just wants her for sex.”

“So, you prefer Elijah?”

“No. He seems like the controlling type.”

“Then he’s definitely looking in the wrong direction. Just leave it alone for now.” Sometimes, I feel like I’m interfering in Chey’s life too much, but it’s like we’re the only family she has, and I don’t want to fail her the way they did. “I’m going to get some sleep now; you should too.” I want to relax, I really do, but if it weren’t for Maya, I feel like Cheyenne could have died.

I know that some of my discomfort is based on the fact that Noah looks, and even acts like my ex, which shouldn’t be an indictment, but he just rubs me the wrong way.

“Go to bed!”

“Okay,” I mind-link, snuggling into my mate’s chest for comfort.

“Listen, Chey is a smart girl. All she needs is your advice and your support. Other than that, trust her to make the right decision.” It’ll be hard, but I’ll do my best.

Chey’s POV

After our night out, Elijah and I have a new friendship that mostly revolves around sparring.

He’s just as strong as Dallas, so exchanging punches with him is good for my overall wellness.

“Again.” I just got dropped, which is fine because the point of this exercise is defending from sneak attacks.

I’m truly done with pointless challenges, and now that Alpha Franchelle is ignoring me, I need to be prepared for anything.

“Let’s end it for tonight. I’m too tired.”

“Whoa, are you okay?”

“I’m not feeling the best, and I have class in a few hours.”

“When was the last time you took a break?”

“The last time we went out.”

“Let’s go to a concert tomorrow.”

“What genre?”

“Classical.” That sounds like fun, but I don’t want to agree to an outing with just the two of us.

“Who else is coming?”

“Anyone you want. It’s a local thing, but the people who play don’t really get much support.”

“Are they bad?” Elijah chuckles, but he hasn’t exactly answered. “Well?”

“Just come and find out.” I want to say yes, but I can’t get Marrisa’s warning out of my mind.

I like Elijah a lot, but it’s not in the same way that I like his brother.

If I had to choose between the two, I’d pick Noah because Elijah is too strong willed for me.

Oddly enough, he reminds me of my mother, while Noah’s personality is much more relaxed, similar to Liam's.

“Are you okay?” I didn’t mean to shudder, but the very thought of being attracted to someone because they remind me of Liam is nauseating to me.

“I had a flashback.”

“Chey, where did you come from?” That’s not a question I thought Eli would ask me, but since I haven’t told Noah, I don’t think it’s right for me to tell his brother, whom I only just met.

“Maybe another time?”

“That f*cked up?”

“Pretty bad,” I admit.

Noah’s POV

I’m not sure what my brother has that I don’t have, but he’s been able to convince Cheyenne to do things that I’ve practically been begging her to do with me, but I haven’t said anything because it’s always group outings that she agrees to, and I have Iris as insurance.

She’s obsessed with my brother, so the second he starts getting too close to Cheyenne, she pulls the girl’s attention away.

“I can’t believe you’ve never been to a concert before. You must have lived somewhere in the boonies.” Cheyenne can’t sense Iris’s hostility, so instead of becoming defensive, she simply chuckles.

“It wasn’t all that bad. I just had a lot of responsibility. I’m sure other people weren’t like me.”

“Exactly. Don’t judge others.” Marissa already doesn’t like me, so I’m sure inviting Iris made me look even worse, but I know the key to winning Chey over is winning her over, so I won’t defend Iris, my plus one.

Instead, I ask about Sophia, the infant sleeping in Marissa’s arms.

“Does the headset fit okay?” To protect the child’s ears, I brought sensory headphones so that she isn’t startled by the noise.

“They seem okay,” Marrissa replies, probably hating that I’m the one who thought of it.

“Good. They may even help a little at home.” I know from conversations with Cheyenne that Sophia is a light sleeper, so even the sound of the blender is enough to wake her.

I hope to get on her parents’ good side with my gift, and by default, Cheyenne as well.

The lights dim, and immediately everyone is silent, knowing that the show is about to start.

This event isn’t special, but the entire orchestra is composed of werewolves, which is why my brother suggested it.

He’s said it within my hearing that he believes Cheyenne was abused as a child, but I don’t think that's true. I just think she had tough parents. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have as many basic life skills as she does.

“There’s a lot more to life than working out and fighting. You just need to find the right person to help you experience them.” Now, I know my brother is chasing after Cheyenne.

He may have been whispering, but I heard what he said. However, I’m too distracted by Chey’s tears to mind-link him.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m so happy for them,” Cheyenne says, likely referring to the fact that children of our species are being encouraged to pursue a hobby.

Even in the city, we’re mostly career oriented, and now I understand why my brother chose this specific event.