The Women Between

Chapter 5: The Marking Part 1

Cassandra sat across from the alpha’s table with the lower ranks, like the deltas and gammas. She ignored their harsh looks and the tension riddling through their bodies that shows their dislike of her. Her focus was on Garrett as they talked and laughed about some cartoon or YouTube show. The way he smiled and how he ate his food made her want to relish this moment. She will be gone in a few months, which means no more sister-brother time which she will miss. She will be leaving him, again, and that is not sitting well with her, but she cannot stay there.

However, some of her laughter was forced as she felt like a predator was watching her. She just could not pinpoint which predator it was that honed their eyes on her. There are too many here to say which one it is, except she was sure it was Derek and Jamie. They were not happy to see her when she walked through the packhouse, but they were now busy conversing with the Councilman.

Her eyes went to Derek’s buff figure, seeing that he was sitting upright with his curly black hair buzzed down. Jamie has his hair a little longer than the last time she had seen him. They both try not to have the same hair cuts, so people would stop confusing them even though they are built differently. She knows the difference between which twin is which after everything they have done. They did not need to show their differences to her. Her frown at them even drew their brown eyes that darkened, but Jamie’s eyes were less so.

She darted her eyes away in disgust at the kings. She found them strange. They are ignoring the alpha and the future alphas, while their beta seems to be speaking for them. It is almost like they are trying to distance themselves from these people. She hopes that they are not planning on attacking the pack for something or that rogues are trying to break through the lines. It made her want to take Garrett and run to the safe room in the basement. Still, she is sure that her stepfather would somehow convey the danger.

“Is something wrong, Sis?” Garrett asked, looking at her.

“Huh?” Cassandra said, turning to him looking pouty. He is dressed nicely in a blue button-up shirt and shorts. “No. I’m fine. I think it is just the spring air getting to me… Well, the heat.”

“We can go now if you want,” he suggested sweetly.

“You’re bored, aren’t you?” she asked with laughter in her voice as he nodded his head. “Finish your dinner, so you are not rude to the omegas, then we’ll tell the Kings good-bye before leaving. I am sure if they hear how I just got in a few days ago, they will be lenient.”

“So sure of yourself,” muttered a brown haired woman that was a few years older than her.

Cassandra snapped her head at the woman sitting beside her, seeing the harshness in her brown eyes. It is on her round face, too, which says enough, including the black spiral tattoos on her neck. It is her mark that says she is mated to a gamma or a delta. She cannot remember which one it is, but she knows this woman. She can easily throw a human on the ground. That is what she did to her one day, causing her to lose her breath.

“Yes, I am,” she retorted with a drawl. “I would think one would have learned her lesson about me, by now, Kimberly.”

“Yes,” she said with a smirk. “When things get rough, you go tattle to Daddy.”

That made her ears turn red and flared her anger forward to the point where she gripped her fork. Her hand shook with it wishing that she could retaliate, right now, and show them how strong she is. However, her witty side flared forward, too, making her spew out something more scorching than this she-wolf’s retort.

“Yes, and he whipped your ass, too. It’s lovely to see punishments happen to those that prey on the weaker. Maybe next time, I’ll tattle to Grandpa, so he can throw you in a cell.”

“Try it, b***h!” Kimberly roared, jumping from her seat.

Cassandra just smirked at her as she took another bite, while Kimberly’s mate grabbed her by the waist. She could not help the satisfying grin spreading across her face from getting on this woman’s nerves. She, among others, was constantly reminding her of her place in the pack. It would not always be in the form of a verbal attack, but it would have long-lasting reminders of what they are truly like.

“Is there a problem?” a balding Hispanic man asked with a growl in his voice.

She looked up at him, seeing the formidable frown on his angular face. His deep tan says that he is from South America, just like his lean body built by muscles. Then, there are his dark eyes that scream anger, while she just keeps her poker face in place and trying to calm her beating heart. He scares her with the way he looks like that, but she does not want to give him any satisfaction.

“Head Gamma,” Cassandra greeted cordially. “I think I know how to sum up what this is. It is like when my arm broke at fourteen. You said ‘sparring that got out of hand’. Well, I think I can repeat those words to you now, because nobody got physically injured, just an ego blow.”

“Keep your verbal assaults to yourself, so this goes well,” he growled, keeping his voice low.

“It was not an assault as much as a warning,” she corrected him. “I will leave here in six months. Let’s make those six months peaceful, shall we?”

He only gave a reluctant nod before walking away from her. She knows that they will not give her peace, but she is going to try to obtain it as much as possible. So far, school has been quiet with only a few looking hatefully her way, but no one dared to cause any problems. Then, the trips with her brother have been good, even when they run into pack members. Now, though, she is waiting for her brother to be done, so she can make the introduction for him to the kings and then leave.

“I’m done, Cass,” Garrett announced sadly.

“What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly.

“Why are they so mean to you?” he asked bluntly.

A sigh slipped out of her, knowing that this would happen sooner or later. She would have rather it been with their mother than her, but she was going to try to answer the question. The only thing she hopes is that she does not turn him off to his species. She does not want him to hate her.

“Species indifference,” she answered quickly.

“Huh?” he said, giving her scrunched up look.

“I am a different species than you or them,” Cass explained as she thought this through carefully. She even felt a few glances her way that said she may be ticking them off, but she did not care. “So, they don’t like me because of that. Not all wolves are like that, but a lot are according to what I have been told and have read. This pack is like that for a portion of them.”

“Oh,” he said, acting like he understood, but the next thing out of his mouth told her he did. “Will I become like them?”

“I hope not,” she said sadly. She wrapped an arm around him, giving a side hug and feeling her heart thud in her chest. She wants him to be the sweet little boy that she has beside her right now, forever, but life sucks. He will grow and change into his wolf and become whoever he is meant to be, which will mean she is left out. “That is why I must leave in six months. I must go live my life while you develop into yours. I’ll stay in contact so long as you want me to do so.”

“Always,” Garrett said as he stood up and held out his hand like a little gentleman. “I will always want you to be a part of my life.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Cass chuckled, taking his hand and standing up.

She turned her head to see her mother looking dismayed and her stepdad looking irritated. She only gave them a cheeky smile and a wave, feeling like she needed to just rub it in. They only shook their heads in disappointment that did not even hit her heart. She knows she should not be this evil towards her mother, when she is the most innocent one out of everyone in the pack, but then, her eyes flit to Derek and Jamie. They almost stopped mid-sentence to look at her.

A frown marred her face, showing them her disapproval of their status. She did not care if looking them in the eyes was challenging to their wolves. She hates them more than anything. They have never been kind to her or welcoming to the pack. It was like it was a bother when they were on the stage greeting one another. Hopefully, everything goes well with the introduction, she thought evilly as she plans to rub it in their faces.

She looks to the kings, seeing that one is tenser than the other one. They seem to be scanning the crowd, like they are hunting, which has her wondering if that is where she feels the predator feeling coming from. It made her leery to go near them, but the introduction to the royalty is something of a tradition for the Red Moon Pack.

She lowers her eyes while keeping her head up, so they do not think she is submissive. That little girl is long gone now, she told herself as her nerves jiggled under her skin. Her stomach is tied into knots with each step and swing of Garrett’s and her arms. A smile is on her face as he looks at her excitedly. She has a lot to prove to the werewolves of this pack, hoping that she will make them eat their words about her worthiness.

However, the closer she came to them the more she smelled honey and chocolate, the most. It almost made her hungry for some, which had her debating whether to stop at a candy store or proceed with her plans for her brother. The tension grew inside of the two men she was to face, while calm filled her full, letting her tension slip away. It felt odd that she would be so relaxed in front of royalty.

“Your Majesties,” Cassandra called as she stopped about five feet away from them, hearing Gregory still growling at people.

She felt their eyes rove to her the minute she called to them, and then, down her body. It sent a delicious chill through her that she wanted to relish if she did not have her brother beside her. That made her push away any feelings she had for these god-looking wolves. Secretly, she noticed how one is lean and the other broad. Both are muscular, making it a right combination to take both twins head on in her lust-filled thoughts. She wanted to admonish herself, but she told herself it was just a fleeting fantasy. They looked too good to pass up, anyways, almost like the Greek Gods.

She wanted to scoff at that, knowing that all male wolves of a higher rank look delicious because of their aura. Their animal magnetism helped to secure dates, too. That reminder is the only thing that kept her from leaping at them wanting something she never believed she would want from a werewolf. She was sure that she had become wet between her legs with the way her stomach tightened in their presence.

However, she is sure that she is not pretty enough for them. She knows her looks are damaged by the future alpha twin’s brutality. That is why she stood a moment waiting for them to speak while in the center between the two tables. She dared not look them in the eyes or say anything more, until she was sure that they heard her.

“I am sorry,” she continued to speak, hearing the deafening silence behind her. “I just arrived a few days ago. And I wish to leave to spend some quality time with my brother before I leave in six months. So, we were wondering if it would be alright to do the introduction of my brother, the future beta, now.”

“You may,” Matt said, giving her a smile.

“Thank you, Your Majesties and Beta,” she said with a small bow.

She scrunched down to direct her brother on what to do while she introduced him. She did not want anyone to notice that she was not wearing any underwear under her grey skirt. Then, there is her grey floral blouse that cuts low on her chest that will definitely show her girls to them. It did not matter that she was wearing a bra. It was dark colored that she was sure would show through it.

“May I present, Garrett Allen Salzter.” She waved and gave him a nudge for him to move forward. He looked nervous as he took a step forward and bowed to them sloppily, but she is proud that he had the courage to face them. “He is the current Beta Steve William Salzter’s first son. The Salzter’s are from a long lineage of betas that grew up in this very pack, the Red Moon Pack. And they have always been betas minus a few, of course, that became alphas of other packs or deltas. Still, their wolves are strong and hail from a good lineage.”

Cassandra had finished noticing that Steve had been looking at her with an emotion in his eyes. She was not sure if it was pride or happiness, but it made his face go soft-looking like he had been hit by a truck. There was something about it that made her smile genuinely at him, feeling like she could actually do that now. Everything up until this moment was an act that she knew she would have to do to get by without fighting any of the pack. However, she could not help the swelling of her heart as he looked at her like that.

“Thank you,” Matt said, giving her a nod. “Their Majesties would like your introduction, as well.”

“Me!” she squealed, touching her chest.

Her head whipped towards the beta, looking him in the eyes before lowering them. She is startled that she would be so careless as to accidentally challenge him. It shocked her to know that they would want to know who she was. She was a nobody until that moment when the murmurs from the pack sounded loud in her ears. Should she try to bow and give them her name?

“I am… not a pack member,” Cassandra replied after he nodded. She had to give a polite response to their insistence about introducing herself. It was the only way she would not embarrass Steve or herself. “I had the option, but I did not want to become one.”

“Still,” he said, giving his dry lips a lick like he was nervous, “if you can sing a praise so worthy of a beta… Then, you can sing a praiseworthy of yourself whether you are pack or not.”

“I suppose I could… for their Majesties,” Cassandra said nervously waving her hand to them.

She slowly took a step forward, struggling to remember something about her father. She could not even lower her head, or it would be seen as submissive feeling too nervous to think. Her father had died so long ago that she hardly remembers him. She only remembers the things her mother had told her, which were next to nothing.

“I am Cassandra Wilson,” she began, giving a wince when she realized her mistake. “Cassandra Ann Wilson. My father is Richard Wilson, and my mother is Carla Wilson, now Salzter. I am the stepdaughter of the current beta, Steve Salzter, and the half-sister of the future beta, Garrett Salzter. My father was a computer programmer that was killed in a car accident years ago while working for the government. He was an only child with no other relatives.”

She bowed at the end of exalting herself, which was more of reopening a wound. It hurt to know that she knows nothing about her father. She wanted to make a larger family for herself so that she would not feel so lonely, but this pack made it difficult to see them that way. She had no idea of what her father was like or even his ancestry. There was nothing about him and that is exactly how she felt when she said it, adding pain to her heart. There was no great grandpa this or that to speak about or even what they had done in their life. It is like her father popped into her mother’s life to bring life to her with no others to support her mother or help her.

A breath slipped out of her as she raised her body back up, lifting her head to look at them fully. Her eyes went directly to both kings' eyes, hearing the sad part of her wonder if they were happy about making her feel bad. That is when she realized there was more going on than she knew, sending dread to pit in her stomach.

She knew it the minute that she could not stop staring into their eyes. She started getting lost in them, too. It made her nauseous to stand there looking into one stormy set of eyes and one oceanic-looking one. She felt like she had been taken to paradise where a storm was starting to settle overhead. The view, though, is magnificent with the turbulence filling them that showed her everything she repelled and more.

The conflict began growing inside of her about whether to jump them or run. Her hand twitched unconsciously with a s****l need building inside her. It wants to feel their bodies under her fingertips. The sheer friction of that thought sent pleasure straight between her legs. Their lips looked soft and desirable for her to grab hold of them and kiss them. She could already feel it in her that screamed for her just to do it. Her body nearly trembled with the thought of their arms holding her body and what those hands could do to her.

At the same time, her face drained of color at the thoughts flitting through her mind. She did not want them to think she desired them for just their bodies, or that she desired them at all. Her mouth was agape with the gasp that she did not recognize coming from her. She cannot even believe she is mated to anyone, let alone two kings. She did not believe it was possible for her to be mated- period. She was thankful for that until now.

“Mate!” they shouted while jerking out of their seats and knocking down the connected tables.