Alpha Convict - Burgov Series I

8. Sasha

Two days have passed since Mister Quentin visited us. I spent most of them becoming more and more skittish. Every time I heard footsteps behind the window, or the knock on the door, or the gravel on the driveway crunching I thought it was it. That the Alpha's sister or his Beta finally came for us.

Ilia started making fun of me that I would soon develop some funny nervous ticks, and the little s**t even went as far as knocking on the wall in the middle of the night just to laugh maniacally after my loud gasp. If anyone would ever tell me that little brothers are fun to be around, I would gladly give them mine for a week.

Vanya told us to act normal and to do everything we did so far. So Ilia and I went to school while he was working his usual shifts. Only Father was even more absent than usual. And I don't mean only his mental absence after drinking a few deep, but the man actually disappeared every damn day. He was out of the house first thing in the morning, so early that I almost never saw him, but he was always home for dinner. And even though we all uphold this family tradition like always, nothing felt normal anymore.

School wasn't making me feel normal too. Everywhere I went people who usually kept their distance from me, or simply were rude, started approaching me and asking about Claudia.

My heart was breaking for my friend and I simply couldn't make my peace with her being gone. Walking through those damn corridors made me think of all the times when we were there together laughing and constantly talking about everything and nothing at all. She was the only one I could always talk about the most significant moments of my life, the hurt, the pain, the deepest fears, to just a few minutes later start goofing around and just be teenagers.

I miss her. So, so much. It isn't like two years ago, but it still hurts so damn much. Why does every important woman in my life meet such an awful fate? Maybe I'm cursed?

Norvin was doing everything he could to make me feel any better. And he was a great friend with whom I bonded on our common neardiness and passion for Warhammer. But even though he is great, he lacks certain social skills and is absolutely the worst at understanding how to deal with grief. He took it as his personal mission to make me smile, and he constantly was telling me jokes. However, I only managed to smile weakly at those. For one, they were of the worst kind he could have come up with - grandpa jokes - and secondly it just felt wrong to laugh at times like this.

To be honest I felt more like talking about our friend, but Norvin couldn't offer too many warm words about her. How did I never notice they truly dislike one another so much? I thought that bickering was their thing, just like my and Nor's common interests.

But maybe that's for the best, because this one time Norvin actually started talking with me about Claudia. His grudges took over and he admitted that she would be Luna from the nightmare. And I didn't appreciate this kind of honesty.

I couldn't stop thinking that if a girl like Claudia, smart, funny and easy going, wasn't able to find love and understanding in her own Mate after all she's been through, the odds weren't looking good for the rest of us.

"What do you call a fish wearing a bowtie?" - Norvin asked when we were getting inside his posh Bronco. Yeah, he wanted a normal american car, but the inside was upgraded by all the newest technology, warm up leather seats and a stereo that made me at least for a short period of our ride stop listening to my own thoughts.

I gave him an unamused look, I used to whenever he was once again making this ridiculous effort. And shook my head. - "I don't know. Tell me."

"Sofishticated." - he said with a grin waiting for my reaction, which once again was just a faint smile. - "Get it? So-fish-ticated." - he explained once again trying to get even a little giggle out of me. His hopeful eyes made me feel kind of bad and I lent him a hand.

I forced a small chuckle and made my lips curl into one of the fakest smiles. - "Oh yeah. Good one." - I praised him and he looked more appeased than if he'd won in 40,000.

We both climbed into his car and he started the ten minute ride to my home. I actually preferred covering this distance on foot. But since it's the middle of winter and whenever I'm walking alone someone catches up with me to ask about Claudia yet again, driving with Nor seems like the best option.

But aside from the joke he made at the very beginning, something was off today. Nor kept his full attention on the road, which I didn't mind one bit. However, it still made me think something was wrong.

He parked the car in front of my home, and before I managed to jump out and rushed back home, avoiding the blizzard outside, Nor grabbed me by my elbow to stop me.

"Wait. I wanted to talk with you about something." - my friend said and he sounded more serious than I've heard him in the last two days.

"What is it, Nor?"

"I've been talking with my parents and even though they were reluctant at first, I want to help you guys."

I had no idea where he was going with it, but the way he started I already didn't like it, because it sounded too much like a favor and he already did too much to help me with Claudia case, even though he didn't want to be dragged into it in the first place. Besides, I don't take favours I won't be able to repay.

"Nor, just…"

"No, listen to me, Sasha." - he caught me by my hand and I felt he was pressing something cold and metal into it. - "Take it as a backup. Those are the keys to our summer cottage. We've been there a few times, do you remember?" - I nodded slowly. - "Good. So if anything happens and you will have no place to go, just go there. It's just an hour away from the Pack so with some adjustments you and Ilia would be able to finish this year before you find something more permanent."

I unclenched my fist and looked at the metal ring with four keys on it and I couldn't believe it. Norvin played this part like a true strategist, and I was so proud of him, and at the same time I felt that I was entangling him in my own mess.

"Norvin, I can't. If anything happens and somehow high ranked wolves would find out you helped us, your family would be in the same situation, I can't ask you to do that."

He just smirked and waved his hand.

"Don't worry about it. Dad has been bitching about VanWoerts for the last couple of months, if anything we would be relieved."

"No, they wouldn't." - I said matter-of-factly, tilting my head to the side to meet his eyes.

"No, they wouldn't." - he repeated, admitting he was just bullshiting me. - "But he's a hot shot accountant and we are loaded, things would be fine. Far better that for your family. Trust me, we've talked about it, and they agreed that you guys did the only right thing. Even though not many would be this righteous, my folks support your decision."

"But Nor…"

"I know what you're going to say, but let me ask you this: which Inn or landlord would take in the four of you and your dogs?" - he cut me off.

I started biting on my lip knowing he has a point. It's been something Vanya was struggling with, and I knew he didn't want to make me leave the dogs, because after what happened to Claudia it could have been too much.

"Exactly." - Nor said triumphantly and forcefully closed my hand around the keys once again. - "So take them. You don't have to use them, but I would feel a lot better knowing that our next game won't be under the bridge. Besides, you guys could throw me in the middle of this, and yet you didn't. So that's a 'thank you'."

I threw myself on his neck and squeezed him tightly. - "Thank you, Nor."

He reciprocated my hug and after a moment I jumped off his car and rushed to my home with my mood lifted tremendously. At least one of our problems took care of itself.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside with a smile still on my face, but only when I was in the middle of the hallway I noticed that my boys didn't come to greet me, however I could still smell them in the house. I turned the corner to the dining room and a smile froze on my face, because there behind our old table sat both my brothers, Alpha's sister and Pack's Beta.

I slipped the keys to my coat's pocket and took a step forward prepared to meet my fate.

"Someone's in a good mood." - Sabine VanWoert pointed out mockingly. Her perfect makeup and clothes that any business woman would be proud of made her even less approachable than I thought before. - "Did setting my brother up made you this happy, Miss Burgov?"

I frowned at her words, because she was either testing me, or she was delusional, thinking that her brother was innocent in this.

"I didn't set anyone up, but I'm always happy to see my brothers, Miss VanWoert." - I answered trying to sound confident, even though her presence alone was making me very uncomfortable, not to mention the impressive frame of Beta Trevor, who looked rather ridiculously out of place on one of our simple chairs. I think that's the cheapest piece of furniture he ever came across.

Sabine VanWoert looked like a woman who liket to set the certain dynamics of her conversations, and my comment seemed to throw her off for a moment, but she managed to compose herself quickly.

"Please join us, Miss Burgov, we have matters to discuss." - Sabine gestured to the empty seat next to Vanya, as if she owned the place. I took it without a word, glancing sideways at my oldest brother. Vanya sent me an assuring smile, but his tense muscles told me the gesture was only for my sake, because our situation was in no way good.

Sabine pierced me with her cold stare for a moment before she opened her expensive briefcase and slowly slipped a single piece of paper to Vanya.

"Beta Seaton and I came here to release you from any obligations towards Midnight Banes Pack." - she said to Vanya.

"So in less stuck-up words you're banishing us for saying the truth about your beloved Alpha." - sneered Illia and I saw how his disrespectful tone switched the professionalism they tried so hard to maintain.

"You can't expect us to trust any of you when you haven't notified the Pack's authorities before calling the League." - Sabine lectured my brother with her usual condescending tone. But the way her perfectly manicured fingernails were impatiently tapping on the wooden surface told me she wanted to say many other things.

"And what were you expecting, when we were watching for years how you covered for our Alpha's every little mistake?" - I asked calmly and I saw Sabine's dark eyes shone silver for a moment.

"I don't know what you're talking about." - she said, choosing the game of pretending. Fine, let's play then.

"Oh really? So you weren't doing his job for him, because he was unable to?" - I asked.

"Or change his car twice last year, because he crushed them?" - chimed in Ilia with a smug smile. Alright, at this moment I'm glad to have this little Asshole in my corner.

"Or drag him away from the last Christmas Party, because he was making a spectacle of himself?" - I pin another nail to their coffin.

"Or pay to renovate the gym in Warrior's Center because he trashed it?" - my younger brother added again and I never wanted to hug him more.

"Or…" - I started yet again but Sabine slammed her hand on the table to interrupt me and her pretty face was twisted from all the anger this encounter was bringing her.

"That's enough! I know my brother isn't perfect, but you still should have…"

I released a bitter laugh that this time made her stop talking.

"Isn't perfect?! He killed a young girl, and you tell us he isn't perfect?!" - I watched her with disbelief. - "So here's your answer why we haven't notified you first. You would brush it under the rug and protect him, like you always do. Claudia wouldn't matter to you, she would be another collateral damage like this gym, or cars, or many other things he destroyed. Who knows if you haven't covered another murder in the past, honestly I wouldn't be surprised."

I know my words were harsh, but they were well deserved.

Sabine jumped on her feet and her eyes shone in silver once again, meaning her wolf was fighting for control and she was losing this match.

I honestly thought she was going to attack me, but before she could make another move, Vanya, who hadn't spoken since I came in, blocked her path and his own eyes were shining in a bright blue blue. My brother however, unlike Sabine, had perfect control over his wolf, otherwise he wouldn't be able to keep him in check for so long, not betraying his real bloodline.

"Don't you dare make one more move towards my sister." - he said in a dangerously low, yet calm voice. And his voice wasn't the worst, his impressive aura that couldn't be mistaken by anything else than Alpha, was.

"What… How?" - Sabine muttered in shock, but she pushed her questions to the back of her head and she straightened up, and theatrically adjusted her sleeves. - "It doesn't matter what you think, this is our Pack, and you prove yourself untrustworthy." - she announced, pretending to be unbothered by what my brother just showed her, yet she was eyeing him cautiously. She reached for her briefcase and gestured for the Beta to follow her lead. Then she met Vanya's gaze. - "As Acing Alpha of the Midnight Banes Pack, I Sabine VanWoert, hereby banish the Burgov family from my lands. You have one hour to pack up and leave, before my warriors will escort you out."

Then she and her shadow of a Beta left the room, followed by the loud clicking of her heels.

"He killed your sister-in-law, you know?" - I shouted after her and the clicking stopped abruptly, meaning she was listening. - "I understand how strong one can love a brother, but you must see the evil lurking in him."

"You don't know what you're talking about." - she answered before I heard our front door opening and closing soon after, just like the chapter of my life in this Pack.