The Alpha and The Fool novel Chapter 8

I sat in the living room with Mom in our nightly routine of a cup of tea. I wasn’t a huge tea fan, but I enjoyed having the time to catch up on things. Sometimes, like tonight, even Dad joined us. I preferred the simple black while both Mom and Dad went for the fancier stuff. “How are things with Nicole?” Mom asked after Dad finished filling us in about today’s meeting progress. It was interesting when I wasn’t the one involved in all the politics crap.

“It’s going pretty good,” I admitted.

“She’s not shown any more tendencies of violence has she?” Dad asked, worried.

Again, I found the worry to be a little insulting. They wouldn’t worry about this so much if it was Dean instead of me. Though, considering Aunt Helena had allowed her mate to beat on her and their children, perhaps Dad would’ve worried no matter what. I shook my head. “Nah, as far as I can see it was a one-time thing. I, honestly, think it was a bad judgment call on my part.”

He nodded, looking pleased as he picked up the tray on the coffee table between us. “I’m going to take this to the kitchen, but we’ll need to talk Dean. The meetings with the alphas are only for two more nights, and after that, they all return to their territory. I need to know what your plan is.”

My stomach sank as I watched him leave. Plan? When did I ever have plans? I don’t do plans, but what was I going to do? Two days then Nic would leave. I don’t think she would stay if I asked her right now. Damn it I needed more time. Running a hand through my hair, I looked up to find Mom smiling at me. She could probably guess I was scrambling.

Before any of us could say anything, someone growled out, “You!” Nic’s dad stood in the doorway, pointing at me with blazing amber eyes.

This wasn’t good. “Me?” I asked, standing.

“Yes, you! You pathetic little clown,” he demanded as he took a step into the room. “You’ve poisoned my daughter and my people.”

“Wait a minute-” Mom said, standing.

“It’s okay, Mom, I got this.” I moved, so I was between Alpha Joseph and Mom. I wasn’t sure how much of this guy was all bark, but if he decided to bite, I didn’t want her getting caught up in it. “Alpha Joseph, I haven’t said anything against you to your people.” Oh, I’d said a lot of nasty things to Andy and the others, but not to Nic or her friends.

The alpha sneered at me. “Nic never defied me before we came here.”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “And that’s my fault?”

“I know it is!”

“I promise the only thing I’ve done is talk your daughter,” I said and shrugged. “Sorry dude, but you’re not on the subject list of topics in our conversations.”

He took another step into the room, his hands curling into fists. “You think you’re funny, doncha? Well, listen here funny man. You’ll never have my pack-”

“I don’t want your pack,” I said, dropping my tone into a flat, boring sound. I got a taste of being alpha when Ryder had to take a step back to fool our uncle, and that was all I needed. I’d never been under so much pressure and stress in my life. It was not something I planned on repeating any time soon.

He blinked obviously surprised by my response then he simply scowled at me again. “Listen here, Boy-”

“Dean, I’ve used your name Alpha Joseph, I’d like you to use mine.” I was starting to get a little tired of the nicknames he kept giving me.

“You’ve not earned the right,” he said before literally spitting on the floor a few feet in front of me. Gross. “Now listen here, Boy. You will stay away from my daughter. She not ever going to be your mate and-”

“I made it quite clear as we started this week’s meetings I would not tolerate any kind of violence in my pack house. I was willing to overlook your daughter’s violence as a misstep of youth. She’s not the first young woman to resort to our more primal ways of resolving conflict. However, you have long past the springtime of your life so I can not forgive this act so easily.”

“That boy left me no choice,” the alpha said, trying to pull himself from Diego’s grip.

“Do not test me, Joseph. I witnessed the whole encounter, and I know who was the aggressor and why. It is for your daughter’s sake, I will not take your life and pack from you as is my right by our laws, but instead banish you from my territory, death being the punishment if you return. Until your departure, you will remain in the holding cells. Oh and Alpha Joseph perhaps you should reflect about how a distaste for violence does not equate to weakness. If this had been a challenge Dean, the pathetic clown would’ve won the right to take your pack from you.”

When Dad nodded, the beta escorted Nic’s dad out of the room, and I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “That could’ve gone a whole lot better.”

“I’m sorry, Dean. This will complicate matters with Nicole,” Dad said, shaking his head. “I couldn’t let any of his actions or words stand without answering them.”

“Yeah, I know,” I said and ran my hand through my hair again. “I should go tell Nic and his people what happened.”

“Actually, we were here outside,” Wesley, Alpha Joseph’s beta said from the doorway. “We tried to talk to him, but...” He shifted his weight, clearly torn between the truth of Nic’s dad brought this on himself and loyalty which told him to say nothing against his alpha. “I’ll go inform our people and Nic of what occurred and make the necessary arrangements.”

As the beta left my stomach sank for the second time today. “You’re going to make them leave?”

Dad shook his head. “Alpha Joseph’s people will have too. I am willing to allow Nic to stay.”

But would she? My stomach tightened, and I ran a hand through my hair. Mom laid a hand on my shoulder. “Easy, you’re going to go bald like that,” she teased then gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Relax, let’s give the beta some time to speak with her and digest the information. We’ll figure something out.”