I rubbed at her hands, and while passing a restaurant, two boys were thrown out. Marian and I stopped when I realized it was Adronus and Jackson.
I released Marian when a pissed-off centaur, half-horse, and half-man, walked out of the restaurant with two equally angry wolves that weren’t from my pack. The centaur was wearing a jacket and tie as if he was a concierge and the wolves from Silverdawn Pack stepped around him, both much taller than Jackson and Adronus.
“You wanna say that again?” Jackson growled at the centaur whose tail was swaying back and forth widely. “Do you know who I am?”
“Weknow who you are,” one of the wolves answered with a growl, and Jackson grinned with excitement. “You’re not going to come here, eat and not pay. We don’t do things like that here.”
This was bad, I thought. It wasn’t even a week yet, and Jackson was picking a fight with members of Silverdawn. I rushed to stand between him and Kaleem’s wolves when Jackson stepped forward.
“That’s enough,” I growled, and Jackson growled in my face.
“Mind your business and get out of my way,” he spat, and I stepped closer.
My dominance poured from me, and Adronus cowered. While Jackson flinched, he stood his ground. I was always stronger than him, and it was one of the many things he hated me for.
“This is my business. Everyone here knows who you are, Jackson and who you’re related to, and it doesn’t matter. Back off and go home,now!” I commanded, and he laughed. “Laugh now but let’s see if you’ll keep it up when we get thrown out of town again because of you.”
I tilted my head. “Do you think Alpha Colin will be lenient because you’re his grandson? I’m curious, what do you think he’ll do to you?”
Jackson stared at the wolves behind me, the centaur, and Marian. He seemed to realize the situation he was in and, after a few minutes, turned away with Adronus without saying another word.
Grinding my teeth, I faced the wolves and centaur while taking my purse out.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “He’s clearly lacking a few screws. How much was the meal they had?”
The centaur shook his head, his legs lapping the concrete. “Don’t worry about it. Just keep them away from my restaurant and my customers.”
He turned away, and my spirit was crushed. I wasn’t the one that started this fight, but although I’d ended it, I felt like crap. This was what I faced everywhere the pack went. Members who only wanted to get by were given a bad name.
I didn’t miss the look of disgust aimed at me when the centaur turned away. Marian was right. I didn’t care what people thought of me but being treated like this in my hometown was too much.
“Who are you?” the wolf on my right with long black hair tied behind him asked.
“No one,” I grumbled and nodded to Marian, and we left.
I could feel his eyes on me while we walked away, but I didn’t look back. Kaleem was going to hear about this, but I was really hoping nothing would come of it. He’d made his rules clear, and Jackson just stepped on that.
I hadn’t seen Kaleem since the night we slept together, and I was only just starting to think clearly again without seeing his face.
“Are you okay?” I asked Marian beside me, who’d paled considerably. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about. I can’t believe this is what you’ve had to deal with for years,” she mumbled. “I didn’t even recognize Jackson.”
I held her hand. “I can handle him.”
But I was very sorry that I was born into the Bluemoon Pack, more than anyone knew.