Defiance: The Hybrid's Tale

Nathan Underhill.

I walked up to the breakfast table and sat down. While watching my little sister finish her bowl of birdseeds, I filled my plate to the brim with food. One positive thing about the pack, they made enough food to feed a town. The Alpha next to me had the decency to wait for me to finish my breakfast before he began with his lecture.

The shuffle of a chair drew my attention away from my caramel pancakes. Lilly took her empty bowl and glass from the table and walked out of the room. What a shameless ass-kisser. The only time she helped with dirty dishes or did her chores was when she wanted something from my mom in return. Minutes later, Lilly proved my theory correct when she walked back into the room with her puppy dog eyes set to full blast. She really wanted something.

“Mommy?” Lilly asked in an angelic tone, pouting her pink little lips at my mom. I chuckled and returned to my meal.

“Yes, honey,” my mom answered, falling into her trap.

Glancing up, I saw her hugging her pink elephant while swaying on the spot. Goddess, she was so cute! Wait! Urg! Not me too... I shook my head, trying to break free from my little sister’s spell. A few sways later, my father picked her up and placed Lilly in his lap. And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the perfect predator. She was the deadliest creature on earth who lured you in with her cuteness before she aimed for your jugular. Lilly continued her adorable assault on my parents. Even the big bad Alpha couldn’t resist smiling at her. What the hell! Was that a smile? And here I thought the old man couldn’t.

“Mommy, can I play with Noah and Milly outside?”

And there was the reason for her show. She wanted to play with the other pups, even though the Alpha wanted her to remain under his watchful eye. No doubt convinced that she was some sort of spy sent here by rogues to undermine his rule, or destroy his pack.

My mom took a sip of coffee before she said, “Honey, we talked about this. The Alpha wants to talk to you and your brother about what’s going to happen tonight. Maybe later, okay?”

Oh, that wasn’t going to fly. Here came the tears. Lilly’s eyes watered while her lower lip trembled. “Ok...,” she mumbled, lowering her chin on her stuffed toy while sniffing.

On... two... three—

“Lawrence, is it really necessary for her to be here? I mean, the real reason we’re here is to talk to Nathan. Nathaniel said, “The ceremony won’t be so complicated that the little blossom won’t be able to handle it.”

What a sucker...

The Alpha’s eyes softened as Lilly battered her eyelashes at the man. The old man chuckled and said, “Very well. She’s excused.”

Lilly’s cute face morphed from sad to happy before I could blink my eyes. She scooted off my father’s lap and bolted for the nearest exit, squealing all the way. Everyone at the table chuckled at her cuteness.

“Fools are born every day...” I mumbled, returning to my food.

“What do you mean, son?”

I picked up a piece of bacon and ripped through it. “Mom, can’t be serious? She just played you.”

My father’s eyebrows shot up in confusion. “What do you mean, kiddo?” My heart swelled at being called kiddo. I probably grinned like an idiot.

“She usually plays her cute card to get what she wants.” I chewed down on another strip of bacon.

“She faked it, again?” My mom asked me with a groan. I just nodded. Talking with your mouth full was rude.

My father and the Alpha laughed while my mom grumbled and vowed under her breath to punish Lilly for tricking her yet again.

“I would have thought that Mom would recognize when she was faking it.” I grinned. “Don’t all women do that?”

The Alpha choked on a piece of toast while my father tried to hide his snicker behind a couple of coughs.

My mom’s eyes pierced my soul. “Be careful, Nate. You’re not old enough for my hand to find your ass.”

***

After the meeting with the Alpha, he repeated his sermon to me about following his orders from now on. He also said that I needed to make an effort to fit in with the pack before another fight broke out. All I did was nod. I didn’t have the patience to sit around all day listening to him. After the talk, I rushed out of the dining room and into the living room where I spotted Maisie and Tyson sucking each other’s faces.

“Get a cave to shag in. There’re impressionable minds watching you,” I said.

Maisie flipped me off while she continued her onslaught on Tyson’s lips. When they continued to ignore me, I changed my tactics. I flicked my fingers, launching Maisie into the air.

“What the hell?!” Maisie screeched, flailing about in the air.

Tyson jumped from the couch and tried to jump in the air to catch Maisie, but I levitated her further out of his reach.

“Put me down!”

“Not until you tell me where Adam went,” I replied with a smirk.

A growl came from Tyson as he stalked his way toward me. “Put down my mate!”

“Nah!” I shook my head and with another snap of my fingers, Tyson went ridged as a board. “Come on, my sweet sister. Just tell me and I’ll leave you two fuck bunnies alone.”

She huffed and folded her arms into her chest. “He’s in the theater room. Now let us go.”

“Ok!” I smiled. With a third snap, both of them slipped loose from their bonds. With a shriek, Maisie landed on the couch, while Tyson stumbled to his knees.

“You’re so freakin’ dead!” Maisie shouted as she leapt off the couch and lunged at me.

I bolted out of the livingroom with two angry wolves at my feet while several of the pack members laughed and cheered them on to kick my ass. As if! Running at full speed, I turned into the corridor that led down into the basement. I cast a quick sticky trap on the hardwood floor behind me. I grabbed onto the theater doors and yanked them open. Just then, Maisie and Tyson rounded the corner and stepped into the trap. They both fell to the floor when their shoes stuck to the floor. They tried to get up, but their clothes also stuck to the floor.

“Nathan! Let us go!” Maisie screamed, trying to push off the floor, but she couldn’t.

Tyson’s eyes found mine and said, “I’m so kicking your ass, twinkle fingers.”

I slowly closed the doors and said, “Wait? Isn’t that the nickname she gives you during foreplay?”

“NATHAN!” Maisie exploded.

Oh, cucumber! Went too far at that one, didn’t I? I slammed the doors shut and locked them out. I released the spell and seconds later, the door started rattling. Oh, I was so going to die today. I glanced around the darkened room, finding Adam slumped down in a recliner, munching on popcorn while watching Hotel Transylvania with the rest of the pups. Several scowls turned to me and the rattling door.

I walked over to Adam and took a seat next to him. He knew I was there, but pretended not to notice me. The silent treatment, an old classic. Well, I deserved it.

“Adam,” I whispered, not wanting to disturb the pups. They could turn into vicious ankle-biters when someone spoils their fun.

He ignored me and shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth.

I leaned into his ear. “Adam.”

Adam’s head whipped around. Anger seeped out of his beautiful brown eyes. Oh, shit! He was angry. Did I really hurt him that much?

“Of course you did, dumbass! ” Fenrus growled out, turning his back on me, too.

I sighed and said, “I should stop fucking up for once.”

“Yeah, you should before we lose him before we even get him.”

I turned to the screen and watched as Dracula flew alongside the airplane, trying to get the goofy redheaded guy’s attention. Adam returned to his popcorn, still ignoring me. The muted thumps on the theater doors continued unabated. They were persistent, weren’t they?

“Adam, I’m sorry for being a dick again.” I began talking to him, hoping he’d at least hear me out. “Even though we talked about me joining the pack, I’m still afraid.” Adam continued digging for more popcorn. “I’m afraid of letting go and giving someone else control, not only over my life but also my heart.” Adam’s head turned to me. I finally got to him.

“You’re everything that I want in a mate—” Wait, did I just admit that? I did, didn’t I? Well, let me continue pouring my heart out then. “You’re funny, smart, charming, confident, and sexy as hell...” I whispered the last bit to myself, but Adam still heard me. You’re one of the few reasons that makes me excited about joining the pack. It makes the sacrifices worth it.”

A huge grin spread across Adam’s handsome face. I dove in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, shocking him a bit. But Adam recovered quickly.

“Sexy, am I?” Adam asked in a husky voice. Is that all he got from my amazing speech?

Before I knew it, Adam pulled me out of my chair and put me on his lap. He then muzzled my neck. He dropped gentle kisses along my collarbone, making my toes curl.

“Adam, you got to stop. There are children here...”

Adam groaned as he pulled back. “Fine...” His eyes darted across my face, landing on my lips.

Oh, no! That’s not happening again. I didn’t want a repeat of earlier with an underage audience as spectators. We would have scarred the pups for life. After bouncing off Adam’s lap, I earned a whine from him.

Before I could mock him for being a horny ass, the doors burst open, revealing the eyes of two very pissed off people. I would have died, but Maisie and Tyson did the one thing they shouldn’t have. They interrupted the pups at a crucial moment at the end of the movie. Oh, they were so dead.

“You idiots!” cried one boy, throwing his empty popcorn container at Tyson. “Let’s get them!”

With a suppressed snicker, Adam and I watched as Maisie and Tyson bolted out of the room with an angry mob of pups close on their heels. Well, that solved one of my problems. The only one left, the induction ceremony later that night.