The Other Part of Me

Braden

Braden stormed through the mansion until he was able to discern the scent of her perfume from all other scents. Elsbeth was in the pack lounge surrounded by warrior wolves who were obviously worshipping her with their eyes, and she was loving every minute.

He had always pitied any man that was mated to her. Whomever her first mate had dodged a bullet with her rejection. Jonathan, on the other hand, hadn't been so lucky.

He hadn't known Jonathan very long before he had died, but his pack had been loyal to their Alpha. Even his pack oracle constantly received lucrative offers with titles and lands from other packs but she refused them all. Jonathan had been a good Alpha, he must have done something real shitty in a previous life to deserve Elsbeth as a second-chance mate.

She was a beautiful creature, he admitted, but that was only on the outside. Her insides were putrid and rotten with emotional decay. She was selfish and wanted the world to bow to her whims.

His Bloodstones never thought much about her actions because she was one of the few originals left but Braden wouldn't allow her to use it as a crutch to her advantage anymore. If Cassie wouldn't keep this pup, she would keep the next. His priorities had changed and knowing Elsbeth had no love lost for his mate, let him know there was no other way.

He stalked his way slowly to her. His eyes darkening with anger the closer he got to her.

Elsbeth must have sensed him staring at her because she looked up, her eyes locking with his. He saw it in her face -- it was there just for a fraction of a second- but it was there.

Fear.

She made a quick recovery, making him doubt himself for just a moment. That was her true talent. Hiding her cards- but this time, he was onto to her for the last time.

She said something to one of the warriors, handing him her pool cue before smoothing her black hair, which was probably as black as the hole that lay where her heart should have been. She pasted a smile on her face. "Braden-"

"No! You don't talk to your Alpha," he sneered. He addressed the room. "Everybody out!" He growled.

He knew the pack was not used to seeing him this way, but in the heat of the moment, he didn't care. His main priority right now was the immediate threat to his future bloodline. There was a lot of rustling about, clearing the area in record time.

His eyes bore into Elsbeth the whole time. "You deliberately sent my mate to rogue territory on a fool's errand, endangering her life and the life of my pup!"

He saw her throat tighten. "I needed the soil-"

"Silence!" He roared. "All these years I've been giving you the benefit of the doubt, Elsbeth, because I wanted to be nothing like the wolves of old. I wanted to bring forth a pack that lived harmoniously and worked together to make pack decisions as one. I never wanted to be a dictator calling the shots while sitting on top of a fake hierarchy, but your actions are forcing my hand."

He circled her threateningly. "I had hoped you had changed from the days you played your mother against Alpha Thaddeus and let her feed poisonous dreams of power to my father."

She retreated her steps until she was behind the pool table. Braden slammed his hands hard on the surface and leaned forward. "Because of you everybody I loved died and my father will forever be known as a traitor!" He yelled. "You crossed the line with Cassie. You already stole a life that was rightfully hers, I'm not going to let you do it again now that I know there's no redemption for you."

"Braden, you know what happened with Alpha Thaddeus," she said nervously. "I made a mistake-"

"You can stay the night but pack your shit up and get the hell out of my pack. You are hereby banished." He turned to walked away.

"Braden, please!" She cried after him. "Where will I go? Jonathan's pack doesn't want me."

Braden looked over his shoulder, looking at her with disgust. "You should have thought about that before you tried to get my mate killed."