Rise of the She-Wolf

Colin’s pov,

A few days passed with many longing glances between him and Vanessa. He saw she was struggling trying to resist him and he wondered how long it would take for this stubborn creature to give in. He had hoped that things would have changed after the dance they shared at the pub, but Vanessa still seemed determined to avoid him as much as possible. Tonight, they had something fun planned though, a great Gatsby-themed casino night with lots of drinking and dancing. He was hosting it at his house, and he already heard the first guests coming in. Jazz music was playing in the background from the band he booked and the whole mansion had been transformed into a luxurious venue. Every once in a while, Colin hosted a party for his pack to thank them for their hard work and loyalty. Everyone was welcome because he believed everyone played a part in their success whether it was small or big.

He did some last adjustments to his bow tie and grinned at his reflection. He looked rather dashing in his black smoking if he might say so. He went down to the party and the smell of cigar smoke mixed with champagne hit his nose. He saw his mother standing in the corner of the entrance and he kissed her pink gloved hand. She was wearing a dress covered in small pink feathers.

“Looking beautiful like always mother,” he said.

Maggie smiled at him warmly and cupped his face with her hands. He looked around the room and noticed everyone suddenly started staring at the top of the stairs. His sisters came down giggling, both of them looked beautiful but Colin knew they were not the reason people were staring. Vanessa came down in a short golden dress with fringes that sparkled against the light like an explosion of gold. She gracefully walked down the stairs, her hands covered in long silk gloves, her hair falling down in a waterfall of curls. Her lips were painted bright red and her pale eyes were covered in soft smoky golden shimmers. The sight of her took his breath away.

“Close your mouth,” his mom softly reprimanded him, but he couldn’t look away.

Bolt purred possessively, “Our mate.” Which did not help.

For a moment Vanessa locked eyes with him and he could swear he saw a hint of affection in her eyes. The moment got interrupted when he heard a lot of commotion from the dancefloor. He reluctantly took his eyes off Vanessa and walked towards the noise. To his displeasure, he found his brother in a heated argument with another male of his age. Gary was just about to punch him in the face when Colin stepped into the room.

“What is going on here?” he asked with a low grunting voice.

Vanessa’s scent hit his nose and he knew she was watching him and the commotion. The other male immediately bowed his head in respect, but Gary kept looking at him fuming.

“This bloody donkey tried to flirt with Rosalie, he knows she will become my mate when she turns 18 and no one should touch her,” Gary growled.

Colin looked at the girl on the side with rosy cheeks, soft ginger curls, and green eyes. His brother had been obsessed with her since they were kids, but he didn’t know Gary went this crazy over her. He walked to Rosalie and ignored the other 2.

“I think Rosalie can decide for herself who she wants to talk to. Was anyone bothering you, lass?”

Rosalie shyly smiled, “No Alpha.”

Colin loudly said, “Well then, I see no problem. Party on!”

The crowd quickly scattered again, and the band started a happy tune. Colin grabbed Gary by the neck and hissed, “You and I need to talk. To the kitchen, now!”

Gary followed him reluctantly and Colin pushed him through the kitchen doors. The staff immediately ran out and left them alone. Gary walked back and forth angrily and said, “Can you believe that guy? Who does he think he is? Trying to take my mate.”

Colin rolled his eyes with annoyance, “Believe him? I cannot believe you. You behave like a spoiled rotten brat.”

Gary’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets, “WHAT?”

Colin growled and he let Bolt surface for a bit to show Gary he was still the Alpha. Gary backed down a bit after that, but he could still see the anger swirling in his eyes.

“You don’t even know if she is your mate. Even if she is, she is not your property. She can decide herself whom she wants to be with and if you behave like this, I doubt it will be you.”

Gary stared at him for a while before he stormed out grunting, “Whatever Alpha. Don’t need relationship advice from the guy that can’t even get his own mate.”

Colin sighed as soon as he was by himself and wondered what to do with this kid. How could he teach him to behave responsibly? His other siblings had never acted out this way. He left the kitchen through the other entrance lost in thought and bumped into Vanessa; she looked guilty like she had been standing there for a while.

Colin raised his eyebrow, “Eavesdropping now, are we?”

She stared at him silently with big eyes until he started laughing, “Don’t worry love. I know you just missed looking at this handsome face.”

She shook her head and disbelief, but he saw a slight smile in the corner of her mouth.

“You are unbelievable,” she said.

Colin smiled, “Well thank you. I take that as a compliment. Now let’s go back to the party. I believe a tower of champagne is waiting for us.”

A few hours went by where he enjoyed himself by drinking and dancing. Vanessa surprisingly didn’t avoid him that night and even she even sat down next to him to listen to the stories he was telling. He was just telling her about one of his adventures in the north when his Beta came to interrupt him. He whispered in his ear, “I am afraid you need to come with me Alpha. Gary has gotten drunk and set fire to the house of the Dunley family.”

Colin knew that the boy who had flirted with Rosalie was called Dunley by his last name. He abruptly stood up while his blood started boiling. In his thoughts, he was strangling Gary when a soft touch on his arm brought him back to earth. Vanessa held his arm and looked at him calmly, “Let me go with you.”

He knew it was just a confirmation that she still thought he was a monster, and she was scared he would hurt his brother or something. It annoyed him but by all means, let her come! He had nothing to hide, and he was never going to pretend to be something he was not. He just nodded to her before storming away to his car. She followed him and they did not speak during the drive. She just watched his knuckles turn white from holding the steering wheel so firmly.

He could already smell the smoke before he saw the flames. The Dunley family were farmers, and they were not rich but Colin knew they were kind and always shared what they had with lesser fortunate. He gritted his teeth when he saw the small farmhouse burning while Gary and his friends were howling and throwing bottles at the house. The Dunley family stood outside their house crying but too scared to do anything against the Alpha’s family.

He stopped the car and walked towards his brother. Gary turned around and swayed from left to right drunk. “THAT WILL SHOW THEM WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FUCK WITH THE MURPHY FAMILY.”

Colin just walked to him and kicked him in the balls, so he fell to the floor crying. With a loud voice, he said to all the boys, “LET ME BE CLEAR. I DO NOT APPROVE OF THIS BEHAVIOUR. YOU ALL BROUGHT SHAME TO MY FAMILY AND OUR PACK TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FOR ALL OF YOU. NOW GO HOME!”

The other boys all looked scared and exchanged looks before they ran off. Colin grabbed Gary by his neck and dragged him to the Dunley family. He threw him before their feet and growled at him, “Beg them for forgiveness or consider yourself banned from the pack.”

Gary looked at him with wide eyes before he dropped to his knees and started begging. Colin’s eyes softened when he shifted his gaze to the family, “I am so sorry for my brother’s actions. He has a lot to learn. I assure you that Gary will be here every day to build a new farm for your family and he will pay for this with his own money. In the meantime, I have arranged for a trailer home. I know this cannot make up for what he did, but I hope it eases the pain a little.”

The mother took his hand and said, “Thank you Alpha. We will not forget this.”

Colin squeezed her hand and then spoke to Gary angrily, “As for you. You will stay here until the new house is finished. You will be here all the time to see the consequences of your actions. Maybe they will be kind to you and give you shelter which will make you feel even more ashamed of yourself. You can come back home when you have learned your lesson.”

He walked back to the car and Vanessa followed him, she had been standing beside him the whole time, quietly observing. She kept staring at him during the ride home and said, “You handled that well. Not many Alphas would punish their own family over a farmer.”

“You sound surprised,” Colin replied.

Vanessa looked at her hands, “Honestly, I never know what to expect from you. You are so unpredictable. It is kind of confusing.”

Colin chuckled, “Could say the same about you love.”

When they arrived back at the house everyone had left and even his own family had gone to bed. Vanessa yawned, “I think I will also go to bed. Are you coming?”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Her wanting him to join her sounded very tempting but he had some paperwork to finish to make sure the Dunley family would be well taken care of. “I need to do some business first, good night, Vanessa.”

It took him an hour to finish the necessary work and when he went to his bedroom, he found Vanessa sleeping in the bed. She looked properly knocked out and for the first time, he allowed himself to softly stroke her cheek. He knew Bolt wouldn’t try to surface while she was sleeping because he loved their mate, so it was safe to lay next to her this time. He changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt, and he quietly slid under the covers. Like she could feel his presence in her sleep Vanessa turned around and rolled into his arms before resting her head on his chest. His heart was beating loudly, and he did not dare to move. He definitely did not want to ruin this moment now she finally laid this close. He stroked her long brown hair and watched her chest go up and down calmly while her scent clouded his mind. Bolt was purring like a smitten kitten which made him relax until sleep quickly fell over him.

He woke up from the first rays of sunshine that peeked through the window. To his satisfaction, Vanessa was still laying in his arms soft and sound. He watched her sleep for a while until the sun started to warm her face and she woke up. She fluttered her eyes confused and it took her a moment to realize where she was laying. Her head shot up and she looked utterly shocked.

“Ow my god, I slept on you all night?” she asked horrified.

He chuckled and pointed to the wet stain on his shirt, “You also dreamed about me, I think. I understand my sexy presence makes you drool.”

Vanessa’s cheeks flushed and she quickly grabbed a pillow and shoved it in his face. “Get over yourself you vain man!”

They both started laughing until Vanessa seemed to realize something and her eyes started to shine.

“Do you know what day it is today?” she asked excitedly.

Colin frowned, “Tuesday?”

Vanessa rolled her eyes, “No it is Vlad’s his last birthday remember.”

Colin had to admit that over the last couple of days, he completely forgot about Vlad. Vanessa was right, today was Vlad’s birthday which they were invited to.”

He then realized what Vanessa said and asked horrified, “You are not planning to kill him today right?”

Vanessa stood up and whistled a happy tune, “No silly. It is just the first step of my plan.”

Colin watched her disappear into the bathroom and said to Bolt, “Why do I feel like she is going to get us into trouble?”

He could almost feel Bolt grinning, “But we like trouble, don’t we?”