As they discussed one bright Saturday morning, Sean met Astrid and Jemma in front of the club then he took them to the countryside where his pack resides. He leads them to a nondescript building which is the gym ignoring the looks of his pack members along the way. They enter the gym and the people don't pay much attention to them as they occupy an empty table.
"Astrid, can I leave you to train on your own?" Sean asks watching transfixed as she takes off her jacket to reveal her in a blue sports bra scarred arm on display and a lean stomach with faint outlines of abs and matching blue shorts her hair up in a messy bun.
"Sure." She says snapping him out of his momentary silence. With a smile at Jemma and Sean, Astrid begins her workout lost in her thoughts. After working out for a solid three hours she ends up back at the table with her belongings taking out her phone as she takes a swing of water ignoring the curious stares at her scarred arm.
"You put yourself through the works." A strong deep yet gentle male voice says getting her attention. She looks up to find herself staring into honey grey eyes.
"I shouldn't have?" She asks him with a smirk on her face.
"Didn't say that." He says to her returning her smile.
"Astrid." She says holding out her hand to him.
"Kyan." He responds by shaking her hand but his gaze lands on her scarred hand and she watches him silently.
"Nice to meet you." He says looking into her eyes not staring at her scarred hand for long.
"Same here." She says to him.
"Excuse me, I need to freshen up." Astrid says to him before heading to the locker rooms and Sean takes the opportunity to approach his brother.
"How've you been?" Sean asks him and Kyan smiles in response.
Usually, siblings don't look that much like each other but Sean looked like a less muscular and slightly shorter version of his brother with his hair being straight dark brown hair like their deceased father's and Kyan's is like their deceased mother's dark wavy hair. Their facial features resembled their father's high cheekbones with chiseled jawlines, dark peach lips with naturally dark full-arched eyebrows, and short thick lashes with a straight nose bridge.
"The usual." Kyan replies his gaze landing on Jemma who cowers behind Sean making him laugh.
"Real in the dominance, bro. I don't need you scaring my friends." Sean says laughing lightly.
"Sorry." He says shrugging his shoulders.
"It's ok." Jemma says just as Astrid exits the locker room wearing black jeans with a grey thin strap top her damp hair cascading down her back with her blue training sneakers on her feet.
"Can I treat you to lunch?" Kyan asks Astrid just as Jemma hands her a grey protective sleeve and Astrid takes it gratefully. Though she showcased it at the sorority party it was dark and no one paid attention to her arm but in broad daylight, she rather covers it up.
"Thanks." Astrid says to Jemma as she pulls on her black jacket after putting on the sleeve.
"Welcome. James said you forgot to pack it" Jemma says smiling tiredly.
"I'd love to join you." Astrid says looking at Kyan whose face lights up in a smile at her response but she looks at Sean with a raised eyebrow.
"You two go ahead. Enjoy the countryside but be back by 6 pm." Sean says and Astrid rolls her eyes in response before nodding.
Kyan leads her out of the gym engages in conversation and succeeds in making her laugh multiple times until they arrive at his house he leads her to the back porch where a grill is set up but there is an expanse of a daisy-filled field with a lake that reflects the suns rays.
"Beautiful." Astrid whispers to herself with a relaxed smile on her lips as she looks over the field before returning her attention to Kyan to see him holding a plate of steaks the grill already heating up.
"Do you need help? I insist." She asks him and he smiles at her.
"Sure you can help." He says before placing the plate of steaks on the table near the grill and going back inside his house for something and returning with a bowl of boiled sweet potatoes, chopped broccoli, cheese, butter, and a cup of milk on a tray.
"Thanks." She says taking the tray from him and taking a seat at the picnic table and starts mixing the provided ingredients engaging in conversation as the steaks are grilled. When everything is finished Kyan places the stakes on separate plates leaving Astrid to put the cheesy mashed potato servings on their plates as he retrieves two cold beers for drinks.
They eat in silence for a while then Astrid looks up to see Kyan staring at her with a curious glint in his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" she asks him and he shakes his head at her.
"Tell me about yourself." She says taking a sip of beer.
"What do you wanna know?" He asks her in turn.
"Where's your mate? Sean mentioned he rather be alone than look for a mate. Something about she-wolves being pests." Astrid says but stops talking when she sees the sudden sadness that takes over Kyan.
"Sorry if I overstepped." Astrid says looking away from him.
"You didn't. It's just the first time I actually want to talk about it." Kyan says regaining her attention.
"My mate and our parents died in a rogue attack. I wanted to join them but I couldn't let Sean go through the pain of losing me as well." Kyan says.
"Were you Alpha?" Astrid asks and Kyan smiles in response giving her an answer.
"I gave the position to my beta. I wasn't in a frame of mind to lead the pack." Kyan says.
"So what is your position in the pack?" Astrid asks.
"Don't have one. I'm a voluntary outsider and looking for another she-wolf is a no." Kyan says shuddering with a disgusting look on his face, the same look Sean has when he's talking about mates and she-wolves.
"Well, that explains our not-so-discreet audience." Astrid says looking behind Kyan catching the gaze of some of the young she-wolves.
"They're afraid to approach me and I like it that way." Kyan says laughing and Astrid joins him.
"So you're the untouchable and untameable former Alpha. I can see why they flock to you." Astrid says with a playful smirk.
She gets a message on her phone from James saying that she is needed at the F.A.U and with an apologetic look she excuses herself and makes her way back to the gym where Sean and Jemma who's already in the car waiting for her.
"Let's go see what's up." Astrid says as she enters the car.
"Hopefully it's nothing serious." Jemma says.
'Hopefully.' Astrid thinks to herself as she watches the scenery go by.