Summoning the courage to face the man felt nearly impossible. His aura exuded dominance in every conceivable way, and the scent of musk and wood emanating from him only served to twist my stomach into knots.
"I'm talking to you," his booming voice reverberated, drawing a few steps closer until he stood directly behind me, his head looming over mine.
"Damon, stop it," Jakayla's scolding tone interjected. So, his name is Damon.
Amid the tension, I heard a scoff before he settled onto a stool beside me, his elbows finding a resting place on the countertop, his gaze undoubtedly fixed on me.
"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" My retort surprised even me and his snort in response propelled me to look at him.
He was a good-looking guy with a strong jawline and a neat beard that made him look manly. But what really caught my eye was a scar on his left eye that looked like a silver crescent moon. It looked like a mark from some wild encounter, and despite the scar, his eye had this intense and lacking warmth, icy gray color that made it impossible to ignore.
His hair was a nice brown shade, kind of messy, but it seemed like he did it on purpose to look 'cool'. He had thick eyebrows that framed his eyes, giving him a serious yet inviting look. His skin had a bit of a tan, suggesting he spent a lot of time outdoors, maybe under the sun.
A mischievous smirk played on his lips as he fired back, "Don't you know it's rude to ignore an answer?"
"Damon." Jakayla called out.
"Kayla." His response carried a weight, his unwavering gaze holding mine without faltering.
"Leave her alone," her plea cut through the tense air.
"No," Damon retorted, almost like a stubborn child.
Feeling a bit amused by the situation, I managed to break my gaze from his and shook my head slightly.
"Who are you supposed to be?" I questioned, directing it towards him. As Jakayla began frying pancakes, a bit of batter spilled onto the pan, causing a sizzle.
"The question is, what's so special about you?" Damon started, his stool scraping as he stood. He made his way over to Jakayla who was flipping a pancake and playfully tried to peck her.
"Get off me, you disgusting fart," Jakayla scolded with a touch of humor, and I couldn't help but laugh. At the sound of my laughter, he turned sharply, swiftly moving closer to my seat until his face was just centimeters from mine.
His warm breath against my skin made my nerves tingle, and I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.
"Why would Zane bring home a runt?" He muttered, his eyes locked with mine.
Before I had a chance to respond, he straightened up and sneered.
"Bye, Kayla and whatever your name is," he winked at me before exiting the kitchen, and with him, his aura.
"How rude! Who's he?" I inquired, thoroughly confused and offended by the extent of Damon's rude and disgusting behavior towards me as it was like Nightfang all over again with the bullies.
"Him? He's our gamma, Damon. Third in command of our pack," Jakayla replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, returning to frying more pancakes.
I pondered upon him for a while, not saying anything until she placed a plate stacked with six pancakes drizzled with maple syrup in front of me.
"Thank you," I offered with gratitude. She nodded, pouring more orange juice for me before taking a seat beside me.
As I hungrily devoured one pancake after another, Jakayla suddenly spoke up, her tone inquisitive.
"Do you know what a Lycan is?"
Quickly swallowing, I nodded.
"What are they?" I asked, cramming two more pancakes into my mouth at once.
"We're werewolves, more or less. But larger, stronger, more in touch with the moon goddess," she explained.
"So the massive wolves that cornered me?" I asked, the realization dawning on me as I compared the immense size of those wolves to the typical stature of my pack members. Former pack members.
"Cornered you?" Jakayla repeated, her eyes fixed on me as I finished off my orange juice.
"Yes, there were four of them, and one of them was notably darker than the rest," I recounted, causing Jakayla's eyes to twitch in recognition and she let out a snort.
"That was probably Jaxon," she informed me, and I couldn't help but twist my face in disgust. That male knock-off version of Jack Frost? No wonder he acts like an ass.
"Jaxon? So he's the Beta then," I deduced, surprised when Jakayla nodded in affirmation. If that's the Beta's size, I couldn't help but shudder at the thought of how massive the Alpha would be.
"Wait, so you're Lycans, and your pack operates just like a werewolf pack?" I asked further, tilting my head as I took in the surroundings of the kitchen—a sight to behold, with intricately carved wooden cabinets and beautiful wine glasses.
Jakayla nodded with a hint of a smile.
"Exactly. We function much like werewolves in a pack," she confirmed.
"How and why did you manage to keep your existence hidden for so long? I had no idea there was another species of werewolves," I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"Well," Jakayla began, but I didn't let her finish.
"And if Jaxon is the Beta, what's your role?" I interrupted, my curiosity getting the best of me.
"I don't have any role since Jaxon took all the Beta genes. I'm more or less an Omega and just help the Alpha with pack politics and other matters," she explained, and I responded with a simple "oh."
"As for your other question, only the Alpha can answer that. For now let's get you settled in, the Alpha has asked for you to be placed in a guest house," Jakayla announced suddenly, bustling around as she cleared my plate and mug, depositing them into the sink.
"Really?" I shuddered, a wave of paranoia washing over me. Wrapping my arms around myself, I felt an unexpected chill and exhaled slowly. Could the Alpha be the man I met earlier...the one with an even stronger aura than this 'Damon' person?
Guess I'd eventually find out.
"Alright then, lead the way."
~
We approached a brown compact house on the right side of the pack compound, our pace brisk. Four guardians stood sentinel at the entrance, bowing slightly as Jakayla strode past them, and I followed suit, my anxiety heightening.
The interior of the house felt cozy yet somewhat strange, with walls made of wood that gave it a warm and rustic vibe. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting a gentle glow across the wooden floor. There was a simple table and a few chairs, giving it a lived-in feel. It wasn't fancy, but it had a certain charm that put me at ease.
"This is where you'll be staying. My little sister and two more people will be joining you shortly. I'd love to stay, but there are some little children that need tending." Jakayla rushed her words out, turning to face me while I was lost in the charm of the house.
"You have a little sister?" I asked, the meaning of those words finally registering in my brain and she laughed.
"Hey, hey, hey!" A high-pitched voice cut through the air, making me recoil. When I turned around, I was met with the presence of a girl who appeared to be in her early teens. She had a combination of black and white hair and was clad in a vibrant orange jumpsuit. Her entrance was sudden and startling, radiating the aura of a rebellious and spirited youngster with a hint of cheerfulness.
Two more youths burst in after her, a male and a female. The young man was tall and had a lean build, with strawberry blonde hair. He wore a rather lackluster, dry expression on his face, meanwhile the young woman possessed stunning red hair that reminded me of Aleena.
"Jasmine," Jakayla chuckled, referring to the black and white-haired girl who was already seated in a bean bag at the corner of the living room. She beared an uncanny resemblance to Jakayla, and I settled in my mind that this was the sister Jakayla had talked about.
"Run along, Jakayla! She's in good hands!" The young girl screeched again, beaming her teeth at me.
"Well then, I'm off. Bye, Unatha, and Anthony, get your paws off her," Jakayla said, casting a sharp glare at the man, who simply shrugged. With that, she departed, leaving me with three new faces. The man and the woman fixed their gaze on me, their eyes sharp and almost judgmental, as though they were picking me apart.
"I'm Sabrina," the red-haired girl introduced herself, surprisingly warm in contrast to her piercing expression and aura. It caught me off guard because her striking emerald eyes seemed to radiate an unusual glow.
"Okay... I'm Una," I casually introduced myself, growing self-conscious under their continuous stares, particularly from the man who had now stationed himself in a corner of the room.
"He's Anthony, a delta, and she's—"
"Jasmine!" The young girl sprang to her feet, eager to introduce herself, and walked toward me.
"I think you're really gorgeous, though" She remarked, leaning in close and studying my face. I couldn't help the blush that crept onto my cheeks.
"Thank you."
"Jakayla told me you're a human. But honestly, you smell like a wolf too, just not completely," Jasmine said, her honesty taking me by surprise.
Human? Okay...