The Traitor Panther

Chapter Seven

I had never felt my heart beat so hard before.

It felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest.

"Cleo! It's so nice to finally meet you. I've been hearing a lot..." I was currently talking to an Alpha of a pack in the next state over from us. We had rushed home after the mall, and I had hurried to get ready. Willow, Levi, and Nate were all dragged off to help set up the dinner tables, since it was now getting later, and food would be expected soon. Which was good, because I was fucking starving.

The second I had stepped out of my front door, I had been dragged off to the set up picnic tables in the middle of the pack to introduce myself to everyone.

That was an hour ago.

Since then, I've been talking to random people I've never seen before and will probably never see again talking about bullshit I don't care about. How was I liking my new pack? How did Ike and I meet? Did we have plans to have a child soon?

Not to mention, I hadn't seen Nate since we got back, and I'm not even sure Ike still exists. I feel like I haven't seen him in so long and I was starting to miss him.

Overall, I was feeling cranky.

The Alpha currently in front of me was a nice lady. She was tall with wide shoulders and insane thick, curly hair. Her skin was dark and smooth with white ink swirling all over it. She was cool, funny, and seemingly very smart. She was also the only female Alpha I had come across so far.

But I wanted a big slab of meat right now and couldn't care less about what she was talking about.

"Sorry to interrupt, do you mind if I steal my mate for a moment?" I tense as I feel a hand resting on my shoulder. It's Ike. I can tell by the cool smell wafting off him and the dominating presence he brings with him.

"Of course." I smile at the Alpha as she stands up and nods her head to both of us before walking off into the other mingling people. Pretty much everyone from Ike's pack was talking to the visiting Alphas, and they were eating it up. Alphas tend to be... prideful.

Ike moves from behind me and sits next to me, sitting so close our arms touch. I swallow, staring at a random spot ahead of me.

"How are you doing?" He asks softly. I keep my face straight, but I can feel myself flinch on the inside. I was expecting him to be mean. To be cold like he was last time.

"I'm okay." I breathe, still looking straight ahead of me. I hear him hum beside me.

"I thought I was the liar here." He says. I feel my heart stop. He just came out and said it. I didn't think he would so quickly. "Look. Despite everything, I did lie to you. I found out you would probably have another mate from Paker, the night of the bonfire. And I panicked. All I could think about was another guy getting to be with you like I am. It pissed me off. So, I lied. And then I felt like you were picking that orange headed fucker over me, so I lashed out after your fight with Angel. I would like to say though, that I was rejecting her and there was no need to maul her." I look down at the table, rolling his words over in my head. He apologized. So why be mad? He admitted what he did and explained why he did it.

I look up at him and smile while making eye contact.

"I'm sorry I mauled her. And I'll say it to her face too. Can we be okay?" I feel my smile grow at the surprised look on his face.

"I gotta be honest with you... this is not how I thought this would go." He scratches the back of his neck and shoots me a small smile. I hadn't realized how much I missed Ike until he was sitting next to me. I felt like I could breathe again. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy spending time with Nate, but Ike and I would always have a special bond, too.

"Meet anyone interesting?" He asks after a moment of us just sitting there watching people.

"Well-" I begin but am cut off quickly by Ike.

"Cause I have. In fact, it's someone I think you might like to meet." I furrow my brow and look around him as if he's hiding this person behind his back. "I was looking for you, and just so happened to run into someone you might already know."
"Who is it?" I huffed, growing irritated.

"Cleo." My head snaps towards the tree line where I heard my name whispered from. It was so soft, it almost sounded like the wind.

But I knew that voice.

It may have been years since I'd last heard it, but I could never forget the sound of it.

I feel my body standing up from the chair I had been in, but I'm not the one moving it. My panther maybe? Either way, I'm on autopilot. My mind is racing. I can't focus on anything but my target. Now everyone is staring at me and whispering amongst themselves.

It can't be him.

I haven't seen him in so long I had started to doubt if he was ever even real.

But as I'm running across the field, everyone staring at me, I begin to believe what I'm seeing.

It's my big brother, standing at the tree line, his arms spread open, a huge grin spread across his face.

Charlie.