Violation of Protocol

Kiarra

The door blew open.

I lost my breath as I watched Aidan, Jack, Angela, and Michelle burst into the room like stormtroopers.

Four wolves on an unnecessary rescue mission.

~“I told you to get back to the pack house NOW!”~

The momentum of their arrival had me frozen in a state of shock. I had never seen Aidan at the height of his fury before now. It terrified me and yet turned me on all in one shot.

“Aidan!” I managed to get out as I found my feet and stood up to meet him, “I told you I was fine! What the hell are you doing?”

I watched as all four of them shifted back to their human form. It turned out that Aidan wasn’t the only contender in this fight. The look on Jack’s face could’ve killed me on the spot.

“Alpha James, you are in direct violation of this pack’s rules and security protocol,” Jack informed my father.

James wasn’t angry, but it didn’t look like he was even slightly fazed.

I knew Aidan; that was enough to piss him off even more.

I held my breath.

“I have done no such thing, young man; I am simply meeting with my daughter. This is a Kendrick family affair.”

“You have no right to barge in here,” Rose screamed, “and tell us what to do with our family!”

“Wrong! Kiarra is my mate! You are here on a courtesy and nothing else!” Aidan returned with a face so red he looked like he might pop any moment.

My eyes found Melody’s, but they were expressionless.

I couldn’t have made out what she was feeling if I tried.

She had that stoic shit down to an art.

“Kiarra, you need to come with me, please,” Angela piped up from behind Aidan, “we have to obey the Alpha; it’s just how it is.”

Her explanation sounded like an olive branch, but I wasn’t taking it.

“I just saw you, Angela! You knew I was with Rose! What the hell have you done?”

“I didn’t know you were planning a private meeting alone, without the Alpha, Kiarra. I wouldn’t have left you!”

“Kiarra, she’s right; you’re wrong! You have done something unfathomable!” Jack yelled in my direction.

The way the last word hit me, there were no words.

“Aidan, I can take care of myself! It’s just a conversation!”

I knew Aidan had a complex about power and control. His dominance defined him in every way.

I could’ve said whatever I wanted, it wasn’t going to change anything in his mind.

This, however, was out of control.

There was protective; then there was a maniac.

“This is the second fuckin’ time you have breached my land, you!” Aidan screamed, now focused on Melody.

“So, she’s faster than you and smarter? Is that the problem?” Rose yelled in Melody’s defense.

The room went silent.

In my heart, I knew it was strike two, still, I wasn’t about to sit there and pretend to be fragile.

“How can anyone get to me, Aidan? You have this place locked down like a prison! What did you expect?”

“I expected protocol, which you know nothing about!” he returned, his chest heaved with adrenaline.

“Protocol dictates that Kiarra be returned to Apex Pack immediately, Alpha Gold; this is borderline kidnapping!” Rose screamed from behind James, who had moved into a protective position.

This wasn’t turning out well.

“Kiarra, please,” Angela tried again in between the screaming of the two Alphas.

“Will you fuckin’ stop, Angela! This is not your fight!”

“Kiarra,” Jack yelled now, “you will not speak to your beta like that! She is here to do her job! She ~follows~ the rules!”

I couldn’t take it. Being admonished by Jack was like being seared with a hot poker.

“YOU will not speak to ~your~ luna like that!” I yelled, “I don’t need to be rescued! There was no problem here until YOU SHOWED UP!!”

He didn’t say another word, but he looked at Aidan.

I knew Jack wasn’t a fan of mine, but I think this encounter has made it so much worse.

“You’re like a pack of squabbling children, all brawn, no brains, Gold! That’s how my Melody breached your borders; it was an easy kill.”

Aidan tuned in a split second; the growls in his throat were violent.

“Aidan!” I begged, “Please, stop this!”

“James, I want you and your mongrel family off my lot NOW!” he screamed in James’ face before he turned to meet my eyes again.

“Of all the shit you’ve put me through, I didn’t see this coming. Thanks, Kiarra.”

From behind me, there was a whine and a violent growl.

Rose and Melody had shifted, and then James followed.

By the second, the situation was getting worse.

Michelle shifted, Jack followed, and Angela became her stunning blonde wolf before giving me the look of death.

~What the hell was happening to us?~

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” I pleaded. I felt the pack vibe. They wanted to rip everyone in that room apart.

I had to do something.

“You don’t get it, so let me spell it out for you; these people are fucking evil, Kiarra! They don’t love you!”

“This is love? This is how ~you~ love ~me~?”

The hurt in his eyes was like daggers.

It was sharp, unmistakably painful.

“I expected,” he continued, a bit softer, “you would know to trust me. You would know that I am looking out for you.”

James shifted back, but his growls served as a warning.

He was prepared to fight to the death if he had to.

“If you think I’m going to stand by and let some arrogant pup bully my daughter!”

“Bully? Who the fuck do you think has been taking care of her, James? And now you think you can just come and take her from me?”

“She doesn’t belong to you!” Rose screamed. She shifted back to her human form, but Melody stayed put with the rest.

“Aidan, this is unnecessary,” I finally spoke up. I didn’t want to get in between the two alphas and Rose, but this had to stop.

“You’ve come in here and started a war for no reason. I’m sorry I didn’t tell your little spy where I would be!”

Angela’s wolf looked at me, but I didn’t care.

I trusted her; I never expected she would run to Aidan and rat me out.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

It belonged to Rose.

“See, Kiarra? Is this the type of tyranny you want for the rest of your life? Would you marry this monster?”