Tish POV
The man reaches out and twirls a piece of my hair. I give him the satisfaction for a few moments before I lean away from him.
"You couldn't handle me, Old Man," I smirk.
"What makes you think that?" He is clearly amused. "I am not as old as I look."
"Have you ever heard about the crazy-to-hot ratio?" I laugh.
A hand snakes around my waist, and Kai pulls me close to him. "Cedric," he grumbles.
"Ah," Cedric laughs. "One of the young Alphas has come to visit my prestigious establishment. Where is your annoying brother?"
"How is Kaden the annoying one?" I say as I push myself away from Kai.
"I do like you," Cedric smiles at me evilly. "Why would you be with a boy when you can be with a man?"
"Back off, Cedric," Kai growls. "She is here for a job, not your dick."
"Why not both?" Cedric grins.
Kai growls again, and Cedric raises his hands. "I get it," he laughs. "She is spoken for."
I look at Kai and roll my eyes. "We aren't together," I tell Cedric. "But I would like a job. Benefits can be discussed later." I give Cedric a wink, and he winks back at me.
Kai grabs me by the arm and pulls me toward the door. I try to wrestle away from him, but he won't let go. His fingers begin to feel like sharp claws digging into my skin. My shirt begins to cling to my arm, and I can feel myself beginning to feel anxious.
Memories of being drug behind the bar at North Pack by a werewolf run through my mind. "Kai," I whimper. "Let me go."
He looks back at me and snarls, but he continues to drag me out the door. In a moment of panic, I glance over my shoulder at Cedric. He looks pained to see me treated this way, but I know enough about werewolf hierarchy to know there is nothing he can do.
"Please," I cry out to anyone who will listen.
Suddenly, three men jump up from their seats and block the doorway. They stand arm to arm and bare their teeth at Kai.
"I believe the lady asked you to let her go," Cedric snarls from behind me.
I hear the sound of a shotgun cocking, and my knees are beginning to shake. Kai lets go of my arm, and I raise it to hide behind Cedric. Blood is seeping through my shirt and running down my arm.
"I think you should leave," Cedric snaps at Kai. "You can let your father know that we will be doing business with Kaden from now on."
Kai runs his hand through his hair, and my blood runs down his face. He looks down at his bloodied hand and tries to peer around Cedric to see me. He obviously didn't know the damage he was doing to me.
Cedric pushes me farther behind him and points the barrel of the gun in his direction. "You are on rogue territory, son," he warns Kai. "Don't do anything stupid."
Kai's eyes are slowly returning to their normal shade of blue, and he looks concerned, but I do not know if that concern is for me or him.
"You don't understand," Kai tries to explain. "She belongs to me. I lost control."
"Like hell, I do," I yell over Cedric's shoulders.
Cedric and Kai stare at one another for a long time. Finally, Cedric lowers his gun and sighs. "You have to tell her."
"When the time is right," Kai yells back.
"And when will that be?" Cedric hisses at him. "When you have ripped off her arm entirely. She doesn't understand what is going on, and this isn't fucking helping."
"You don't get to dictate our timeline," Kai snarls.
"I am offering… what is your name?" Cedric asks.
"Tish," I whisper into his ear.
He nods and turns his attention back to Kai. "I am offering Tish a job and a place to stay. You are no longer welcome here."
Kai balls his fists up at his sides. "I want to speak with Tish."
"Not happening, Partner," Cedric retorts. "Leave."
Kai walks toward the door with his head hung low. He knows there is nothing he can do while he is off South Pack territory. He is at the mercy of the rogues.
Normally, I would feel smug about how the situation went down, but something is different about watching Kai walk away. It pulls at my heart, and I feel the pain of loss. This is not how I want things to end between us.
I run out from behind Cedric and chase Kai out of the bar. Cedric mumbles something under his breath as he watches me go.
"Kai," I scream at him before he can get into his car. "What did you mean I belong to you?"
"Nothing," Kai grumbles. "Forget about it. Have a nice life."
The sting of rejection hits me harder than it ever has before. It hurts more than parents or Mae not wanting me.
"How will I get back to the cabin?" I squeak.
"You don't live there anymore," he spits at me before he drives away.
I drag my feet as I walk back into the bar. Tears are streaming down my cheeks, and I don't bother to try and hide them. Cedric is waiting for me just inside the door. He follows me to the bar and lifts me up by my armpits like I am a child. Setting me onto the bar, he tries to inspect my arm through my shirt.
"Let's see what we are working with," he growls as he rips the sleeve from my shirt.
We both groan when we see the damage Kai did to my arm. "I need stitches," I hiss as I try to pull the skin back together with my fingers.
"I'll take you to the hospital," he says.
"No," I shout. "I can do it myself. I just need a first aid kit."
"There is one in the back," he replies as he hops over the bar.
Throwing my legs over the side of the bar, I hop down on the other side and glide my hands over the bottles. I find the two I am looking for tequila and vodka. I pour myself a shot of tequila and dribble some of the vodka over my wound. It burns like hell and I scream out profanities.
Cedric returns to the front with an ancient first aid kit in his hands and looks curiously at the two bottles.
"One is for the pain," I say before taking the shot of tequila. "And the other is to keep it clean."
I grab the things I need from the first aid kit and begin to sew myself up. The pain is more intense than I remember, and I start to take swigs straight from the tequila bottle. By the time I am finished, I am sloppily drunk.
"Give me my phone," I whisper to Cedric. "I want to call Kaden."
"Your phone is in your pocket," Cedric muses.
"Right," I say, shooting finger guns in his direction.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial the only number that is saved in the contacts. Kaden answers quickly and I smile stupidly.
"Come get me," I whine.