Diana's POV
Cam kept glancing at me all the way to the store. I think he was trying to be sneaky about it because his face was facing forward but his eyes would stray towards me. He sat in the passenger seat taking up the whole seat with his huge frame while I drove the SUV. His golden-brown eyes would casually look away when I would catch him looking every time. It was starting to get on my nerves.
"What is it?" I asked annoyed when he kept doing that for a while without speaking a single word. He didn’t want to bring the first to bring up the topic.
"Nothing," Cam answered silently looking out the window at nothing in particular.
Sighing I looked back at the road to make sure we didn’t crash. The other day when he told me that Cam and my father have decided to keep me out from the action with the rogues I got so angered at the news. I would be out looking for the god damn rogues that took my brother from me last year if it wasn't for my clingy mother and my stern father who made it clear they didn't want to lose another beloved child. I wanted revenge on all rogues badly. It was hard to stop myself from getting revenge on behalf of my older brother that was loved dearly by many.
"You know I'm just looking out for you," Cam said like he was reading my mind, clearing up the silence that fell between us like heavy bricks.
"Uh huh," I muttered still touchy about the subject.
"He was my best friend, a brother, and more." Cam continued before stopping himself. He took a second before continuing. "They tortured him before killing him so if anyone wants revenge more than you, it would be me.”
I clenched my jaw as anger seeped into my vines from remembering the way we found his body, it wasn't even recognizable anymore. My brother was out investigating rogue attacks near a certain area when he got ambushed. It ended with him burning tied up inside an abandoned house, completely alone. "Then why don't you convince my father to let me look for the bastards?" I gritted out, gripping the steering wheel tight with my hands, tight enough you could see the whites of my knuckles. I have been training for this very reason.
"I don't want you to get hurt," His answer made me calm down a bit because they didn't want the same thing that happened to my brother to happen to me, but something had to be done. I couldn't be kept at bay from danger all my life if I'm next to be Alpha. "And because you suck at fighting."
"I do not!" I exclaimed giving him a glare when I could spare a second from looking at the road. That was a low blow to my ego since I’ve believed I’ve gotten better over the year.
"Yes, you do." He said in a way more relaxed tone than mine, looking straight ahead knowing it would piss me off more than he wasn't even giving me his full attention.
"I do not and you know it!" I argued feeling myself get riled up easily with his comment so I tried to calm myself down. I was on edge these past couple of days.
"I know you suck, that's all I know," Cam spoke nonchalantly and even smiled at how his words were having a big effect on me. He knew what to say to get on my nerves like my older brother used to do.
"I do not," I whispered letting the argument fade when I looked out my window to see people looking at our car like it was from outer space. Their mouths were hanging wide open and their eyes never strayed from it as we passed them. Creepy humans.
"It's just a car," I mumbled to myself while putting the car in parking outside a local grocery store. This was our usual spot to get our weekly groceries for our pack. We didn't realize we would need more with our new guest until it was too late.
"It's not the car they are looking at, it's you," Cam said while opening the car door and stepping out leaving me still sitting inside.
"Do I have something on my face?" I questioned, my hand unconsciously went to my face when I glanced in the rearview mirror to check for myself before getting out as well. Cam chuckled at my question as I stepped foot out the car to join him. Right when I did, a small breeze passed by me. The smell tickled my nose and at the same time made my eyes become watery by how strong it was. Its flowery scent just made my mind brush it off as allergies.
Cam tried to grab my hand but I slapped it away causing him to laugh loudly and walk closely behind me, a little too close...
The bell rang when we went passed the automatic doors and like always Cam took a step back making it ring out again, then again and again until I finally grabbed his hand and dragged his ass towards the cereal section. I didn't notice I was still holding his hand until a teenage girl passed by us looking directly at my hand in his, while we stood next to all the types of cereals there was to pick from. I swear I saw him more of an annoying stepbrother than anything. I quickly let his hand go but he didn't seem to notice what was going on as he took a step forward grabbing a big brown box.
"Fernando, Carlo, Jake, and Helena want coco puffs," Cam spoke grabbing four of the same boxes. It seemed a little too much but we eat a LOT.
"Vicky wants the kind that has marshmallows and Denise wants Cheerios," I spoke grabbing some boxes and quickly we both had our arms filled with different kind of cereal boxes for our pack members and newcomers.
"We forgot a cart," Cam spoke out the obvious while looking a bit cute, his head was tilted to the side causing some brown strands of hair to fall into those eyes. Not as cute as Angelo though. Why? Why did I just compare him to Angelo? "I'll go get one." He said walking away slowly.
"You go do that, hurry up," I demanded watching Cam look over his shoulder at me so he could spare a glare my way by the tone I was speaking to him. He was not used to me being in command and usually received orders from my father or my brother.
"Yes, ma'am," Cam said sarcastically walking away slower than he first started to get on my nerves.
Sighing, I switched feet to lean on while he went fetched the cart. As I did, one of the boxes fell on to the floor making me groan because now I had to bend down about to pick it up somehow.
"Here, let me help." Someone said popping out of nowhere while grabbing the box that fell. I was already squatting down reaching out to grab it so it took me by surprise. Looking up to see who it was, I came across the clearest blue eyes I have ever seen on this planet. He had light blonde hair long enough to be combed back stylish and full red lips with a perfect cupid’s bow. He looked like an angel with smooth baby skin and long eyelashes that even I envied. Why do all the guys have such long eyelashes? It’s not fair. This man was too pretty, I didn't trust him already.
"Thank you," I said cautiously, watching him put the box back into the pile in my arms.
"No worries. Do you need help with that?" He asked very politely making me narrow my eyes at him in response. He is here for a purpose since no stranger would be that kind.
"No, I can handle it myself." It came a bit rude but he just laughed it off, showing me pearls of white teeth. God, how perfect can someone get? A familiar flowery smell tickled my nose but I ignored it again.
"Oh, I'm sure." He chuckled again but I don't know what he found amusing in that sentence. "It's an inside joke." He explained like he was reading my mind.
"Oh," My guard seemed to be up with him around for some reason. "What is the joke about?" I asked curiously.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He asked while running his hand through his hair well-kept blonde hair. Those light blue eyes of his were looking straight into mine, a little too intensely. The way he looked at me made me feel like I was his prey in some way as those burning eyes were locked on me. The tall man took a step closer to me and I reflexively took one step back, bumping into the shelf behind me. His strong arms went beside my head, caged me in with his body. Surprised at the sudden movement I froze still holding the cereal boxes to my chest. Again, a flowery smell came to me. It must be him that smelled like flowers!
"You smell different." I blurted out. Rogues or other packs all usually smelled unique. Each one has a different smell that you could recognize quickly, but he smelled like a couple of different flowers combined. So it was unusual, to say the least.
"I smell different? No, you smell different." He said scrunching up his blonde eyebrows together, getting touchy about the subject. Slowly a small smile slipped out my lips as I leaned closer to sniff him, my nose brushed his neck slightly making his body freeze up with the small amount of contact.
"You smell girly," I commented surprised, hiding back a smile as he glared down at me with those blue eyes of his. It was amusing to me how he could get riled up easily.
"I do not smell girly." He spoke in a menacing tone trying to intimate me because his pride was hurt by the way I said he smelled like a girl. He must be alpha of a pack that wanted to prove his strength against the rest.
"I'm pretty sure you do, I smell roses and a hint of-" Leaning in again, I heard a low growl causing me to hold in my laughter at how he was acting. "-Rosemary or is it lavender? I can never tell the difference..." I could tell the difference but I was making it a mission to bug him on purpose.
"It's lavender." He grumbled, admitting that he did, in fact, smell like flowers.
"I like Rosemary better," I said pushing his last big red button. He gritted his teeth together so his jaw popped out in anger. The hands next to my head grip the shelf tight. He was not used to someone pushing his buttons afraid of the outcome but I didn’t care how powerful he was.
"Listen here Diana, daughter of Alpha Harris... I am here to send a message. Tell your daddy to stop stepping into our lands." How did he know my name? I was taken back a little because I was not yet alpha and not many knew my name.
Ignoring how he knew my name I focused on the more important part, "What lands?" He sighed annoyed with the possibility that I was ignorant but then he slowly smiled showing his pearls of white teeth again when he realized that I was clueless.
"You don't know?" He asked clearly amused by this fact.
"Know what?" I asked a bit defensive, I was usually kept in the loop about stuff like this so I didn’t well with me.
"Well, for starters my name is Benjamin and I'm an alpha at that, you should have noticed. Anyways, we have recently claimed the land that is in between Alpha Russell and your father's." His finger brushed my cheek softly as he spoke causing. I wanted to back away but I physically couldn't anymore.
"An alpha that smells like flowers, I didn't know that was possible," I said more to myself but he took it as a stab to his pride again.
"I do not smell like flowers!" He said his voice wavering into high pitch tone as he lost control of his anger again.
"Oh, but you do," I informed him. "You even admitted it."
"I did not!" He was acting like a five-year-old and there is only one other alpha that did that, Angelo. Why I am I thinking about him again? Something is wrong with me. I shouldn’t be comparing every man I encounter.
"What is going on here?" Cam suddenly appeared behind Benjamin with a cart, looking at him like he was a threat, those eyes were not friendly. Cam sure took his sweet ass time to bring the cart. This man probably was a threat, you never know nowadays.
"Sorry I didn't know she was your mate," Benjamin said looking back at me his eyes focused on my neck before looking me over. "There is no mark." Usually mates can mark each other as a way to show that they are taken before they complete tie the bond.
"He is not my mate," I spoke up before Cam could lie and say he was, which it looked like he was about to do. "And I don't need a mark to label me like someone's bitch."
"Oh, is that so?" Benjamin asked looking back at me a bit surprised but I certainly had his full attention now. His eyes roamed my body this time carelessly like he was seeing me half naked. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say since he believed I didn’t have a mate when I do. I was trying to act tough but it backfired. I couldn’t admit I had a mate either because then Cam would know it was Angelo and he already didn’t like him.
"Who are you?" Cam asked using a deep masculine voice he usually used to intimate people he didn't like.
"I'm alpha Redwood, barely moved in," Benjamin answered and this time I felt the power lurking around him, clinging to him like a cloud of darkness. He was showing that he was, in fact, telling the truth about being an alpha. No one had that much about of power without having a source of it by having a pack.
"Nice to meet you. Diana let's go." Cam demanded, still looking at Benjamin closely in case he tried anything. Ignoring how he was using authority over me I slipped out from under Benjamin's arm and dumped the cereal boxes into the cart before walking in step with Cam towards the milk and produce section. Looking behind my shoulder I saw that Benjamin was watching me walk away with a small smile. Now there is a creepy ass werewolf here too.
"Is that roses I smell?" Cam suddenly asked and I caught the sound of a growl which could only mean Benjamin heard Cam.
Laughing like an idiot I said, "With a hint of lavender."