Tears of the Fallen Ch. 14

Looking at the other woman, Pietro could see she was younger than he'd first thought and a bit on the nervous side. He felt old instincts starting to well up inside and was surprised to note that the protectiveness he'd previously felt mainly towards the Vârcolac was being extended to the girl he'd just scared the life out of. Perhaps it was because Cassia appeared to be taking the youngster under her wing. If she was important to the Vârcolac then maybe he should take more of an interest in her.

He found himself smiling and knew it must be tugging at the scar on his face. Trish looked at him hesitantly but he didn't see any sign of repulsion in her expression. He dialled back his previous bad mood a bit more. "My apologies, Trish, I didn't mean to frighten you."

His gaze turned back to Cassia. "You have a reason for being here?" He couldn't think what they possibly wanted. The Vârcolac was hardly going to bring along a teenager if she wanted to spent intimate time with him. He had to admit that his interest was piqued.

"We need an escort into the city. Everyone else is busy so I thought you might like to accompany us."

It took every ounce of his self-control not to let his mouth gape open in stunned surprise. She wanted him to leave the pack? His instinctive reaction was to refuse on the spot, an icy shiver running down his spine at the thought of leaving the sanctity of the pack. He was aware that was due to his feelings of failure for what had happened in Europe. He knew he had to begin the healing process and he was trying to do that with Cassia. If she was asking for this then she must feel that he was ready.

He liked Cassia. He liked her very much, almost to the point of craving her company and it wasn't just about the sex. She was intelligent, and so interesting that simply being in her company was a soothing balm. If he refused, she wouldn't like it, and he didn't want to see disappointment in her eyes because he appeared weak. Swallowing, his brows drew down in a small scowl as he felt the acrid taste of fear in his mouth. He wasn't sure if he was afraid she would be disappointed in him or afraid of leaving the confines of the pack.

"You know you don't need me to accompany you. You're more than capable of taking care of yourself and your little pup, Cassia."

"Oh I know that," she grinned at him. "Unfortunately, Rafe doesn't appear to have fully rescinded the escort rules for us Vârcolac, though he has relaxed them considerably. Aaron is happy for us to go into town as long as we have an escort of some kind. I would prefer if it were you. We do need the supplies but we're also to keep our eyes and ears open too. There are some strange wolves around, possibly from Europe. With you having been over there for so long, you may be the best person to be looking. There's a possibility you may recognise some faces if you've come across them before."

She was so plausible that he had to smile. How could he argue with her logic when it was so sound? She had wrapped him up neatly and tied the bow. He was unable to refuse now because his protective instincts were rearing up loud and clear. Strange wolves in the area meant potential risks for both the packs and also for his own kind.

"How's the experiments coming along?" Of course, they had to factor in that the poison was still a huge risk to all vampires out there.

Cassia's expression turned hopeful. "They're ongoing and will take a few hours to complete. This is the perfect time for a little side trip because watching experiments is a very frustrating activity."

Making up his mind, Pietro let out a long sigh. There really was no way out of it and if he was honest about it, he did want to test himself away from the pack. It would give him an indication on where he was at in the healing process. In addition...he wanted to spend time with Cassia, even if it meant they had an escort in the young wolf with them. "Fine, let me grab a jacket."

The sunny smile he received was worth any trepidation he was feeling. As he grabbed his leather jacket and returned outside, he couldn't help analyse his reactions to the exquisite golden-haired woman waiting for him. Everything about her called to him. When they were apart, she was all he could think about. Cassia appeared to feel the same because she was always seeking him out.

Demetri's words came back to him and he felt a shiver of shock run through his body. Was Cassia his mate? Could that be possible or where they just two friends enjoying a mutual pleasure that was quite literally breath taking? Deciding it wasn't something he wanted to examine too closely right now, Pietro climbed into the front passenger seat of the Jeep as Trish scurried into the back and Cassia started the engine. No, he'd think about it at another time.

Cassia tried to keep the wide grin from her face as they drove off pack lands and headed towards the city. She had expected Pietro to put up a fight about leaving the pack but he'd agreed with practically no real persuasion needed. That pleased her wolf immensely, and the female part of her. He was willing to try...that was all they could ask for at this point in his healing process. The fact he wasn't decked out in his stupid hat was a good sign as well. True, he was still using his hair to try to hide the worst of his scars but it was a start.

It didn't take them long to arrive into the city. Cassia parked the Jeep in a long stay car park close to area where they would be picking up their supplies. She decided to try to make a day of it, or at least a few hours, it would depend on how her companions coped being away from the pack. Trish was probably more skittish than Pietro was so there was a good chance they would have to return early.

It appeared Pietro was aware of that too because his wary demeanour was loosening up a bit and he was engaging the younger wolf in conversation. Cassia used a hand to hide the smile that was lighting up her face as she kept to the background and just listened.

"So, are female wolves like all other females when it comes to shopping?" he asked Trish with a wry smile gracing his handsome face. "How many shops am I about to get dragged into?"

The younger wolf appeared startled for a moment and then she gave him a hesitant smile as he moved to place himself to her side, closest to the road, with Cassia on her other side. It appeared instinctive that he did that, automatically placing the girl between them so it would ease some of her anxiety levels.

"We have a list." Trish pulled out the list from the back pocket of her jeans and shyly handed it to him.

Pietro accepted it and began reading, his eyes glazing slightly the more he read. He reached across and handed the piece of paper to Cassia. "Maybe you should have this, it's way over my head. I don't understand any of the items on it."

Trish giggled at the bemusement in his tone. "We could go shopping for clothes instead," she laughed, her expression turning surprised as she realised she'd just teased a vampire.

"Clothes I understand," he smiled back at her, keeping his tone light and friendly. "However, I also know just how long women spend clothes shopping so maybe we should stick to the list for now?"

Cassia laughed too, rolling her eyes. "Let's stick to what we're here for and if we have time we can do some personal shopping later." She perused the list and then pointed down the block. "We can get quite a few things down here."

They managed to secure most of what they needed in a relatively short period of time. As the items weren't perishable, Cassia steered them towards one of the many cafés in the area. "Why don't we have a coffee before we head for the final few things?"

"Sounds good," Pietro answered, and they chose a table outside in the warm afternoon sunshine.

Sipping at a cool drink, Cassia let her gaze wander over the people passing them by as she listened to Pietro chatting with Trish. He was asking her about her studies and pack schedule, subtly giving praise and reinforcing the younger woman's self-esteem, as she recounted her daily schedule. The more she listened, the more content Cassia felt. It was almost as if they were a family. She could just see Pietro being this patient as he taught a child of theirs how to grow into an amazing, confident adult. It set a deep yearning inside her soul to know this sense of family, to make a child with this wonderful vampire who was her soul mate.

A scent teased her nostrils and her head turned in the direction of a group of five males who had just turned into the street. Barely a second after she moved her head, Pietro and Trish both turned as well.

"Do you know them, Cass?" There was a tremor in Trish's voice as she stared at the wolves walking towards them and the Vârcolac touched her hand lightly to soothe her. Pietro repositioned his chair at an angle to safely cover the girl as they drew nearer.

"No, but it's okay, Trish. We're in the centre of the city with thousands of humans surrounding us. Nothing's going to happen." Cassia spared a moment to glance at Pietro. "Do you recognise any of them?"

His expression was neutral, his eyes never leaving the wolves. "I'm sure I've seen one of them before," he answered; quietly enough they could hear him but not loud enough any nearby humans could. His gaze was fixated on the tallest of the five males.

Close-cropped dark-blond hair left the male's face wide open to perusal. It was a strong face, from the high sweep of his chiselled cheekbones to the hard line of his granite-like jaw. His skin was tanned a deep bronze, his aristocratic nose slightly crooked as if he'd been in a fight and the bone hadn't set quite properly. His jawline was peppered with a light stubble that, surprisingly, was a few shades darker than his natural hair colour.

Glacial pale green eyes swept over the milling people as he walked, intelligence blazing from deep within. As his gaze travelled over Cassia, the male paused for a moment, clearly recognising the group at the table for what they were. His companions appeared to sense his scrutiny and all eyes turned to the table. Their body language tensed as they recognised the vampire in the group, immediately turning defensive.

"Stay here," Cassia said, rising slowly.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" The words hissed out of Pietro's lips as he rose too and the strange wolves tense further.

"Sit down!" There was no mistaking the order in Cassia's voice, though her gaze never left the men who were now only a few feet away. "Keep close to Trish and be prepared to get her out of here if needed." Without waiting for his answer, she took the handful of steps to reach the strangers.

"Can we help you with anything?" Cassia addressed her question to the blond male. His bearing placed him as the leader of the group.

He regarded her silently for a long moment before shaking his head. "Not that I'm aware know of."

His voice was deep and husky, and made her wolf sit up and pay attention. She was startled at the wolf's response, confusion roiling through her in an instant. Yes, the male was most definitely a dominant, and sexy as sin, but she had chosen her mate in Pietro. She shouldn't be having this kind of interested reaction to another male.

"You're far from home," she managed to respond coolly, acknowledging his clipped, British accent. "Are you visiting friends in the area?" Her words were couched in such a way that he would be aware she was letting him know that she knew they had no pack affiliations locally.

He acknowledged her point with a slight incrimination of his head, which showed off the tightly corded muscles in his neck. His T-shirt pulled at the movement, and she caught a glimpse of a tattoo that appeared to depict wolf fur flowing over his shoulders. His muscles and physique screamed soldier, and ratcheted up her defensive instincts.

"We're just passing through," he drawled, his gaze flickering to Pietro. "Is there a problem with that? I would have thought a city this size would be counted as neutral territory."

"Ordinarily it would be, however it is proper etiquette for visitors to check in with the locals," Cassia countered, unconsciously moving to place herself between her mate and the wolves. The strangers weren't immune to the vampire's venom however Pietro was still recovering his strength from Europe, and she had no idea if these males carried the Amort poison on them.

"We don't like the company the locals keep," the soldier answered, his gaze narrowed on Pietro.

She bristled further at his tone. "Then you'd better get used to it or go home," Cassia bit back, her blue eyes turning wintry as her stance turned more aggressive. "Things are done differently here. You know the old saying...when in Rome..."

"Cassia." Pietro moved a step forward and she held up her hand as the men took fighting stances.

"I strongly suggest you speak to your friends before things get out of hand here," she said in a low tone. She inclined her head in Pietro's direction. "His friends have an elite agency to deal with anything that may threaten the status quo. If that isn't concerning enough for you, I will add that my friends are just as capable of dealing with any exuberance too."

There was no mistaking the implied threat. The five of them were there with no backup or pack support. If they were to do anything foolish, they would have not only the local packs but also the vampires to deal with.

"Fox?" For the first time one of the other wolves spoke, a shorter, squatter man with peppered brown hair. He was clearly older than the one named Fox and as much of a soldier, however his scent was less dominant. He was rewarded with a low growl and murderous stare from his leader.

Cassia quirked an eyebrow, a slow smile crossing her face. "Kind of makes my point for me, doesn't it...Fox."

"If you say so, Cassia."

She laughed then, she couldn't help it. There was just something about the wolf that made hers respond on a personal level. Yes, he was a stranger and as such, a potential threat to her pack, and yet, something told her that he wasn't a genuine threat. She couldn't say the same for the others with him, but as he was in charge, that nullified some of that concern.

"I'm not trying to hide who or what I am," she smiled, raising a hand in greeting as she caught sight of Jared Hanlon heading in their direction with her uncle and aunt, Brody and Willow Alexander at his side.

Fox glanced in that direction before snapping his fingers and motioning for his men to move on. He nodded in Cassia's direction. "Might see you around, Cassia." There was a hint of a promise in his words, which caused Pietro to hiss out an angry breath. He ignored the vampire, a half smile quirking his lips as he walked away.

"If you're going to stay in town, touch base with the locals, Fox, or they will come looking for you," she called after his retreating back. Without a backward glance, he melted into the crowd with his men, before Jared reached them.

"Everything okay?" The Hanlon Alpha asked, staring into the crowd.

Cassia gave her aunt and uncle a hug, smiling. "I think so. The one leading them appears to have his head screwed on right," she informed the Alpha. "They're uncertain because of who we ally ourselves with. I have told them to check in with either you or Rafe if they intend to stay in town for any length of time."

Whatever Jared was thinking, he didn't appear to want to share it with them. His cobalt eyes scanned the crowd for a moment longer before he turned back to them. "If you've finished with your shopping, I'd suggest you head back to the pack, Cass. Can you let Rafe know I'll be in touch a bit later?"

Frowning at the open concern she could see on her family's faces, she nodded her agreement. The Hanlon pack had been around for more years than most people could remember, much longer than her own pack. For the three elder wolves to look so concerned made her feel suddenly antsy to get Trish and Pietro back to the safety of the pack.

"I can get someone else to pick up the last of our supplies. We'll head back now."

Saying their goodbyes, they grabbed their shopping bags and headed back towards the car park. Neither Trish nor Pietro spoke, and Cassia had to work to hold in a sigh. It was understandable for Trish, as the strange wolves would have frightened her. Pietro, on the other hand, was brimming with barely concealed rage that he was clearly trying to hide from the younger woman.

The incensed looks he kept shooting in Cassia's direction let her know that he wasn't pleased with her actions and would be having a word with her about it when they were alone. He was used to being the most dominant person and being the one to call all the shots. That hadn't been the case today and that must have been hard for him to take. She could understand his position if his anger was because of that, but it appeared to be directed personally against her.

She had no what she'd done to make him so angry with her but she was sure she would find out soon enough. Sighing, she climbed into the Jeep after stowing their purchases on the back seat. Starting the engine, she began the journey back to pack. Was she about to have her first fight with her mate? Strangely enough, her wolf was quite looking forward to the impending confrontation. It was still energised from the meeting with Fox and was looking forward to whatever her vampire was about to rein down on them...

To be continued...