3 Chapter 3

'I'm his brother.' The words echo within my skull, taunting me as I prepare dinner. Slicing the onion, I stare blankly out of the window into the gravelled garden, silently wishing it to be more like home.

'Brother.'

The knife slips from my grip, the sound of the door slamming shut makes me jump slightly, the sharp sting of the blade sinking into my finger snaps me from my blank daze.

"Shit!" I hiss quietly, dropping the knife instantly as I turn the tap on. Placing my hand under the rushing cold water, I watch it as it turns a faint shade of red, blood gushing from the open wound.

"Adrielle?" Kyle calls.

"In here!" I shout, rinsing the knife as I wrap a tea towel around my hand.

I turn just in time to see his eyes dance over me, a frown on his face until he zeroes in on my covered hand. In a flash he's in front of me, the towel pulled back to reveal my hand. Kyle furrows his brows, confused.

"I thought I could smell blood." He murmurs, shaking his head slightly.

I give a small smile, laughing it off. "Nope, just onions."

Seeing no sign of injury, Kyle shrugs it off almost instantly, a small smile spreading across his face as he takes my chin in his grasp.

"I've missed you." Kyle whispers, kissing me softly. I ignore the way my gut wrenches, almost as if I shouldn't be kissing him, but still I return the loving exchange.

"I have to finish dinner, go change." I whisper against his lips, pulling away as I resume my chopping.

"Be back in five." Kyle squeezes my hip slightly, before releasing me and heading off to switch into something more comfortable.

Given that I don't work, I don't complain about cooking or cleaning everyday. My wolf isn't exactly trustworthy around strangers, especially humans, so working would be a challenge. Kyle works long hours, I guess he's kind of a workaholic, which is why I make sure he's fed every night because I know he's not about to cook a meal after working all day.

Finishing the onions, I set them aside for now in a small bowl. Using the larger bowl, I combine butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic salt and pepper. Taking one of the chicken breasts I dip them into the butter mixture, covering the entire thing before placing the chicken into the onion dish, covering both sides of the chicken. Setting the chicken on the tray for the oven, I repeat the process with the rest of the chicken before putting it all in the oven to cook.

Setting the timer, I clean away the mess and set a pan of water to boil on the gas ring.

"Something smells good." Kyle comments, inhaling the aroma of cooking food as he finally comes back downstairs.

"It's a new recipe." I smile, offering him a glass of orange with ice cubes, his go-to drink these days.

"Thanks."

"Can I ask you something?" I question, my throat closing slightly the moment I blurt it out. Why did I open my mouth?

My thumb taps repeatedly on my thigh, a habit whenever I feel antsy, and right now I'm pretty flipping irritated. Why am I so agitated suddenly?

"You know you can." Kyle says, a slight frown on his face as he places his empty glass in the sink.

Nodding, I chew my lip for a moment, debating the words that I so desperately wanted to ask him. Perhaps the man was lying, maybe he was just trying to get into my head.

"Someone came to the house today, another wolf." I say, not wanting to just ask him outright.

Kyles eyebrows furrow even more, and I know he needs me to explain if he's going to have any opinions or answers.

So I gulp, and suck up my nerves.

"His name was Kage." I finally say, staring at Kyles face, watching his expression like a hawk.

The utter blank slate that falls over his face tells me that he doesn't have a clue, but if I didn't know him so well, which I do, I would have have missed the way all colour drains from his cheeks. His eyes flicker with something I've never seen on him before, I understood it, but it made me feel unsafe.

He's frightened.

Kyle blinks, and like that his warm blue eyes are cold, and bitter with anger.

"You spoke to him?" He growls at me.

Staring at him a little dumbfounded, I could only nod. Why he's anger with me I have no idea, it's not like I invited the guy in the house.

"Tell me exactly what he said, word for word." Kyle orders through gritted teeth, rage seething just beneath the surface.

Seeing him angry, being this close to him knowing he's ready for lashing out, I didn't feel safe, or secure. I felt like I needed to run.

"Why didn't you tell me about him?" I ask, my voice timid sensing the short fuse ticking away inside of Kyle.

"There's nothing to tell, Adrielle." Kyle snaps, hastily moving across the room away from me, I didn't stop him, I know he's doing it for my safety.

Unable to meet his angry darkening eyes, I glance elsewhere.

"He wasn't lying, was he." I whisper, needing no answer to confirm the truth. His reaction said it all.

"Whatever he's told you, it's a lie." Kyle snarls, fists clenched so hard that his entire hand turns white with strain. His body shakes violently, the urge to shift into his primal beast becoming almost unbearable to hold back.

"He's your blood-" the moment the word leave my mouth I regretted them, I shouldn't have said another word, not whilst he's in such a state.

My back smacks the wall, knocking the breath from my lungs in the most painful way. Falling to the floor on my knees, I arch over and cough, inhaling deeply and yet no oxygen enters my lungs. For a second everything is white, I feel like I'd just been hit by a bus, the sudden impact startling me.

"That thing is not my blood!" Kyle bares his canines at me, eyes completely black, enraged and cold as he glares at me full throttle.

Stricken with fright, I struggle to breath as my entire body freezes up, the tears falling even after Kyle forces himself from the kitchen. Despite knowing he's not himself right now, I couldn't understand his reaction to a simple question.

Eventually I find my breath, managing to settle myself down enough to stand up, noticing the wall is crushed where Kyle had thrown me at it. Just glancing at the proof of his anger makes me cringe deeply, fearing the worst is still yet to come.

Kyle wouldn't intentionally hurt you, Adrielle. I remind myself, wanting so badly to believe those words. Right now I'm finding it hard to believe anything.

Kyle doesn't return until dark, and I dish out the food just as he enters the house. I say nothing, no longer in the mood for a conversation, and Kyle is either still angry, or too guilty to even glance my way.

Setting up the table, I pour the drinks and hand Kyle his as I walk past him, blanking him the same way he has me. Call me childish, but I'm not going to apologise for making him angry when he's the ones that demanded to know everything Kage said.

The food would have been much nicer had I still had an appetite, I couldn't stomach more than a few pieces of chicken. The tension in the air could've been sliced with a goddamn chainsaw, I'd never felt so awkward around Kyle.

"Brother, you're home at last."

Oh, fuck. Am I just bad luck?