CHAPTER 2: ANGER

Two weeks ago.

           Cassandra parks her car on the street opposite the club. She has been feeling stressed and irritated since her pack stripped her of her position as their alpha. She is angry and torn. All that happened is because of the bloody twins.

Her faces squeezes into a frown and her gritw her teeth.

She wants to square off with them and she is not going to let John stop her. She knows he will try.

 She sees a few people scattered around the club and she gets a strange feeling in her gut.

She steps out of the car and walks. The neon lights on the building flicker while the scanty individuals disappear towards different directions. She reaches the door of the club and finds the bouncer lying dead at the doorway with his neck torn open.

What happened here?

His dead eyes stare at the blood soaked carpet as he lies on his belly. She enters the club but there is no one inside.

She puts a hand over her mouth as she sees the corpses around the destroyed table and broken bottles.

What did those monsters do?

Debris and shards of glass break under the weight of her feet.

She sniffs into the air as a familiar scent intrudes her nostrils. She searches around the dance floor for the source of this scent but her body shivers with every move she makes as to what she might discover.

She swallows her saliva and tears slowly trickle down her eyes as they find John's body.

The love of her life lies with his eyes opened and a pale skin.

His skin cracks as it threatens to break like glass against the weight of gravity.

She falls to her knees and let's loose the tears as her voice breaks into a silent cry. 

John is dead.

They killed John.

The twins killed John.

Her eyes change into that of a wolf, filled with rage and pain. She cries to the world and sends out her voice of pain in a loud howl as she kneels beside his body.

"They will pay for this," she swears in a whimper and kisses his forehead before she stands up and walks out of the club angrier than she arrived.

Her ears are deaf to the sirens of the cop cars that arrive at the club as she makes her way into her car.

She screams into the comfort of her car and slams her hand against the dashboard.

She growls and she turns the key in the ignition. Tears of rage trickle down her face and her heart races with chaotic rhythym as she makes up her mind on what she must do.

Now.

           Cassandra stands in front of a shop with the name "White Goose" written boldly with lit up letters. Stories from her former pack places the owner of the shop as a powerful witch, one recognised even by the strongest packs. She walks into the thrift shop and the ring of the bell at the top of the door makes the werewolf await a response but no one appears.

The dim lights and the shadowy background hides some features of the place.

 The sign says closed but she doesn't care. Her eyes scan through the bone necklace and old clothes hanging on a rack. A line of clothes fill one side of the shop and old looking hats and boots are on the opposite side. The shop is quite small, one of the smallest the woman has ever seen but she isn't here for the clothes so it doesn't matter.

Her wavy brown hair is almost black under the dim light of the wavering bulb. She walks to the counter where an old woman is cleaning some books.

Cassandra presses the bell at the counter and the old lady turns to face her.

Her eyes are as white as snow, as if she is blind. She wears a bone necklace and ties a scarf around her head. Her dark skin is wrinkly and her long hair is grey with cowries tied inbetween some strands of her hair.

"We are closed, come back tomorrow," she says.

"I can't do that. I need your help, Ororo" Cassandra says and the old woman glares with her odd looking eyes.

"I am…" "I know who you are, exiled alpha," the old woman says.

Cassandra's green eyes stare deeply into the woman's strange eyes, "Then you know why I am here," Cassandra says.

"You want to find the feral ones. The ones casted out and left alone to die. The wolves without a pack," Ororo says as she walks to the counter. She walks with light steps, like a cat while her long black nails look like they were made from a hawk's talons.

"I don't know the reason you were exiled but seeing as you are here it can't be as bad as the rest," Ororo says.

"There is a reason they were all casted out. Do you think you are strong enough to bring them together?" the old lady questions.

Her scarf dangles under her neck.

"If I didn't believe I was I wouldn't be here," Cassandra says firmly. Ororo can see the determination in the young woman's eyes and a smirk grows on her face.

"Ones belief isn't always the reality. They are untamed and do not need an alpha.

Don't let what drives you blind you," the old woman warns.

"I did not come for advice," "But I give it nonetheless,".

"Will you help me or not?" Cassandra glares into her white eyes.

"Zhen, Zhen," Ororo calls out and a young man comes from a backdoor. His black hair looks smooth as it lies forward and his veins are exposed from his sleeveless black shirt.

"You won't get any bigger carrying that stone at the back," "You are a hater old woman," he says.

She hisses at him, "This is Cassandra, she wants to know where the feral ones are," Ororo says.

Cassandra raises her brows as her name comes out of Ororo's mouth, she does not recall telling her name but then again it is not so surprising as she already knows who she is.

This witch knows more than she let's on.

Zhen cleans his hands in a brown towel and looks up at the tall woman. "She is tall," he says, "Don't feel intimidated little man," she says.

"So, the feral ones. All of them?" Zhen asks and runs a hand through his hair.

"I guess that is up to her, isn't it?" Ororo stares into the woman's green eyes as her smirk turns into a full blown smile; Cassandra can sense the mockery behind that smile.

"You knew I would come," Cassandra says.

"He will show you where they are. Bring him back in one piece," she turns her back to the werewolf and returns to her activities.

           Gabriel stamps the throttle as his mind swims in jealous thoughts. He had to watch Rachael and her ex exchange contacts. He found it annoying that the most entertaining part of the night for her turned out to be the part he hated.

Why the fuck did they exchange numbers?

Are they trying to hook up or something?

He removes his tie as he steadies his eyes on the road. Rachael stares at him, his jaw looks hard and scruffy beards that cover it makes his stern face look more handsome than she expected. She notices how focused he is on the road but realises it isn't concentration when he misses a turn.

He keeps driving without noticing this.

"What's on your mind?" Rachael asks as she tries to draw his attention.

"Nothing," he says blatantly.

Rachael frowns at him as she perceives his mood like overused cologne.

A mood she hadn't seen in a while, "Don't be an ass, tell me what's going through your mind. I know something is bothering you. What is the matter?" she presses on.

"Really?" he grits his teeth.

"Yes, really".

Gabriel tightens his grip on the steering wheel as he overtakes a truck, "Can you not kill us while you brood?" Rachael says.

He frowns and turns to face her, "I'm not brooding, I'm just…" he pauses as his dark eyes meets hers. Somehow she makes him feel quick and his growing temper begins to fade but he still feels it.

He wants to let it go but remembering how she smiled for Richard makes it difficult, he wants that smile for himself and no one else.

"So what, you and Richard are going to hang out now?" he asks doing little to hide his irritation.

"What is wrong with you? We are old friends," she says.

"No, no, no. Exes aren't old friends," he snarls.

"Don't be jealous. There is nothing there. I mean, you can hang out with us if you want," she says.

"You see? That's the problem, the fact that you don't see anything wrong hanging out with your ex. Someone you dated,"

"Gabriel that was years ago, in high school. I'm not some horny girl looking for the closest dick to hop on," Rachael snaps.

What is wrong with Gabriel tonight?

She never thought he was the jealous type. She folds her hands and turn away from him.

Gabriel reroutes and heads toward Jackson Heights. He speeds up his drive as his mind lingers on the mood; he can't wait to get back to the hotel and sleep the rest of the night.

He grits his teeth as the long drive doesn't help to melt down his building anger and he parks the car around the closest park he can find.

He pulls out a blunt and walks out of the car, Rachael raises a brow in shock; she didn't think he would have a blunt on him.  She watches him walk a few meters away before he shouts out loud, screaming into the night as he lets out his frustration.

He pulls out a silver lighter and lights up his blunt, she raises his head and leans backwards as he takes the skies into view. They are dark but illuminated by the stars and their radiant twinkle.

Anger claws at him but he keeps it at bay with a drag of marijuana's kiss.

Rachael walks out of the car and joins him, "Pass it," she demands and he looks at her with a bit of confusion. "Come on," she insists and he shrugs his shoulders.

He passes her the blunt and watches her drag in its smoke, "Fuck, this is good shit," she says as she begins to cough.

Gabriel can't help but laugh, "I didn't know you smoke," he says, "I liked bad boys in school so I got around," she says.

"Richard doesn't look like a bad boy," he puts a hand in his pocket and stares into the night.

"He was more of a jock. He always wanted to be a doctor but he had a thing for sports," she says and Gabriel grunts at her words. He clearly isn't interested in any conversation that has to do with him. They pause in silece for a while before she passes the blunt to him.

"Look Gabriel, I'm new to this whole supernatural dating thing and I am still trying to figure out what I really feel," she says.

"Hey," Gabriel cuts in, "I won't rush you. I know the whole Richard thing is just you trying to connect with a normal life. It's just been a while since I liked someone this much," he says.

"And I like you too but I have to be sure that I'm not just into you for the wrong reasons," Rachael says.

Gabriel furrows his brows, "Okay, I don't know what that means but I know we will overcome the challenges. Hell, you killed Dracula for God's sake," his words put a smile on her face.

"I did, didn't I?", she says and they both laugh.

The stars dim light hang in the skies while they both argue which ones are satellites.

The street light illuminates the empty park and the tree close by. The soft breeze blows away the smoke as Gabriel exhales, he looks into Rachael's eyes and laughs.

"What?" she says, "Your eyes, they are red" he says with a smile, "Yours look like they are closed. Are you sure you can see? Remember, you are driving," Rachael says, "Shut up, my eyes are on point. They are so good I can see through you right now," he says and they both laugh.

"Damn, this is good" Rachael says as Gabriel smiles at her.

Her gown hugs her body tightly and he removes his suit and wraps it around her shoulders.

She stares into his eyes and she inhales the scent of marijuana in his breath. Rachael's eyes shift from his face to something behind him and her happy features quickly fade.

"Are those werewolves?".

Gabriel turns and his eyes widen as he sets his eyes on them; their furry skin hides their complexion but their yellow glowing eyes glitter in the night.

Gabriel throws the butt of the blunt to the ground as he readies himself for a fight.

How will he fare in his new mortal form?