Chapter Nine.
Passion grumbled once again over being sent on such a meaningless assignment, not to mention that her 'favourite' group of warriors were tagging along. Why had she been born with such a bad omen hovering over her?
After their exchange in the car the night before they had both stormed off to their rooms, and she had known that she had successfully extinguished what could have been. One day Joshua would thank her for it but right now he was punishing her.
That morning they had sat in awkward silence when a representative from the Oak River council had come bearing news. She had arrived just after dinner and Passion had been grateful for Lorna's presence, at least Joshua would be too preoccupied with pack matters to curse her with his eyes.
"Alpha." She had said placing her forehead upon his knuckles.
"What is it?" Joshua had asked.
"We have intruders."
Intruder was a term used when other clans encroached on another's land unannounced. It was clan law that all packs make themselves known to the Alpha, doing so showed that they weren't hostile. These guys had paid no such respect.
"Where have they been seen?" Joshua asked giving Lorna his full attention.
"The first pack has been seen lodging at Priory Park. Keith Matthews says he saw an enforcement pack a few days away from here, in their wolf form." Lorna supplied.
"Who do you think holds the most threat?"
Passion was stunned that he had even bothered asking her opinion, but his pointed stare made it obvious he was addressing her.
"Well the enforcement pack sound the most deadly, though they have yet to arrive I think it best to intercept them now." Passion said, "If the intruders have been staying in the area it means that they aren't an immediate threat, otherwise they would have attacked already."
"Fine, send a group of warriors to confront the enforcement pack, Passion and her crew will check out the intruders." Joshua said signing a warrant Lorna handed to him, a small formality to prove his orders.
Passion spluttered with indignation, how could he delegate such a tame mission to her and her personal squadron? They were the more experienced warriors.
"You can't do this, I am the higher authority amongst the warriors."
"And I am the highest authority full stop, you will do as I command." Joshua said fire blazing in his eyes.
For a split second Passion hated him, how dare he speak to her like she was nothing. The sane part of her knew that he was still smarting from her rejection but that didn't mean he had to be a total asshole. As soon as Lorna left Passion kneed Joshua in the groin.
"Don't ever take that tone with me or next time I'll bite them off." She snarled, rushing from the house before he could recover.
Now she sat in her pickup headed for Priory Park. Brent sat in the driver's seat, much to her dismay and each time he changed gears there was a loud crunching sound that ran through her bones.
Her poor baby was being tortured in the hands of Brent. Something we have in common my dear. Passion thought, resting her head against the cool glass.
Why had Joshua permitted such a tedious task, had he taken her words seriously? Recalling what she said made her flinch. In all honesty she had been harsh but any normal man would have realised that she was just pushing him away.
She didn't want him to move out rather she wanted him to move into her room, into her life. Passion froze as the thought settled over her mind like a permanent film, she wanted Joshua not as a fuck buddy but as a constant fixture in her life.
"Hey Passion wake up we're here." Brent grunted giving the throttle a hard shove, smiling as he noticed her wince.
"Ooh Priory Park." Alyssa squealed flinging the back door open her hair flouncing into the night, the rain showering her in liquid silver.
"Far too excitable." Lucas said, his stern words lightened by the smile tweaking his lips.
Passion giggled causing the three warriors to turn in surprise at a sound they had never heard before.
"Was that a laugh?" Lucas asked closing the door behind him with a loud thump.
"More like a giggle." Alyssa said.
Brent assessed Passion as she blushed, giving Alyssa a playful shove. The young she-wolf's eyes widened in surprise before she shoved Passion back. They both chuckled as they made their way to the Priory Park diner.
"She's changed." Brent whispered.
"He's good for her." Lucas said.
Brent nodded composing himself back into a tough beta. Lucas watched his friend walk away realising that the wolf had always loved the Omega.
Passion had her arm linked in Alyssa's and wondered why she hadn't ripped it away from the shifter. Joshua had made her into something different, she was no longer the tough Omega who had to snarl and snap to be heard. She knew that being nice could hurt her but she didn't care anymore.
Joshua loved her, he showed her enough times and said it almost as many, she wouldn't, couldn't throw that back in his face.
"So I was thinking we could go shopping tomorrow I saw this dress that I think would suit you." Alyssa said.
"I would love to go shopping maybe I could wear something for..." Passion trailed off catching herself before she revealed everything.
"Joshua." Alyssa said suggestively.
Passion stopped abruptly, almost dragging Alyssa to the ground, although since she was much shorter than Alyssa it would have been no easy feat.
"How did you know?" Passion asked scouting the area to see if anyone had heard their exchange.
Brent and Lucas were behind them but not close enough to hear their conversation even with their enhanced hearing.
"It's so obvious, he looks at you like the sun shines out of your ass." Alyssa said, laughing at Passion's expression of horror. "Relax most people think he's exerting his Alpha rights to fuck you, but I know better." Alyssa winked.
Passion tried to grasp what Alyssa had told her but couldn't. She was correct in the sense that no one would really care but once they found out that they were planning on mating, heads would turn and not in some depreciative way but in a warped Exorcist kind of way.
She couldn't bring shame to her parents and wouldn't allow herself to be run out of the only home she knew. From birth to the time her clan had been massacred she had had to move from place to place. Never really having any roots, never having a place to call home except for the love of her parents. Now she loved Oak Falls, and all because of one man. No one could take that away from her.
"Cheer up." Alyssa said softly, prodding Passion in the ribs.
Passion smiled weakly, pushing the glass door of the diner open, the small golden bell chimed heralding their arrival.
Passion instantly disliked the clean and cheery atmosphere of the diner. It was decorated in retro 50's décor with bright lights that swamped the eatery and red booths with hard plastic tables.
The counter shone silver and chrome with red barstools set up against it, there was an old cash register and a complementary waitress in pink writing orders on her white note book.
