My lips fell together, and I looked past Frank, realizing that a group of people were starting to watch us. I felt my face grow hot with embarrassment. I didn't even know why he was yelling at me. I didn't know what I did. I understood maybe he was protective of the people here, but I wasn’t going to hurt anyone.
I fumbled to find words, trying to think of anything to fix this.
“I'm sorry if I did something. I was just trying to get to know the pack and some of the people here.”
“Don't.” He crossed his arms. “You're beneath everyone anyway. Don't waste people's time when they have otherimportant things to focus on. You are a human and the lowest on the food chain. Stay in your lane.”
They were just words, but they cut deep. I felt that internal stab, realizing I had married the type of person I had hated. The person I had tried to avoid my entire life, and now I had locked my life in with him.
All the hope I had that he was going to be different quickly disappeared. I felt tears bloom instantly, hating how I felt like I was five again, and no one wanted to be my friend because I was human. I hated how this feeling seemed to follow me wherever I went, and I couldn't escape it.
Why had I been so hopeful before? Why had I thought I could just start with a clean slate, as if the history in my past didn't matter? Frank was just like the rest, thinking I was worthless.
But that sadness quickly formed into anger. Who was he to say I was lesser? He didn't even know me! He didn't know anything about me! He had only learned about me less than forty-eight hours ago.
“Just go home,” Frank snapped at me, his arms crossed as he leaned back. “Stay out of the way and leave people alone.”
I looked past him, taking in the people. I could see some of them agreeing with him while others didn't know what was happening. I looked at Jillian, who looked stunned, and her mouth hung open slightly. I brought my eyes back to Frank.
I straightened my back and looked into his eyes. I swallowed, making sure to form my voice. “What exactly makes me beneath you?”
Frank raised an eyebrow at me. “Many reasons.”
“Give me one,” I pressed. “Because I can tell you right now that you know nothing about me. You don't know what I'm good at or what I lack. You don't know anything about me, so how can you judge me? How can you judge someone without even knowing them?”
I tilted my head, waiting for him to bark back at me, but I quickly decided I didn't want to hear it. I'd heard it all before. I wasn't going to stand here and let him degrade me in front of everyone.
“Now, if you'll excuse me. I have other things to do besides listen to you yell at me for… I'm not even sure what for.” I pushed past him, heading back the way I had come. I didn't bother looking over my shoulder or glancing at anyone as I left. I just walked, keeping my eyes trained on what was in front of me.
The further I walked, the more I questioned whether I had worsened my situation. I might have won this, but I had signed up for a lifetime of this, and that flipped my stomach.
Chapter 6 - Frank
It's been a week since the argument with Nina, and I have avoided her at all costs. It was relatively easy since we seemed to do everything in different time frames anyway. I was up and out of the house by seven, while she wasn't even up until probably nine. When I got home, the house was quiet, and I never looked for her.
I'd spotted her several times at my office in the town hall. I found her talking with Jillian again. It had angered me a little to see her walking with Jillian. Jillian was a quiet member of the pack who didn't need trouble. She should have listened to my warning and avoided Nina, but it seemed she hadn't.
This was the third time this week I found them together. They were having lunch together.
I stared, leaning back in my chair while I tapped my pen onto my desk. My eyes were narrowed on Nina. She was wearing a long fall jacket today with her hair braided to the side. She had her fingers knitted together as she stood patiently for Jillian, who was pulling off her garden gloves.
There was a knock on my door, and I snapped my head, finding Kerr standing in the doorway. His eyes went to the window and back to me. He raised an eyebrow.
“Are you watching them again?”
I turned my chair around, back towards my desk. I crossed my arms as I stared at my brother. “I don't know what her plan is. So, I'm watching and waiting.”
Kerr frowned. “What makes you think she has a plan?”
I shrugged. “Gut feeling.”
Kerr stepped further into my office. “You know, for someone who says he hates her, you spend a lot of time staring at her.”
I growled, and his footsteps paused before entering my office. Kerr might be my brother, but that didn't mean I didn't have boundaries with him. I didn't like being questioned, and that included him.
“Tread carefully, Kerr.”
Kerr sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Why do you think she is going to do something? Her record looked pretty clean. And she didn't exactly plan to be here. You were both surprised about this marriage. What could she have planned?”
