Chapter 4 Stay Away

• Bryce's POV
• Everyone at the table freezes. My eyes widen as I look at my brothers. Our parents never said anything about any payment arrangements.
• "Of course, your parents explained the situation," Mom says in a sickeningly sweet voice.
• Erica tilts up her chin and rolls her shoulders back. Her defiance to my mother is sexy. "No, they did not."
• "We cannot seem like we are taking in rogues off the street," Mom looks like she just touched something sticky. "So, it will need to appear that you are working here to pay for your... arrangements."
• "I see. What exactly will I be doing to work off my debt?" Erica's voice trembles, but she doesn't let herself cry.
• "Just some odds and ends here around the pack house," Mom says with a wave of her hand. "You can report to the head Omega first thing in the morning."
• Offering my mother nothing but a few short answers, it is clear that she isn't going to let her parents' mistakes bring her down. I had to respect that. As one of the children of the most powerful pack in North America, it is hard not to live in the shadow of my parents' accomplishments and mistakes.
• "Thank you for dinner," Erica says before scooting her chair away from the table. She leaves the dining room with her head held high, but I am too focused on the way her hips sway when she walks.
• Once Erica is out of the room, I look around the table at my brothers, and I can tell that they are just as conflicted as I am about having Erica work as an Omega in our household as we are, but none of us are willing to speak up against our mother. Not even our father has uttered a word since Erica left the room.
• "That's that," Mom says, turning back to her food.
• I stare at my mother in disbelief. Does she really expect Erica to work as an Omega in the household? She is the daughter of a former Beta. My eyes flicker between my mother and Erica, who is trying her best to carry herself like the Beta heir that she is.
• "If no one else is going to say it, I will," Ashley pipes up. "But that was fucked up."
• "Language, Young Lady," our mother hisses at her.
• Ashley is the only cousin that we have. She will turn eighteen in about a year and will be able to find her mate. It is suspected that her mate will be high ranking so she is here to learn how to be a 'proper Luna' from my mother. So far, the lessons have been less than helpful to her. Ashley is crass and about as un-lady-like as they come.
• "No," Ashley stands up and throws her napkin over her plate. "Are you trying to break that poor girl? Her whole family has been banished from the West Pack, her parents are missing, and now you are forcing her to be an Omega? No, this is a fucked up situation."
• It seems that Ashley has said the words that my brothers and I are all thinking because we each have a smile on our face.
• "That is enough from you," my mother spits at her. "You are excused from dinner."
• "Good," Ashley yells back at her. "If this is what being a Luna is all about, I think I would rather be mated to an Omega."
• Without another word to any of us, Ashley storms out of the dining room, slamming the door aggressively behind her.
• Mother sits back in her chair with a satisfied look on her face. "Now that she is gone, we can get down to business."
• A snarl comes from Chris. "Business?"
• Mother bristles at his tone, but she continues. "Did you get her settled into the guest quarters?"
• "I put her shit in there if that is what you are asking," Chirs snaps.
• "Watch your language, young man. You may be almost eighteen, but that doesn't mean you can use profanity around your mother." She leans forward, resting her elbows on the table.
• "Yes, mother," he folds.
• "We need to have a discussion," she continues.
• "What about," Ace groans.
• "I want you three to stay away from that girl," her voice is sour. "We don't need our pack to be associated with the drama that is going on in the West Pack any more than what we already are. Don't be fooled by a pretty face."
• My mother stares at me while she talks, and I feel an undeserving sense of pride. Even she knows I would be the first to get Erica to drop her panties.
• "What exactly happened at the West Pack," Ace asks curiously.
• "That is a matter between Alphas," my mother says shortly.
• "But aren't we Alphas," I reply smugly.
• "You know what I mean," she snaps at us.
• "I mean it. Stay away from that girl."
• Mother has never demanded that I stay away from a girl before. Whatever is going on in the West Pack must be serious, or she wouldn't have been so adamant. It will be hard for me to stay away, though. My cock bounced to life as I watched her walk from the dining room. I need to see her naked beneath me. Just once. What my mother doesn't know won't hurt her.
• I am imagining what Erica's breasts look like when Ace's voice comes through the mind link.
• 'Triplet meeting after dinner,' is all he says.
• Chris and I nod in return. Dad is eyeing us suspiciously. We have never been able to make plans through the mind link. He can always tell when we are plotting. Only this time, he doesn't call us out. Which I find odd.
• Chris and I excuse ourselves from the table, but Ace stays behind.
• 'Are you coming?' I ask through the link.
• 'I want to have a word with our parents,' he grumbles.