138 | Relative

I suck in a deep breath as I wait in Blue’s office with Darine and Cole. The hybrid is still out cold, which is probably a good thing considering the lack of control he displayed earlier. Blue and Yuri are out side with the majority of the Azure Pack, explaining what happened and what will happen. Since the office is soundproof, I can’t hear anything beyond the grumble of voices on the other side of the windows. I keep my eyes locked on the younger teens body, slumped in a chair Yuri had placed him in an hour ago.

He’s back to normal, though his glasses are resting in the front pocket of his shirt rather than on his nose. Like this, the kid looks more like a younger version of Blue than anything else. It makes me feel bad for him, though I know Cole’s not much like his cousin. The kid and I have more in common than I thought when we’d first met. Both hybrids with control issues, and parents who kept one side of ourselves a secret for the majority of our lives. Only difference in our situation is that his Pack still accepts him as he is. Even if he’s part L-Class badass supernatural.

“Do you think he’s going to be okay?” Darine asks when the silence becomes too thick. I let out a sigh and pull out my cell phone, shooting off a text to Craven.

“I hope so,” I tell her honestly when I’ve finished. Blue’s not going to be happy about me doing this behind his back, but it’s too late. Besides, Cole’s starting to become a problem. A few seconds later, my phone buzzes and I peek at the screen, my grimace twisting a bit as I read the message. “You know about Cole right?”

“That he’s part dragon?” Darine asks blandly, but there’s a brightness in her eyes and wrinkle to her nose. “How’d that even work? Anatomically?” She makes a couple of jerky gestures and waggles her eyebrows at me.

“I’m pretty sure his parents were in their humanoid form, Darine.” I reply blandly and roll my eyes. “And why is that the first place your mind goes?” I add, smirking at my friend.

“Hey, it’s not like Yuri tells me about those kinds of things.” Darine pouts, ducking her head sulkily.

“You asked him that?” I laugh, unable to hold in the sound. “Of course you would.” I add to myself after my chuckles subside.

“I was curious,” Darine shrug, her grin widening. “I never thought Yuri could turn that shade of red.” She cackles, drumming her fingers together like a maniac. The tense mood dissipates almost immediately as we share couple more laughs.

The door to the office opens a few minutes later, interrupting our uncontrollable giggles. The grim expression on the Azure’s faces as they walk into the room stop us short. I get to my feet as Blue’s power crackles along my skin. It’s not the overwhelming feeling of another’s aura pressing into mine, but just fluttering over my skin and sparking along my nerve endings pleasantly.

Without a word, Blue comes to my side and turns to face the four others who shuffle into the room. Yuri, mimicking Blue’s actions, goes straight over to Darine and hovers at her shoulder. The three other Azures are part of the older generation, Blue’s father, Salvadore, the only other Azure I’ve met- and can recall the name of. Yuri’s mother waits by the door, glancing over at Cole every few seconds with a look of caution on her face.

The other two Azures are Wolven, big and bulky the way I’d expect Enforcers to be. They keep their eyes down, but heads turned in Blue’s direction, neither looking up even for a second.

“Scarlett, it’s wonderful to see you again,” Sal tells me with a genuinely warm smile.

“It’s been a while, sir,” I smile back, nodding over to him.

“Everything okay?” I murmur to Blue aloud, breaking the sudden tension blazing in the room.

“They will be,” Blue replies in the same soft tone, one of his hands rubbing up and down my spine in slow, soothing circles. I’m instantly soothed, but know by his tone that I hadn’t imagined the tension from the other Azures. Something’s about to go down, something that has the whole Pack on edge.

Suddenly, the air crackles, and something buzzes in the back of my mind- something from Blue’s side of the bond. I can almost hear the murmurs of fear from the minds of the Azures. Anxiety from them oozes out of Blue’s side of the connection, adding fuel to the fire of fear bubbling up. I’m about to ask what’s happening, when a familiar aura tickles my senses.

“Ah, I see.” I murmur aloud, feeling my face pinch in understanding. The Azures move deeper into the room, shuffling closer to us. One of the two Azures I don’t know goes to stand behind Cole’s chair, her eyes tight and flinty as they glare at the doorway expectantly.

I hear the sound of the front door opening and closing, followed by firm and unwavering footsteps. The aura skitters along my bones, making me want to shudder and cower away from the incoming presence. I’ve felt it before, now more times than I had ever hoped to, so I don’t fidget so much as the others do. *Craven’s reply makes sense now*, I think to myself grimly. I had texted him a few minutes before the Azures came in, asking where his comrade was and if he was busy. Craven replied that he had been called away on business. I guess this was the ‘business’.

“Alpha Azure,” The *draki* is in human form as he reaches the doorway, his aura something like a palpable force as he eyes us nonchalantly. “Alpha Reinier-Holland.” He adds after a considering beat, a tiny smirk twisting his lips as his eyes briefly touch on my face.

“Kazamir,” I reply in greeting, keeping my eyes firmly on his rather than the naked expanse of his chest. He’s at least wearing pants, but seems to have lost his shirt. Blue growls low in his throat when Kazamir’s eyes linger on me a beat too long.

I shift my weight, leaning into Blue while keeping my eyes on the dangerous shifter. Blue’s hand becomes a little possessive as it reaches to grip my hip, but he stops growling. Kazamir’s smirk widens as his eyes go between Blue and I. The *draki* shrugs after a tense beat and looks over to the Azure woman behind Cole’s chair and the hybrid himself.

“Patty,” Kazamir greets the woman. She growls, baring her teeth and knuckles turning white on the back of Cole’s chair.

“*Patrice* to you, *dragon*!” She snaps at him. I blink a few times, realizing something I hadn’t before. This woman looks a lot like Cole…she even has thick-rimmed glasses like his and the same shade of slate-grey eyes.

“*Auntie* Patrice,” Kazamir replies smoothly, his eyes glinting with a sort of humor that’s borderline sadistic. Patrice’s snarl makes me cringe, the crackling sounds of the chair breaking under her hands only adding to my discomfort. “I’m not here for you,” He adds after another beat and looks over to Blue, as if for confirmation. “Alpha Azure has graciously allowed me to come speak to my cousin.”

“Isn’t that my decision?” Cole’s frosty voice cuts through the tension. I blink, looking over and seeing the younger Azure is awake, blinking dazedly…blinking slitted glowing eyes. His aura hums softly compared to Kazamir’s, but I’m starting to get a little twitchy with overwhelming power in the room. The Azures standing between us and Cole and his mom are now still and tense, the groan of bones shifting under their skin only just audible in the room.

“It would have been if you had better control,” Blue replies in the same, icy tone, the bitter edge of a growl riding his voice. “Three humans, Cole. You’re lucky nothing happened to them and your relative was near by at the time…otherwise…” Blue leaves the threat hanging in the air. "Consider this your punishment.” He adds in a slightly warmer tone. Cole’s tense muscles relax a degree, the brightness in his dragon-esque eyes fading a little.

“Yes, Alpha,” Cole’s eyes lower from Blues and his head dips slightly. Then he’s up from his chair, moving so quickly even I have trouble seeing him for a second. “Well,” Cole glares at Kazamir, standing in a slightly defensive pose - even as he reaches for and puts on his glasses. “Let’s get this over with.” He tells his half-cousin, still glaring daggers at the older man. Kazamir’s smirk is wiped off his face, pupils slitting and irises flashing bright with warning. Cole flashes his teeth at the full-blooded *draki* and I feel the air in the room beginning to stir around us.

“Take it outside, you two.” Blue growls in annoyance. Kazamir nods once and gestures for Cole to exit the room first. Cole grumbles under his breath and storms out of the room, shoulders hunched. The moment the two are gone, I let out a breath of relief and lean closer to Blue, letting him take some of my weight as my senses normalize.