Chapter 5

Stephen smiled at me and ran from the room before I could throw anything at him. I hissed in frustration, and went to close my door again. Well played Stephen, well played.

I could hear him laughing hysterically from his room, which was conveniently positioned on the other side of the hallway. I flicked my tail in confusion and decided that my room was no longer safe, so I pushed open my door and walked down the stairs to the living room.

Tamar and Bane sat at the table huddled together and whispering urgently. Tamar looked up and kicked Bane under the table to shut him up. Bane looked up as well and hissed in frustration at my appearance. At this point I wanted nothing more than to run my claws down his beautiful face. That would shut him up.

Tamar walked up to me and put his hand under my chin. His strong fingers put an uncomfortable pressure on my jaw and I growled deep in my throat. He used his other hand to trace the lines that his slap had left from earlier and his touch burned painfully against my flesh.

"Now Reina what did you do to your beautiful face?" He smiled and applied pressure to the already injured area. I hissed softly in pain, and his smile grew.

"Tamar. Stop it already." Bane's gruff tone sounded pained. Tamer whipped around to face Bane and growled menacingly. Bane stood effortlessly and walked toward us. Tamar wrapped his arm around my waist crushing a few ribs in the process. I shrieked in pain and let my tail thrash angrily. Bane was probably a good fifty pounds heavier than Tamar, and had a good five inches on him as well. I could hear a growl starting deep in his throat as he spoke again.

"I said enough." Tamar merely looked at him angrily.

"What are you going to do about it pretty boy?" Bane hissed and his claws shot out of his nail beds, surprising me. I had never seen Bane angry, but everyone in the clan knew better than to piss him off. His fangs flashed as he bared his teeth at Tamar.

"You don't want to fight me. You know that." Tamar released his grip on me and pushed me away. I fell backwards and landed on the hardwood floor. Well that was graceful.

Tamar and Bane were circling each other menacingly, with their tails lashing and growls escaping from their snarling lips. I rolled my eyes and stood up letting my own fangs and claws slip out. I stepped between them and snarled. Both of them stopped and looked at me.

"Move Rei." Bane said in a frustrated tone.

"No." I growled. Tamar chuckled.

"Well isn't that cute. Girl thinks that she can play with the big boys now." I spun around and hissed as I pounced on him taking him to the ground. He flipped me over trying to expose my throat, but I used his weight against him and pinned him with his throat exposed to my fangs. I clamped my jaws around his neck and bit him, just hard enough to draw blood. My claws had embedded themselves in his forearms and he was growling in pain trying to break free. I used the claws on my feet to keep him down and I leaned close to his face.

"I am not some pawn that you can play with. I can, and will take you down in the blink of an eye. Do not test my patience." I whispered the words to him so that Bane couldn't hear. He bowed his head in submission.

I released him and got up only to be taken down again. I hissed and flipped around to face Tamar again. I dug my hind claws into his stomach making him cry out in pain. He backed up against the wall putting space between us. I hissed at him once more before looking to Bane.

"You want to play too?" Bane just looked at me with a look of astonishment. I had never fought anyone before I had left, so no one knew what I could do. He growled softly and I walked over to him hissing. Bane lashed his tail at me but kept quiet. I flicked him with my tail as I turned and walked from the room.

"I'll know if you two start up again, and neither of you would like the outcome. Now come on Tamar I'll patch you up." Tamar looked at me warily, and followed me reluctantly from the room. We walked up to the large bathroom upstairs and I spun toward him.

"Sit." He obeyed and sat on the toilet seat. I turned and went to the medicine cabinet which held our extensive first aid kit. We had a tendency for injuring ourselves a lot. I grabbed the gauze and bandages, and wet a washcloth to get rid of the blood that still poured freely from a few of his wounds. I motioned for him to take off his shirt so that I could inspect the wounds on his chest and stomach.

"Why the hell are you trying to confront me bitch?"

"I won't have you killing each other in this house. There are kids that live here stupid." I dabbed at the wounds on his stomach and started to bandage the others.

"I run this clan, don't you forget it."

"Hey if you want Bane to kill you be my guest, might actually save me some issues in the future." He hissed as I applied the alcohol to his stomach.

"You big baby."

"Well you're doing it wrong." I rolled my eyes at him and finished bandaging him up.

"There."

He glared at me as he stood up. He spun quickly and pinned me by my throat to the wall.

"Oh honey come on there's no one here to see your angry reactions. You have nothing to prove to me, so let go. We both know that you don't want to kill me." He looked down and slowly lowered his hand.

"Remember what you promised to me in return for me leaving Andrew and Cale alone."

"Yeah, Yeah. I know." I glared at him and hissed. He smiled and walked out of the room looking somewhat defeated, and smaller.

I sighed and thought about my promise. Dumb plan Reina. Too late now. I walked out of the bathroom and back to my room only to find Bane sitting on my bed. Great how much more drama could possible happen in one day.

"Rei…"

"Get out of here Bane. What do you want?"

"You know that someday you are going to have to choose a mate right?"

"Why would I want to do that?" Bane blushed and looked at his feet.

"You just have to."

"Whatever." Bane crossed the room, and wrapped his arms around me pulling me close. He had always made me feel safe, and I wondered why I would want to choose one mate. I have my family, why would I want to make it smaller… well except for Tamar, I could live without him.

"Reina?"

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I asked if you were alright."

"Oh. I'm peachy. Bye bye now."

"Oh come on Reina. You're going to have to talk to me eventually."

"Why you didn't seem too thrilled for me to be here in the first place."

"That's not true." His face turned red. I looked at him and cocked my head to the side in confusion.

"Oh come on Reina you know how I feel about you…"

"No. I really don't and right now I don't care to. Now get out of here before I claw your pretty face." He nodded and left the room stopping in the doorway.

"Reina, I know you feel something for me. Why else would you have kept the necklace I made for you seven years ago? I know I was naïve about everything then, but I've changed." I spun around and threw a shoe from my floor at him. It hit him square in the chest and he looked at it with an amused look.

"Ok, ok I get it I'm going." He turned to leave. "You throw like a girl by the way."

"I am a girl you moron!"

"I know you are Reina." He said it quietly and walked down the hall. I glared at his back until he disappeared from view.