Page 175 of Bred

I turned, and my whole body went tight. Luca walked along the edge of the square, his eyes firmly on my mate. My fangs punched forward, not caring for the look in his eyes.

"Luca is so creepy." Mina pushed into Ivor's side.

Summer snorted, crossing her arms. "Why are all the advisor's sons so weird?"

"I'm an advisor's son," I said, raising my brows at the omega's assessment.

Her smile grew, her cocky grin consuming her whole face. "I know."

I shook my head at her boldness. "One day, someone is going to put you in your place."

"Maybe, but until that day comes, I intend to spend every moment having fun." She grabbed Lily's hand, pulling my mate and Mina toward the center square to dance.

The omegas had a wonderful time laughing, eating and drinking. Lily stuck with water, radiating pure joy as she declined more than one drink. Every time she came near me, my hands gravitated to her stomach, making her giggle and blush.

The sun set and the festival grew and the music became more lively as the drinks flowed. Sitting at a small table, Ivor and I watched our mates closely while they danced and laughed.

"Sir." Nix's familiar voice made me look over my shoulder. He looked tense.

"Are you on duty tonight?" I asked, noticing the way he was scanning the crowd.

"No." He took a seat next to Ivor. "I've just been keeping an eye on everyone." I nodded, understanding. It was hard to turn off the instinct to protect the pack when off duty. "Luca has been acting odd this evening. He's pacing the perimeter of the square and seems to keep glaring at you. Or at least in your direction."

Ivor let out a bitter laugh. "Doesn't surprise me. I heard he was kicked out of the packhouse yesterday."

"What for?" I asked, scanning the crowd. I found Luca standing near the temple, arms crossed and scowling at no one in particular.

Ivor spoke loudly, not caring who overheard. "Apparently, he actually thought he'd qualify for a job working with Alpha Caz's family on merit alone. We all know Luca relies on his father to secure everything for him. But the fucker didn't have enough grit to qualify. My dad said Luca acted like a common rogue when he found out. Almost tried to challenge his own father for not doing enough."

I narrowed my eyes at the fucker, noticing how his glare pushed through the crowd, straight to Lily. It made my hackles rise, and I stood.

"Want me to go talk to him?" Ivor asked, cracking his knuckles.

"No." I edged around the table, trying to remain calm. "I've got it."

The crowd parted as I marched toward Luca. Several alphas stopped to see who I was glaring at. I was a few feet from the fucker before he even noticed me. He had shit instincts and no business protecting our Pack Alpha's family.

"What the fuck do you want?" he shot, puffing out his chest to look bigger. He had a few inches on me, but he was lanky. Wiry muscle. Easy to subdue.

"I want to know why the fuck you're looking at my mate like that."

His eyes flashed red, his fingers flexing with heavy claws. I prayed he was dumb enough to attack me in front of the whole pack. It would get him out of my village once and for all. His father couldn't protect him with so many witnessing his violence firsthand.

"She looks pretty happy over there," he said in a forcefully controlled voice. "I heard Charis gushing to my mother that you're expecting."

I snarled, not caring for the way his teeth flashed as he spoke. "Don't fucking talk about my mate."

His shitty grin pulled tighter, and I reminded myself that I couldn't lose control. Not for this asshole.

"You might want to make sure it's yours."

My blood pounded in my ears, and my muscles strained to react, but the sound of pups squealing and omegas laughing kept me grounded. The pack danced and mingled behind me, my mate within them. My bond with Lily twisted as she sensed my tense emotions. I immediately sent her soft reassurances, concentrating hard so she won't feel my rage.

"Be careful, Luca," I snarled. "One day, you'll fuck with the wrong omega, and your daddy won't be able to save you."

His lips twitched, pointed fangs on full display. I readied myself, feeling his attack coming. But then his eyes pushed past me, and his expression softened. He smiled wide, then shrugged.

Ivor's familiar presence moved at my right. Nix on my left.