"TJ?" my cousin asked, worry filling her voice when I didn't do anything but laid there with my eyes closed and trying to control my breathing. "Are you still alive?"

I bit back a small groan while I closed my eyes tighter and slowly nodded. "Yes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I am still alive."

She breathed a sigh of relief, and I had a feeling that her shoulders sagged with relief as well. "Good," she said, her voice breathless with a small chuckle in her voice. "I thought I had killed you."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes while I opened my eyes and looked at her to see that her eyes were closed with red cheeks. I slowly blinked and blinked again, not sure why her eyes were closed and her cheeks red. "Uh... what's going on?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper and cracking. "Why are your eyes closed?"

"You're in your birthday suit," she said, and her cheeks turned redder, something that I didn't know was possible. "You need to put on some pants and cover yourself."

I raised an eyebrow and slowly blinked, my mind going blank because I had no idea what she meant.

"She still has the order on her," Sergio said, amusement filling his voice while he watched the whole thing. "Are you sure that it will work, even though he is your cousin?"

"I do not want to risk it," Cass said with a small shake of her head, her cheeks turning another shade of red, and I slowly blinked, confused, not knowing what's going on.

"Huh?" I asked while I looked between the two of them, furrowing my brows further. "What? What's going on?"

"Your penis is hanging out, Tobias Jones," Cass said, and she covered her cheeks to hide the redness of them. "You need to put on some pants so that I don't have to follow my orders, even though you are my cousin, and it shouldn't work on you."

I didn't say a word while I blinked and blinked again while I stared at her with a blank look on my face, still not knowing what was going on.

"Do you need help?" Sergio asked while he laughed. He walked over to me with a pair of Guardsmen pants in his hands. "Or do you think you can do it?"

I gritted my teeth together and set my jaw while I closed my eyes, feeling the urge to attack him while he got closer to me. I turned away from him and grew tense, my heart pounding harder in my chest.

"Don't," Cass said as if she knew what I was feeling. There was a slightly warning in her tone that I could pick up on, and I had no idea if it was directed toward me or him. "Stop moving toward him, Sergio."

Sergio stopped and looked at her with wide eyes. He hesitated before he looked at me and then at her again. "Bu-"

"No," she said, interrupting him while she shook her head. "It's not safe."

Sergio pressed his lips into a thin line before he looked at me again. He didn't say a word, but he stopped moving toward me, which I was grateful for, even though I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty.

However, like Cass, I didn't want to hurt him by accident... especially when I wasn't fully in control of myself.

"Toss him the pants, Sergio. TJ, will you be able to put them on by yourself?"

"I don't know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper while I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance, "but I don't want Sergio's help."

"R-"

"Sergio," Cass warned, and I had a feeling that she bared her teeth at him with a small growl of warning. "Shut up. Don't make him feel guilty when you already know the truth and why he doesn't want your help."

Sergia bit back a small sigh and nodded, relenting. "Fine," he grumbled and nodded before he cleared his throat, and I gritted my teeth while I closed my eyes tighter. "Here." He tossed the pants toward me, and it landed near me but not on top of me. "Go ahead and put them on."

"Get out of the area," Cass said, "before he turns back toward us." She didn't look at me, but I had a feeling that she knew I was feeling nervous and anxious with him this close to me.

Sergio grunted before he slowly nodded. He didn't say a word while he walked away from me, and I could finally start to breathe again.

Thank Goddess Cass was here to help...

"Ok, you are safe," Cass said when Sergio was out of the area. "Go ahead and put the pants on, TJ."

I hesitated before I turned toward them and opened my eyes. My whole body was in pain while I sat up, and I gritted my teeth but did what I was told to do and started to put the pants on.

Sweat started to glisten off my body, and I slowly started to shake, even though I had no idea why.

"Cass," Sergio said, watching me like a hawk. He didn't say another word, but I could tell that he was worried.

"It's fine," she said. "He's fine."

But I don't feel fine... I thought, while I bit the inside of my lip. Why am I shaking?

"I think it might be best if you skip training for today," she said, randomly. "We can take care of your classes for you."

"N-"

"TJ," she warned, interrupting me. She bared her teeth and narrowed her eyes but still didn't look at me while I finished pulling on the pants. "I do think it might be for the best. You don't want to overexert yourself too much."

I held back an eye roll and buttoned my pants and zipped them up. "I'm decent," I said, and she looked at me with a scowl on her face. "I want t-"

"Again, I am going to have to go over your head and say no," she said, interrupting me with a shake of her head. "You need sleep. It's been a long day for you already."

"Bu-"

"No," she said and shook her head, interrupting me again, and my nostrils flared while I started to feel annoyed with her. "You aren't helping."

I growled before I slowly nodded, relenting. "Ok," I said while I closed my eyes with a small grumble in my voice. "Fine."

Cass bit back a small chuckle and walked over to me. She held out her for me to take, and I gritted my teeth and looked away from her. "Take my hand," she said. "I want to help you to stand."

"Don't," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

Cass bit back a small snort while she rolled her eyes and scowled. "Don't worry about it, TJ," she said with a small hum in her voice. "If I get hurt, then I get hurt. It will be my fault and not yours because I was the one that forced you to do this."

"Bu-"

"No," she said, interrupting me while she shook her head, and I bit back a small growl of annoyance. "Let me help." She paused and cleared her throat. "Please." Her voice was barely above a whisper while she looked at me with a pleading look on her face, and I sighed before I slowly nodded, relenting.

"Ok," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I hesitated before I gave her my hand, and she helped me stand, grabbing my arm in the process.

Cass breathed a sigh of relief when I let her help me, and she grinned while she looked at me. "It looks like you don't need to hurt me," she teased, and I held back an eye roll while I scowled.

"Very funny, Cass," I said, and she snickered. I tried to pull my arm away from out of her grasp, but she tightened her grip on my arm. "Cass," I warned. "Let go."

"You are going to fall, TJ" she warned, and I set my jaw and narrowed my eyes, feeling stubborn and prideful. "I don't want you to fall."

"I'll be fine, Cass," I said while I shook my head. "I am stable enough."

I wasn't sure if I was fine or not, but I didn't want her to help me in fear that I would hurt her.

"TJ," she said and an amused smile appeared on her face as if she knew what I was thinking. "Are you scared that you are going to hurt me?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I didn't say a word while I set my jaw, not able to meet her gaze.

"Come on, TJ," she said with a small chuckle. "Answer the question. Are you scared that you are going to hurt me?"

Finally, I sighed and slowly nodded. "Yes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I am worried that I will hurt you. I don't want to..."

Cass sighed and nodded, growing serious. She squeezed my arm reassuringly before she offered me a small smile. "I know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "but I will be fine. I promise. It won't be the worst thing that I have been through."

I held back an eye roll but didn't say a word while I looked at her. I grabbed her arm tighter while I tried to stabilize myself, and she chuckled and made sure that I was steady on my feet.

"Are you ready for me to let you go so that you can stand?" she asked while she raised an eyebrow in question, and I hesitated before I nodded. She nodded and released my arm, making sure that I was still safe.

"I think so," I said and looked down before I looked at her. "I think I am going to take a shower if I am not going to help train."

"Good," Cass said and nodded before she let me go, keeping a hand about an inch from my arm. "Can you also help Bryson with homework if he has any questions?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Or Maya? Please?"

I looked at my feet before I looked at her. "Yes," I said and slowly nodded, grateful that I was able to stand on my own without her help. "I can help them. Are you sure that they need it, though?" I asked while I raised an eyebrow in question.

Cass chuckled and shook her head, and she smiled, her eyes growing brighter. "No," she said before she chuckled again. "However, I thought it might keep you out of trouble for a bit." She winked, and I scowled and narrowed my eyes.

I didn't say a word while I stared at her, trying to figure out why she wanted me to help her children with their homework, even though they didn't need it...

It might be her way of telling me that she still trusted me with her kids even with all of this going on...

I slowly blinked before I raised an eyebrow, and silently asked her if this was her way of saying that she still trusted me with my cousins.

My cousin slowly dipped her head closer to her chest, and amusement filled her eyes. She didn't say a word while she reached over and squeezed my arm before she pulled away. "Now, go ahead and get to it. Shower and then kids. Understood?" She raised an eyebrow in question, and I nodded.

"Yes, Alpha," I said while I nodded, ignoring her snort. "Thank you."

My cousin chuckled again. "Of course," she said. "I love you, TJ. Never forget that." She touched my cheek, and I subconsciously reached up and grabbed her hand, loving the warmth that I felt from her.

"I know, Mom," I said absentmindedly, switching back to the other title I called her, even though I didn't use it often. I closed my eyes a little, taking in her presence. "I love you, too."

My cousin's smile grew wider, and she squeezed my hand before she pulled away, her eyes becoming filled with pain and sadness. "Now, go ahead and get it done. We'll take care of your training for you."

I nodded and stayed silent before I slowly bowed in respect and then left, leaving my cousin watching me with the two members of her group moving to her side.

"Should we make some stuff that is connected to him like we did for you?" Sergio asked, his voice barely above a whisper, and I couldn't help but grow tense.

There was a pause, and I could feel my cousin watching me while she stayed silent, and I had a feeling that she was weighing the pros and the cons and becoming like one of her namesakes.

"Cass?" Sergio pressed when it took too long for her to answer.

Finally, she sighed and shook her head. "No," she said. "I don't think we need to," she said. "I'll be able to handle it and am in contact with them, so he won't have to go through the pain that I felt."

"What about as a just in case?"

"No," she said and shook her head again. "Not even then. He'll be fine without it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

I bit my lip and slouched forward, praying that what she said was true.

I didn't want to accidentally kill someone without meds like hers...