Chapter 13: Ryker

Three rules.

When we became a pack, each pack member gave one rule that we were all supposed to stick to forever; only Talon never gave one.

Hunter’s was that we always put each other first, no matter what.

Mine was that we mated different wolves. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck with Axel’s poor choice of Luna forever. Plus, I don’t believe in the whole “pack fated mate” thing.

But Axel? His had been simple. So simple.

No one spends the night.

“Did you hear me?” he roars, clutching Talon so tight it strains the tattoos on his shoulders. “I’m giving you five seconds to face me.”

“Axel—” Hunter starts, but Axel cuts him a glare so deep even I shiver. I reach for my necklace that mum made me, trying to relax.

“You really thought you could come in here criticizing my leadership when you let someone sleep over? What happens when they see Talon like this?”

Hunter’s face pales. “She was hurt.”

Axel growls, turning back to the stairs. “Five.”

There’s no way he’s actually counting.

“Four, three…”

“Axel, please,” Hunter begs.

Axel’s eyes narrow, promising hell. “Two, one…”

Her scent finds me before I see her.

“Olivia.” The word feels like cement in my throat.

She walks out, hands in the air like a prisoner of war. Her blonde hair is tangled, her brown eyes wide and terrified.

I realize now why I didn't recognize her scent the moment she entered the room: it’s because she smells exactly like Hunter.

Did Hunter break Axel’s rule to win our deal? That’s not like him at all. Suddenly, I don’t feel so competitive.

“You.” Axel’s voice is full of gravel, the peppermint of his scent angrily perfuming the room.

Hunter looks between the two of them, that big brain of his trying to figure a way out of this situation. “Hold on, the two of you have met?”

“Yeah, they have.” I wince at the bruises Axel squeezed into her throat. All I could do was watch him do it. I failed her, just like I fail everyone.

The only thing holding my pack leader from pouncing and ending Olivia is the fact that he’s holding Tally.

“This isn’t what it looks like.” She keeps her voice surprisingly steady. “After you strangled me, Clarissa drugged me and—”

“You?” Hunter swivels to Axel with inexplicable rage. “You’re the one who did this?”

Axel holds his head high, but I can feel his shame pulsing through our bond. “I was protecting us. Humans are evil. I’ve seen what they can do with my own eyes, and I'm not going to let this witch get in your head, Hunter.”

I look back at Olivia. Those bright eyes look vulnerable. I already let her down once before; I'm not going to do it again.

“Why don’t I drive her home? No harm done, man.”

Axel’s silver eyes storm. He looks at me like I just betrayed him. “We have our rules for a reason. We are brothers for a reason. You think I'm just going to let that thing walk out of here unharmed because of Hunter’s feelings?”

“Unharmed? You fucking strangled her!” Hunter looks like he’s about to explode. He isn’t having any of this: Axel’s abuse, Olivia’s bruises, Talon’s fragility.

Sometimes, I think if he weren’t so nice, he’d have murdered Axel by now.

“Oh, please, I barely touched her.” Axel rolls his eyes.

The worst part is he thinks it’s true. I’ve seen him strangle grown men, and it was nothing like what he did to Olivia. I don’t think he even thought the way he held her would hurt her.

I break away from the boys and reach for her, but she jerks away from me, anger flashing in her brown eyes.

It stings more than it should. “Olivia, I’m sorry—”

A piercing groan splits the air.

Talon writhes in Axel’s hands, almost like he’s having a seizure. His hazel eyes roll to the back of his head. Axel desperately tries to cling to him, but Talon shakes so much that he breaks free of his grasp, hitting the messy floor with a thud.

My eyes fly wide. “What is happening?”

“Water!” Hunter cries.

Beside me, Olivia hums with life. “He doesn’t need water; he has alcohol poisoning. Move!”

She pushes me out of the way and rushes for Tally. His pain scrapes our bond like sandpaper. Axel doesn't stop Olivia when she slides on her knees beside Talon. She pushes him on his side using all her might, and the second he flips over, he gags.

I just stare, too stunned to speak.

Olivia is panting hard, blowing strands of blonde hair out of her face. I can tell through the bond that Talon still unresponsive, and I feel parts of my soul shatter.

We can’t lose him. We can’t lose him because of me.

“We need to get him to a hospital!” Axel roars, already punching tan ambulance number into his phone. He’s done it for Talon too many times now.

Olivia looks up at him, then between the rest of us, and finally at Talon, who is taking heavy breaths to stay alive.

“Fuck that,” she murmurs to herself.

Before Axel can yank her away, Olivia pulls Talon onto his back, then straddles him.

What the hell is she doing?

“Olivia…” Hunter warns.

I figure out what she’s about to do, but it doesn’t stop the shock of seeing her on him.

She presses down on his chest. Once. Twice. A third time.

And then I see her gulp, probably because Axel is watching her with a clenched fist. He seethes, “Don’t.”

But Olivia dips her head and kisses Talon.