4. The thorn in the family

Chapter Four:  

Ronan's Pov

I couldn't stop shaking and my cock was so fucking hard it hurt. The steering wheel felt slippery under my palms because I was sweating, my whole body burning up from the inside despite the cool night air coming through the car window.

Kaireen Vale. That's who she was. The girl I'd just had my hands all over, the girl whose pussy I'd been touching, who'd been moaning and grinding against my fingers like she was starving for it. My little stepsister. The thorn in our family, the unwanted burden and the stain.

My mate.

I slammed my fist into the dashboard and the plastic cracked. Pain shot through my knuckles but I barely felt it over the roaring in my head.

One year. I'd spent an entire goddamn year searching for her, traveling to different packs, attending gatherings I had no interest in, all because my father refused to let me take over as Alpha without a mate by my side. And I'd found her. Finally, Except she was the one person in the entire world I couldn't have.

The mansion loomed behind me as I drove away, and part of me wanted to turn around, go back to that room, finish what I'd started. My wolf was clawing at my insides, furious that I'd left our mate alone and aching. But I couldn't. I fucking couldn't.

I made it three blocks before I had to pull back over because my hands were shaking too badly to hold the wheel. I sat there in the darkness, my breath coming in harsh pants, and tried to get myself under control. My jeans were so tight I could barely stand it, my cock straining against the zipper, and every time I closed my eyes I saw her face when I'd pulled off that mask. I saw the way her lips had parted, the flush on her cheeks, the desire in her eyes before it had shifted to confusion when I'd backed away.

She'd wanted me. Had been ready to let me take her right there against the wall.

I groaned and pressed the heel of my hand against my erection, trying to will it away. It didn't work. 

I needed to go back to the mansion, find Kade, get drunk enough that I could forget about this for a few hours. I started the car again and drove back, my jaw clenched so tight my teeth ached.

Kade's mansion was still buzzing with activity when I walked in. The initiation was probably winding down by now. I headed straight for the private lounge where he kept the good alcohol, grabbed the first bottle I saw, champagne, and started drinking without bothering with a glass.

"Whoa, man, what the hell?"

I turned to see Kade walking in, still wearing his black suit but he'd ditched his mask. My best friend since college, billionaire doctor by day, leader of the Briroyals by night. He was grinning like he always did after an initiation, high on the adrenaline and chaos, but his smile faded when he got a good look at me.

"You look like shit," he said, reaching for the bottle. "Come on, you can't get drunk now. The game isn't even over yet." He took a swig and raised an eyebrow. "I already snagged about five solid recruits. Smart, ruthless, exactly what I need. How about you? See anyone interesting?"

I stared at him and felt a hysterical laugh building in my chest. Interesting. Yeah. That was one word for it.

"I don't have time for this right now," I muttered, pushing past him.

"Rowan, what happened?" he called after me but I was already out the door, stalking through the hallway toward the exit.

My phone was in my hand before I made it outside. I needed answers. Needed to know what the hell Kaireen was even doing here in the city when she was supposed to be back at the pack working as a healer or whatever pathetic job my father had agreed to give her.

I dialed my mother's number. She answered on the second ring, her voice bright and cheerful.

"Rowan, darling! How lovely to hear from you. How's the city?"

"Is Kaireen home?" The words came out harsher than I'd meant them to. "She got back from her studies, right?"

My mother's tone changed instantly, going cold and sharp. "That ungrateful little brat. Don't even mention her name to me."

My hand tightened on the phone. "What happened?"

"Your father arranged a marriage for her. Alpha Donovan of the Black silver Pack, very powerful, very influential. It would have been an excellent alliance for our family. And do you know what she did?" My mother didn't wait for an answer. "She refused. Stood right there in your father's office and said no like she had any right to choose."

The image of Donovan's fat, sweating face flashed through my mind. The bastard could barely walk without wheezing. And they'd wanted to marry her off to him. My wolf snarled in my chest, possessive and furious at the thought of anyone else touching what was mine.

But I shoved that down because it didn't matter. She wasn't mine, she couldn't be mine.

"Your father gave her a choice," my mother continued. "Marry Alpha Donovan or leave the pack. She chose to leave. Can you imagine? After everything we did for her, taking her in when her parents died, feeding her, clothing her, sending her to school. And this is how she repays us."

"So she's been disowned." I forced the words out past the tightness in my throat.

"Yes. Your father cut all ties with her. She's no longer Pack, no longer family. She packed her bags and left that very night. Good riddance, I say." My mother sighed. "But enough about her. When are you coming home? I've been talking to your father about the Alpha position. I think I can convince him to let you take over even without finding your mate yet. We can figure something else out."

"I'll be home soon," I said, my voice coming out flat. "I need to handle something first."

"Of course, darling. Don't take too long."

I hung up and stood there staring at nothing. Disowned. She'd been kicked out with nowhere to go, no protection, nothing. And she'd ended up here at Kade's initiation, probably by accident, probably scared out of her mind.

I should have felt satisfied. She'd finally gotten what she deserved after being a burden on our family for fifteen years. But all I felt was rage burning through my veins, making my vision blur at the edges.

My phone was still in my hand. I pulled up her contact, a number I'd saved years ago and never used, and hit call before I could think better of it.

It rang twice. Then her voice came through, cautious. "Hello?"

Just hearing her speak sent heat straight to my groin and I had to close my eyes, had to remind myself why I couldn't go back there and claim her the way every instinct in my body was screaming at me to.

"Whatever bullshit plan you just pulled," I said through gritted teeth, "you need to go back to the pack now."

There was Silence on her her end then she replied,"Who the fuck is this?"

I froze. She didn't recognize my voice. We'd barely spoken over the years, I'd made sure of that, but still. The fact that she had no idea who I was hit harder than I expected.

"Do I know you from anywhere?" she continued, and her tone had gone sharp, annoyed. "This is a wrong number. Get the fuck out of my life."

The line went dead.

She'd hung up on me using curse words. 

I stared at my phone in shock. Kaireen had always been so timid, so desperate for approval, practically trembling whenever any of us spoke to her. She would have never talked to someone like that, would have apologized and stuttered and made herself small.

When the hell had she changed?

And why did hearing that fire in her voice make me want to drive back to that mansion, find her, and fuck that attitude right out of her?

I was moving before I fully decided to, heading back to my car with long strides. My hands still shook as I gripped the steering wheel but now it was from anger instead of shock. 

I was going to find Kaireen.

And when I did, we were going to have a very long conversation about what the hell she thought she was doing with her life.