MATT POV
I can’t believe Charity shot me at point blank range with a fucking paintball gun. Fucking Fletcher always sticking his business where it doesn’t belong. Charity and I were doing just fine until his ugly rogue face came along.
‘Debatable,’ Zeke retorts dryly, his unneeded opinions causing more turmoil than they’re worth.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I ask, getting real tired of his shit. ‘I thought you hated the bastard too?’
‘The fucker is annoying, but…’ Zeke trails off, making me stop walking, completely confused by his wishy-washy attitude.
‘But what?’ I demand, trying to keep my hand from flying around in frustration. The humans in the area staring at me with concerned looks as I carry my case absentmindedly through the parking lot. ‘I swear to the Goddess if you don’t answer me. But WHAT?’
‘We didn’t exactly have Charity before, did we?’ he asks, leaving me in shock that he is really going to diminish what happened during her forced shift. Zeke is acting like none of it matters.
‘That’s not what I am saying,’ he sighs, as conflicted as I am. ‘It’s just….she likes him…’ he whimpers, admitting the one thing neither of us wants to admit.
‘We don’t know that,’ I argue, but I remained unconvinced by my words. I’ve seen the subtle looks she gives the stupid rogue when she thinks I am not looking. In fact, the only person who can make her blush as easily as me is him and it’s really fucking irritating. Every time he smirks at her, I want to cut the stupid thing off his face.
‘I doubt that would make Charity happy,’ Zeke reminds me, but at this moment, seeing her happiness is difficult. Whenever Fletcher’s around, I am too focused on introducing his face to my fist.
‘Where are we going?’ he asks, distracting me from my daydream of pulverizing that pretentious interloping asshat into nothing. Goddess, that guy really burns my biscuits. I have been walking around aimlessly holding this paintball case like an idiot.
‘What do you think Fletcher picked out for us?’ Zeke asks us, more curious than I am about what’s inside.
‘Probably some toy gun, the kind where the flag pops out of at the end,’ I say dryly, not really wanting to deal with his childish antics.
‘The kind that has a dumb saying?’ he questions, unusually chatty, as we make the long way back to the cars, where the others are supposed to meet us.
‘Probably,’ I respond, with an eye roll, ‘something like ‘Second Best’, ‘dickface’, or equally stupid.’
‘You won’t know until you find out,’ Zeke reminds me, being unusually stubborn, and it’s really sending me over my tolerance limit for the day. Inhaling deeply, I move to the side of the walkway before placing the case on the ground.
Kneeling in front of it, I unzip it slowly, uninterested in what lay within, knowing it’s nothing more than a gag. An elaborate prank to make me look brainless.
Flipping the lid open, I find a beautiful, automatic paintball gun in a slate gray. On the end, ‘Shortcake’ is engraved with a black filling to make it stand out. Son of a bitch! Slamming the lid closed, and zipping it shut, I hurry off toward the cars.
Five minutes later, I approach Fletcher’s car with him leaning against it, his hands shoved inside his pockets. “Let me guess, yours says ‘Fireball’?” I ask, slightly confused by his willingness to lean into our …..love-triangle? Fuck, is that what this is? What’s his end game?
My question tears him away from his contemplative silence, his serious face replaced with a smirk, confirming my suspicions. Meeting my eye, an internal struggle happening within. He wants to confess something. He’s just unsure if he should.
Striding forward, on the verge of caving, he stops short when a movement behind me catches his attention. Turning to find it, I see Charity running from the course, fear lightly lingering against her aura. Sensing even the faintest hint of distress, as Zeke rushes to the forefront of my mind, itching for a fight.
Fletcher has the same concerns as we rush toward Charity. A slight giggle is on her pink lips while her cheeks flush with fear and excitement. Reaching her together, we each grab a hand, ignoring the other’s existence. Focusing all of our attention on her, looking her over for any serious injury.
“What happened?” Fletcher and I demand together.
“I pissed Xander off, and he got all Alpha scary,” she explains, but I don’t miss the slight flinch, setting Zeke on edge, ready to tear him to pieces.
My growl unifies with Fletcher’s, him turning to me, his eyes as pitch black as my own. “You go high?” He asks, his voice animalistic and barely recognizable. “I go low?”
“Deal,” I nod, dropping Charity’s hand, striding past her with my mortal enemy. Ready to tear apart a rogue Alpha and then some. Realizing what we are about to do, the Gamma of Silver Run places herself in front of us. Her hand reaches out, the most subtle hum emitting from the contact.
“Guys, please stop?” She asks, using that one voice she knows always makes me cave. It always has, ever since we were kids. She doesn’t use it often, if ever, but when she does, I fold like a deck of cards. I could never figure it out, and still can’t. Apparently, those magical superpowers work on Fletcher too, as he stops with her other hand, finding its home against the man’s chest.
“I don’t give a damn if he is an Alpha,” I growl, stepping forward, not wanting to discuss this further. “He needs to learn a fucking lesson.”
“Agreed,” Fletcher chimes, trying to sneak around her with no luck.
“Seriously,” Charity says with a sigh, “Xander gave me more than enough chances to claim victory without having to shoot in Nora’s direction. I didn’t take it when I should have. I was too focused on winning to listen to him. It’s my fault.”
A doubt nags me at her words, but l stay silent without knowing what that is. Keeping her hands on both chests, she keeps us in place until she is sure we won’t leave again. Removing her hands and stepping away, while a blush crawls up her face as her eyes travel between the Beta and I.
Looking over, the moment of respect and teamwork quickly dashing as my usual disdain for the man returns.
FLETCHER POV My eyes flutter open, and with it my dreams end, leaving me empty, and missing her. I knew they would start, eventually. I just didn’t expect them to feel so damn real when they did. It’s been a week of them, the three of us together when sleep dawns. None of them as intense as the first they’ve become innocent, but I cherish every minute I get with her. I know the dreams are affecting Matt too; he hasn’t been a complete asshat. Only half of one, but it’s a start. He’s even less of dick, when Charity isn’t around. A pounding at the front door shoos the grogginess and sleepy thoughts from my mind. Sitting up, I wipe my eyes, getting to my feet. Shrugging on basketball shorts and a t-shirt, I slip into my sandals, the persistent knocking continuing. Xander must be gone, probably with Nora doing something, or her. The pair stuck together like glue, but they’re damn cute together. Having gotten to know her better, I know she’ll make a great Luna for the rogues. She’s alrea
CHARITY POV Jess and Nick argue in the background, New Girl plays on the tv while I stare at my calculus homework. The numbers and letters mixing, making my head spin. Where is Elle when you need her? The itch to call and beg for her help is strong when a knock has me turning at shock. Standing in my doorway is Fletcher and Matt….together. Here. In my room. Has the earth turned upside down? What the hell is going on? “Are you gonna say something, Fireball or just stare?” Fletcher asks, my gaze meeting his sea- green irises. “What are you doing here?” I demand, standing from the chair. I hurry to them, grabbing a hand from each, ignoring the sparks even though they turn me to jelly. Yanking them inside, I peek outside, listening for my mother. She’ll lose her shit if she finds them. Not hearing her anywhere in the house I shut the door, spinning to glare at them. Fletcher is walking around, picking up different objects, inspecting them, and then replacing them. Matt sits on bed com
CHARITY POV“Shortcake,” a soft whisper pulls me from the comfort of sleep. I’m the most relaxed I’ve felt in days, my skin buzzing from the steady stream of electricity and sparks surrounding me.“Fireball,” another murmurs. Both are like honey, sweet and delicious. “Come on sweetheart, wake up.”Why would I want to wake? To willingly leave this place of warmth and security sounds stupid. “Baby, you gotta wake up. We’ve got a loser to hunt.”“Five more minutes?” I mumble, trying to shake myself awake, but it feels impossible with them around. Chuckles fill my ears, warming my insides. They’re like a melody and harmony separately, but together they’re a symphony singing to the heavens.“I’m sorry, Fireball, but you can’t. We are almost at the park,” Fletcher says, jostling me awake. Growling, I snap to attention before glaring at him.“Told you she’s a cranky when she first wakes up.” Matt taunts, “you know what that means.”“I know, I know,” he groans, rubbing a hand down his face in
CHARITY POV Anxiety riddles my knotted gut, the winding roads not helping the situation any. Sparks ignite as Matt laces his fingers through mine, his thumb making little designs on my palm. No one speaks. Damon speeding like a mad man eager to return home to his father. We make it back in record time. He drops Matt and me at the Alpha house before rushing off with Elle in tow. Nora says her goodbyes, walking across the yard going over to Beta Theo’s house Staying there until Xander comes back. Left alone outside the house, Matt takes my hand once more. “Andrew isn’t home. Wanna watch a movie with me?” I check the time, noticing how early in the evening it is, my parents not expecting me home for hours. "Come on, Shortcake,” he tugs me toward the door. “I can tell how anxious you are, but Fletcher will be fine. If you need to worry about anyone, it’s that asshole who beat Nora.” That’s not what’s got me all twisted. I trust Fletcher to handle himself in any situation. “It’s not tha
MATT POVCharity dashes up the stairs while I race around trying to clean up the room. Damon and his dad waiting until the upstairs bathroom shuts, before a pissed off alpha comes storming around the corner.“Of all the fucking places? My god damn couch?” He growls, on the verge of murdering me. “You’re lucky Elle isn’t with me she’d fucking murder you.”The gleeful laugh of another person distracts me as Charles walks around the corner, eating an entire pecan pie. “Were you left a little blue, my boy?”I cannot even respond, too stunned to see him upright and talking. No one had expected him to get better after what he’d been through with his ex-mate, Damon’s mom. It wasn’t pretty.“He’s lucky if blue balls are all he is ends up with.” The alpha growls, while his retired father one shovels more pie in his mouth finding the situation amusing. “Seriously? My couch?” Damon asks again, not letting the subject go.“At least it’s not blood?” I ask, hands raised, and I swear Damon is about
CHARITY POV In less than twelve hours, our entire world has turned to shit. Theo called when he was outside Nora’s pack, Northern Lakes, and we haven’t heard from him or Nora since. Andrew is going crazy over Theo, and if Xander were around, he’d be acting the same about Nora. The alphas have us at deathcon level five. Matt and I have been running around getting warriors prepared for the unexpected. I am throwing extra supplies into my bag at home, preparing for the worst, when a knock distracts my work. My mom enters, her hands twisted together, anxiety wrapping around her. “Charity,” she sounds soft and nonconfrontational. “Please don’t go. Please let the others handle this.” “Mom,” I don’t stop moving, getting all my things in the bag. “You know I cannot back out. I am the gamma. I have to go. What would the warriors think of me if I backed out?” “That you’re only sixteen! That you have time before dealing with these things!” She steps forward. Her hand resting on mine gently.
FLETCHER POVThere’s nothing quite like being home, nothing smells like it. My feet crunch against the fallen leaves littering my parents’ property. I left Xander alone with Nora’s ex. They’re hanging out in the shed at the furthest corner, far away from the main house where my younger siblings live.I pass the tire swing, which hangs from the oak tree in our front yard. “Guys, Fletcher’s home!” Ezra calls out, jumping up from the rocking chair. His twin, Emerson barreling out the front door. At seventeen, they’re nearly as tall as me and bulky little shits. Before I know what’s happening, three more sets of twins emerge from Goddess knows where. Without warning, I am bombarded with questions from nosey ass younger siblings.As the only non-twin, single child, and the oldest, it could feel pretty lonely sometime. Until my parents adopted Xander and then it wasn’t as much.“Did Xander come with you? Did his Luna come too?”“Did you bring Charity? Is it true she survived a force shift?”
MATT POV Leaves crunch, while I pace in the cool fall air. The wind from Lake Erie chills to the bone, seeping past the layers of my clothes. Andrew, Charity, and I waiting five miles outside of Northern Lakes. We are stuck waiting on Fletcher and Xander to get out of bumfuck nowhere so they can call us back. For fuck’s sake, they can’t even get cell service. What kind of primitive shit is that? I’d never admit it to another living soul, but not hearing from that jackass rogue beta is worrying me. However, my anxiety is nothing compared to Charity, checking her cell every few minutes. Her brows furrow with disappointment each time she tries to hide it and fails. I know her too well. Andrew is on the verge of losing his mind, ready to make a move inside the territory, but we can’t go in without the rogues who won’t budge. Their stubbornness and loyalty are admirable, but damn frustrating to the rest of us. They won’t move until Xander or Fletcher give the order, but they love Nora en