God, what did I do to piss you off? I mean really! First, Mom pretty much grounded me for life, and now Ryder. Mortifying didn’t cover that mess. Good lord, if he had come five seconds earlier… my face burned at the thought.
I dressed quickly and left the bathroom. Someone knocked on the door and I didn’t need three guesses to know who it was. I waited for the ground to swallow me whole. When it didn’t, I begrudgingly opened the door. I decided to arm myself with sarcasm instead of dying from embarrassment. “So the perv does know how to knock.”
“I am not a perv! And I didn’t realize you were in this room.” He almost looked embarrassed as I had been.
Good. I crossed my arms and gave him my best glare. “Yeah, if you did you would’ve burst in sooner, right perv?”
His mo
I knew Ryder heard Mom, so I followed her downstairs. Harry stopped us in the hallway. “What’s wrong?” Mom asked as he ushered us into an empty room, his expression pinched. “Alpha Ryan knows everything,” he said as he closed the door. “He knows we’re here and worse, he knows Brook is Ryder’s mate. Ryan gave me orders to bring you back to Black Mountain territory by six in the morning tomorrow.” “What?” Panic slammed into me. I couldn’t go back. “Harry, you can’t take me back!” My voice was shrill even to my ears. “Of course, he’s not taking you back,” Mom said, placing her arm around my shoulders. However, Harry looked like he was ready to toss his cookies. “If I don’t, it’ll be an open act of aggression and he’ll make sure it leads to war.”
Ryder ~~~ I growled, running my hands through my hair as I watched Brook run from me. What happened? I didn’t understand any of it at all - the lying or acting like I was going to hit her. With heavy footsteps, I stomped through the halls and into the pool room where my brother, Andy, Kara, and Beth were waiting. I slumped into one of the lounge chairs next to Dean. “Didn’t find her?” Kara asked. “I did, but lost her again,” I told them. “Weird,” Andy said, looking thoughtful. “She wasn’t like that the first day. Wary, but she never seemed to avoid any of us.” “Actual
“See, normal,” Ryder said, leading me to a table in the cafeteria-style dining room. He only let go of my hand when we sat down with the others. I said nothing back. What could I say? He was just so nice and seemed authentic. It left me so confused. Harry made it seem like I’d lose everything if I stayed, but Ryder was only asking for a chance to prove himself. It seemed wrong not to let him. God, this was such a mess and gave me a headache. “Hey Brookie,” Dean said, waving to me. Several people from the other tables looked over at ours, and I hunched up. “Hey,” I said in a grumble. “You’re grumpy. Is it that time of the month?” Dean asked. He did not just ask me that? Andy groaned, glaring at him. “Dude, seriously. Shut
My heavy eyelids, little by little, opened. Pain shot through my eyes and bounced around my head. I lifted my left hand, but there was a twinge of pain, and something held it down. I was in bed, like a hospital bed type of bed. My left arm was in a sling. My whole body ached. Great, I passed out. “Brook, you’re awake,” Mom said. Her eyes looked red and puffy. Oh, no. She’d been crying. “Mom, what’s wrong?” “What’s wrong? You get into a fight with Beth, end up with a dislocated shoulder when you already have a concussion, and you ask me what’s wrong?” “Oh.” “Yeah, oh. What were you thinking, Brook? She’s a werewolf. Beth could’ve killed you? And for what? Because she was an idiot?” Mom’s face flushed red, looking torn between bursting into tears and yelling at me some
Getting up from the bed, Ryder led me through the maze of the house until he reached a door. He opened it, revealing a small living room. We continued to wind through the maze of the house when Ryder opened a door, revealing a small living room. In the center was a huge overstuffed couch and across from it was a just as huge flat screen. There were a couple of love seats scattered around the room and a coffee table in the center. “Movie night, what do you think?” I smiled at the slight nervous strain in his voice. “It is your last night alive, so yeah, this is cool.” Ryder grinned, walking over to a couch and sat down, tugging on my hand to sit with him. “What would you like to watch? It can be anything but a chick flick.” “Those are usually depressing, so I’d rather
I groaned as someone shook me. “Come on, Sleeping Beauty. Time to get up,” someone said, sounding way too cheerful. It took me a minute to realize it was Ryder. “What time is it?” I groaned, trying to hide under the pillow, but the jerk stole it from me. “Almost four in the morning, so you better hurry.” I peeled one eye open to glare at him. “Are you kidding me? Four in the morning? Why are you bothering me at four in the morning?” “Kitchen duty remember.” I groaned, covered my head with my hands. “Nu-uh, none of that,” Ryder said, forcing me to roll over onto my back. “Go away,” I complained.
I wasn’t sure who was more surprised, Mom or me? How did I outrank him? Was it the mate thing with Ryder? Had to be that. Harry continued. “Some other packs have gotten involved, some for us, some for Ryan. I heard Alpha Ryan promised to give Beth to an alpha thirty years her senior as a mate if the alpha supports him against Brent.” Ew, gross! Did Beth know? Was that why she was so angry? I took a breath to ask the question I had been dreading. “Is Alpha Ryan winning?” My stomach churned at the thought of it. “No one is really winning. Both sides are matched, both in force and in casualties.” “Brook,” Mom said, patting my hand with hers. “You shouldn’t think about this. There is nothing you can do.” I nodded, but I wasn
Ryder ~~~ I hurried down the hall when I ran into the gang. “Where are you off too ? Lost your mate again,” my brother teased. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Brook’s friend is running away from Black Mountain and asking for help to enter the borders. I’m heading over there now.” “What friend?” Beth asked. “I don’t remember the name,” I said as I tried to move past her, but Beth grabbed my arm. “Ryder, what was her name? Was it Anna?” I shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe. Why does it matter?” “It matters a lot,” Beth said, and a wave of guilt washed over her face. “Because Br