Then, there was Connor.
I studied my russet haired friend. I’d loved him, once. Our mothers had been best friends and raised us side by side until my first shift marked me as an outcast. Before that day, Connor and I had been inseparable. For every stupid idea one of us had, the other followed through with fervor.
He wasn’t the same man anymore. The shadows of conflict danced across his face. I could see the fear brewing deep inside him. That fear would always stand between us, no matter what he believed. I couldn’t put my faith in him so long as he held onto that fear.
“Ryder,” I said in an attempt to break the tension.
He didn’t look away from Connor, but he made a sound in his throat to acknowledge me.
I sighed. After pulling my debit card from my pocket, I slapped it into his hand. “Go get us some food. I’ll be done with my shift in two hours. Then you can walk me home.”
He groaned. “You’d be safer if you came with me. I’ll kidnap you if I have to. I’d much rather know where you are at all times than risk leaving you alone.”
“I won’t be alone. My parents will be home.”
Moving out had sounded nice until I’d realized that I would be alone most of the time. While my friends and some of the other shifters my age had gleefully thrown themselves from the nest once they were old enough, I hid in my parents’ shadows. It was safer there, even if it meant little to no privacy.
Connor mumbled something about how Ryder just wanted to get in my pants. Before Ryder could turn on him, I said:
“And if he does? What does that matter to you? Maybe I want him in my pants. Maybe I want to get down and dirty with the dragon. That’s none of your damn business, Connor.”
The red blush of anger that washed over his face drowned out his charming freckles. I watched the beast flicker in his eyes. He needed to get out of here.
Ryder pocketed my debit card and grabbed Connor by the back of his shirt. After saying a quick goodbye, Ryder tossed Connor out the door and followed suit.
Ryder
I shovedthe wolf shifter forward. He staggered, then spun and rose to his full height, so he could face me. He pulled his lips back in a snarl. I rolled my eyes, grabbed his sleeve, and dragged him down the road.
While he bristled, I sniffed the air to see if there were any good restaurants in the area. Being a shifter came in handy like that.
“You’re an outsider,” Connor hissed. “You’re not going to stay and keep her safe forever, so stop pretending like you can be her white knight.”
“Are you fucking serious?” I shoved the guy forward.
I didn’t have time for this. The medallion from the fae queen pulsed against my chest. It warned me that I was already neck deep in this shit. Lakesedge had been a spider’s web waiting to trap me this whole time, and I’d walked right into it.
“For one thing,” I said, a growl in my voice, “stoptryingto be her white knight. Ness survived this long without your help. That scrappy little woman will continue to protect herself without your help long after Alvin puts you in the ground for being an ass.”
I caught the smell of waffles on the air and made a sharp turn. My stomach growled, further adding to my irritation. The beast hated this man for the way he treated Ness. Had Connor touched Ness back in the café, I wasn’t sure I would have been able to hold the beast back.
She didn’t belong to me, either. I needed to remember that. I was only here for her help, which seemed further and further out of reach.
Running a hand through my hair, I scanned the street for the waffle shop. It sat low, behind a set of stairs that led down into a basement restaurant. My stomach pinched tight. Ness’s debit card burned a hole in my pocket, but I ignored it and pulled out my own wallet.
I really was going soft if I was going to buy her food again. The night before, I’d lied about the pizzas. It’d been a gut reaction to seeing her looking so forlorn. I could already see the guilt of what happened that day weighing on her, then she’d looked at the medallion behind my shirt. I hadn’t wanted her to feel indebted to me any more than she already was.
It’d been a foolish thought. She owed me big time. Buying me lunch was the least she could do to pay me back. Better yet, she could tell me what she was capable of, so I knew how she could help me.
I was hesitant to reveal what I’d done. Guilt tied my tongue in knots every time I tried to speak about my sins. Instead, I’d pressed her for information. I’d asked her what kind of arcana she possessed. We’d already gotten a taste of what she could do at Alvin’s little performance. That wasn’t enough to help me, though.
Most Alphas had the power to issue commands with their voice alone. Ness’s little trick wouldn’t stop a rampaging dragon intent on ripping my head off.
“Did you even hear me?” Connor asked when he caught up.
I shrugged. “Were you still trying to tell me how you’re better than me?”
His jaw dropped. Clearly aghast, he struggled to reply.