When someone wandered too close to Alvin, he snarled and kept going. He didn’t stick around to intimidate anyone or try to fight for control.
I’d revealed the only trick I had up my sleeve, though. As much as I enjoyed watching Alvin tremble in his boots, I knew that I had to act fast. He would find a way to stop me, soon. It would be just my luck that he would repeal his earlier statement. If Alvin wanted to hurt me, he would find the best way to do it without rallying the pack against him.
It wouldn’t take much. The pack was already wary of me. I watched them and wished someone would come over to ask if I was all right. While Dad and Connor did just that, I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted one of the others, like Haylee, to show me some sort of affection.
Was that too much to ask?
* * *
Dad and Connorpaced the floor of Ryder’s rental apartment while Bri and I watched them with equally bemused looks on our faces. Connor made sure to stay at least five feet away from my father at all times. Dad kept staring at Connor, challenging him.
I didn’t know how to tell my father that Connor wouldn’t step up to the challenge. Hell, the old man probably knew that already.
Dad stopped in his tracks. He faced me with his hands on his hips. “You could still leave with Thor. He’ll escort you all the way to Tennessee.”
I stiffened.
Dad put up both hands to stop me before I got too far. “Hear me out,” he said. “If you leave, then I’ll pick up where you left off. I’ll find a way to prove that Alvin is responsible for those missing girls.”
Dad’s words stunned me. After what happened tonight, I didn’t really expect anyone to believe me. Dad had always been distant and hard to understand. He’d said so many things over the years that I’d stopped believing he could love me.
That statement alone erased every bit of my doubt. Yet, I couldn’t leave him to do it alone. I couldn’t let anyone in the pack take on Alvin alone. Not just because I wanted to show them that I could be trusted, but because I wanted to see Alvin crash and burn.
I clenched my jaw and shook my head. Before I could say anything, the door flew open. Ryder stormed in. He passed Dad and Connor without a second thought. I expected him to go straight to Bri, but he paid her no attention.
Ryder scooped me up out of my seat and gave me a tight hug.
I patted his back while doing my best to not look in Bri’s direction. I couldn’t explain why he’d gone to me and not her. Maybe they were having issues? After what I’d learned from Ryder about his past with his clan, it seemed like that could be possible.
“Ryder,” I whispered. “Everyone is staring. Put me down.”
The face that I couldn’t handle was my father’s. He wore a smug smile that I would have to destroy later. Dad likely thought that Ryder and I were forming a mate bond. Dad didn’t know that Ryder’s mate sat right beside me. I didn’t want to be the woman that got between them, no matter how badly my hound whined for Ryder.
Several heartbeats later, Ryder set me down. He didn’t sit beside me but instead moved around to the back of the couch where he gripped the cushions. I took that moment to steal a glance in Bri’s direction.
Her smile confused me the most. She seemed satisfied, like she was getting what she wanted. When she looked up at Ryder, her grin widened.
I started to ask what was going on, but Dad cut me off.
“Tell her to leave, Ryder. Tell her that she’s safer somewhere else.”
I groaned. Ryder sighed.
“I’ve told you all,” Ryder said, slowly. “Ness doesn’t listen to a damn thing I have to say. Why do you all keep looking to me like she’s going to magically obey my commands?”
“Well…” Dad trailed off while making a gesture with his hand.
I raised a brow. “Well, what? You all need to stop assuming things. I am my own person, and I can make my own decisions. If any of you want to help me, then that’s fine. You can’t control me, though. I refuse to let anyone tell me what I can and can’t do. I’ve had enough of that.”
Everyone in the room groaned. Connor told me to think about protecting myself for once. Dad threw his hands in the air and complained about how I’d never once listened to him in my life. Ryder grumbled that he was doomed.
I met Bri’s gaze and noticed the curve at the corner of her lips. She choked back her laughter. Were she not Ryder’s mate, I would have liked her. I would have welcomed her into my circle of friends and introduced her to everyone at Bad Moon Café. Instead, I had to keep my distance from her so that she would never figure out that my hound wanted her man.
While the men argued about what needed to be done, I got up and went to the fridge to see if there was leftover pizza from the other night. I walked around like I owned the place. It seemed to me that I was spending more and more time here lately. The bed barely smelled of Ryder anymore. It held my scent, instead.
While Ryder was around, this place seemed safe. It wasn’t the house, but Ryder himself. I glanced back and caught him watching me. He gave a soft shake of his head, like he couldn’t believe what he was about to do, then stepped up to help me. He grabbed a plate, snatched a slice of pizza from the box in the fridge, and plucked a bottle of hot sauce from the fridge door.
No microwave. Ryder already knew that I preferred my pizza cold and spicy. When had he learned that? It felt like there hadn’t been time. He’d noticed small details and tucked them away for later.