“Just because she’s human doesn’t mean the rest of us-“
“I said ENOUGH,” Ryder yells, and the room falls silent. Ryder might just be the beta, but he’s got my respect. He had it before, but now? Now he’s come to my rescue and I’m filled with gratitude.
All eyes are on him now, including Nash’s, and I realize Nash is going to let him finish what he was about to say. Ryder lets out a growl before he speaks, and even though I’ve known him for awhile now, even I am mesmerized by his fierce demeanor.
“I know it’s been tough, brothers and sisters. It’s been hard. We have been torn apart by our last Alpha, but our new one is trying to bond us together. He’s trying to give us something to work toward, to believe in. Unity. We can be one, but we have to work for it. Some of the changes we’re making are going to be hard. Others will be easy. Let’s let the easy ones slide over us like water so we have the energy, the strength, and the willpower to focus on the harder ones.”
Ryder is pacing in front of the group now, and I know Nash is happy he chose Ryder as beta. Thorn, Nash’s other best friend, also plays many important roles in the pack, but for now, I’m happy Ryder is so trustworthy. I’m glad he’s so damn brave.
He’s bold.
“Today is going to be a long day,” Ryder tells everyone. “If you’ve been assigned to start butchering our meat, you’re dismissed. Go now.” Several wolves, including Jam, get up and scurry from the main room. “Those of you who have small cubs, feel free to leave.” A few more mother wolves with their babies leave. “The rest of you,” Ryder says. “You’re coming with me. There’s a lot of pent-up energy in here and we need to release it. Meet outside the caves in fifteen minutes. We’re going for a run.”
Ryder strides off and the group disperses. I know the wolves are running off to get ready to shift. Tessa stands in the center of the room and provocatively strips off her shirt, baring her braless tits. I look over at her.
“What?” She asks, looking straight at me. “We’re going for a run. Can’t do that with my clothes on, now can I?”
Four
Red
“Too tight, honey. It’s just too tight.” Aunt Germaine glares at me as she tugs on the brightly colored dress once more, as if this is all my fault. As if I’m the one to blame that this stupid dress is too tiny. With a growl of frustration, I step out of the gown and turn around to look at Nash’s aunt.
Her grey eyebrows rise in surprise and
confusion.
“Then I need a different dress,” I say. “The diet isn’t working. I’ve been starving myself for a week now and I haven’t lost any weight.”
It’s true. I haven’t cheated on the diet at all. I haven’t sneaked cookies or soda or extra servings of food. Still, the mush diet hasn’t delivered what it promised: a thin body.
Motioning to the dress Aunt Germaine is still holding, I continue. “I know it’s tradition for the Alpha’s mate to wear this particular one, but the Alpha’s mate has, historically speaking, always been a wolf. I’m not, Auntie. I’m not and that’s okay.”
“But the dress-”
“Can be put back in storage for the next bride. Let’s stop pretending I’m somehow going to lose 20 pounds and grow six inches before the wedding.” I pat Aunt Germaine’s hand in a gentle gesture and she looks surprised, but she sighs and sets the beautiful red dress down.
“I suppose you’re right, dear,” she murmurs. “This isn’t the way we do things, but I suppose change is inevitable sometimes.”
Her words catch me off guard and I nod slowly, wondering what she’s going to say next. The truth is that this can’t have been easy on her. She’s Nash’s aunt, after all, but she expected a lot from him. She might have hoped he would save the pack, but did she know he would be the one to kill Jeffrey? Did she know he’d be dragging a scraggly-looking human back with him? Did she know he’d be mating Jeffrey’s half-sister?
Jeffrey and I might only be half-siblings, but many of the wolves who didn’t like him don’t seem to care about that. My mother never really told us what happened to Jeffrey’s dad. I don’t know if he was a one-night stand gone wrong or if they dated for awhile, but my own father raised Jeffrey as his own and I always considered him my brother.
Until we were teenagers, our lives were fine, normal. Then one day, everything changed. One day, he changed.
Into a monster.
“Are you all right, honey?” Germaine’s hand on my arm brings me back to reality.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I was just,” I sigh, running my hand through my dark hair. “I was thinking about my brother.”
“Oh, is that so, darling? Can I ask why you were thinking about him? I don’t mean to pry, but…”
“But he was a huge asshole who killed Elise?”
“Basically.” Her big brown eyes look sad, and I hate the fact that my brother stole away her family. I hate the time she and Nash lost with each other because he was hiding from Jeffrey. I hate the pain they’ve had to endure.
I slump into a nearby chair and look around the room filled with gorgeous flowing dresses and fabrics. This is my life now. I’m going to be Nash’s wife and I’m going to have my clothes made because nothing the wolves wear will ever fit me and besides, the closest town is too damn far to visit but maybe once a month.