by Belle Harper
I could hear talking outside my room again, I didn’t like it. The room was on the second floor, the window opened and I could get fresh air, but I wasn’t too sure how the drop would go for me to escape. It was pretty fair drop, but the pool was down there… I couldn’t swim though, so dropping into there was not just a bad idea, it was terrible.
I went back to pace the room, the white carpet was soft under my toes. There was a huge empty closet, a few empty hangers on one end and shelves to store someone’s belongings. I had nothing worth putting there. Someone, I suspect Jack had packed up all my things and there were now here. But I didn’t want to open the suitcase. I wasn’t going to unpack, this wasn’t my house, my home.
As Ada said, every room has a full bathroom, the only room in here with color. Green mosaic tiles mixed in with the white. A full sized bath, huge walk in shower, and toilet in there. It had been stocked with soaps and some towels, which were white… of course.
This whole house was fucking white.
I heard talking again outside the door—there had been a lot of talking and pacing outside there over the last few hours since school was out. Ranger was back home. I heard the knock and froze. I had nowhere to hide here, no protection. This was Alaric’s house and he had five sons. I didn’t know that until I got here and met the other two—I had already met Nash. Fucking asshole.
“It’s okay, Lexi, you don’t need to be scared.” I rolled my eyes. Ranger. He finally knocked after lingering out there for so long, I thought something was wrong with him. The door didn’t have a lock, so I expected him to just open it and barge in.
“It’s dinner soon, and my father has requested you come eat with us.” I moved into the walk-in closet and sat down in the corner where I had left my bag earlier. I pulled out my book, some Mr. Darcy would be perfect about now. I needed to get lost in another world.
It didn’t take long before there was another knock, but this time, they didn’t waste any time in waiting for me to answer—not that I would have— they just strode right into the room.
Nash.
His face turned to me, and I glared at him, gritting my teeth and my fists clenched at the sight of him. This whole smelling me thing was not helping. I needed to show him I wasn’t scared of him. I was so fucking mad, he was one of the assholes who fucked up Raff on the weekend. Now he played me and I was here. Like a prisoner.
“So, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Galen is here for dinner, Father felt you might prefer to have him here on your first night. I don’t care. But if you want Raff to still be living here in Kiba, you will be at dinner in the next five minutes. And preferably dressed in something…” he waved his hand at me, “more suited to company.” He gave me a wicked smile and turned on his heel. I could hear Ranger tell him that he was out of line as he walked away.
He wants me in something more suited? I will give him something.
I walked down the stairs to the dining room where I could hear everyone. I had been asked two more times by Nash to hurry up. I told them I was a girl and we take more than five minutes to get ready. Not this girl, of course, but I wanted to fuck with them a bit longer. I didn’t want to be here, so they got what they asked for.
I rounded the corner and everyone came into view. One of the brothers, I think his name was Jett, saw me first. Well, I assume from the way he just choked on his water that he had seen me. I gave my fake dazzling smile as I saw an empty seat besides Ranger and Galen. I held my head high and didn’t look at them as I walked over barefoot. I pulled the chair out, and the whole table was quiet as they watched me sit.
“What… ah did you need…?” Alaric scratched his head as he tried to avoid looking at me. Nash just stared directly at me, his eyes wide and mouth agape.
Ranger cleared his throat. “You… look nice.” That made me want to laugh. I didn’t want to see what Galen’s reaction was. I didn’t want to see his disappointment in me. I knew I was being a bitchy teenager right in this moment, but it was worth it for the looks on their faces.
“I will give you an allowance for clothing, Alexis. You will be able to find something more suitable in some of the local stores. I will get one of the boys to take you tomorrow.”
I placed my hands gently together on the table and cupped them together, pretending that I was the Queen of England, with posh manners. I gently tilted my head and gave my fake innocent smile as I batted my lashes.
“Is this not suitable? I was wearing what I would normally eat dinner in earlier, but Nash told me it wasn’t suitable. So, I took it off…” I heard a snort and some chuckles coming from one of them, but when Alaric growled, they stopped.
And that wasn’t a lie. I did take it all off. I took off my skinny jeans, socks, my hoodie, and just left my tight white tank, red bra, and my black boyleg underwear. I was kinda going for the Harley Quinn look—I was just missing a belt and boots. But my makeup looked pretty wicked. Nothing better than black eyeliner to pop these amber eyes.
No one said anything, so I took that as my clue to leave. I stood, making sure to turn around and show my ass to them all. I was playing with fire, I knew it. But I didn’t care. From all the times I danced at The Landing Strip, I knew how to work a room full of males. I could hear them all as I started to walk away, making sure to put a little extra swing in my hips. Alaric muttered something and I could hear a chair move. I didn’t turn around to see who it was.
When I reached my room, I could feel them so close, their breath tickled the back of my neck and all the hairs on my arms stood up.
“Lexi…” I hoped it would be him, I wanted it to be him so bad. I leant back a little and felt his hard body against mine.
I walked into the bedroom, my body humming with need. I wanted him. I turned to see him close the door behind us. He hesitated a moment, his hand still on the door handle and I took a few steps backward. He didn’t say anything, just stood there like he was frozen. All the air in the room felt like it had left, and there was nothing left but a buzz—a pull to him that I had felt since I first met him. Vampire. I had to remember what he was, he told me and I didn’t doubt for a moment he was lying.
“Why do you do this?” He sounded hurt. I shrugged like I didn’t know, but I did know. But now, with him like this, I felt ashamed at what I had done. I swallowed the lump in the throat.
When he finally turned to me, his hazel eyes were hooded and he wouldn’t meet my eyes, instead I could feel them on my body.
“Why do you suddenly care? You said everything would be fine. You told me to come back, not to run and look what happened. I came back and they kidnapped me.
“You can’t tell me this is legal. You are just as bad as they are. You let them, you handed me right over to Alaric and Nash. You told them I ran and now they have put me here… I will never forgive you for this, Galen.”
My heart was pounding; I was starting to lose it. I wanted to hit him, I wanted to scream. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and have him stroke my hair and tell me everything would be fine.
I didn’t want to be here alone. I felt so alone here, like I was being punished. I was doing fine on my own, I didn’t need to be here in Kiba, but I was. I finally had foster parents who gave a shit, who taught me how to cook muffins and made my bedroom look like mine… and now I was in this house that looked more like a hospital than a home. And the one person I wanted with me in this moment was only allowed to live in Kiba if I was living here. And I needed him… more than I had ever needed someone.
“I am sorry, Lexi. If I had a choice—”
I cut him off when I shoved him. His eyes flared to mine, he wasn’t expecting that. And with that he left, the door clicked into place behind him, and I sank to the floor and buried my hands into my face.
What the fuck was I going to do? I shouldn’t have run…
I fucked up.
Chapter Thirty
Ranger
I fucked up. She was here because of me and she hated me even more
than before. When my father had spoken to me in private yesterday, it was about how I felt this pull to her. Like I knew she was my mate, my wolf could feel it and wanted to be around her always. He didn’t understand how that was possible, but said he would help me. But I didn’t think this was what he meant by that.
“She isn’t happy.” I looked up to see Lyell shake his head at me. He was the second eldest of my brothers and usually didn’t say much, especially to me. So for him to speak up like that surprised me.
If I had to say which of my brothers I was closest to, it wouldn’t be him, or even my twin Maverick. I was closer to Jett. He was only a year older than me, fun, loved doing pranks, and was the closest one of us to almost having a mate of his own. But then she up and left him to go to college, and no one was expecting that.
His best friend and packmate, Mekhi, really felt like this was the one for them. It was normal to have more than one shifter per female, but they had yet to tell her about our world… and she just left. He has been different ever since; he wouldn’t talk to me about it and Mekhi wouldn’t, either. So we had all been left wondering what had happened. Maybe that was why my father took my claims about Lexi so extreme, because out of five sons, I was the only son of his interested in finding a mate and being mated.
Nash grumbled, “No shit.” If anything, I wanted to kill him. I stood up and slammed my hand on the table.
“You told her she wasn’t dressed for company, you made her feel like she didn’t belong here. You are blackmailing her, I heard you. And now… If I thought I could even have a chance with her… That she would even look at me the same way she looks at—” I just couldn’t take it. I wasn’t going to sit down with my brothers and father and share a meal with them. I stormed off and up the stairs. I saw Galen leaving her room. He ran his hands through his dark curls and they bounced free like loose springs as he walked toward me.
“Just leave her for now. She needs space.” Like I didn’t already know that, old man.
I heard her call out that night, and I rushed to her door. Lyell and Mav were there also. I knocked lightly and when she didn’t answer, I cracked it open. I glanced around the room, it was dark but I could see she wasn’t in the bed. The covers were missing, though.
“Lexi? Lex?” I whispered into the room, trying to find where she was. Mav pulled me back when I smelled her fear. I made her feel that way. It made me feel like shit. My stomach plummeted. I really fucked up.
I closed the door and Mav led me back to my room, which was only a few doors down from hers. Lyell’s room was right beside hers and mine. Lyell nodded at me before Mav shoved me into my room and closed the door behind us. He didn’t say anything at first and my wolf bristled for a fight. But there were rules about shifting in the house. Not like I was one for rules, but I didn’t want to start shit with Mav. His wolf was much stronger—even though I would never admit it.
“If you’re not going to say anything, then fuck off. I know I fucked up. I know you don’t understand. Look, I don’t know what you have against her, but don’t say it. Don’t tell me, I already know I have lost her before I even had a chance.”
Yes, Lexi got his head turning those first few days, but now… he hasn’t so much as looked at her without a scowl on his face. He hated her, I could clearly see that. So when he looked at me then, his eyes full of unshed tears, I froze. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “Maverick…” He just shook his head and left my room, leaving me standing there, confused and sad. I have never seen him that way and I didn’t know if I should go after him or not.
Two days. She had not left the room in two days. Galen had been over and tried to speak with her, but she wouldn’t have it. She shut down even more. She was hiding in the closet in a cocoon of pillows and blankets down the far end. Each night I heard her call out, scream out in the dark. The only person she had let into the room was Lyell. He sat outside the closet, but in her eyeline, quietly reading for most of the day. And when he did, she didn’t smell like fear anymore—she was relaxed.
But night was coming again, and I just didn’t know how to help her. She was having these horrible nightmares and I wanted to help her. Mav was even more quiet than usual, and I feared that her being here was the reason she was having these bad dreams. That we… that I did this to her.
“Father, I need to speak with you.” I could see he was in a meeting with some of his betas. But I couldn’t do this to her anymore. As much as I wanted her here, I knew she had to go back. I knew it was breaking her. And I missed the feisty spirit she had. I missed our banter.
“Yes, Ranger. Be quick.”
He never had time; he was always too busy. That was the life of an Alpha.
“We need to send her back, she needs Rafferty… She hasn’t eaten dinner again. I just don’t know how to help her. I know he can, I know he will make this better for her. She trusts him.”
It was hard to admit it but it was the truth. I could see he was thinking about this. He wanted her here, and not just because I had asked, but because he wanted to protect her.
“He will move here. I will arrange it tonight.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Lexi
Lyell was sweet—if that was even possible in this family. He had come and checked up on me a few times and today, he brought me a book. He didn’t say anything, he just placed it near me with a bottle of water and sat out in the bedroom against the bed and opened his book and started reading like this was a normal, everyday thing.
I looked at the book he had left me and saw he had brought me Emma. I didn’t know what to say, he must have seen what I was reading and bought it for me. Or he had actually read it.
I hadn’t been to school, but Galen had been around to see me, a lot. I couldn’t face him. I was so conflicted. On one hand, he gave me over to Alaric, but on the other, he was a fucking vampire, my teacher, and I wanted to… kiss him. My crush had gotten out of hand. I had daydreams where he would be touching me… sucking my neck while Rafferty was kissing me, rubbing himself against me. It was crazy, fantasizing about them both. But I couldn’t stop… and I wanted to be mad at him, but I couldn’t. So, I was ignoring him.
I was hardly sleeping. I felt like shit and when Nash brought me food, I refused to eat it. I didn’t trust him, and I worried he would put something in my food.
Maverick brought me some breakfast and considering how much he hated me, I actually felt safe eating it. He had warned me away so many times, and now I knew why.
I heard talking outside my room and Lyell stood. His nostrils flared—he did that when Galen came around. I was waiting for a lecture from Galen, he had been sweet the last two days, but the last time he was here he was growing frustrated. But when I saw the black boots, I looked up. Those amazing blue eyes looking down at me, the silver hair out of place. I sucked in a breath and held it. I didn’t move. I feared I was now seeing things.
“Raff?” I whispered. Was I dreaming or was he really here? “Why? How?” I suddenly realized I hadn’t showered since I got here and probably smelled awful. I scrambled out of my blanket fort and got to my feet. I wavered a little from standing up so quickly. His eyes drifted to my bare thighs. I hadn’t put on anything since my stupid stunt at dinner the other night.
“They asked me to move in.” I saw Lyell behind Raff, who gave me a warm smile before he left the room, closing the door behind him. Leaving Raff and me alone in my new white room. My heart pounded in my chest at the sight of him. He didn’t look the same—his hair was all messy, had grown dark circles under his eyes, and looked thinner. Was that possible?
“Have you been eating?” I went to him, placing my hand on his chest. I felt his arms hesitate at first, then they wrapped around me. I felt his head on mine as he inhaled my hair. I didn’t care how bad I smelled in that moment. I just felt like a piece of my heart had returned and clicked into place. We stood like that for a while, breathing, feeling, until I pulled away to look up at him, I wiped some tears f
rom my eyes. He was really here.
“I should take a shower, I stink.” He chuckled, it was deep and rumbling. I smiled, and everything felt right again in that moment.
“I like the way you smell.” My mouth popped open. I forgot for a moment that he was a werewolf. Or shifter, as I had heard so many times, not a werewolf.
“Tell me what I smell like to you. Like, what is it that you can smell being a… wolf?”
He hugged me to his chest again, it was a warm hug, that felt like home, I breathed in deeply, smelling him. He smelled like rain on a hot day. Knowing that I was something different, that I smelled different to shifters and regular people made me wonder…
“Shifters can smell many things—fear, sadness, when you are… happy.” That last one made my heart speed up. Could he smell that I was attracted to him?
“Can you smell when someone is like happy, happy?” I could feel my face heat up when he didn’t say anything, I put my hands to my burning cheeks. “Holy shit. You can smell when a person is turned on?”
His mouth popped open but he didn’t say anything, he nodded instead. I put my hand on his cheek, feeling the stubble there. He was beautiful.
“Can you smell me when I am turned on?” He nodded and smiled slightly, never breaking eye contact.
“Can all the wolves smell it?” He glanced to the closed door then back to me before he nodded again. Holy crap.
Raff was so different than most guys, he knew I was attracted to him—could smell it even—but had never tried anything more with me. I wondered if he was waiting for me to make the first move. I wanted to kiss him so bad, touch him. My pulse picked up and I licked my lips. I started to pull his face closer to mine—