Obsessions

by Bryce Evans

  “Don’t worry Zo. I wouldn’t give the spiteful jealous bitch the satisfaction of having anything on you or me, and I wouldn’t do anything to get you hurt. Now let’s drink one more beer then go home. All this information has made me exhausted. Plus you have more to accomplish tomorrow.” London explained then waved for the waitress to bring one more round.

  Chapter 6

  Ryder pinned Jena’s face down to the bed, continuing to pound into her while trying his best not to think of London. She was wreaking havoc on his sex life now. Jena was always a sure thing, but ever since he saw London Grey’s picture everything changed. She plagued his thoughts and dreams. Sex was a way to release stress, but now it was stressing him out. Jena with her excessive talking was pissing him off. All he wanted to do was fuck her and get out of her room. Why she came to see his sister graduate was beyond him. Zoey and Jena never got along so why the change in attitude?

  At the moment, he just wanted to get off and leave. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw London’s face. He was going to get to see her in a few hours and the more he thought about it the more aggressive he became. Jena loved it rough, which was right up his alley today. He closed his eyes and did something he swore he would never do. He fantasized about London Grey.

  It didn’t take him long to feel the pressure rush up his cock. Ryder reached down grabbing Jena’s hair, pulling her head back, and making her moan. Continuing with the fantasy, Ryder acted like it was London’s hair he was pulling. He came hard as he pushed inside her two more times. Draining every drop into the condom, Ryder didn’t say another word. He just pulled out and went into the bathroom.

  He could tell she wanted to go and stay in his room, but that wasn’t going to happen. This was the reason he didn’t go to his room. Jena knew the drill. She was not his mate nor would she ever be. The only relationship he had with Jena Carnes was sex. Their relationship was mutually beneficial. It was a give and take situation. Jena was a member of his pack and he hoped that she would meet her mate one day and start living life with her own family, but every time he turned around lately, she was there.

  “Ryder, honey, don’t forget that I want to ride with you to the graduation.”

  He cringed when she spoke like they were lovers who saw each other on a regular basis. This was the first time he had sex with Jena in almost a year. He didn’t know if he could say no. She unzipped his pants and sucked him off in the elevator. Damn the woman could suck a golf ball out of a hosepipe, but he felt nothing and now she was getting on his nerves. She knew that Zoey and the Alpha’s would be riding with him. Why in the hell did she come? My sister is going to kill me. Most of the pack came and Ryder could use that as his excuse.

  All he wanted to do now was go to his room, take a shower, and lay down in his bed for a few hours before the graduation.

  “Zoey is riding with me, so you’ll need to drive yourself,” Ryder explained. He knew it was a lame excuse, but Zoey hated Jena and she wouldn’t get in the car if Jena was in it. This was Zoey’s day and he didn’t care what she thought.

  “But I thought we were going together.” Jena’s voice was continuing to grate on his nerves. She was pushing her luck and she knew it.

  “No. You know the deal Jena, we’re not mates. We fuck and that is it. If that isn’t good enough for you then I’m sorry, but make no mistake we are nothing else.” Ryder commented as he watched her pissed off expression through the mirror then closed the door with his foot shutting her out.

  * * * *

  Getting ready to graduate had London thinking about the past. She was excited about her new job and future, but she wasn’t excited to see her best friend move back home. Months had passed, and Penny and her bitches were lying low for some reason. That worried her, since Zoey would be moving back home where Penny would also be living. She hoped Zoey took her advice and asked one of the enforcers or Alphas to continue with her training. She would be on the other side of the country after they graduated and wouldn’t be there to help her.

  “Where is my cap?” Zoey yelled.

  “Probably under your bed, where I saw you throw it.” London responded. Zoey got on her knees in front of her bed and sure enough her graduation cap was lying on the floor, just where she left it. Getting it out, she ran back in front of the mirror and used the pins to make it stay on her head.

  Zoey looked around the room and sighed. This would be the last day they would be together as roommates. She was sad that London would no longer be living with her. After today, life would be different for both of them. She was going back to Alpha City and London would be going to her dream job in New York.

  Zoey had asked her if she wanted to come and work with her in Alpha City. They could go into business together. With London’s computer skills and her math skills they would make a great team. However, London constantly told her about how she dreamed of working in New York and with London’s high scores in school, and her programming skills it wasn’t a shock when she scored a job with the Landon Computer Company. It was a computer company on the Fortune 500 list. Why she wanted to work there, Zoey couldn’t understand. There was nothing special about the place, but ever since London was a little girl she dreamed of working there. Zoey believed she was wasting her talents in a company so big with so many other people who would also be talented in programming. She couldn’t shake the feeling that London should move to Alpha City with her. Before London left she needed to tell her that the job would always be open if she changed her mind.

  “Come on girl or we are going to be late for our own graduation,” Zoey bellowed as she grabbed London’s hand, slamming the door, and dragging her out of their dorm room toward the gym.

  Milton College was small, but only the best and brightest were admitted. Companies came here to find their new rising star. They are two of its brightest. They both would be graduating with honors today. Zoey had many offers, but London knew she didn’t have a choice in where she was going to work. Zoey tried to explain to London, how the pack worked and that her brother allowed her to attend Milton College but that was as far as he would let her go. Her brother, Ryder Malone, wouldn’t allow his sister to leave the city for good. She was part of his pack and he demanded that she come back to Alpha City to work and live so he could look after her. That was the one promise their mom and dad asked of Ryder before they died. She’d told London that her brother was a little bit of a control freak. He was an Alpha male all the way. He expected his commands to be followed and Zoey felt she had to acknowledge that.

  * * * *

  Standing in the back room waiting to go to their seats, London kept touching her hat. “How does my hair look in this cap?” London asked in frustration.

  “It looks great. Leave it alone,” Zoey answered. London was nervous and impatient as she reached up to touch her hat again.

  “Zoey?” London asked with her tone softer. She needed Zoey to know how she felt about their friendship. “If I forgot to tell you, I’m going to miss you and I promise to visit. I won’t forget you. We are still best friends so don’t go home and find a new one when you get back and forget about me.” London watched as tears came to Zoey’s eyes. She didn’t realize how fast her friend was and before she knew it Zoey had her arms wrapped around her hugging her closely.

  “I’m counting on that.” Zoey croaked out. “During Thanksgiving break, you’re coming to my house, okay?”

  “You got it,” London whispered back. The emotion of leaving today made London teary. She didn’t have much time to talk about the future before the music started playing for the graduates to start walking out. London turned back around but reached out and took Zoey’s hand as they walked out to their seats.

  London sat down and scanned the bleachers looking for her grandmother. Sitting at the top of the bleachers, she found her gray hair. Smiling and waving, London pointed and showed Zoey where her grandmother was sitting. Zoey waved at her grandmother, who was smiling and waving back at them.

 
“Okay, so where is the family sitting?” London asked. She knew that some of her pack was coming today. Zoey snorted at her question.

  “Better to ask where aren’t they sitting.” Zoey pointed at the bleachers in the middle of the gym.

  “Which ones?” London asked as she stared at about one hundred males sitting in the middle section.

  “The whole middle section is my family, London.” Zoey answered while pointing toward all the people sitting in the middle rows of the gym.

  Looking at all the people sitting there, London couldn’t believe it. “All of them?”

  Wow, she hoped that Zoey took pity at her shocked face. Zoey explained to her that she had a lot of family but that was over a hundred people.

  “Yep, so get ready because they have rented out the Backdoor Restaurant and expect you to be there too.”

  “I can’t Zoey. My grandmother wants to go to dinner with me tonight. She has a gift she wants to give me.”

  “She’s invited too. I’m sure by now they’ve found your grandmother and invited her.”

  “How would they know who she is? I’ve never met any of them.”

  “They know you, London. My family knows all about you and your family by now. They wouldn’t have their sister living with someone they didn’t investigate.”

  “They investigated me?” London’s voice became louder as people turned around in their seats looking at them.

  Zoey put her hand on London’s shoulder. “Keep it down. Listen they didn’t violate your financial records or change anything. They just wanted to make sure that you were okay and wouldn’t hurt me or tell anybody about me. You know the…” London shook her head and whispered, “I would never put your life in jeopardy like that. Never.”

  “London, I know, and they know that too. Plus, Coach Warden told them about you and how you took up for me and helped me train.”

  “Coach Warden? How does he know anything?” London asked then it started to finally click for her. That was the reason he was always at the events they went to or in the cafeteria at the same time Zoey was. Then he made the comment to watch out for Penny…that she was stronger than I thought.

  “Coach Warden is pack, London. He came here my freshman year. He is my guardian while I’m here.”

  “Then where the fuck was he when Penny was picking on you?” London fired back. Looking around at her classmates, London found the hateful bully, Penny Sanders, staring back at her. Shaking her head, London turned back around. She wouldn’t let the pretentious self-centered bitch ruin her day.

  “Look that was my fault. I’m supposed to text him when I leave so he can be near me. I didn’t text him. He couldn’t watch me twenty-four hours a day and I knew the drill, but I wanted to feel alive and go by myself, but you see what happened. Those damn she bitches have radar when I’m alone.” Zoey stopped talking when the music started playing and the Dean of the College stood up to start the ceremonies.

  London couldn’t concentrate on the graduation. They investigated her and she didn’t even know it. I guess it’s not that bad since the Landon Computer Company investigated me too. So get over it, London chastised herself. Jerking out of her thoughts, Zoey was pulling her up so they could receive their diplomas.

  “It went by so quickly,” London remarked as the ceremony ended. They walked to the bathrooms where they had stored their clothes for after graduation.

  “Come on let’s go change so we can go drink and eat.” Zoey’s excitement was a little contagious when she pulled on London’s arm dragging her toward the bathrooms. Today was to be a fun day, one that they would always remember.

  Zoey was so excited to see her family she broke the sound barrier. London continued to watch her as she combed her hair.

  “Come on girl. Get the lead out,” Zoey joked. London just smiled as she put the brush back in her bag.

  “I’ll be out there in a minute. Go ahead. You have a lot of people to hug,” said London.

  “Okay. See you in a minute.” Zoey ran out the door.

  London was nervous about meeting Zoey’s family. She heard the cheers as the doors opened. Apparently, they were important people, and she was just plain white trash. Even werewolves have a hierarchy. When they met her grandmother, they would know that for sure. London wanted to flush her head in the toilet. Her grandmother was a good woman and she loved her. Never had she been embarrassed by her, but for some reason she didn’t want to go to dinner with all of them. Something made her nervous about them or was it just meeting a lot of people at one time. Zoey always had a lot of cash on her. She had one of those black credit cards that meant that she came from money. Over the summer, Zoey didn’t have to work. Why she didn’t see this earlier was beyond her.

  Staring at herself in the mirror, London didn’t like the way she was feeling. “How pathetic can you be, London? You’re not white trash, and just because you don’t have their kind of money, it doesn’t mean you’re beneath them. What is wrong with you?”

  It was finally starting to hit her that she had a new job and new home. For some reason she felt desperate to prove herself and show that she could be successful. It was very scary too. Where is this doubt coming from? You’re just as good as anyone. Not now, London told herself as she grasped the edge of the sink. Panic attack! London gasped for air. Please, not now, please. London could feel it coming on. She hadn’t had one since her parents were killed.

  Reaching down she splashed cold water on her face, feeling like she was going to pass out. She held onto the sink as she fell into the chair. Grasping her head, London groaned as the pain filtered across her face.

  She didn’t know how long she was in the bathroom, but the next thing she could feel was a cold rag being placed across her forehead. London could hear the faint hum from the air conditioner. Then the feeling that something was wrong made her open her eyes.

  “What happened?” London slurred as she opened her eyes to her grandmother rubbing her face with the cold rag. London looked around and found Zoey was holding her hand.

  “You passed out. I came to check on you when you didn’t come out and I found you like this on the floor. I ran outside and got your grandmother.” Zoey looked worried as she rubbed small circles across London’s hand.

  “Sorry.” London looked up into her grandmother’s violet eyes.

  “You don’t worry about that. I’m just glad you’re okay. You gave me a scare.” Me-Len’s voice gentled, as she kissed her granddaughter’s cheek. She put her hand over her heart showing how scared she was. London could feel her grandmother’s heart beating faster. She felt worse knowing that she was so worried about her.

  “When was the last time you ate anything?” London had never heard that voice before. It was a demanding voice, but one she wanted to follow. She looked around until she found the source of the most delicious voice she had ever heard.

  “Who are you?” London looked the man up and down. Walking closer, the best-looking man she had ever seen bent down beside her.

  “London, this is my brother, Ryder Malone.”

  The first thing she noticed was his blue eyes, but London couldn’t stop staring at him. He was dangerously hot. Her body heated up as she stared into his eyes. Looking up at him, she could tell that he was a tall man. His black onyx hair matched his black suit. This man wasn’t just good looking he was perfection on a stick, and one that she wanted to lick. He could probably make a woman do anything he wanted with just a smile.

  London could feel the power pouring off Ryder, and her body tightened with anticipation when he continued to stare at her. She knew immediately that if he asked her to take her clothes off she would do it in a heartbeat, and that irritated her. She was not a wanton woman. Her face heated as she tried to take her eyes off him. Looking around she realized she was lying on the stinky floor. Now she was mortified.

  London draped her arm over her eyes as she whispered to herself. “Oh my God, please just shoot me now.” Ryder laughed, but she could still
feel his eyes on her.

  “Come on, honey, let’s get you off this floor so you can change clothes and we can go eat. Maybe that will help you feel better.” Me-Len responded, as she stood up and held her hand out to help London up, but London moaned. Ryder reached down and grabbed her by the hands, pulling her to her feet. A powerful shift happened when her hands touched his. The touch stimulated every part of her body as he continued to hold her hands. When she glanced up, his face was right in front of hers. She could feel his breath as it blew across her face and he smelled divine. A musky smell she couldn’t even begin to describe.

  London backed off and he released her hand as she inhaled his scent. She could have sworn that he sniffed her hair before she moved back. His scent made her body go up in flames. Now this was strange. I have reduced myself to sniffing my best friend’s brother and passing out on bathroom floors. Why am I sniffing him? What next? She sneered to herself.

  “Thank you for your help, Mr. Malone.” London flushed as she glanced up at him. He wasn’t smiling but he was staring at her. His intense blue eyes penetrated right through her. She had the feeling the man could see her soul as she stared back at him. His look was intense, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but guessed it was contempt by the way he was staring.

  “Come on big brother. Let London change.” Without looking back at her, Zoey and Ryder walked out of the bathroom as she continued to stare at the closed door they exited.

  “London? Do you need some help sweetie?” She almost forgot about her grandmother being in the bathroom with her. “No ma’am. I’m okay now. I’ll just be a minute.” London looked back and smiled at her grandmother to reassure her that she was okay. She felt embarrassed at how she was just staring at the bathroom door. Lord she felt like a teenager with her first crush. At least that is how she felt at the moment. Looking away London felt weak. Why did Ryder make her feel like this? She was always in control and now she felt so out of control and meek. Where the hell was that coming from? He was just a man and a man that was off limits. No matter how much his touch electrified her.