by A Lonergan
Some of the members of the Crimson Pack walked off with ones from the Bruiser Pack and then Tracey and I were left alone with the Alphas. Couldn’t they just find their mates already?
“Is that all of your wolves?” Rafe finally asked Gamble.
Gamble ran his hand down his fluffy beard. “No, I have one that was running behind. Though I doubt he even cares about the Mate Meet.”
Rafe nodded his head as he scowled. Something was bothering him. He was usually broody but there was a tense set to his shoulders. There was an awareness that he didn’t usually have. Having this pack here was making him nervous.
My ears picked up a sound a few miles away and I blinked in surprise. Tracey’s light eyes found mine as she shrugged. Maybe this was the late one that Gamble had been talking about. A Mustang rolled through the treeline at the end of the driveway. The entire vehicle was blacked out. I could practically feel myself salivating. I had thought Rafe had broken me from bad boys but as soon as the man stepped out of his car, my body broke out in chills.
Maybe I wasn’t broken at all. The man that stepped out of the car wore a leather jacket over a white shirt and black ripped jeans covered thick legs. I swallowed hard as Tracey gripped my hand again. Both of our breathing had shallowed out as we watched the hottie stride across the parking lot. Nothing else moved as he did. I swore I wasn’t even breathing when he stopped in front of Rafe and extended his hand. Tattoos covered every inch of his skin except his neck and his face. From here I could make out a few of the larger pieces. They were of wolves and the woods, but the smaller ones were harder to make out as he moved.
Tracey leaned in. “I don’t know about you but I would love to explore all of those… tattoos.”
I grinned and nodded. “I am right there with you.”
Tatts turned around and smiled at the both of us. The sunlight caught something in his eyebrow and Tracey gasped. “He’s a turned wolf.”
“What do you mean?” I leaned into her.
“His eyebrow piercing. It's next to impossible to get piercings if you’re born a wolf.”
“Hmm?” I raised my eyebrows.
“The skin heals too quickly.”
“Then how does Rafe have tattoos?” I frowned. I had only gotten a little glimpse of his arms.
Tracey winced. “Wolves can get tattoos but only if there is wolfsbane in the ink. It’s an extremely expensive, long, excruciating process. That’s why it’s usually the dominant wolves that have them. Lesser wolves don’t have the willpower.”
From what I could tell Gamble didn’t have any tattoos. Tracey leaned in again and this time her voice was hardly audible. “Fake Alpha.”
My eyes snapped to hers. Gamble was a fake Alpha? Was that possible? How did that come to be? Were others in on it?
The new man ran his tongue over his teeth as he approached us. “Good evening, ladies,”
Tracey hiccuped and I tried to keep myself from laughing at how ridiculous all of this was. Tracey squeezed my hand before letting go. “I think my grandmother needed my help in her herb garden.”
I frowned at her and was about to reply when she disappeared. She had left me with Tatts. I rubbed my temples before I extended my hand to the newcomer. “I’m Jade, that was Tracey and her weird ass self.”
His eyes didn’t leave mine and warmth pooled low in my belly. I was definitely no longer immune to the bad boys. This was very bad but also not terrible. He accepted my outstretched hand and a smirk played on his lips. “Tracey the half-witch.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I don’t know if I would call her that. Do you have a name, or should I just call you Tatts?”
He chuckled and once again warmth pooled in my abdomen. I had serious issues. “I’m Carden.”
Even his name was hot. Oh, help me.
“Nice to meet you,” Two growls sounded beside me as my voice got all breathy. My eyes flicked to Rafe’s and I let out a growl myself. I wasn’t going to be bullied by any asshole Alpha today, especially not with Carden in front of me. The last thing I wanted him to think was that I was weak.
“Have you ever been to a Mate Meet?” Carden put his hand on my lower back and guided me away from the new two Alpha-holes.
I took a deep breath. “Not exactly, I’m kind of new to all of this.”
He chuckled and then his scent hit me. Rum, clove, and something citrus… like maybe, orange. A chill worked its way down my spine.
“Me too, I can smell that you were recently turned,” He leaned forward and for a long agonizing minute, I waited for him to press his nose to my throat like Gamble had done. Instead, he pulled away from me and shoved his hands into his pockets.
Was that a good thing or a bad thing? “And what does that smell like?”
Carden cocked his head and gave me a face. “Like you haven’t decided on something. Your scent is all over the place.”
I didn’t know what that meant but I knew it had something to do with Rafe. I looked over my shoulder ready to throw him a scowl but he was gone and so was the other Alpha. Carden looked up at the trees above us and my eyes followed the movement of his sharp jaw. I shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe I haven’t decided anything yet.”
He cocked an eyebrow as he brought his gaze back down to mine. “Oh? Like what?”
“My wolf hasn’t exactly been corporative,” Which wasn’t exactly a lie but wasn’t really the truth either. I hadn’t really cared if she came around but now with Carden in the game, I felt like I needed my wolf to get her ass in gear. Which was silly. I had never fumbled like this over a man before. They usually came to me willingly and I decided whether they were worth my time after a few minutes. My body seemed to be telling me that Carden was definitely worth my time.
He leaned into me and I got the strong scent of citrus again. “Maybe we should let her out to play.”
His eyes shifted from blue to yellow in a second and I felt panic well up in my chest. I wasn’t ready to shift, especially not in front of this hot guy. Knowing me, I would make a complete fool of myself in the process.
I bit down on my bottom lip and shook my head hard. “No, that’s okay. She’s not really in the running mood.”
Carden narrowed his eyes and took a step away from me. “So, what do you like to do for fun around these parts? Our Pack isn’t anywhere near a college campus, I would imagine it gets rather crazy around here.”
I licked my lips, thankful for the change in conversation. “Yes, there are ragers almost every night.”
A smile played on his lips and he ran his hand through his blonde hair. “I would love to go to one of these parties with you, if you’re up for it.”
It was the weekend and I could easily tell my parents I was going on a date. Which would make them ecstatic. I hadn’t been on a date in what seemed like forever. I ran my hands down the front of my borrowed skirt. “I would like that very much. Why don’t you put your number in my phone and I’ll send you my address for you to pick me up later?”
Carden cocked his head to the side. “Like a date?”
I couldn’t tell if he was happy with that or not. But I also didn’t care. If he wanted to go to one of these parties with me, he would be my date. I wasn’t going to end up at another party alone and in danger.
Chapter 27
Jade Rivers
My mom was the one waiting for me when I got home. Before I had left the Crimson Pack’s property I had made sure to change into my clothes again and speak to Tracey. She had met one of the wolves from the Bruiser Pack after he had gotten bored with one of the other girls. So somehow, it had turned into a double date, which I didn’t mind but I didn’t know how Carden would feel about it.
“How was Tracey last night?” my mom asked from the kitchen as the front door closed behind me.
“She was good, just a little drunk and needed a ride home.” Which was a complete lie because werewolves couldn’t get drunk unless there was wolfsbane in the alcohol. I had come to discover this as I was chan
ging back into my clothes before I left pack lands. Tracey tucked a flask of it in my center console and grinned. Apparently, this was also expensive and if Rafe found out I had it, we would both be in big trouble. Which only made me want it more. Anything to get under his skin and bother him as much as he did me.
“I’m glad that you have a friend and can be a good friend to her,” Mom said with her back to me as she pulled something from the oven. From the smell of it, I knew it was roasted tofu. My stomach lurked. My mom’s roasted tofu was the best, but my wolf didn’t like the smell of it at all. I would have to fake it for her benefit or she would know something was wrong with me.
“What does that mean?” I leaned onto the island and went to pick at the top of the tofu. She swatted my hand away just like she always did. I smiled. I was going to have to really fake this good.
“You have always been so worried about the escape that you never got close to anyone.”
I blinked at her. She had never tried to get deep with me and she had never really spoken with me on my friendships before. Why was she calling me out on this now?
“Escape?” I took a bottle of water out of the fridge and tried to ignore the icy pain in my chest from her words.
“I didn’t ever think you were depressed but maybe, we should have gotten you evaluated before.” Dark circles surrounded my mother’s eyes.
“I’m not depressed,” I’m lonely. But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her in that way. I was lonely because I wanted to be alone but I also didn’t. I had never tried to get close to anyone because I had never seen it done before. I had no example of how to be a friend. So for one night a week, I escaped to the parties to make myself feel whole. To make myself feel like I wasn’t so lonely.
I thought of Tracey then and I wondered if I would still feel so alone if I hadn’t been turned. Would she still be close with me? Or would she have eventually left too? For once since Rafe had turned me, I didn’t feel like I needed to party, but tonight I wanted to. For once I didn’t feel so alone and hollow. I felt like I belonged to something besides a party and school.
“Then what is going on?” She sighed. “You have thrown yourself into school work lately, so maybe it isn’t as bad or maybe that’s worse.”
I grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug. She was a worrier. A worrier for no reason sometimes and this time, I could see that it was weighing heavily on her shoulders. She took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I think I’m just trying to figure out who I am.”
Mom let out a shuddering breath before we released each other and she went back to the stove to prepare something to go with her tofu. “We really like Tracey and hope she stays around.”
I pressed my lips together into a smile and sighed. I hoped so too.
I toned my usually risqué look down for the night, knowing that my father would have a heart attack if I came down the stairs in my usual party wear. It was starting to get a tad cooler outside and even though I could no longer feel it like I could before, I had to pretend for the sake of my parents. How could I break the news that I had been turned into a werewolf? I still wasn’t certain that it had happened to me yet. I probably had a slight case of denial. I would imagine it would go away as soon as I saw my wolf for the first time. And who knew when that would happen? I wasn’t about to hold my breath.
Dark wash jeans and a thin black sweater. My Converse squeaked as I rushed down the stairs. He told me he would come to the door to get me but I knew as soon as my parents saw the tattoos and the piercing… I was a goner. He was waiting in his blacked-out car at the road. My dad was back in his recliner with his laptop on the side table. My mom was finishing up their dinner when I grabbed my purse and keys.
“Wait, where are you headed?” Mom called from the kitchen. “Roasted tofu is your favorite!”
I grimaced. “I didn’t know you were making it tonight or I possibly wouldn’t have accepted a date.”
My dad sat up in his chair and put his reading glasses on top of his computer. “A date?”
“A date?” My mom repeated from the kitchen.
I took a deep breath. “Yep and I’ll be late if we continue this conversation!”
Before my dad could get up from his chair and my mom could turn the corner, I was out of the door and rushing down the driveway at a much faster pace than I was used to. Just as I got near Carden’s Mustang, he rushed from his side of the car in werewolf speed to open my door for me. My heart stopped.
“If you won’t let me come to your door, then you will at least let me open this one for you.” His voice was like caramel on my insides.
All I could manage was a quick nod. I slipped into his car and found myself surprised. It wasn’t junked out like all the one night stand’s cars had been. It was clean and shiny.
“You didn’t have to go through all the trouble of cleaning just for me,” I joked.
Carden got behind the wheel and leveled me with his steely gaze. “If you paid as much as I did for this car, you would keep it clean too.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Touché.”
Chapter 28
Rafe Crimson
Rage was a new feeling for me. I was used to being angry. Most of the time I was angry but as I watched Carden open Jade’s door for her, I felt something new rip through my chest. The only good thing about the situation was that she had kept her clothes conservative tonight. I wouldn’t have been to blame if she had worn what she did the night I turned her.
When I had overheard their conversation in the woods about her being turned recently, I wanted to march over there and make sure the entire property heard that I was the one that did it. But doing that would only make things more difficult on my wolf and Jade’s. Carden was right, Jade’s scent was all over the place. Her wolf didn’t know what to do and my presence wasn’t making things any easier. I saw the angry glances she shot my way each time we were around each other.
As much as I wanted to stay away and not interfere… I knew one thing. I was going to that party tonight, consequences be damned.
Chapter 29
Jade Rivers
Experiencing a party now was completely different. The music thrummed through my veins as we neared the frat house. I had expected to feel some kind of pain or PTSD because of what had happened the last time I had been at a party. The night Rafe had turned me but I felt nothing. There was no bitterness in my mouth or even a touch of panic. There was something new, a new feeling of excitement. I had never gone to a party with someone before. The thought of walking into that frat house without having to look for anyone was a new sensation. I liked it.
Carden peeked over at me and grinned. His white teeth were a tad sharp and they reminded me of the predator that was hiding beneath his skin -our skin. “You ready?”
He held his hand out to me. “Never been readier.”
I held his hand for a moment before he zoomed out of the car, around to my door. He leaned against my open door with a sly look. “Having that kind of speed never gets old.”
I narrowed my eyes at him as I looked around his vehicle. I was still too new to all of this. “Aren’t you afraid someone will see you?”
He rolled his eyes. “Not really. Mostly everyone is drunk here. What are they gonna do?”
I ran my tongue over the front of my teeth and nodded my head. He did have a point. He grabbed my hand again but this time there was no smile on his face. He narrowed his eyes at the people milling around us. It was still early, though most everyone had started drinking hours before. The proof of it was on the front balcony of the home. A few passed out bodies already.
Carden’s shoulders were squared off and tense. He was worried about something. I yanked him to a stop and he sighed. “I have never felt so out of control with my powers before. The music makes it feel funny. The pulsing sounds are muffling the rest of my senses and it’s making it hard for me to concentrate.”
I pressed
my lips together in worry. “We don’t have to stay.”
I wasn’t feeling the same things as him but it could have been because of a number of things. Starting with the part that I had only shifted once and I couldn’t feel my wolf prowling under my skin.
Carden gave me a pained grin. “No, I want to stay. I would hate for you to waste looking that good.”
I couldn’t help the retort that passed my lips. “Too bad my parents are home and you don’t get to see how I really dress.”
Tracey confirmed it as she walked up the driveway behind us. “Did you just get out of church?”
She was wearing a tight dress that laced up her chest. There was no way she could wear any underwear with that on. Her full breasts were on display tonight and I raised my eyebrows at her in question. She was usually more reserved.
“Where is your date?”
Tracey waved her hand behind her. “He’s parking the car.”
A few minutes later the breath left my lungs when Tracey’s date walked up the lawn and looped his arm through my friend’s. This wasn’t right. She told me she had a date, but why hadn’t she mentioned it was Rafe?
He grinned and it didn’t meet his eyes. “You look nice tonight, Jade.”
I felt my lip lift up in a snarl. “Everything would be nicer if you weren’t here.”
Rafe cocked his head. “I doubt that. I wish you would have worn that leopard print crop top and those leather leggings in your dresser.”
Not only had he been in my room, but he had also gone through my drawers. I let out a slow snarl. “You’re a panty thief and a creep, I wonder what else will be added to your resume tonight.”
Rafe let out a bark of a laugh while Tracey did nothing to hide her mortification of the situation, all while Carden looked between the three of us like we were insane. We probably were. I grabbed his hand in mine and marched away from my friend and my enemy.
