Page 14

VIOLET

I stared out of the window, watching trees fly by as the car traveled deeper into pack land.

“What happened, Vi?” Maggie asked for the fifth time. She’d driven up to the curb where I’d dropped in a crouch, my heart throbbing from the rejection.

“Nothing,” I mumbled. The insistence was coming. It wasn’t hard to figure out that I was lying, so I had to come up with something. “I asked the Alpha if I could leave.”

“What?! Like the pack?” Maggie swerved, and I grabbed onto the side of the door.

“Please look at the road,” I gasped, panting.

“Why would you want to leave? You just got here,” she said, suspicion coating her tone.

“I just . . . don’t fit here.”

“Bull. You were fine. Something happened.”

Tears welled right when I had a hold on them. I pressed my palm to my chest where it physically ached like he’d stomped all over me.

“I like your brother.” I was met with silence. I wanted to sink into the seat and disappear.

“Oh, and, ummm,” she mumbled. She stayed silent and returned her focus to driving. As I sniffled and struggled to get my feelings back in line, I watched her open and close her mouth multiple times. I tipped my head back as the car jostled up the incline leading to the pack house.

There wasn’t much for her to say. It was embarrassing and impossible. Making a life here slipped out of my fingers like water. Maybe I should just live out in the human world, start over fresh.

The Toyota jolted to a halt among the line of cars parked next to the pack house. I grabbed the door handle to make my escape. I didn’t have a lot so I’d be able to collect everything quickly, and once I was away from here, I’d figure out where to go.

Returning to my old pack wasn’t an option because I’d left without the Alpha’s permission. He would break my neck for escaping him, something the Luna well knew when she helped me escape. I got out of the car, closed the door, and turned away to wipe my face. The driver’s side door slammed, and Maggie’s footsteps neared.

“They’re not getting mated for another few weeks, can you please just stay for a little longer. Please?” she begged. I pressed my lips together. Her soft words curled around me like a balm, and the panic to run calmed. “I mean you need to plan where to go, right? You can’t just leave?—”

“Okay,” I whispered, interrupting her. She would continue her spiel if I didn’t stop her, plus, she had a point. What was a few more days? I could decide my next steps and, at the very least, figure out where to travel to from here.

She let out a gust of air.

“Here,” she said, holding out a slim device. “This is for you.”

“I can’t take that.” I put my palm against the phone. She huffed and rolled her eyes, insistently shoving it at my chest.

“Just for now. You can leave it if you want, but it’s been registered to you.” She pulled her hand back, and it would have slipped down my front and to the ground if I didn’t catch it. I palmed the expensive device. “I don’t know what’s going on with you and Graham, but he was pushing me about getting it for you.” She licked her lips. “Look, Violet, he’s never asked me to look out for someone. Or even get them a phone and have it connected to our account.” She shook her head. “He’s acting out of character.”

“He’s going to be mated,” I said through numb lips.

“You’re right,” Maggie sighed. “I wouldn’t stand for that either.” She scowled and crossed her arms. “Savannah was looking for you.”

“Where is she?”

“Should be in the pack kitchen,” she said, a pensive look on her face. “You go straight through the house, past the living room; it’s the double doors directly adjacent.” An alarm went off. “Shit, I have to get back to the school. We’re teaching blending.” She jogged away, leaving me to my thoughts.

I palmed the heavy device. Eastland devices were the top of the line. I slid the phone into my pocket and went to find Savannah.

I wove between the varying mix of cars. Pebbles and sawdust crunched underfoot as I approached the front porch. I climbed the steps and entered through the front. Three males sitting on the couch looked up, and I quickened my stride, keeping my head down.

“Hey, that’s the new bitch.” After some shuffling, the guy blocked my path. He was tall and built like a bean pole. I peeked up at him and dropped my eyes.

“Excuse me,” I mumbled and tried to go around him. He got back in my way.

“I’m Gordon,” he said and smiled wide. I tried to walk around him again. He grabbed my arm. The suddenness sucked the oxygen from my lungs. I yanked away so fast, his fingernails scratched my elbow.

My skin crawled. I hadn’t gotten over my aversion to touch.

“No harm meant.” He put his hands up and that smile didn’t warble. I sighed and took a step back to look up at the guy. “I just wanted to introduce myself.”

“Hi,” I forced out. His grin widened. “Gordon, Savannah is waiting for me.”

“I won’t keep you any longer.” I was already walking away before he finished his sentence. The living room connected to the kitchen, so it wasn’t much farther. My shoes thudded across the tile, and I crossed the little dividing wall to the double doors on the left, just as Maggie explained.

Past the doors was a flurry of movement. Male and female werewolves alike shuffled around the kitchen. The scent of spices heavily scented the air. Those tin pans that had been set out in the dining area were lined up on the island in the huge industrial-grade kitchen.

The doors swung shut behind me, and I moved out of the way of a woman carrying a pan. One of the girls closest to me leaned over the large stove, turning the spoon inside the tall metal pot.

She looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. Her blue eyes scanned me from head to toe.

“Savannah,” she shouted and returned to whatever she was doing.

Savannah popped up from where she’d been crouched behind the open fridge door.

Her short white hair bounced with her stride over to me. Lines formed at the corner of her eyes with her smile.

“You’re back so soon,” she said, smiling as she approached. She dipped her head, and it felt like she was staring into my soul. “You couldn’t handle our Alpha’s attitude, huh?” She tsked. “That’s how Maggie ended up helping him out, he kept running everyone else off.” She wiped her hands on the apron.

“Not at all,” I said, forcing my lips into a smile. If I admitted her Alpha was an utter dick, I doubted it would make her like me.

“Pft.” She waved my denial away, very obviously not believing me. “I have just the task for you.” Her eyes flicked to the side, and she swiped her palms on her apron again. “It is a bit unorthodox, but I promise you, I tried not to have you assigned this.”

Color me confused. I pursed my lips. She sighed and shook her head.

“That visiting Alpha,” she whispered, leaning close. “He’s difficult.” She cleared her throat. “His bedroom is a mess, but he hasn’t allowed anyone to clean it up. But when he mentioned your name . . .” She paused. “I took the opportunity and agreed for you to go in there. I am terribly sorry to spring this on you.” She clasped my hands in hers, lifting them close to her chest. “I hate to ask this of you, but the smell of alcohol is driving me crazy.”

“You want me to clean Alpha Whitlock’s room?” I blinked a few times. Her eyes flitted to the side.

“Yes.” She winced.

That smug bastard. I thinned my lips. He’d planned this. First, he got me drunk, and now this? Absolutely ridiculous. All he enjoyed was seeing me squirm. Savannah dropped my hands.

“Does Alpha Graham know?”

“No.” Savannah frowned. “It’s a lot to ask. I shouldn’t have?—”

“No, no.” I sighed and scrubbed my face. “I’m happy to do it.

“Perfect. Thank you so much,” she gushed. “Sweet girl, I’m glad you’ve joined our pack. You’ll love it here.”

I forced a smile and nodded.

She visibly relaxed and her eyes lit up.

“It won’t be forever; it’ll only be until the mating and then he’s gone,” she said.

I’d be gone next week, so I wasn’t worried about it. I’d go in, pick up his mess as best I could. As pack duties went, it wasn’t too bad. I always hated kitchen and bathroom duty, but by the look of it, everyone handled cleaning their space other than the Alphas.

“You are a saint.” She clasped my cheeks in her palms and squeezed, making my lips purse. “If you need anything, just tell me. My nephew is difficult to handle sometimes.”

“Who’s your nephew?” I asked trepidatiously.

“Graham, dear, now let me get you some cleaning products.” She shuffled away, leaving me in utter shock. She was Maggie and Graham’s aunt. I could ask her to advocate for me leaving the pack. She shuffled over and this time I didn’t have to force the smile. It sucked having to clean for Whitlock, but I’d get it done with more energy now. “I’ll show you to the room.” She continued chattering as I trailed after her. Gordon waved at me from his sprawl on the couch, and I smiled closed-lipped at him.

“You can schedule the days you clean his room as you prefer, as long as it’s thrice a week. Once he’s gone, we’ll figure out what else you can do on pack land. Here we are.” Her nose wrinkled and she motioned to one of the doors in the hall. It seemed innocent enough. I couldn’t smell anything, but by the look on her face, she could. “Please call me if you have any questions.” She handed me the cleaning bucket and the products inside clattered against each other. She zipped away with the same energy she seemed to always have. I puffed my cheeks out, let out a slow breath and turned back to the door.

I knocked on the surface. I’d had cleaning duty once or twice in my last pack. All the underage pups experienced the different pack jobs in an effort to get them matched with a task. In doing that, I’d ended up walking in on plenty of couples going at it , which left me suitably scarred.

There was no answer to my knock, so I pushed it open. The smell of alcohol slapped me across the face. I could only stand in complete shock. Bottles littered the side of the bed. At least they were upright. I scowled and shut the door behind me, cutting off the noise from the hall. Gritty, low music thumped from the speaker sitting on the dresser across the room.

The rooms must be incredibly insulated if I couldn’t hear it from right outside the door. I set the cleaning bucket down and crouched to see what I had to work with. I plucked out a thick plastic bag and shuffled over to the mess by his unmade bed.

Tsking, I got to work. Bottles clinked together with each one I shoved in the bag, but the music was loud enough that I couldn’t hear too much of it. Once the bag became weighed down, I tied it up and placed it near the door, before grabbing another one to pick up more bottles. How could this male just toss things around? I refused to pick up the pile of clothes near the end of the bed.

I kneeled near the nightstand and grabbed one of the tipped over beers on the floor. Fortunately, it was empty, so it didn’t leave a mess. I shoved it in with the others. A fine layer of dust coated the nightstand surface. Standing with a sigh, I shoved the last of the bottles in and tied the bag at the top.

A creak dragged my attention to the door next to the speaker. Alpha Whitlock walked out, nude and rubbing a small towel over his hair. My gaze dropped to his semi-stiff cock and my grip went limp. The bag of bottles thudded on the ground. Since he was naked, I could see the muscles along his body tense. He snarled, flashing his teeth, but he immediately relaxed when he saw me.

“Violet,” he drawled. His gaze scanned the cleaning bucket and then the mess at my feet. He audibly inhaled. I tried not to drop my gaze, but I couldn’t help following the line of his muscles. His abdomen bunched as he strode over. He tossed the towel to the side and his damp hair hung over his forehead.

I dipped to grab the bag I’d dropped and backed up.

“I’ll come back to finish when you’re not here.”

He didn’t stop his progression. I tipped my chin up to look into his eyes. He yanked the plastic bag from my grip and tossed it aside. The bottles clanged noisily together. His chest moved with another inhale. A light dusting of blond hair covered his chest, so pale it looked almost nonexistent.

“Mmm, will you?” he murmured. Don’t look down. Don’t look down , I chanted.

I looked down, driven by curiosity, and a swirling warmth exploded in my gut. The long red, swelled shaft was slightly curved. Veins ran along the girth.

“It’s staring at me,” I mumbled, peeking at his cock and back up. My face burned.

He grinned deviously, and that look on his face made my heart take a staggering leap.

I exhaled slowly and side stepped, but he was there to block my path. What was it with these Alphas? With every step away, he blocked me. I realized too late that he was corralling me.

I caught another look at his cock. He stepped even closer, and his thing would have rubbed up against me if I didn’t stagger back.

“He wants you,” he said, huskily. My legs hit the edge of the mattress, yet he kept coming. I leaned too far and fell back, landing on his crumpled bed sheets, my arm smacking into his leather jacket. “And you want me.”

His toothy grin did bad things to me. I shuddered and couldn’t help but drink him in. He was so commanding and sexy. Now I got it when females went on about Alpha males. I never understood before because of my visceral disgust for my last Alpha.

At this angle, his cock bobbed a few inches away. It was so damn big. Goddess, why did you make him smell so good?

“I don’t want you,” I said, too rushed.

He chuckled, leaning over and pressing his hands on the bed, caging me within his arms. He hovered over me with that shit-eating grin on his face.

He moved again and then his palm pressed between my legs, where I’d remained needy because of Graham.

I couldn’t move and I didn’t want to. I watched him in a trance, his fingers trailing up to the hem of my slacks. He undid them so slowly, it almost seemed like he dared me to say ‘stop’.

The sound of the zipper echoed, and I held my breath, watching his every movement like I was hypnotized.

He gripped my pants and slid them down easily. I didn’t move an inch, because the reality was, I did want him. He was hot and right now, with his hands on me, he soothed the sting of hurt in my heart.

Alpha Whitlock slipped his fingertips into my undies, and his warm fingers pressed against my sex. I gasped, my eyes widening.

He chuckled and the sound elevated my pulse.

“You want me,” he said huskily.

I breathed out, overwhelmed by the sensation of his large hand stuffed in my underwear. “Say it, Darling.”

The order reached inside me and twisted the words free.

“I want you.”

His grin was edged with malice, but I couldn’t bring myself to care right this second. My hips jerked up to rub my sex against the pressure his hands created.

A loud ringing invaded my sexual haze, and I patted to the side to grab the phone that wouldn’t shut up. Whitlock curled his fingers, rubbing them against the top of my clit, teasing me.

I lifted the device and the name across the screen was like being dipped in ice-cold water.

“What the fu—” I cut myself off because I sensed my voice about to crack. I rolled away and smacked Whitlock’s reaching hand away. I threw the phone at him, and he caught it, confusion all over his expression. Rolling to the side, I bounced to my feet and tugged my pants up. My cell phone had ended up on the floor. Grabbing it, I slipped it in my pocket.

He clasped the back of my neck before I could make my escape.

I balled my hand into a fist.

“Where are you going?” he rumbled. The hand on the back of my neck squeezed. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but it didn’t allow me to move.

I jerked my elbow back, so it hit his chest. He grunted and I managed to slip away.

Both males I was inexplicably, obsessively attracted to were taken. One had a lover and the other would take a chosen mate.

Frustrated tears pushed to the surface, and I gritted my teeth and whirled to face him at the door.

“Don’t use my duties here as a way to take advantage of me,” I choked out. For good measure, I flipped him off. “And fuck all the way off.”

“Violet,” he snarled, and I slammed the door. I needed some cookie dough ice cream and maybe a flight away from this pack. I hurried down the hall, making a beeline to my room for a much needed shower.

I rubbed my eyes. It would be fine. I would be fine.

A hysterical laugh burst free.

I didn’t even believe myself.

Only a week to go and I would be out of here.