Page 9

nine

ASPEN

The next few days passed quickly.

Enzo didn’t let me help him cook, and he never stayed long.

We slept together at night, though I was wearing his tank top and a pair of boxer-briefs at all times, so there was never anything sexual to it.

Other than his erection, and my body’s response. We both pretended those didn’t exist.

No matter how I went to sleep, I always woke up clinging to him, with my wolf purring.

I read books on my iPad mini. Enzo wouldn’t admit to fixing my cracked devices, but we both knew he had done it. My old, broken electronics had been swapped for newer models without cracks, and someone had transferred all of my stuff so they functioned identically to the old ones.

Enzo had either bought them or asked Hunter to do it, and Hunter made them functional. He was the techy one.

Three days passed, then four, before I couldn’t stay sane in the room any longer.

My wolf was restless.

My ankle wasn’t perfect, but it was healed enough that she didn’t see any point in waiting around.

Enzo left after breakfast on day four, like he had been doing. As soon as he was gone, I pulled my boot off and slipped out of bed.

The Alpha was going to be pissed that I removed it without permission, but it was my ankle.

After a pitstop in the bathroom, I walked carefully to the closet, planning to grab one of his long-sleeved shirts. He brought me a clean pair of boxer-briefs and a tank top every morning, but I wasn’t about to walk around the Lodge in one of those thin t-shirts. They weren’t entirely see-through, but they definitely weren’t opaque.

And Enzo would lose his shit if anyone else saw my tits. That had been made pretty clear.

I flipped the light on in the closet as I stepped inside, then stopped.

And blinked.

And blinked again.

There were clothes hanging up. Colored clothes. Women’s clothes.

It didn’t take a genius to know who they were for.

Or who had put them there.

But when had Enzo brought them in? I would’ve noticed him hanging up an entire wardrobe of clothing, wouldn’t I?

And it was an entire wardrobe. More than a wardrobe. I definitely hadn’t had that many clothing options when I lived with Fletcher.

Very few clothes ever fit me properly right out of the store. My legs were too long. My waist wasn’t small. I was built strong, not skinny. Not curvy either, even though my boobs were far from small. Just… muscular. Like a male werewolf.

I ran a hand over the top of my hair. It needed to be washed, but the Alpha had made it very clear that if I tried to take a bath without him, things would not go my way. Bathing with his help sounded awful, so I’d just thrown my hair in a bun on top of my head and piled on the deodorant every day.

It wasn’t ideal, but very few things in my life had ever been ideal.

Uncomfortable conversations would happen if none of the clothes he’d apparently gone out to buy for me fit. I’d just have to suck it up.

At least he’d bought me clothes. That was more than I expected from him, and it was sweet. I thought I was going to have to beg or argue to get him to take me shopping.

Ill-fitted clothes were far better than the boxer-briefs he’d never worn and see-through tank tops

My phone rang on the nightstand, and I padded back to it. When I saw my brother’s name and face on the screen, I lifted it to my ear immediately. He had given short, bland responses to any questions about how he was doing, so I was worried about him.

“Hey, Fletch. What’s up?”

“Hey.” There was a moment of silence. It was almost awkward, which was weird. Things were never awkward for us.

He finally let out a long breath.

“Fletcher?”

“Are you okay? How’s the ankle healing?” he was clearly avoiding whatever he’d called to tell me.

“It’s fine. I took the boot off.”

“Already? Does the Alpha know?”

“Not yet.”

“Put it back on, Aspen.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine. What are you avoiding talking about?”

“The Alpha is deadly. You know that. Don’t risk angering him,” Fletcher growled.

“He’s not deadly to me. He’ll be pissed, but he’ll get over it. We have a truce.”

“The truce where you let him take care of you and he lets you walk around the room instead of chaining you to the bed?” Fletcher drawled.

“It’s better than it sounds,” I said, lips twisting in a grimace.

Maybe the situation was worse than I’d started to believe. Maybe reading too many spicy romance books had made me think weird situations were normal.

Whoops.

No going back, though.

“I doubt that,” Fletcher said.

“Just spit out whatever you’re trying to say. His brothers monitor my phone. Someone’s probably listening to us right now.”

“Fine. I was fighting in Creek for a few days. Finally lost two days ago. Spent yesterday trying to find some wolves to join my pack, but didn’t have any luck. My wolf is restless. I’ll have to figure something out in the next few days, both job-wise and pack-wise.”

I sat down on the edge of the bed. “You should’ve told me.”

“There was nothing you could do.”

“Like hell there wasn’t. Enzo is overbearing, but he listens to me. I can get you a place here. I?—”

“He’s trapped you there, Aspen. If I move in, neither of us will ever get out.”

Fletcher wasn’t wrong.

And even though my wolf was so much more content in the king’s pack, I was still trapped there. By a king who insisted on taking care of me as if I really was his mate.

I wasn’t stupid enough to think I’d find a way out anymore. Or that I necessarily needed to. Enzo was deadly, but not to me. The man didn’t want me the way the wolf did, but he wasn’t fighting his beast on it. He was taking care of me for him.

He'd been cooking me three meals a day—three delicious meals—and still hadn’t brought up my request to work. It wasn’t the life I wanted to live, being the king’s useless mate. He probably just wanted me to breed with him so he could have strong pups like him and his brothers.

He knew I wanted a job and liked to stay busy, but he hadn’t brought it up yet. I hoped we’d get to the point where I could, but he wasn’t exactly receptive to anything I said.

And he didn’t know that I had an IUD. That I definitely wouldn’t be getting pregnant in the next few years.

I definitely wouldn’t be the one who told him that.

Especially not when I only had two days left until my heat would start.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated to my brother, shaking away thoughts of heat.

That was tomorrow’s problem.

“Don’t apologize for him.”

“What’s your plan?” I changed the subject, not wanting him to say anything about the Alpha that might get him hurt or killed. I didn’t think Enzo’s wolf would hurt my brother, because he was so particular about caring for me, but there was still a chance.

I didn’t really know anything about the Alpha other than that he was possessive, thought I was his mate, and was deeply respected by his pack for killing rogue wolves who would otherwise kill innocent people.

Fletcher scoffed. “You gave my number to Jake. He’s been trying to convince me to join your king’s pack.”

“He’s not my king,” I said.

But he kind of was.

“I’ll spend the next few days trying to join a new pack. I found a few leads in a gritty bar last night. Wanted posters for packs looking for wolves. Most of them already have Alphas, but I’ll reach out anyway.”

If Fletcher was a normal alpha wolf, he wouldn’t have a hard time finding one. Alphas who agreed to follow another Alpha made a pack much stronger.

But Fletch was too strong to join in that capacity. If he found a pack, he was going to have to lead it. And most packs weren’t looking for a leader.

Considering how big Crimson River was, it was very simple to abandon a pack if an Alpha you didn’t like took over.

If Fletcher just went into a pack guns-blazing and challenged the Alpha, people would leave, and he’d be in the same situation he was already in.

Alone.

Packless.

With a flailing wolf.

“Fletch…” I trailed off.

He grunted. “I’m fine, Aspen. I’ll figure it out.”

“It’s just that I’ve heard about a lot of werewolves going rogue,” I said, my voice growing quieter. I wasn’t sure whether or not the Alpha’s brothers would let me talk about that with someone outside the pack. “They get lost to their wolves. It’s a serious proble?—”

The line went dead.

A text came through my phone, and I looked down at the screen.

Unknown

Don’t talk about that

The message had to be from Hunter.

My chest tightened.

Me

Fine, I won’t

I called Fletcher back, lifting the phone to my ear again.

“What happened?” he growled.

“Nothing. I’m not supposed to talk about the king’s business. Anyway, just be careful. If you feel yourself slipping, come find me. I’ll get you into the pack if Jake can’t.”

“I won’t have you ask him for a favor from me. We have no idea what he’d demand in exchange.”

Fletcher had a point.

Enzo had never made me trade anything for clothes, meals, or medical care, but those things were kind of required if he was going to make me mate with him. Letting my brother into the pack to save his life wasn’t.

“I can survive one favor, Fletch. You were kicked out of Creek because of me. Just?—”

“I’ve got to go. I’ll update you when I’ve found another pack. Love you.” His voice was gruff.

He was sad, even if he didn’t want to admit it. He’d spent so many years in the Creek Pack as a teenager, taming his wolf and forcing the beast to follow another Alpha. He had only been allowed there because of our adoptive parents’ influence. We’d been apart for a while, then. It wasn’t until he finally took over the pack that we’d deemed it safe enough for me to move with him.

“Love you too.”

He hung up as soon as I got the words out, and I let out a shaky breath.

If he wasn’t going to join the Crimson Pack, there was only one choice left.

Silas.

Another shaky breath escaped me.

Calling Silas was a bad idea, considering the possessive Alpha whose brother was probably listening in on my calls. But Fletcher would never ask him for help.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a long moment, and padded back to the closet.

I’d call him after I was dressed, just in case Enzo came blazing in while I talked to him. I definitely couldn’t risk the Alpha thinking I was making any kind of a romantic phone call. Silas would die. Enzo had already hurt him more than anyone else he’d attacked because of me.

I went back into the closet and looked through the clothes. Strangely enough, they looked almost the same as my old ones. The sports bras were the same size, though the fabric felt softer and nicer, and I lifted my eyebrows at the brand’s logo.

The cropped, sporty jackets and sweatshirts I preferred were similar cuts and colors to my old ones, too. The leggings all had pockets, like my old ones. The spandex shorts and running shorts were cut perfectly. When I held them up to my legs, they actually looked like they might be the lengths I needed. And they were all the same dark, neutral shades I preferred.

Even the oversized t-shirts he’d supplied had the same bands on them that I preferred and listened to.

Wow.

I was probably wrong about the lengths being right. And the sizes being perfect. And the clothes being crazy expensive. He would’ve had to spend a small fortune to buy me that many clothes in the brands he seemed to have gone with. They were probably knockoffs.

I pulled on a sports bra and nearly groaned at the feel of the fabric.

Fuck me, it was so much softer than anything else I’d ever worn.

A jacket followed it. A thong and leggings, too, since I wasn’t going for a run and didn’t need the spandex.

All of them were stupidly comfortable.

I googled the brand I thought the logo matched, and stared down at the price with wide eyes.

Crap.

I definitely wasn’t going to look in the closet and do that mental math. It would probably make me sick.

I wasn’t a kept woman. I worked. I paid for my own stuff. Most of my money was trapped in the pack accounts like Fletcher’s, but I had saved a little that only I could access.

Accepting the clothing, which was basically a gift, would mean I owed the king.

I couldn’t do that.

But I couldn’t reject the clothes, either.

We needed to talk. To have a conversation about what it meant to him.

That would have to wait until after I talked to Silas, though.

I closed my eyes and leaned up against the closet wall. The smell of Enzo with a hint of his mostly-scentless laundry detergent mixed deliciously in the small room, making my feel slightly better about the coming conversation.

Nothing would truly ease it, though.

Talking to Silas was never comfortable. The past haunted all of us too much for that.

I hit the button to call him, and bit my lip as it rang.

There was a real chance he would ignore me. Considering what Enzo had done to him, I wouldn’t blame him even slightly. Hell, even before that, I wouldn’t have blamed him.

Our family’s connection was messy.

Dark.

Uncomfortable.

The heats we’d spent together were only the tip of the iceberg.

He answered right before it went to voicemail. “Aspen.”

A lump swelled in my throat. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

I didn’t need to explain why I was asking.

He knew I was the reason the king had shown up at his doorstep and beat the shit out of him. Fletcher would’ve told him everything Enzo hadn’t already said.

“I’m fine. Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m great.”

He chuckled. It was tense, and there was no humor behind it. “What do you need?”

“Not me. Fletcher. Did he tell you the Creeks overthrew him?”

“What?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “The king told them what I am. I think he’s telling everyone. Because I lived with him, they were angry. The alpha wolves challenged him over and over until someone won. I don’t know who.”

“Has he found another pack?”

“No. He seems to have lost the trust of everyone who knows what I am.”

Silas let out a long breath. “Great.”

“Yeah. I know your wolf and his don’t get along, but if there’s any way you can let him join, just until he…” I trailed off as the bedroom door opened, then closed. Hard.

Not good.

Enzo strode into the closet, stepping in front of me and plucking the phone from my hand. Instead of lifting it to his ear like I expected, he hit the button to put it on speaker.

My body tensed.

He wanted to hear Silas talk to me, without the other man knowing he was on the line. There would be no flirting or anything, but he could hear something I didn’t want him to.

Maybe a few somethings I didn’t want him to.

“I would if I could, but my wolf would never be able to relax if he was here. One of us would end up dead sooner, rather than later. You may need to bargain with the king. I know he collects dominant alphas.”

“I get it. Thanks anyway.”

“Is it safe to assume that he’ll be the one rutting you?”

My face flushed.

Shit.

I pulled my gaze away from Enzo’s.

“Yeah, you’re off the hook.”

Even Enzo, in his insane possessiveness, couldn’t have mistaken Silas’s relieved breath following my response.

“Mom wants me to make sure you know that if he’s hurting you, we’ll figure out a way to free you.”

That was exactly what I wanted the king to hear.

“His wolf wants me as his mate. He hasn’t hurt me. He can’t. He won’t ,” I said. Honestly, I believed it.

“Even if he does, you need to tell them you’re fine,” Silas said.

My eyes lifted back to the Alpha’s. “I know. I’ve got to go.”

“Alright. Sorry about Fletcher.”

He didn’t sound sorry.

We both knew he really wasn’t sorry.

And I didn’t even blame him for it. In his position, I wouldn’t have been sorry either.

“Sorry about the king’s visit,” I said.

He grunted, and hung up.

Enzo took the phone out of my hand and put it in his pocket, rage still burning in his eyes.

He took a step toward me. I was already leaning against the wall, so there was nowhere to go. “Explain, Princess.”

“Fletcher’s pack doesn’t trust him anymore, and challenged him until?—”

“Not that.” His voice was sharp.

“You’re going to have to clarify, because you could be referring to any number of things that were said.”

“He was relieved not to spend heat with you.”

“Oh. That.” My heart pounded.

Emotions I didn’t want to feel surged to the surface. I fought hard to keep them at bay.

“Aspen,” he warned.

“We were raised together. We’re not blood-related, but he’s only a few weeks older than us, and we grew up together. Neither of us was ever interested in each other. He screwed me every month because he had to, not because he wanted to or enjoyed it.”

There was no way around the pleasure. Not during heat. But when the lust died down, shame and guilt always followed.

Silas hated me. Not loudly, and he wasn’t cruel about it, but he did. I would’ve hated me too in his shoes.

“Why can’t their wolves handle each other?” Enzo asked.

Now, we were getting into the darker shit.

“Things happened in the past. A long time ago. They’ve been at odds ever since. I don’t want to say any more than that.”

He took another step toward me.

With a deep breath in, our chests would meet.

“I’m not asking .”

“Good, because I’m not telling you.”

His chest vibrated in warning. “Great. I’ve been itching to pay another visit to the Stone Pack.”

My body stiffened.

That was a clear threat. Not to me, but to Silas.

That bastard was smart enough to know that there was only one way to force me to answer him.

And fuck, I hated him for that.

I hated that he was big enough and strong enough to force me to give him what he wanted. That he could trap me. Cage me. Make me breakfast, then come in here and demand I tell him horrible things from my past.

My fists clenched, my body trembling.

“Silas had a twin brother. Simon.” My voice shook even more than my body. “He died the first time I went into heat. Silas rightfully resents me and Fletcher for it.”

The Alpha studied me, his anger fading slightly.

Finally, he let out a harsh breath and grabbed me by the waist. Instead of throwing me over his shoulder like he had in the past, he just lifted me a few inches off the floor and carried me into the kitchen.