Page 93 of The Wolves of Forest Grove

My heart swelled in my chest, and I had to bite down hard on my tongue to keep the sob trying to break free of my chest from getting out. “That’s not your problem,” I managed in a tight whisper. “Besides, I’m the one who attacked him—”

“Oh shut up,” Vivian interrupted. “You want us to stay and you know it.”

The playful lilt to her tone told me she was trying to make me feel better, and that only made me want to cry harder.

Layla leaned in to bump her shoulder against mine. “Face it,” she said with a chuckle. “You’re stuck with us.”

I crumpled and Layla pulled me into her side. Vivian left Destiny to come crowd in opposite Layla, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “This isn’t your fault,” she told me in a whisper against my filthy hair. “We’re stuck in this shit together now.”

Clay clapped his hands together a moment later, breaking up the mushy embrace. “Who’s game for another shift?”

The weekend went on like that until late Sunday evening.

Layla and Viv must have shifted at least a half a dozen times, if not more.

They were amazing. Taking it all mostly in stride.

They knew that to be able to return home to their families they would need to have control, so they worked at it relentlessly.

They already had a plan to meet in the woods before dawn each morning to shift and go for a run before school every day.

And each afternoon after school too when they could swing it.

Layla was more worried about returning home than Vivian, though.

Where Viv only had to endure her parents, Layla had seven brothers and sisters to deal with.

Seven younger brothers and sisters that she was often tasked with babysitting.

The guys and I offered our help whenever she needed it.

Even Destiny threw her hat in. Apparently, she’d grown up in a family of six younger siblings before she’d moved away from home and was great with kids.

I couldn’t see it, but I had to admit I didn’t know her all that well.

Though I guess I would be getting to know her now whether I liked it or not.

You know, since she bonded to my best friend.

Layla’s cell phone vibrated in her hand, and she tilted the screen to see who was calling, thumbing the side button to silence the call before tucking it into her pocket.

“Quinn?” I asked.

She dropped her head. Her non-answer was all the answer I needed.

Layla had been mostly avoiding his calls and texts since they dropped him off at home after the night of the full moon. “I should have had that vampire guy compel him to forget me. Or to break up with me or something.”

“Don’t say that,” I started, but the glare she gave me at the words made me pause.

I sighed. “Sorry, La La. You’re right.”

She was doing for Quinn what I should have done for them the moment I turned: stayed the fuck away.

Within a few seconds, my own cell phone began vibrating in my pocket, and I grimaced as I drew it out, expecting an incoming call from Quinn looking for Layla. But it wasn’t him. It was my uncle. Again.

I curled my fingers around the screen, gritting my teeth. We were nearly at pack camp now. It crouched just another half mile through the woods. It wasn’t a good time for a lecture from Uncle Tim.

I let the call go to voicemail and watched the missed call notification join the others in a row down the screen.

Over the weekend I’d ignored four calls from Uncle Tim, with only a quick text fired off to explain it was a busy weekend and that I would call him back when I got the chance, so he didn’t send out a search party.

I’d also missed two calls from my boss. The voicemail icon held the number 3 in a red dot above it since Saturday morning, but I couldn’t bring myself to check them.

Uncle Tim would only berate me for not calling him back.

And Jacqueline...I was terrified her voicemail would be the final nail in the coffin for my job.

Since Ryland started demanding all my ‘free’ time I’d missed nearly all of my shifts.

Jacqueline was a kind woman—understanding—but she would only put up with so much.

She needed someone to do the job, and I wasn’t doing it. Not anymore.

I’d check the voicemails later, I told myself. When I was alone in my room and could panic in peace. Jared and Clay had done enough comforting this weekend.

“Quinn?” Layla asked as Jared and Clay slowed up ahead for us to catch up and Vivian came bounding through the trees in her wolf form with Destiny snapping playfully at her tail. They nearly knocked into us, and I had to tug Layla out of the way so she wouldn’t be bowled over.

Destiny gave a little apologetic woof and loped off with Vivian chasing her.

“No,” I answered Layla. “Uncle Tim.”

Her lips made a little ‘o’ shape, and she nodded. “Guess you must be getting excited for your birthday. Once you’re eighteen you won’t have to answer to them anymore, right?”

A hollow laugh passed through my lips. Not too long ago Layla and Viv thought I was still living with my Uncle and his wife out in Seattle. I’d almost forgotten they now knew the truth...about almost everything in fact.

Except how I’d become a shifter. Viv asked me just yesterday, but I’d dodged the question, not ready to tell them yet. No, actually that wasn’t it. I didn’t have a problem telling them, I just didn’t think I could handle talking about it right now.

“Your birthday?” Jared asked, a crook in his brow as he slowed to a stop and cocked his head at me. He glanced between Layla and me. “When’s her birthday?”

I opened my mouth to protest but Layla was quicker. “This coming Saturday.”

“Layla,” I hissed.

“What?” she asked innocently. “They didn’t know?”

“What the hell, Allie?” Clay demanded. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because of exactly this,” I said, gesturing widely at Jared and Clay. “I don’t like to make it a big deal. It’s just another day.”

Clay’s face pinched. “No. It isn’t.”

“Clay’s right, Allie,” Jared agreed, turning to Layla. “I’m glad you told us.”

“No problem,” Layla thrilled sweetly, and I groaned. “You’ll thank me later,” she stage whispered in my ear, giving Jared a little wink as she walked away, leaving me to the wolves.

“So—”

“Nope. Not important right now,” I said, completely cutting off Jared. I could see the gears turning behind his eyes. He was going to ask me what I wanted. Or maybe ask me what I wanted to do. This wasn’t the time.

Clay raised a hand to rub the back of his head. “I hate to say it, man, but she’s sort of right. Ry’s waiting, and we have no fucking idea what we’re about to walk into.”

Jared lowered his gaze and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I spoke to him earlier,” he told us, and I noticed Clay visibly stiffen. “He’ll be chill.”

“How do you know that?” I asked, cocking my head at Jared.

The fact of it was that Ryland had demanded I come with my friends tonight. I would’ve gone with them regardless, but the fact that he ordered it left a sour taste in my mouth. He wouldn’t do that unless he had something planned, right?

We were all hopeful that he might just have some new orders for me or be expecting me to get back to work searching for the deserters with Charity. But something in my gut told me that wasn’t it.

“How do you know?” Clay repeated my question to Jared when I didn’t answer.

Beneath the thick layer of denim covering his pockets, I noticed how his hands shifted, balling into fists. I could feel his unease, but despite it, his expression remained placid. A bit pale maybe, but calm. Passive. He was playing something down.

“I just...know.”

“What aren’t you telling us?” I pressed, a sinking feeling in my gut. Or was it a sinking feeling in his gut and I was only getting the leftovers through the mate bond?

“Can we just drop this please?” he asked, not sounding the least bit himself.

“Like you guys said, we need to focus on what’s important.

Let’s just get Layla and Viv to camp, get them enlisted, and then get home.

” Clay looked like he was about ready to rip Jared’s head off in an attempt to find the answer to what he wasn’t telling us. “Jar—”

“You’ll tell us later?” I asked, trying to keep my tone level and calm.

Neither emotions I was actually feeling.

Jared made a noncommittal sound and gave the ghost of a nod before stalking off after Layla who was now a good thirty meters ahead.

I could only make out the shadow of her amid the skeletal trees in the distance.

“I don’t like this,” Clay grunted in a low timbre.

I craned my neck to glance up at him, finding his blue eyes aglow. My mouth was dry when I replied, “Me neither.”