Page 20 of Warrick (Rocky Mountain Pack #1)

My eyes bulge at the news. This is the first I’ve heard of this.

When were they planning to tell me? On the way there?

I really don’t want to party and she knows that.

I would rather we have a slumber party and watch cheesy rom-com movies than spend five minutes at a party.

I glare at the side of her head as she animatedly tells my mom all about the plans for tonight.

Hazel peeks around Willow’s back with an apologetic look on her face as she mouths, “I’m sorry” to me.

I know they mean well, and I don’t blame them for wanting to celebrate, but why do people even like parties?

They’re loud, people are obnoxious, and you can almost bet money on at least one fight happening before the night is over.

It’s just overall not a fun time. I can count off the top of my head how many times I’ve had beer spilled on me without even really thinking too hard about it.

Who even likes that hangover feeling the next day?

I don’t realize that someone asked me something until Willow bumps me with her elbow. Looking between her and my mom, I’m pulled out of my pit of party hatred in my head.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

My mom clears her throat. “I was asking if you were planning to talk to Warrick while you were here?”

I feel a stone drop in the pit of my stomach. I knew this question was coming, and I know she means well, but my mom doesn’t know about all the things that he has done to me. Willow scoots in closer, giving me the support I need without verbalizing it.

“I, uh, won’t be going out of my way to see him, but I’m sure that I will see him around town.” I look anywhere but at her disappointed face.

Outside of the fact that I am not accepting my mateship with Warrick, at least in her eyes, my mom didn’t understand why I wanted to go off to college instead of integrating into the pack life like she did.

Thankfully, Hazel and Willow joined me in my adventure to build my own way in this pack life by following me to college as well.

Otherwise, I don’t think my mom would have let me go as easily as she did.

Dad was the more supportive one when it came down to it. He was the one who really convinced Mom that it was a good thing to bring new trades and businesses into the pack. We can’t all do the same things. She hasn’t fully supported it, but at least she stopped trying to convince me otherwise.

Dad taps her on the leg, his way of telling her to stop. “I’m sure the girls would like to freshen up before the big party tonight. Why don’t we let them do that? We will have plenty of time to talk with them over the next two weeks.”

Willow looks over her shoulder to see the hesitant look on my face before she quickly turns around to face me. “Come on, Aspen, I promise it won’t be as bad as it was the last time we were here. I’m sure that he isn’t here, and even if he is, fuck him.”

She wraps her arm around mine, pulling me through the front doors.

If I thought the music was loud outside, it has nothing on the ear bleeding level that it is inside.

The bass of the music is vibrating my soul at this point.

Willow and Hazel weave us through the groups of people dancing and mingling around the pack hall.

People are nodding their heads, and some are wrapping Willow in hugs like we didn’t see each other our entire lives up until six months ago.

Each time that we are stopped, Hazel keeps close to me, because, of course, she does.

She is our mother hen for a reason. It takes far longer than it should for us to finally reach the table with the drinks and even longer to finally grab one.

Between the people stopping Willow and the ones hovering by the table, I almost gave up.

I’m hanging out at the back of the group of people who have crowded around Willow when I feel Hazel lean in close to my ear. “You okay?”

Looking at her, I can see the concern written across her face as she scans my own. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s not really my scene!” I yell back to her.

We all chat and hang out with our pack mates until Willow comes giggling over to us. “Guys, let’s go dance!” she yells as she wraps her arms around Hazel and me.

Hazel gives me a questioning look, and I simply shrug my shoulders.

Willow squeals in delight as she pulls us into the main area, where the crowd is all jumping and dancing along to the music.

As she pulls us through the crowd, my shoulder bumps into a girl who whips around to glare at me.

Her face morphs from anger to mischievousness when she realizes who I am.

I don’t have a chance to consider that before my arm is being yanked in the opposite direction.

Looking back to see if I know who that was, I can’t see her anymore as the crowd has moved back to where it was before.

The song changes as we begin to move our bodies, and before I know it, I’m lost in the sea of music and moving bodies.

It feels nice to let go and allow the music to sweep me into its embrace.

We are enjoying ourselves without a care for how much time has passed when my body signals that it's desperate for a bathroom break. Tapping Willow on the shoulder, I lean in to yell into her ear that I’m heading to the bathroom.

“Do you need me or Hazel to come with you?”

Shaking my head, I turn to push my way back through. If we were at the clubs by campus, I would have said yes, but this is pack territory. There isn’t much to worry about except our creepy pack leader, Orion.

I push my way past the last bodies on the edge of the group and breathe in the first full breath of air I’ve had in what seems like ages at this point. Thankfully, I’m not far from the bathrooms, because I don’t know how much longer I can hold it.

There are tables with booth style seating lining the outside wall along the room.

Each one with varying amounts of people.

Some look as though they have sat there the entire time, while others have an array of personal belongings, with only one or two people sitting at them.

I walk around a couple stepping out of their booth, only to come to a halt when I see who is in the next booth. Or should I say with whom?

The girl from earlier who gave me that strange look is staring right at me from the top of some guy that she is grinding on.

Her face lights up when she sees me, with a look of pure joy before she gives a dark laugh.

I don’t even know who she is or how she knows me, but clearly she knows who I am.

More power to you, I guess. She keeps staring at me as she runs her hand down the face of the guy without breaking eye contact.

Confusion is coloring my mind as I try to figure out why this girl is staring at me like that when I realize who the guy is she’s grinding on.

It’s none other than Warrick, who looks drunk out of his mind while his hands grip her hips.

He is so out of it that he doesn’t even register that she is only enjoying this because I’m standing here, shattering, while she grinds on my mate.

I watch in horror as she leans down and pulls him into a kiss.

His hand leaves her hip to wrap around the back of her head as she keeps pace with her grinding.

Her mouth pops off of his as she gives a maniacal laugh and looks right back at me. He finally sees that she isn’t paying any attention to him and looks to see who has her attention. His eyes lock with mine right before I turn and push myself back through the crowd.

I don’t stop. I don’t tell anyone that I’m leaving. I just leave. I’ll never understand how he can do this to me over and over again. He knew that I would be here. There isn’t any way he didn’t. I’m sure at this point that he is doing it on purpose.

The burn behind my eyes intensifies as I try to make it through the crowd. Mouthing “sorry” and “excuse me” to people who are too drunk to even hear me, I finally make it to the other side of the crowd and close to the door.

Shoving the front door open, I push the person coming throughout of the way in my rush to get as far away from here as I possibly can.

Running down the steps, I consider where to go.

I can’t go back to my parents' house. They will ask questions I’m not ready for.

I don’t want to make the girls leave. Looking around, I decide the only thing I can do is run through the woods.

Letting Aisling take over, I drop to the ground as the shift takes over. It doesn’t take long for my legs and arms to cover in white fur and my hands to become paws. Aisling shakes herself and stretches out in a downward dog position.

“I wasn’t expecting this. Are you okay?” Aisling asks.

“Just take us for a run. I want to get away from everyone, especially him.”

She growls, “I can rip her off of him and show her who he belongs to.”

Shaking my head even though it’s metaphorically, I say, “It’s his job to put her in her place. He allows these females to have a chance with him instead of telling them he has a mate.”

"Give me five minutes and I’ll put both of them in their place. He won’t have to worry about any other females if I threaten his favorite appendage.”

I can’t help but snort. Aisling is the sassy, bad bitch side of me. Honestly, I wish I could be more like her most days. I doubt she would have anyone walk all over her like they do me.

She snaps her jaw, clicking her teeth together. “A couple snaps of the teeth near it and I bet he keeps it to himself.”

“It’s fine. Let’s go for that run.”

“You sure?”

Sucking back the tears that are wanting to fall, I nod my head. “Yeah, I’m sure. Maybe one day someone will choose me first, but I’m tired of being the one to wait around for our mate. If he can have his fun, then so can I.”

“I like the sound of this. Anyone in mind?”

“Not really. I haven’t thought about another guy since I found out about our mate.

I don’t even understand how he doesn’t hurl every time he thinks about someone other than me.

Even the mere thought of someone getting that close to me makes my stomach turn.

I blame the hopeless romantic inside of me. ”

“Just means that we have to find someone that gives you the attention and love that you deserve without crossing the boundary that makes your stomach turn.”

Why does he have to get drunk and sleep with other women? What I’m really asking is why does he push me away?

Aisling starts to run towards the woods as the cold wind flows through our fur. “I don’t know Aspen. If I could ease your mind and soul at all, I would. He doesn’t deserve a beautiful soul like you.”

She picks up the pace as I push myself further into the recesses of our shared mind. I just want to disappear for a little while. Allow her to take over and just run or whatever she wants to do.

“Hey Aisling?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t shift back until I tell you to. For now, I would rather be in the woods where it’s quiet and nobody is going to ask me why my mate doesn’t choose me. Or give me those pitying looks when they see him with someone else.”

“I’ll give you the night, but at dawn, you have to take back over. We can’t stay out here forever or stay shifted for that long.”

“Fair enough. Thank you.”

I pull back as she weaves between the trees. I watch for a while until I decide to close my eyes and rest.