Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ANGEL
With a loud clank, my tray, utensils, and untouched bowl of oatmeal crash into the dish pit at the cookhouse.
The room full of dozens of shifters quiets.
I’m sure their eyes are on me, as they have been for the past five days.
These outbursts aren’t helping me win any friends, not that I’m trying to.
Staying in the cabin, sleeping, staring at the walls, and only coming out to shower or eat isn’t a plan. It’s denial.
Letting myself get so wrapped up in a male who clearly doesn’t want anything to do with me is downright pathetic.
I’m behaving like a five-year-old having a tantrum.
A lost five-year-old.
One who doesn’t need to be escorted back to camp by an asshole shifter who thinks he knows better than me just because this is his pack.
And this is where I get stuck in my head, unable to escape.
“That’s why I don’t usually eat here,” a familiar voice says.
I turn to see Tess standing there, a smile on her face, hair in a ponytail, and a tray of half-eaten eggs in her hands. “They overcook everything. Come on, how about I get us some coffee?”
“Where?” The last place I want to be is her house, where the alpha lives.
“Are you always this suspicious?”
“I’m on edge.”
“I’ve noticed. Everyone has.”
“I don’t need any lectures.” I resume walking, at a faster pace than usual, but she doesn’t take the hint.
Despite being much shorter, she catches up and matches my pace. She’s not an easy person to ignore, so I halt and face her. “If you’re trying to help, thanks, but I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone.”
Tess slips an arm through mine. “Then don’t talk. Just come with me. I have someone I want you to meet.”
“When I’m pissed off and moody?”
“Oh, that won’t matter. Langdon’s rather moody himself. I’m told it comes with the territory.”
“Langdon. Isn’t he the supply master?” I look down at the too long sweater I’m wearing today.
Someone filled my drawers with clothing.
I didn’t ask who, though I should have. To thank her for getting me supplies, something I should have done on my own.
But that required leaving the cabin. Meeting people.
“You need a job, Lina.”
“I get it. No freeloading. Earn my keep or leave. I’m still debating which will serve me best.”
“That’s definitely not what I was going to say, though you’re right, everyone has a job here.”
I slam to a halt. “What’s your job, Tess? Assimilating new shifters into the pack? Or following the ones already here to make sure they don’t cause any trouble? Buddy up to me, get close, then report back to your alpha-mate instead of just telling me you’re in a position of power.”
“I deserved that. I should have been up front with you.”
Fuck, I didn’t mean any of that. Not really. I understood where she was coming from, where they all are. I’m the outsider, and I haven’t done anything to get to know these shifters.
I sit down on one of the logs by the firepit in front of the Christmas tree.
“I used to love Christmas. It was a time for the entire pack to celebrate. Every decoration we used had to be from the forest. Sprigs of juniper and baby pinecones, dried wildflowers on the rare years when the snow didn’t hide them all.
Any winter berry we could find, especially the colorful ones, were always popular, and the kids got super involved, picking and stringing the berries.
We even used feathers, dangling them like your ornaments. ”
“That sounds lovely. You’re welcome to add to our tree.
Anything you’d like. Talk to Sadie Lynn.
She’s in charge of the tree, with her own army of little minions.
Well, not all of them are little. She has the teens this year too, including the ones who are just learning to shift.
They’re full of energy and literally running all over the place.
I think she’s gonna start pulling her hair out soon.
Collecting and stringing berries sounds like a great activity for the kids. ”
“Sure, why not,” I say just to end this conversation. “Which way to Langdon?”
“I’m starting to think working in supplies isn’t the best idea for you. You might enjoy helping Sadie Lynn instead. You can use that attitude to get the kids in line.”
I chuckle. Hard not to. “Fair point.” I release a long breath, striving for calm or at least to be civil to her. “You were thinking supplies because of what I did in my pack?”
“Partly. You have to admit, it’s a great way to meet shifters. Everyone heads over to Langdon’s at some point.”
“The pack already hates me. Putting me in a position where I have to say no to their requests won’t help.”
“It was just a thought. Come on, I’ll introduce you to Sadie Lynn and the kids.”
We change direction, instead of heading toward Tess’s house for coffee, which I don’t even drink, we follow a trail toward the lake. The snow-capped mountains in the distance rattle me because they remind me of home. I shake my head and try to focus on the sounds of kids. Happy sounds.
“Watch out!” someone yells, and Tess quickly pulls me under the cover of a tree as two young wolves charge past us, body slamming each other with no regard to how close to the trees they are or that we were walking on the trail.
“Sorry,” an out-of-breath woman with dark hair and darker eyes says as she catches up to us. The pile of clothes she drops lands with a thud. Quickly, she unties the fabric, which turns out to be a sweater dress, to reveal a pair of boots.
“Sadie Lynn, this is Angelina,” Tess introduces me as the woman dresses. “I’m showing her around so she can figure out where she might want to help.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says with a genuine smile.
“I’m glad you heard me. I shifted as soon as I could so I could warn you, but Matt and Bethany are too fast for me.
” Sadie Lynn looks me over quickly. “You have long legs. Are you fast? We have five teens who went through their first shift this past month, and they’re getting to be a handful. ”
No pressure, but bringing me into the middle of shifter-training led by a woman who looks like she’s reaching her limits… “Tess, you play dirty.”
“I’ll leave you here, then, to get a feel for some of the teens and younger kids. Maybe run that berry idea by Sadie Lynn, give the kids a nice project to keep them busy for a while.” With nothing but a smile, Tess heads back up the path.
“Ooh, she’s sneaky,” I say to Sadie Lynn, a woman I don’t know.
“Tess has a way of seeing through people.”
“What’s her job around here? Pack counselor?”
“Hmm, I wouldn’t say she has a job, precisely. She does a little bit of everything. Coordinating, organizing, sitting on Damien when needed…”
I can’t help myself. I laugh. “I can’t imagine anyone forcing your alpha to do anything.”
“I never used the word force. Have you seen how big he is compared to her? It takes several males to hold Damien down when he’s riled.
I’ve seen it. But Tess… she has a way with him.
I guess because they’re mates. I’m single myself.
Don’t know what the mate bond is like, but, and I’m not joking here, I’ve literally seen her sitting on him.
Don’t know the story behind that one, don’t want to know.
Let’s just say they’re happy and leave it at that.
Oh, and he’s more relaxed since she came here. Big plus for the pack.”
“So you trust her?”
“No reason not to.”
“Except she has a tendency towards manipulating people.”
Sadie Lynn’s eyes widen, and I realize I’ve overstepped. “Maybe I should stick with sneaky.”
“Yeah, that’s a better word. Especially when you have yet to realize just how sneaky she is. I’m not sure what she’s up to presently.”
“What aren’t you saying?”
“Her bringing you over to me.”
“I had an idea for decorations she thought you might like.”
“Oh, I’m sure you do, and she knows I need help, so I’m more than happy to have you, if you’re okay with being around me.”
If I had hackles, they’d be standing straight up. My wolf, on the other hand, is completely calm. She likes Sadie Lynn. I do, too. “Where did the kids learn to body slam each other like that? You?”
She laughs. “Heavens, no. The guards, most likely. Or maybe it comes naturally to those two. Given all the running they do, I suspect they’re destined to be guards.
” She motions me to follow her along the trail.
“Like I said, you’re welcome to hang out with me and the kids.
It’s tiring work, but rewarding. Maybe we should clear the air first, so there’s no drama. ”
I tense up, but nod. “I’d rather have the truth, whatever it is.”
“I hear you like Garrett, maybe even slept with him. Or are sleeping with him.”
Someone in my bunk must have noticed I never came back that first night and started talking.
“Seems like your pack has nothing better to do than spread rumors.”
Sadie Lynn holds out her palms. “I’m not judging, just saying what I’ve heard. The rumor mill’s rather fast around here, and you don’t need to deny or confirm. It’s none of my business. Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?” I ask with an edge to my voice, which I truly hate, but my wolf’s hackles are rising and suddenly I’m imagining bars around me. Invisible, non-existent bars forming some unknown cage that makes me want to run as fast as I can to escape.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you and Garrett, but I like him. A lot...”