Chapter 3
I didn’t know how long or far I’d walked when a black Jeep Rubicon came to a screeching halt. A door slammed and I looked up to see my best friend, her car parked on the sidewalk. Her gray oversize hoodie had neon pink letters spelling ‘FIGHT ME’ on it. I almost laughed as she enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug. All the air whooshed out of me and I’d laugh if I wasn’t so grateful to see her. When we pulled apart, her eyes were wide as she took in my face. She was five feet of fury.
“He’s scum, Lils. A good for nothing piece of shit. We’re getting out of here.” Dani led me to the passenger’s side. When I’d buckled in my seat belt she was already in the driver’s seat.
“Thanks for getting me,” I whispered.
“Always. Here. Wipe your face,” she said as she handed me a pack of baby wipes.
“You just have baby wipes lying around?” I joked. She gave me a look before smiling.
“They come in hand when there’s a mess.” She made a jerking off gesture with her hand and I gasped.
“Why did I even ask?” I groaned as I pulled a couple out.
“Please tell me you two are done. If he’s done it once, he’ll fucking do it again,” she hissed.
“Yes, I know. We’re over.” I could feel the weight of her gaze on the side of my face like she was trying to see if I meant it. She made a turn to get on I5.
“I don’t want to go back to campus. Can I… come with you?” I asked quietly, staring out the window and holding my breath. I’d never gone home with her. After the first time I declined, it never came up again.
“Of course.” She turned left and headed north on the freeway.
“So… I know this probably isn’t the time or place, but I have to tell you something before we get home.” Her tone made me turn because she sounded guilty. She flashed me a smile before focusing on the road.
“Okay. Spill.” We don’t have secrets. I was not only intrigued, but desperate for a distraction. She took a deep breath to steel herself and suddenly I was a little nervous.
“Surprise! I’m a werewolf and I’m taking you home to my pack.” Silence followed her rushed confession.
“Excuse me?” I scoffed in disbelief because that made no sense. I think I’d know if my best friend turned into a wolf during the full moon. She remained quiet as she drove.
“Stop kidding around. What do you really need to tell me?” Gently, I touched the back of my head to feel where it smashed against Parker’s window.
“I’m not messing with you. I’m not human, and I need you to understand that before we arrive.”
“I’ll play along. Why would that matter?”
“Because my dad’s the alpha.”
“So?”
“That means I’m kind of like a princess.”
“Kind of?”
“Okay, in human terms, yes, I’m a princess. In shifter terms? I’m the alpha’s bloodline. It’s more about power and instinct than any princess gig.” I was still waiting for her to say this was all a joke, but the more we talked, the less likely that seemed.
Dani didn’t seem fazed by my shock and just kept talking. “Oh, that feels so much better. I hate keeping secrets from you, but we’re not supposed to expose ourselves to humans.” She let out a sigh of relief and then suddenly squealed and I grabbed onto whatever I could to brace myself if she ran us off the freaking highway.
“What is it?!” I yelled.
“I can talk to you about knots now! Fuck yes. I wouldn’t say it’s a secret, but I definitely couldn’t talk to you about that.”
“What’s a knot?” I asked, bewildered . My best friend has either cracked, or she’s really not human. I knew what a shifter was. I’ve read a few werewolf shifter romances, but have never come across knots.
“Giiirrlll. I’m about to rock your world. So you know how I’ve been saying that Elijah is missing something?” Her sudden burst of energy was overwhelming.
“Yes,” I answered hesitantly.
“Well, shifter men are built different. And Elijah? He’s human. So picture the male anatomy, with an added velvety smooth bulge at the base. But wait! There’s more. When they’re getting close to, well you know, the bulge expands.”
“Expands? What the fuck for?” I asked, flabbergasted and intrigued.
“To lock you in. To breed you,” she giggled.
My jaw was on the floor and the shitty evening I’d had was long forgotten for the moment. Because, yes, I was imagining it.
“Does it… hurt?” I whispered.
“Yes, but in a good way.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve made it my mission to find you a real man who can lay pipe. I know more than a few guys who would consider themselves lucky to have you.”
“I cannot. Please stop. I am not sleeping with a stranger,” I laughed.
“You will.”
“I won’t. Parker cheated on me because I wouldn’t put out after a year. You think I would sleep with some rando? Nope. Not happening.”
“If you’re going to waste your break thinking about Parker, then we need to get you under a man. Give them what he couldn’t have. I’m so petty. If I were you, I’d sleep with all of his friends just to spite him,” she bit out. And I knew she meant it.
“I think we both know I’m not doing that.”
“Don’t you dare go back to him, Lils. I swear I won’t talk to you ever again. Promise me. Right now!” She held her hand out to me and I already knew what she wanted. Her pinky was pointed at me like she was daring me not to.
“Okay, okay.” Extending my hand, I curled my pinky around hers.
Thankfully that seemed to signal Dani’s turn to relax. I noticed the way her shoulders slumped as she leaned back.
“I’m honestly excited to explore this ‘pack’ of yours and meet your dad. I feel like I already know him.”
“Right? The situation that came about me bringing you home was shitty, but I’m so happy you know everything now. Sucked having to keep it from you.”
“Fuck. Look at me. I don’t want to make a bad impression on your dad. What if he thinks I’m a bad influence?” I groaned. Dani laughed so hard that the car swerved as I cursed.
“You don’t have to worry about that. My dad is rarely at home. Even when he is, you’ll only see him during the day. If that. Because of the… anyway. He’s got a different woman every time I’m home, but don’t worry about him. He isn’t the judgmental type.”
“Mm…”
The open road stretched before us, paving the way for our last minute road trip to who knows where. The number of cars lessened the longer we drove, but before I knew it, hours had flown by. We took an exit for Olympia and sped down a road surrounded by trees.
“Open the glove box. You’ll find some crackers I had for lunch. Eat a few. The salt will help.”
“Help? With what?” I asked.
“These woods act as a veil. Soon, we’re going to pass through and you’re going to feel nauseated. You might throw up.” At her words, I opened it and grabbed the bag. Throwing a handful into my mouth, I chewed as she sped up. It’s like when you’re on a plane chewing gum to help with your ears popping. There was this pressure and then I collided with a barrier that quickly snapped—disappearing as we passed through the veil. And she was right. I was hit with a gross feeling that had me leaning on the glass. It was cool to the touch and helped.
With the woods behind us, we entered a clearing, and I was speechless. The moon was the largest I’d ever seen it. Moonlight touched every inch of land, lighting up the surroundings and the fields of flowers as we passed.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, my breath fogging the glass.
“Thanks,” Dani smiled. City lights appeared off in the distance, but we took a right turn, veering off into a new direction. Twenty minutes later, we were met with pine trees decorating the mountain side. Nestled at the foot of it was a two story home. The dirt road hit concrete and as we drew near, I realized it wasn’t a home, but a mansion. Black stone, too many rooms to count, and smoke coming off the roof. A few luxury cars parked out front and armed men stood, watching us approach as if they were expecting us.
The car came to a stop and the men were now right in front of us. When she put it in park, a blond who looked like Thor opened her door and she jumped into his arms. Another man, one who looked like Aquaman, opened mine. I kept my head down as I stepped out.
“Jace, the greatest human alive. Lila, Jace. And the oaf next to you is Evander.” I nodded at the guy as he looped an arm around her and said hi to the man next to me. I’m going to assume everyone here is a shifter and now all I can think about is the fact they both have knots. My face heated, but seconds before I could spiral about how much of a perv I was, Evander lifted something around my shoulders. He wrapped it around me and was careful not to touch me.
How did I not know he was holding a blanket?
“Thank you,” I murmured, touched, but kept my eyes down. I know my face is a huge mess and my dress is coated in blood.
“You’re so thoughtful, Van,” Dani teased. I glared at her and she mouthed something like ‘what a man’. To which, I smiled a little because she was right. Parker would never. My throat clogged and she rushed over. Looping her hand with mine, she led me in. The men trailing behind us.
“Who are they?” I whispered. She arched a brow and smiled.
“Pack guards, but they’re also friends. Your room’s next to mine, but you can come in if you need me.”
When we walked in there was an open themed living room area that felt more like a hotel lobby. There was an oak tree in the middle, comfy chairs for people to sit, a huge fireplace against one wall, and large windows giving an almost 360 view of the beauty surrounding this place. Looking up, a wooden rail ran along the entirety of the second floor, and a grand chandelier hung from the pointed ceiling. Dani pulled me over a small bridge to the other side and I glimpsed a lake through the window before we began our ascent upstairs.
“I can’t believe you grew up here,” I murmured, more to myself than to her, as we made our way down a hallway.
“Yeah, dad is actually pretty humble. Despite my tendency to tap the buy button, he doesn’t just throw money around. He wanted to ensure I had a safe space to grow up. That and our pack leaders would raise their family here as well.”
“Well, it’s beautiful. So you don’t just live here with your dad then?”
“No, I should have mentioned that earlier! My dad is alpha, and his second hand is called a beta, and then there’s the gamma—the one who holds them all together.”
“If your dad is the king, what’s the queen called?” I asked. Her mom passed awhile ago, but we didn’t talk much about her.
“Luna. She’s called a Luna,” she said as we came to a stop in front of a white door. “This is your room. Mine is there if you need me.” Pointing at the one across. “We can pick up anything else tomorrow, but everything you need should be inside. Do you need me or…?”
“Thanks, Dani. I want to be alone. Need to process some things,” I gave her a hug. Pulling away, I smiled at the guys before opening the door.
“Okay, that’s okay. I’m going to get caught up on pack news, but I’ll be in my room. Come over or text me if you need anything.”
“Sounds good. See you tomorrow,” I rasped.
Closing it, I was surrounded in darkness. A bed was illuminated at the other end of the room. I noted the bags of clothes and pajamas on the bed before crawling under the blanket. Taking a few steady breaths, I listened to the sounds of my breathing as they stuttered and turned to gulps, the tears flowing freely. I know Parker is a shit human being, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was my person. The events that led to me being here replayed. He didn’t listen to me, didn’t care about me, and hurt me. I haven’t changed my mind and I won’t, but now I have to figure out how to just not have him around anymore. Curling into a ball, I cried for the love I thought I had, and mourned the man he failed to be.