Thoreau - Chapter 57: Chapter 57

Grey, Azure, and Ayla all had their birthdays, and Azure and Ayla found out they were mates!
The way they found out was so funny, it became a big joke in the pack. They both woke up the morning of Ayla's birthday with their wolves going crazy, so they skipped school to try to find their mates! Ayla drove all over Greenville before her mom fussed at her to get her tushy to school, and Azure raced around the pack territory before his older brother, Gamma Rio, caught up to him and dragged him to school, too.
Of course, they smelled each other as soon as they stepped into the building, and both ran into the cafeteria from opposite directions at the same time only to freeze as their eyes met.
It was the middle of lunch and everyone stopped eating to watch them. When they finally got over their shock and dove into each other's arms, my friends and I cheered Azure on while Briar and Princess Rhys cried happy tears for Ayla.
It was just like the big kissy scene from a movie, and even I could see how good of a match it was. The first thing Azure bought Ayla was a pink bear cover for her motorcycle helmet to match his baby blue one, and they were adorable as they zoomed around the pack on their bikes.
Like the rest of us, Grey was happy for them, too. Although he was a little sad that he hadn't found his mate yet, he was content to wait for his special girl to come along. In secret, he told me he was happy it wasn't Briar because he was sure she would have been disappointed. I found that very interesting because Briar confided the same thing, convinced Grey would have been dismayed to find out she was his mate.
They would have been a terrible match, Spring agreed. She would have trampled all over him, and he would have let her.
Briar is nice, I started to argue, not liking to hear him say bad things about my best girl friend.
She is, but she needs someone who can handle her assertiveness, and Grey would have crumbled under it. As for him, he needs someone who will recognize and encourage his strengths, and Briar would struggle to do that.
I thought about what he said for a couple of days and eventually agreed. Briar was bossy and liked to have her way; her mate would have to be someone who liked to fight with her, but not fight fight.
Exactly. Spring nodded when I told him that.
And Grey might find his mate once he starts working as a diplomat! Alpha Jay had plans to send them all over the world once they're trained!
I was so happy for Grey when he told us that Alpha Jayden had selected him to be in the first class of pack diplomats. Not only did that boost Grey's confidence, it also proved to everyone that even people like the two of us could do good things for our pack.
When I told him that and how proud I was of him, his eyes had filled up with tears and he pulled me into a big hug.
"Don't cry!" I wailed, trying not to cry myself. "I didn't mean to upset you!"
"They're happy tears, Reau," he said, releasing me with a grin. "Thank you. I'm very lucky to have you as my friend."
"And I am lucky to have you as my friend!" I reached up and wiped the tears from his face. "When I was little, I never had any friends besides Briar and Jace, then no friends at all after my parents locked me in the attic. Well, except for Binda, and she was more like a grandma to me. Now I have lots and lots of friends, and that makes me so happy!"
"I'm so glad for you, and I'm thankful you came to Five Fangs. I can't imagine life without your sunshine in it."
He hugged me again, and I squeezed him back until Arch and Wayne came along. Grumbling about hating to share me, they pulled us apart and squished me between them, which made me giggle and Grey roll his eyes.
Atty was as happy as he could be with Livvy, and both of them were in awe of their first niece. Gamma Landry and Grace's brand-new baby was named Jasmine, but Atty called her Minnie the first time he held her because she was so very tiny in his big arms. The nickname stuck, and now that's how gamma and Grace proudly introduced their pup.
As for Elijah, he was getting antsy to turn eighteen, too, since everyone in our friend group had except for the princess. All of us, including him, highly doubted she'd be his mate, but he was eager to have a chance at finding her - and to be old enough to leave the pack on his own so he could search for his twin sister.
Her name was Imogene, and she had been kidnapped right from the hospital shortly after they were born. Elijah told me that only Bridger and a few other people knew about her and made me swear not to tell anyone.
I never did, nor would I. Binda had taught me that, if someone trusts you with a secret, you keep it safe forever or until they tell you otherwise.
While Elijah was determined to find his twin, he didn't let it ruin his life. Sure, he was still as silent and intense as ever, but he participated in life, hanging out with us, playing football, and applying for college. He even had a plan for his future; he wanted to major in cyber-security and minor in software engineering so he could work for the alphas after he graduated.
I didn't know what half of that was, but Arch said it had to do with computers.
Finally, there was Bridger, who found so much of his happiness in his little pup, Isabelle. He often said that she saved him, although I didn't know how. She was only two and half years old, after all! They still lived with my friend Royal Price and his mate, Julia, and their one-year-old daughter, Rosalie.
Isabelle and Rosalie were best friends, which was great! Everyone thought Isabelle would be jealous when Rosalie formed an unexpected attachment to Walker, Wayne and Arch's youngest brother, but Isabelle would simply find someone else to play with. William and Winnie - oops! Winston, as he liked to be called now that he was about to turn six! - often swept in to include Isabelle in their games when Rosalie ditched her for Walker, which was unusually nice of them, considering they were worse heathens now than when I first met them!
Everyone was extra careful not to talk to or tease Bridger about finding his mate. There was only one way now to know if Brynn Wessinger had been his, and that was for his Goddess-given one to appear, which could be years in the future. After all, some poor shifters were in their late twenties or early thirties before they found their mates!
As for taking a chosen mate, he'd told us all a year or so ago that he never would just on the off chance Brynn hadn't been his true one. He already had a daughter to explain; he didn't need any more strikes against him if the Goddess gifted him with a mate.
Speaking of chosen mates, my boyfriends and I were excitedly waiting for Wayne to turn eighteen so we could declare each other as ours, and that excitement lasted right up until the day before Wayne's birthday.
When I woke up that morning, Papa was already off hunting something, and Dad left as soon as he made my pancakes, saying luna needed him and the other betas at the alpha house. I asked him what was wrong, but he told me he didn't know all the facts, so he didn't want to say anything until he knew more.
After he left, I looked at Bubble, who looked at me, and we both shrugged.
I figured it was nothing that involved me or him, and would have let it go if it wasn't for how Spring was acting.
My wolf was silent and still and buried so deeply in my mind, I couldn't reach him, and that scared me a little.
"I'm sure he's talking to his other wolf friends," Bubble told me when I asked for his advice. "Give him some time and space and I'm sure he'll come back to you soon."
Since that was all I could do anyway, I nodded and got ready for him to drop me off at school, where I hoped I'd be too distracted to stress over whatever was wrong.
Unfortunately, Arch and Elijah were both very angry - angrier than I'd ever seen either of them! - and our other friends grew more and more frustrated as they hauled them out of one fight after another all morning.
Only Grey was his usual calm self, so I asked him for an explanation during English class, but he just said Dad and Papa would tell me when I got home if they wanted me to know.
Pouting, I crossed my arms over my chest. I hated being kept in the dark! I could understand it if it was for my own good or safety, but my boyfriends and friends knew and were affected by it, so I thought I should know, too!
"But I'm an adult now," I sulked, "and I'm older than you!"
"Older by a week, Reau, and I only know because Crew told me so I could be prepared for Eli and Archer blowing up today."
"Then why does Azure know?"
"Because Gamma Rio told him for the same reason. Our big brothers knew how Eli and Arch would react and wanted someone at school ready to help calm them down if necessary."
"Come on, Grey!" I whined. "What is it that Elijah and Arch know?"
"It's something that directly involves their families. If they want you to know, they'll tell you."
"But Wayne and Atty and Bridger know! They told them and not me?"
"Wayne and Atticus don't know. They have no idea what's going on. Bridge only knows because he was there when it happened, although Eli probably would have told him, anyway. Bridge's the only one Eli ever really talks to, isn't he?"
That wasn't exactly true, but I wasn't going to break the promise I'd made to Elijah the day he'd told me about his twin sister.
Resigned that Grey wasn't going to tell me, I tried to link Briar, who skipped today with Princess Rhys and Ayla, to see if she or any of the other girls knew, but Briar said she didn't and would link me later since she was busy dress shopping for the princess' upcoming birthday gala.
After Christmas, Princess Rhys had decided she wanted her party to be held here rather than back at her home in the Woodland Realm. The announcement had sent our alphas, betas, and gammas into a panic until Luna Posy intervened and hyped it up as a good thing for the pack.
"Think of all the alliances that we can strengthen, not to mention the honor of hosting a royal event!" she'd said, then grinned as she hopped up and down. "I'm so excited! Ash, I want you and Peri to design a gown for me that's worthy of a fairytale! Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"
And the alphas had bowed to our luna's wisdom, and most of the she-wolves in the pack had joined her enthusiasm to mingle with foreign dignitaries and dress like royalty.
Then Luna Posy, who had a knack for match-making, made a prediction that caught the full attention of our single male wolves and set off a competition among our mated ones.
While Princess Rhys was an elf and not a shifter, luna said she had a feeling that the fae girl would find her mate within Five Fangs, and that was all it had taken for a dozen betting pools to pop up before the gammas had organized them into one massive one. The bets ranged on everything from if luna was right - although I had no idea why anyone would be dumb enough to bet against her! - to who the princess' mate might be.
I took all my meager savings and placed my own bet, and Gamma Adam said I'd make a killing if I was right because only one other person had made the same bet. Once he calmed me down from panicking about killing someone, he explained that he meant I'd make a small fortune if I won, and I hoped I did.
I didn't have a big job that made serious money, so winning the betting pool could be my contribution to our finances when my boyfriends and I started our new life together.
I wanted them to be proud of me - as proud of me as I was of them - and not see me as a burden that they had to support.
As excited as I was to to find out who Princess Rhys' mate was, I wasn't excited about the dress code for the gala.
I was going to have to wear a suit.
A suit!
Complete with a tie and dress shoes and everything!
I hadn't had to wear a suit since Dad and Papa's wedding, and even then it was just dress pants, a dress shirt, and a suit coat.
I don't want to dress up! I had whined to Spring yesterday.
It will be worth it, trust me, my wolf had told me. King Brioc and Queen Ginshi are coming with an entourage that I am sure will be impressive. You'll probably never have the chance to see something like this again in your lifetime.
Then his next words had sealed the deal.
Besides, you'll need a nice suit for graduation, so it's a good investment. Just think, we can get you an elegant one with a sharp cut that fits you perfectly, and your boyfriends will think you're as handsome as a model.
Handsome as a model? I'd perked up. Me?!
Yes, you, little one, Spring had chuckled. Just like when you wore those leggings you bought with Grace Benson. Remember? Archer and Wayne thought you were very sexy, just like you wanted them to.
I remember. A little smile had pulled my lips up at the corners.
The expressions on my boyfriends' faces that day had been more satisfying than I'd expected, so I'd decided that Spring had a good point.
Sure, I liked when Arch and Wayne called me cute and their baby boy, but there were times when I wanted them to see me as sexy and desirable, too, and if a nice suit would do that, I could suffer being strangled by a tie and pinched by dress shoes for a couple of hours.
Thinking of that conversation with Spring, I turned to Grey as we walked out of class and headed for the cafeteria.
"Well, can you at least tell me what's wrong with Spring today?" I asked him.
"What do you mean?" Grey's eyes suddenly widened a little. "Is he acting crazy? Everyone says their wolves go wild when they sense their mate! Maybe you're about to find yours!"
"No, it's the opposite. He's very quiet and buried deep down inside my mind. Almost like he's hiding." I thought about that for a second. "Or thinking very hard about something."
"Oh. Then I don't know." Grey pulled the cafeteria door open and we walked in. "When did this start?"
"Sometime after I went to sleep last night. He was like this when I woke up."
Distracted by worrying about my wolf as well as Arch and Elijah, I tripped over Atty's backpack and slammed into Elijah's back.
"What the fuck?!"
Before I could apologize, Elijah shoved me away - hard - as he stood up, but my feet were all tangled up in Atty's backpack straps and I couldn't stop falling. I landed awkwardly, half on the floor and half on the chair next to him, and everyone sucked in a sharp breath at the sickening snap! that filled the sudden silence.
I'd almost forgotten how bad it hurt to break a bone, but I was tough and had been trained to endure pain, so I didn't even whimper as I quickly slid the rest of the way to the floor and cradled my elbow in my palm so my hurt arm rested against my chest.
"Reau?! Fuck!" As he stood over me, Elijah jammed his hands into his thick, black hair. "I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you—"
He was cut off by Arch leaping across the lunch table and tackling him, and suddenly the air was full of flying fists and shouts as everyone pitched into the fight.
Well, not everyone. Grey, of course, stayed calm as he freed my feet, then wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
Come on, Reau, he linked me, probably knowing I'd never hear him over the ruckus our friends were making. We're going somewhere safer, and we need the nurse to look at your arm if Spring's not... available ... to heal it. That's a really bad break.
Looking down, I saw blood seeping through my sleeve and swallowed hard so I didn't vomit as the waves of pain became more intense. There was a time when I was more used to seeing myself covered in blood than I wasn't, but things had changed when I moved to Five Fangs and I'd grown soft enough to actually feel this.
Mommy Daddy would be disappointed, I thought to myself, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Brushing it aside for now, I linked Grey. But my boyfriends and our friends—
They'll be fine and you're hurt, so you're the priority, he said as he led me along to the front office. Besides, Mr. Halder's there now to shut them down. I linked him as soon as Eli pushed you off of him.
He didn't mean to hurt me, I protested. It was an accident!
I know that, you know that, and he knows that. Let Mr. Halder knock that fact into Arch and Wayne's heads.
REAU! Spring suddenly rose to the surface with a bellow that was loud enough for Grey to hear, and the two of us winced in sync. What happened, little one? Why are you in so much pain? How did you get hurt?
It's been a bad day, I sighed.
I'll heal you—
Spring, it's a compound fracture, Grey told my wolf. I think the nurse should make sure no fabric is in the wound before you heal him. Otherwise, it could take days for it to fester out. Trust me, I had it happen before.
Good thinking, Spring admitted, then sighed heavily. I'm so sorry I shut you out, Reau. I won't do that again.
"What hurt you, wolfie?" I whispered as Grey hustled me into the nurse's office and lifted me up onto the exam table.
I'll tell you once you're healed.
I nodded, then regretted it. The blood loss combined with the radiating pain from my arm made me almost throw up again, and I clamped my mouth closed before more than words or air came out of it.
Grey
As I watched Mr. Welles clean and inspect Reau's wound, I thought about who to contact.
Of course, I'd normally link Arch and Wayne first if something happened to their precious boy, but that was obviously out of the question at the moment. Next, Mr. Halder came to mind, but our principal was literally in the thick of battle right now. As for Reau's family, Beta Emerson was guarding Luna Posy with the other betas, Gelo was hunting down the root of what was currently setting everyone off, and Konstantin was in Greenville sitting in his college lectures.
Not that he can't get here in a heartbeat, Matthias pointed out, especially if he lets that dragon of his loose.
Yeah, and I don't want to be on the receiving end of his dragon's anger when he hears about this, either, I told him with a roll of my eyes.
My other options were Reau's witchy aunts, who I was fairly sure were helping Gelo, or Briar, who had ditched today to go shopping with the other girls. Grace Benson would have been a good choice, too, since Reau thought of her as his big sister, but she'd just had a pup, and I knew Gamma Landry wouldn't appreciate me involving her in this right now.
There was also Peri James, who Reau loved and called Pretty, but Beta Tyler and/or his wolf River might go off if they knew I called their pregnant mate into a chaotic situation. River especially wrecked everything when he lost his temper.
Out of ideas now, I did what any sane person would do and linked my big brother. After I told him the situation, I asked him if he knew of anyone else who was available to come and comfort Reau.
Dude. He has you. Crew shook his head. Why does he need someone else?
Am I good enough? I asked with raised eyebrows.
What's that supposed to mean? Of course you're 'good enough.' You're his friend and you're literally there holding his hand, right?
I looked down to see that I was, indeed, holding Reau's hand and smiled a little.
Oh. I guess I am. I just meant, I'm not one of his normal safe people.
He's fine with it. Crew shrugged. And luna says you can tell him what happened if you feel up to it. If not, tell him Em will explain it to him once he gets home.
She really thinks it's a good idea to tell him? Now my eyebrows tried to crawl into my hairline.
It affects him, too, and not just because of his boyfriends. Why do you think Spring went into hibernation after he found out?
I'm so slow, I didn't even realize why. Sorry, brother.
Grey, you are not slow. Taking time to process and think before you speak or act is not slow. Practical, sensible, and wise, but not slow. He sent a wave of love and support through the pack bond. Which is why you are going to be an excellent diplomat and why luna trusts you to tell him.
I did what I always did and thought long and hard as Crew closed the link and Mr. Welles told Spring he was clear to heal Reau. I'd just reached a decision when Reau turned teary eyes to me and a little hiccup slipped out of his lips.
"I'm sorry you got hurt," I told him gently as I rubbed my thumb over his knuckles three times, which I knew he found comforting.
"I'm more worried about everyone else." He shook his head. "This was just pain. Mommy Daddy taught me how to handle pain. I don't know how to handle people I love being upset or angry."
"Aw, Reau, that's easy. Just be there for them. Let them talk to you if they want to, or let them be silent and sit with them." I rubbed the top of his head with my free hand. "Luna said I could tell you what happened, but once I do, I can't take it back. Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes, please. It will help me understand what's wrong with Archer and Elijah and Spring."
"Spring, feel free to jump in anytime here," I said, then continued when he grunted. "Bridge was working at Roger's like usual yesterday when he and Roger both smelled something they'd never smelled before. There were several different scents, and both of them got a bad feeling from them, so they linked the gammas to see what they should do."
I paused to see if he was keeping up. Like me, he needed processing time and occasional repeats to understand everything.
"What did the gammas say to do?" he asked.
"Gamma Reuben and Bram were hanging out at Beta Ty's, which you know is right near the diner, so gamma and beta went to check it out. Gamma immediately recognized the smell of something infernal, which shook him, as you can imagine. As for beta, he smelled a dark witch. They called in the alphas because those scents were concerning enough, but they also smelled something they didn't recognize."
"So there was a scent no one recognized?"
"Yeah, and it's a good thing Nathan Barlow just happened to be with the alphas and tagged along because he knew it was a nephilim. Do you know what that is?"
"Yes. Arch and Wayne told me. It's a child of a Fallen angel and a human. Why are their nephilim hanging out with dark witches and infernal creatures?"
"That's the mystery, but it gets even more concerning. Mr. Barlow recognized the scent of the witch as the one who cursed his mate when she was pregnant with Peri. Do you know that story?"
"Yes, I do. Arch and Wayne told me. That's when they explained what nephilim were."
"Good." I nodded.
To sum up a long story, when Nathan Barlow was alpha of Great Rocks, he had to kill a shifter who went feral and the shifter's mate, a dark witch, took her revenge by cursing Nathan's mate and luna, Kelly, who was due to have Peri any day. Nathan called in a favor to have a nephilim freeze Kelly until King Rhys - Princess Rhys' grandfather and namesake - could dissolve the curse. Then the nephilim unfroze Kelly, Peri was born two days later, and no one ever saw the witch again.
Until yesterday.
"Not only that," I went on, "the alphas said the infernal scent was even more potent than the lesser demon that possessed Leo Halder. They called your papa and asked him to use his contacts to see if any of them knew anything."
I looked in Reau's eyes as best I could, which wasn't easy when his not-gaze constantly focused just beyond you, but I was fairly sure he was still okay.
"One of Gelo's neph friends, Hank Bishop, knew all the people in the photos taken by Roger's security cameras. Not only that, this Hank guy knows something about Eli's twin sister."
I cut myself off quickly. That was definitely not common knowledge in the pack, and Crew had only given me the bare bones of the story.
"Um, do you know about her?" I asked, unsure of what I could - or should - reveal.
"Yes, I do."
"Did he tell you?"
"Yes, he did."
Remembering who I was talking to, I nodded and clarified my question.
"When did he tell you, Reau?"
"The day I met Isabelle for the first time."
"Wow. Okay. Yeah. Crew said Eli never talks about her. He must trust you a lot." I smiled at him and chuckled as his eyes filled with wonder and his chest puffed out with pride. "Anyway, now everyone is worried about why the dark witch was nearby and her connection with infernal beings and nephs."
"Is that why Arch is so angry today? He's worried?"
"He's mad that the witch who hurt his mom and sissy was so close and no one caught her," I explained, "and he's worried she'll try to hurt someone else he loves."
"What about Elijah? Why's he so mad? They might have found his little sister! Shouldn't he be happy?"
Reau, remember what Eli told you? Spring said before I could. He said he was afraid a dark witch had taken her. Now that looks like it might be true, and he's afraid and sad and feels guilty that he had a nice, good life while she... Well, I'm sure she didn't grow up in a good place if she was kidnapped by a dark witch.
As Reau's eyes and mouth rounded with shock, I nodded in agreement with his wolf.
"He's afraid of what he'll find if she's still alive," I added.
I almost hoped she wasn't for her sake. Surely death was much more merciful than a lifetime of endless torture.
"And Spring? Why are you having a bad day?" he asked his wolf.
One of the nephs is the hunter who killed Everett, Spring said baldly.
"Are you sure?" I demanded in an urgent tone. "Are you sure it's the same hunter?"
I'd recognize that bitch anywhere. She looks the same in Roger's photos as she did that day.
My jaw dropped. I didn't think anyone else was aware of this.
The alphas had circulated the security photos around to ranked pack members and a few others, like Gelo, who had connections in other supernatural communities, but I hadn't heard a bit of chatter about Spring's revelation.
"How did you see the photos and I didn't?" Reau's bottom lip rolled out in a pout.
Cove showed me when I asked him to last night after Beta Em and Gelo went to bed, Spring admitted.
"Did you tell anyone?" I asked.
No. I shut down when I saw the photo. It was only Reau's pain that helped me resurface. I will tell the alphas and Gelo now if you will watch over my little one.
"Of course." Putting my arm around Reau's shoulders, I squeezed him because I knew how much comfort he took for hugs.
"Do you think the nephilim are bad people?" He nuzzled his face in my chest and wrapped his arms around my waist.
"Not all of them. Like rogues in the shifter world, there are bad ones, but most are just trying to live their lives like everyone else."
I didn't want to scare him by explaining that something bad was going on with the nephs right. Whatever it was, it was bad enough to involve major infernal involvement, well beyond lesser demons. Bad enough to have every supernatural community on high alert. Bad enough for King Julian to issue shelter-in-pack orders until further notice.
Bad enough for our own alphas to have their betas stationed at the alpha house so they could guard Luna Posy every second they had to be away from her.
Bet luna hates being in beta jail, Matthias smiled, but it was half-hearted. He knew we couldn't risk her as much as she herself probably did.
"Grey?"
"Hmm?"
"Your hugs are nice, but not as good as my boyfriends' hugs." Reau's bluntness made me roll my eyes, but then he twisted a little so his not-gaze could land somewhere near my left ear. "I want WayWay and Bear-Bear now. Do you think they've calmed down?"
Right on cue, the door to the nurse's office flew open, and Arch and Wayne ran in with wolf-lit eyes, torn hoodies, and busted lips. One look at their faces, and I rubbed my temple with the fingers of my free hand.
"Yeah, that's going to be a no."
Elijah
I felt like shit seeing Reau on the floor with a bloody arm and knowing I'd hurt him.
I didn't get a chance to finish apologizing, let alone check on him, before Arch tackled me. Even though I knew I was in the wrong, I wasn't going to lay there and take a beating. In seconds, my fists were pounding him as hard as his were pounding me.
Then Wayne jumped in, so Bridge did, too, and soon all four of us were rolling and clawing and screaming at each other as our other friends tried to separate us.
Good luck with that, boys, I thought wryly.
In a way, this was a better therapy for shifters like me and Arch than anything Dr. York could do, but it was also a painful one. Arch hit harder than anyone I knew, and Wayne fought dirty. He'd already tried to punch me in the balls twice, and I took that personally.
Then again, seeing their special boy hurt and bleeding was probably something they took personally, too.
"ENOUGH!" Mr. Halder's power-laden bellow was as effective as any of our alphas'. "STOP FIGHTING AND STAND UP!"
Even if I wanted to resist him, Darius yielded immediately and forced me to loosen my hold on Wayne's throat. My wolf had me standing in front of our principal before I could blink, and the other boys' wolves had forced them to do the same.
Leo Halder wasn't an ex-alpha for nothing. His moon power was on the same level as alphas Jayden, Ash, and Wyatt, and there were very few in the pack who could resist his command.
No wonder the alphas wanted him for the principal of a shifter high school.
Darius rolled his eyes, apparently not appreciating my humor, and decided to go to sleep rather than heal me.
Fucker.
"All of you to the white room, except Archer and Wayne!" Mr. Halder shouted.
"But Mr. Halder, Atticus and Azure didn't—"
"We'll sort it out there!" Mr. Halder cut off Bridge's attempt to explain. "First priority is Reau. He needs to see his boyfriends before he spirals into a panic."
He won't panic with Grey there, Bridge linked me. Grey knows how to keep anyone calm.
True enough. I gave him a quick nod. Sorry for dragging you into this. Another fight is not what you need on your record.
Pfft. I wash dishes at a diner, dude, he snorted. Who gives a fuck about my record?
You won't always wash dishes at a diner, and Royal Price is going to give a fuck when he finds out.
He knows everything that's happening and how quick Arch's temper is, Bridge said with a shrug. Besides, you need to worry more about how you're going to apologize to Reau
Yeah. I hung my head, ashamed of myself. I hadn't meant for that to happen, and I wouldn't have hurt him intentionally for the world.
A quick apology and a bro-hug would straighten things out between me and Reau's boyfriends, but I'd need to do something special for the pack's darling. Not because Reau himself expected it, but because he deserved it.
You got any ideas? I asked Bridge as I rubbed my jaw where it had started to ache. Damn! Arch's fist is like a sledgehammer!
Yeah, Wayne's wasn't any softer, and Max said he ain't going to heal me until Grey links us that Reau's okay. Bastard knows Grey won't be able to link us in the white room. Bridge shook his head as he held his ribs. Anyway, I'll think about it. We'll come up with something good. Something Reau will like.
Then Mr. Halder shoved us into the white room, and I was left all alone with only my throbbing bruises to keep me company.
And I had only myself to blame.