Wicked: A Savage Alpha Shifters Romance, page 13
It goes without saying that as a pack, we’d only do this if absolutely necessary, and I know I’m sunk.
I’ve only got the time it takes to round up some shit at my house to come to terms with the fact that I’m about to be locked in a small cabin for seven days with Erica Young.
17
Erica
I’m sitting on the couch between Cicely and Bailey when Lincoln and Jason come back inside. Bailey’s eyes hit Jason, whose leg has already healed after he shifted. It’s obvious she’s worried about him. I was, too, but they said the bullet just nicked him and shifting healed him up a hundred per cent.
Bailey was shaking with panic when I recounted what had happened to me tonight. They’d arrived just minutes after we did, Cicely bringing a bottle of booze, saying she was fine, that it was just a bit worse than a bitch slap and had healed after just one shift. She was more pissed off about what happened than anything, that someone dared put their hands on her that way. She showed genuine concern for my wellbeing. In all this, I guess I’d sort of forgotten Cicely is a wolf shifter, too.
Bailey arrived carrying two tote bags filled with snacks. I had a shot of rum, but didn’t touch the snacks.
Bailey says, “So, Riley didn’t stay? Not even after all that, huh?” She’s asking me, but her eyes are bouncing between Jason and Lincoln.
“Nope,” I reply. “Just ripped apart the guy, then looked at me for five seconds and left.” I pour a second shot of rum and down it.
***
The room goes quiet, and energy zings around me in a way that makes me feel like they’re all communicating without words.
“Saddle up, we’re headin’ out,” Jason tells me, coming back in from outside.
I get to my feet after setting my glass on the table and look at the girls. “You guys wanna hang out with me on my bus?”
“Sure,” Bailey chirps happily.
“She’s not sleeping in her van after all this, Jase. She can stay with me,” Cicely offers.
“She’s goin’ to Tyson’s old cabin,” Lincoln pipes up from behind Jason.
I shake my head. “I’d rather stay where I am in the parking lot. Until he’s ready to talk.”
“Riley’s meeting you there. You two are bein’ locked in for a week,” Jason advises.
“What?” I whisper.
“We took a vote,” Lincoln explains. “Can’t resolve your issues if you’re not in the same space. You’re gonna spend a week there and see what conclusion he comes to.”
I blink rapidly as I process this. A week alone in a cabin with Riley?
My heart sinks. Because a week with Riley that isn’t what he wants hurts. It’s happening because his pack voted for it to be so.
“Um…” is all I manage to verbalize.
“Right,” Jason claps, “C’mon, Erica. Bay…can you talk to Ivy? Help her organize provisions for a week for them and have it dropped off to Ty? He’ll deliver it all in the morning.”
“Why don’t the men ever organize food provisions?” Cicely mumbles as Bailey happily chirps, “Absolutely.”
“We could,” Lincoln offers, “but the result’d be beef jerky, Fritos, and beer for a week.”
“True,” Bailey says with a giggle.
Cicely rolls her eyes.
Bailey then jumps up and hands me the tote bags. “Take these bags of snacks. There’s chips, crackers, chocolate, a cheese ball, some nuts.” She passes Jason the tote bags when I don’t take them.
“But…” I try.
“No, Erica,” Lincoln denies. “Riley needs this. I don’t know that it’ll be easy, but it’ll be progress. You said you’re here to sort shit with him, right?”
“I’d rather he come to talk to me of his own free will. How are you getting him there with me? Isn’t he going to be… uh… hostile or-”
A new voice enters the space by saying my name.
I turn to see the man I instantly know is Greyson Blackwood. My cousin. We haven’t met yet.
“It’s been a couple days and that hasn’t happened, he’s gotten worse. So this is what needs to happen. It’s been decided. He’s on board. Albeit reluctantly.”
I hold out my hand. “Greyson. I’m so glad to meet you.”
He stares at my hand a second and I drop it, crestfallen, thinking he’s another wolf shifter who’s afraid of physical contact with me. But he surprises me by instead pulling me into a hug.
“Me, too. We’ll catch up another time though, yeah? Let’s get you there and get this show on the road.”
I almost burst into tears at the affection he’s just given me. I put my arms around his middle and sink into his strong warmth. After a minute of silence, I look at his face. He’s very handsome. And I know those kind, silver eyes. My sisters Jessie and Vivi have those same eyes. So does Danica in color, though hers are more almond-shaped. Mine aren’t far off either, though mine are flecked with a lighter brown. Some of his facial features are reminiscent of my father, actually. And now I’m feeling emotional; I’m barely holding onto the tears.
“You look a little like my dad,” I manage.
“Where is he? Will I get to meet him?” he asks, eyes soft.
I shake my head. “He died when I was twelve.”
He squeezes my shoulders. “Sorry to hear that. Hey… this? It’s gonna work out however it’s supposed to. Can’t say it won’t get ugly first, but Riley Savage is a good man. The best. You both need this.”
I force myself to swallow and then nod. Greyson leads me outside, Bailey and Cicely following.
“Good luck,” Cicely says, then holds out the bottle of booze. “You might need this.”
Greyson takes it for me.
“Your brother seems pretty awesome,” I whisper to Bailey.
He lets out a low laugh in response and messes up his sister’s hair. She looks at him with affection.
She squeezes my hand. “He is very awesome. Now, go. He’ll get you there. Go get your man. Maybe the sooner you get yours, I’ll get mine.” She looks at Jason wistfully.
He sees and hears this and doesn’t react. In fact, he seems oblivious.
And then her eyes search mine. “Do you know what’s gonna happen with the rest of the council members? I mean… who they’ll mate with and when?”
“Bailey…” Greyson reprimands.
I shake my head. “Please don’t ask me that. I can’t answer any of those questions.”
She scrunches up her nose. “Any hints?”
“I have some vague bullet points, but nothing solid about the rest but even if I did, I can’t say anything. I’m sorry.”
“Drats. Anyway, go get your man. When it’s all sealed, we’ll have a girls’ night and celebrate.”
I give her a sad smile.
“Positive thinking, Erica,” she urges, then repeats, “Positive thinking.”
Yeah. Right. Sure.
“See you there. I need to take this opportunity to get a run in.” Greyson passes the bottle to Jason and then pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it while kicking off his boots as his jeans drop and quickly, before I can even shield my eyes from his nudity, he’s already shifted into a large, silvery gray wolf. He immediately breaks into a full run.
“Erica,” Jason says, opening the passenger door of Lincoln’s SUV and gesturing for me to get inside. As I do, he squats to gather Greyson’s clothes and gets in the back with Joel.
I blow out a long breath as I buckle the seatbelt.
***
We’re pulling up to a small one-story cabin. I know of this place. It’s where Tyson was raised. Where Tyson and Ivy mated and spent their first few weeks together.
There’s a classic old pickup truck already here and I see forms on the open porch that takes up the front face of the cabin.
Lincoln turns his SUV off.
A light goes on in the cabin and now I can make out Tyson stepping back outside to stand with Mason and Riley. There are two gym bags at Riley’s feet. Headlights shine a light on him, my van pulling in behind us. Riley’s body language can only be interpreted as… hostile.
Lincoln says, “Your ride’s here because your belongings are in it, but we’re gonna ask you to let us take it and park it back at our place.”
Joel had me hand over my keys when we got to the gas station, and he got out and drove it here.
“Why?” I ask.
Greyson is here. Naked. He’s opening the passenger door and helping me out, saying, “We’re asking the same of you that we asked of him. Give it seven days.”
“I thought you left,” I say, averting my eyes from his nudity.
“Needed a run before I go home. I’m heading there in a minute. You’ll give it seven days?”
“What if he leaves?” I whisper.
“He won’t leave. But we’re asking you not to leave, either.” He reaches into the back seat and grabs his jeans and pulls them on. I keep my eyes averted until I hear the zipper go up. “Sorry,” Greyson says, “I’m semi-decent now.”
“He won’t leave?” I ask.
“Pack bond,” is his answer.
I hear Riley grumble something from the porch, but Greyson is talking again. “Seven days, you two stay here and figure things out. After those seven days, we move forward. Either you two move forward together, or you don’t.”
I swallow.
“If he wants out, will you cooperate?” Joel asks.
“I will,” I answer, voice betraying my emotion.
“You’ve said you aren’t using any magic in Arcana Falls, but this isn’t inside the village limits,” Mason inquires. “Do we need to worry about you pulling magic on Rye to get what you want?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Breaking rules got us here.” I stare at my feet.
“Right. We should get your clothes and whatever you need from the van so we can head out,” Greyson says loudly, obviously for everyone’s benefit.
I rush into my bus and grab my toiletries bag, my belt bag and phone charger. Greyson grabs my suitcase and gathers the half a dozen dresses from the rack of clothes I’ve hung in the tiny cupboard.
“Two things. Something I gotta say and then a question, Erica,” Greyson whispers just as I’m about to leave the bus.
I wait expectantly.
“If you want this,” he says carefully, “if you really, really do, you gotta be patient with him.”
I barely nod, but I know Greyson reads the emotion in my eyes. He gives me a soft look.
Most of my family is female. I have a feeling I’ll like having Greyson Blackwood as a member of my family.
Though then again, Riley will cut me out of his life in seven days, so Greyson won’t likely bother with me after that.
I nod some more to show him I’m in this.
“Good.” He rubs my back. “Also… is she dead or alive?” he asks earnestly.
I blink in surprise.
“Soleil Young,” He says. “I don’t know if I need to know her, but I wanna know if she’s alive at least. For starters, anyway.”
“We think she is,” I say softly. “But I really don’t know much about that entire situation. I’ve never met her.”
He lets out a breath and I watch his eyes change shades from a dark brown to a silver color.
“Me either,” he says.
“If you ever need to reach out, we might be able to help, Greyson. Me, Vivi, and Ronnie cook up a pretty useful locator spell together. Though I’m under sanctions right now, they could work it without me. Or I could help if it’s after all this. And Aunt Mimi said she’s happy to answer your questions. I’m sure she knows way more than we do.”
A swallow works down his throat. “Not sure about that, but I appreciate having the door open. Thanks, Erica.” He gestures for me to head out the door. I step out and head in Riley’s direction.
“Hey? Program my number in your phone,” Greyson says from behind me, then his voice drops, “If you need anything, call me.”
“Oh,” I feel discombobulated. “It’s in the bus,” I say, darting a glance over my shoulder at Riley who is on the porch, looking tense, looking at the trees off in the distance. “The cupholder in the front, I think. And maybe could you grab my cooler? I have some food in there.”
“I’ll grab it, sure,” Greyson agrees.
“We brought some supplies from Riley’s kitchen,” Tyson says as I walk toward the cabin, getting closer, feeling like I might be heading for my doom.
He continues, ”I took them inside and left them on the table. Some need the fridge or freezer right away. And I’ll be by in the morning with more food,” Tyson tacks on.
“And to make sure he hasn’t murdered me?” I joke.
Nobody laughs.
I can see from my periphery that Riley’s eyes are on me now, but I can’t bring myself to meet them.
There’s an awkward moment until Greyson is back. “I added my number and called my phone from yours, so I have your digits too. Here.”
I slip it into my dress pocket. “Thanks,” I whisper, then I’m again hugging myself.
“It’ll be okay,” Greyson tells me, putting his hands on my shoulders and squeezing reassuringly.
I hear growling. And it moves through me with a strange sensation.
Riley’s doing that. And his eyes are on Greyson.
And suddenly there’s heat in my underwear. I’m mortified because I could swear I see both Lincoln’s and Joel’s nostrils flare. The sound of Riley growling is arousing. Against my will. Oddly. Because I have no idea how I could even feel that right now with all that’s happened and happening.
And I think they can all smell it on me. God, the indignity I feel has my cheeks hot now, too.
“She’s a relative, man. Chill out,” Grey jokes, eyes on Riley, but he also lets go of me.
“Biology,” Mason explains, not meeting my eyes. “Don’t be embarrassed, Erica. Just biology. Let’s go, boys.”
Great. Confirmation that they smell it. Just great.
My clothes, Riley’s bags, and some other bags are on the porch by the door. I bite my bottom lip and shiver as things seem frozen in time for a beat.
“Now, brothers,” Mason repeats.
They pile into cars and my van. I watch them pull down the long, winding driveway, past the two hundred-odd-year-old weeping willow. I bet it’s full of magic. I’d love to tap into it. I have a feeling it’d share a whole lot of magic with me willingly. Maybe I can test that out in a week. When all this is done with. Sadness swamps me.
Right now, I’m standing on the grass in front of the porch for a moment, unsure of what to do with myself.
We’re here. This is it. This is it. The moment I’ve been waiting for. For seven years.
God, I don’t know if I can do this. I’m terrified. Terrified to speak the words. Terrified of what he’ll think, how he’ll react, how much it’ll hurt when he tells me he wants me out of his system and then walks away with zero emotion on his face.
Though zero emotion is probably better than anger or worse – pain. But, this is really happening, and I don’t know how I’m going to hold myself together. I don’t have a good explanation for all this. I was young, careless, broken-hearted, and selfish. He’s not going to forgive and forget. How could he after all it’s cost him?
Riley turns and goes to the door, so I stare at his back as he opens it.
Instead of going through, he holds it wide and gestures.
“Go in. I’ll get this stuff in.”
“I’ll help,” I offer.
He shakes his head. “I’ve got it. Go in.”
I move past him, catching his scent, feeling emotion well up so fast and full that I don’t know if my body will buckle, if I’ll burst into tears, or burst into flames. But I walk inside and take in the small, shabby but tidy, rustic space through unshed tears that I blink back.
18
Erica
Seven Years Ago
I drove to Drowsy Hollow with mascara tracks down my cheeks and my grip on the wheel so tight my hands were aching like I had arthritis.
My twenty-first birthday was in a few days, and I wasn’t just getting presents. I’d also been planning to give away one. A big one in my eyes. I was going to give Devon my virginity.
Today, plans changed. Because I found out he’s been cheating on me.
Six months, I wasted with him. Six months of my life. Not only did he cheat, he cheated with Tawny, who is supposed to be my friend. He’s been sleeping with her for over a month. Over a month while lying to my face with his forked tongue – that snake.
And looking back, I figured it probably wasn’t the first time. Because not only did he cheat, but he was overheard telling his friend he was only hanging in there to get my cherry and then he’d be done with me and my “quirky ass”.
And it turned out I was the laughingstock of my friend group. Because I’m ridiculous. Ridiculous, quirky Rikki Young, holding onto her virginity for the perfect man.
I’m now convinced that the perfect man doesn’t exist.
I drove here to escape the nonsense of my regular life. The nonsensical “regular” life I constructed for myself.
Along with spending a lot of time on my craft the past three years, I’d been trying to live a double life, the second one being more of a “regular” life.
I moved out and got a roommate. I also got a regular job about eight months ago, wanting to make sure I lived as an adult in the regular world, thinking it’d make me better at the craft because I wasn’t only living in the world of the Young coven. Being in the community instead of spending all my time with witches would make me a better person, a better witch, wouldn’t it?
Turned out, it just made me miserable. The competition out there was stiff. For jobs. For genuine friendships. In dating. I surrounded myself with people my age and that was a mistake. Because almost all of them turned out to be back-biting, plastic, two-faced jerks. There was only competition, no camaraderie. Except for my roommate Priya, who told me the truth about Devon.
