“Back in my room,” I confirmed, forcing myself to blink.
“Whose room are you in now?” Luca asked, voice suspicious, which thankfully served to remind me that I was angry right now.
“Some fucking bedroom a feral Alpha dragged me into after pummeling my best friend and pinning me in place so he could kiss me.Withoutmy permission.” I didn’t mince my words, and Luca let out a string of expletives.
“Nix! What the fuck, dude?! Where the fuck are Bastian and Greylen?”
I mentally filed those names away. Were they the other clan members? How many Alphas were out there thinkingIwas their mate?
“I promise, this is a misunderstanding that wewillclear up. Orsen willnotbe touching Rowan again. You have my word on that.” Nix shot Orsen a look, which was met with a cold sneer. “She is safe. Just give us a chance to clear the air and figureout what the hell is happening because… Well, there’s some weird shit going on, if I’m honest. But we’re all just going to talk. And behave ourselves. Right, Orsen?”
Orsen clenched his jaw, his deep blue eyes staring daggers at Nix. “Yes.”
Luca sighed audibly. He was in a difficult position. On the one hand, I was sure he wanted to come get me right away and keep me safe; on the other hand, I wastechnicallyunharmed. If he did that, he’d increase tension between the hordes. “Okay.For now.Give Rowan her cell phone. I’ll be calling at random times throughout the day. If she doesn’t pick up, I’ll be there within the hour.”
Nix nodded, even though Luca couldn’t see it.
“And, Rowan, call me if you need me. Nix is a man of his word. I have no clue what’s going on there, but I believe he doesn’t mean you any harm.”
“If you reallythink so, I’ll trustyour word,” I told Luca.
Nix muffled a small whine as he looked down at the floor. The sound was so quiet, I almost didn’t believe I heard it. His brows furrowed as he bobbed his head. What was it about my words that distressed him?
Luca and I spoke for a moment longer, mainly exchanging pleasantries and inquiring after members of his horde I’d healed. Talking to a friend solidified the shaky ground I was standing on.
Or, at least, slightly more than twenty minutes ago.
Still, I couldn’t stay on the call forever; it was late, and Luca had his own horde to look after. After hanging up, I turned to the two Alphas, straightening my spine and doing my best to act like the confident healer I was, rather than the scared human who really wanted to flee to the bathroom again.
“Okay, so where’s Griff?” I raised my brows at the Alphas.
“He’s with the doctor,” Orsen said.
“No.” I shook my head. “Yourdoctoris a purist idiot. I don’t want him treating Griffin, I’ll do it.” That old bastard was more likely to hurt Griffin than help him. “Take me to him now.”
Orsen sighed, standing from the bed. “Fine. But this conversation is far from over.”
“I’m taking care of Griff first. He’s my family.”
The way Orsen pulled back, a whispered grunt leaving him as if I’d physically punched him, let me know that my words had hit home. Good. He’d been a complete ass. These Alphas needed to understand that, despite whatever they believed, they were nothing to me. And it was going to stay that way. Griffin was family.Theywere aggressive strangers causing me problems.
Orsen gestured to the door. “I’ll take you to Griff.”
“I could use a pair of jeans first.”
“Griff’s room is on the way.” He opened the door and indicated for me to go first.
I didn’t say anything, shoving past Orsen without looking at him. I hurried down the hallways, which were especially empty, devoid of any horde members, likely because of the fight. I stayed a few steps ahead, trying to focus on anything other than his eyes burning a hole into the back of my skull.I didn’t know where I was going, but Orsen thankfully guided me from behind.
When we got to Griff’s room, I slipped inside and stopped immediately. The room was a mess, furniture thrown everywhere, and blood splattered on the floor and walls. The sight made me nauseous, my stomach doing flip-flops as the worry over Griffin skyrocketed. It took a moment to find my things in all the carnage, while Orsen stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, watching me, and Nix searched for my phone.
From my bag, I pulled out the first pair of jeans I could find. Nix turned his back to give me some privacy. The same could not be said about Orsen. Even if I didn’t look his way, I could feel his eyes on my skin. I should have called him out for it, but something stopped me—something I didn’t understand or trust. But I chalked it up to the rising exhaustion in the wake of all that adrenaline.
As I pulled on the pants, I made sure to tuck the razor blade, which I’d still been clutching tightly, into my pocket before we headed to find Griffin.Dressed, I marched up to Orsen, unwilling to back down or cower, despite my instincts screaming at me.
“Well, lead the way. Griffin needs me.”
The barest flicker of hurt haunted Orsen’s stare. But as soon as I clocked it, it was gone. Maybe I was seeing things, wishing for some type of remorse. It didn’t matter. I had work to do, and as soon as it was finished, I’d be sprinting off these horde lands.
