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TWELVE
"I'msurprised you sent the wolf after us so soon, considering how much convincing we had to do to get him into that collar," Ford said. He sniffed the air. "Why does it smell so good in here?"
"Probably because you're used to hanging out with men," I said before I stepped backward, sitting down on the edge of my bed to get off my feet.
Ford shrugged.
Jesse wormed his way into my small closet, and came back dragging a massive rolling suitcase in his teeth.
"My RA said he can't stay," I explained to Ford. "Me and Jesse made a deal. He's going to let me finish out the semester before biting me, in exchange for me living at his house, driving his car."
Ford barked out a laugh. "You're getting the raw end of that deal, Teagan."
"I go by Tea," I told him. "And I know, but I'm trying to deal with the shitshow my life has become thanks to you bastards."
I grabbed the massive suitcase from Jesse and tugged it up onto my bed. After I unzipped the thing, I pulled out the smaller suitcase inside it and handed it to Ford. "Can you grab everything out of my closet and put it in here?"
"Mmhm." He headed to the closet.
Jesse grabbed a mouthful of my clothes and lifted them up onto the bed. I made a face, shoving them into my suitcase. "Thanks, Jesse, but I'd rather not get everything I own wet with wolf slobber."
He licked my ankle, and I eased myself back down to my feet.
That Ibuprofen really needed to kick in already.
Moving everything from my dresser to the suitcases was fast and easy. I didn't fold it; that could wait until my feet didn't hurt so damn much.
When that was done, I started grabbing everything else I owned and throwing it in the suitcase too. I didn't own anything nice; even my laptop was one of the cheapest functional models. College was about surviving, so that I wouldn't have to worry about money afterward.
I couldn't wait to not have to stress about money. I’d be able to buy my mom the things she'd never bought herself growing up, because we couldn't afford it back then. Hardcover books and candles were some of her favorite things on the planet, and they weren’t even expensive, but they'd been an unnecessary expense we couldn't fit in the budget for as long as I could remember. After I graduated, we’d live close to each other and I could drop off presents randomly to let her know that she was loved.
Ford and I packed up my life quickly. My phone was still dead, so I scribbled a note on a sheet of paper to let Ebony know I was moving out with my new "dog" and that I'd text her when I got my phone charged.
Walking down to Ford's car was painful, but when we made it, I took the passenger seat and lifted my feet up to rest on the dashboard while Jesse jumped into the back seat. I was surprised Ford’s sports car had a back seat, but then again, it seemed like their pack spent a lot of time together, so he probably needed the extra seats.
Ford opened his mouth to tell me to take my feet off the dash, but Jesse leaned forward between the seats and growled at Ford.
The man shut his mouth, pulling his sports car away from my school. He turned music on, and I shut my eyes and cursed the throbbing in my feet. I really wasn't doing the damn things any favors by walking around, but what else was there to do?
Ford and I didn't say much to each other on the drive back to Moon Ridge. Jesse's head remained between us at all times—probably a result of my unethical escape. I knew I should probably apologize to Ford for kissing him and the others, but I couldn't even remember if he was one of the guys I'd kissed.
The whole escape was a blur, and I really didn’t feel bad about it. I'd been kidnapped, and then I'd escaped. It didn't seem all that complicated to me, even though the way I went about escaping was questionable.
Ford parked in front of Jesse's house, which seemed like a polite gesture. He helped me carry my bags inside, and at the wolf's insistence, carried the suitcases up to Jesse's bedroom.
I wasn't going to sleep in Jesse-the-guy’s bed, but I guess that was a nice gesture too.
Ford met me back in the kitchen, where I was scavenging for more Ibuprofen and some Tylenol too. He gestured to the corner of the counter. "We put Jesse's phone on the charger over there yesterday."
I glanced over. The exact same phone I had was sitting plugged into a charger. It had a plain black case on it, and my case was purple, so I knew Ford was right that was Jesse’s.
Ford added, "The code to the phone and the garage is twelve-twelve. The same code works for the rest of our packs' garages and phones too. We all have access to each other's homes, and spare car keys and shit, so if you're ever locked out just knock on one of our doors."
He slid his hands into his pockets. "Our numbers are all in Jesse's phone. His parents' are too. Call any of us, or them, if you need anything. We know getting chosen by a wolf isn't ideal, and we want to help you however we can."
He paused, watching my reaction. I didn't react; what would I do or say? When I didn't do or say anything, he continued. "Jesse's got a mate-cash-stash on top of his fridge. We all have them. It's supposed to help you out while we're stuck in wolf form. Jesse's not a guy who would abandon you to figure this shit out yourself, so don't hold it against him that his wolf is in control right now."
He waited for my reaction once again, but once again, I didn't react. "Everyone in the pack has dinner together almost every night, as you know. You don't have to join us, but it's free food. We'll text the meal rotation to Jesse's phone in case you want to. I think that's about everything." He eased his way toward the door. "If you have any questions, just text or call one of us. Or walk over."
