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“Gemma. Sweetheart. Can you come here with me for a second?”
I’ll give Ryker some credit. The ‘sweetheart’ was a nice touch, but asking me instead of ordering me? If Trish didn’t already realize that the relationship between us is like nothing she thought it would be, having the dominant alpha snapping at her one moment before asking me for my permission has to be like rubbing salt into her open wounds.
I nod, and Ryker tells Trish to stay put. Then, with his hand pressed casually to the small of my back, he steers me to the end of the block. If we keep our voices low, not even her shifter’s hearing will be able to catch a hint of our conversation.
And that’s if she’d even dare to eavesdrop in the first place.
“Okay,” I say, purposely stepping away from Ryker’s possessive hold now that we’re alone. I can’t really focus when he’s touching me, but from the speculative look on his face, I can tell that I’m going to need my wits about me for this one. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking I should let her come back.”
Ugh. I was afraid of that. “Really?”
“I won’t if you think it’s better that I uphold the banishment. But the Danvers have been a part of Accalia for centuries. Her cousin is even on my pack council. Her family understood why I did what I did, but no one was happy to see her go. She apologized. It doesn’t take an alpha to be that stubborn, but she bared her throat to us.”
He’s not wrong. I call vamps arrogant, but just like how Ryker gets itchy when I thank him, it’s rare for a shifter—no matter their ranking—to apologize. To apologize is to accept that we were wrong. We’ll never admit that if we can help it.
And she did.
Does that mean I like the idea of welcoming Trish with open arms? Luna, no. My wolf snaps her teeth at the idea that, while I’m down in Muncie, Trish will be living on the same mountains as Ryker. What if she has a convenient case of amnesia, forgets her apology, and makes a move on him again?
We’re still not fully bonded. That’s my fault, too. If wewerebonded, my jealousy would be a non-issue. It would only be about strengthening the pack. With Mountainside’s numbers dwindling, Ryker couldn’t really afford to lose another packmate, especially one with such ties to the community. Plus, if he brings her back, it shows that he’s the type of Alpha his pack deserves.
He’s not a dictator, but a leader. And a good leader makes decisions that help their people, not hurt them.
I… I can’t say no, can I?
As if he can tell where my thoughts have gone, Ryker lifts his hand, cupping my chin so that I can’t look away from him. He’s in total alpha mode. Despite being the same type of wolf, even I struggle to meet his gaze when he’s like this.
Too bad he doesn’t give me a choice. In this, we’re partners, and he proves it by looking right into my eyes without letting his wolf overpower mine.
“Do you trust me?” he asks.
“Yes,” I tell him honestly. “But I don’t trust her.”
He gives me a searching look.
If he pushes it, I’ll let it go without another word. He’s the Alpha, and this is a Mountainside issue. He chose to kick her out of the pack when he believed she was working against us, but if she’s just as much a pawn in this as I was? He lost Shane. In order to stand against the much larger—and much more powerful—Western Pack, we need as many packmates as we can get.
And if somewhere along the line I started to consider itmypack again, I’m just going to bulldoze right over that realization.
But he’s not pushing it. He’s actually waiting for me to help him make this decision together as a unit.
Yeah… that’s another realization I’m not prepared for.
“I’m good with whatever you think,” I tell him. “She was telling the truth when she apologized, and you know what they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” I smile to show him that I’m only a little bit serious when I call Trish Danvers an enemy. “Maybe it’ll be better for all of us if she’s back in Accalia.”
Ryker strokes the underside of my chin with his fingers as he steps back. “If you decide she’s not a fit for our pack, I’ll banish her again.”
“Good. I’ll hold you to that.”
That settled, we walk back over to where we left Trish. And while I expect Ryker to tell Trish that she has his permission to rejoin Mountainside, I admit I’m a little stunned when he says to her, “Come on. I’m taking you back to pack land.”
And… that’s where I draw the line.
I can’t. Maybe, in time, I can find it in me to put my animosity toward this female behind me. Unfortunately, in the ten minutes or so since I discovered her outside of Charlie’s, I still haven’t managed to.
Good thing I told Sherm to hold down the fort. Tony’s due in to take over at the bar in about an hour, and I think Hailey’s coming back for tonight’s evening rush. They don’t need me right now which is good because I have something else to do.
