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Glancing at my left arm revealed that it was still covered in iridescent swirls. I patted my head, but that did nothing, so I grabbed a lock and pulled it forward.
Yep, still white as snow.
I tried to think of a good reason to skip the meeting and head straight for the archives, but that wouldn’t work. I’d have to go through the grounds anyway to get there. If I tried, I’d be stopped and marched back.
The only thing to do was hide my appearance until I could figure this stuff out. I got up and dressed quickly, silently cursing the alpha for calling a meeting today of all days.
I grabbed one of my brother’s old beanies that smelled faintly of sweat and jammed it on my head. A zip-up hoodie came next, then I spent several minutes in front of the mirror, making sure no hair was showing, not even a strand. I looked paler than usual, so I plastered on a little makeup to stop looking like a walking corpse.
Checking the mirror one last time to make sure everything was in order was when I realized my eyes looked brighter.
Must be the makeup,I decided, not bothering to think about it any further.
Grabbing my keys and wallet were the last things normally, but I tossed in a compact mirror. Who knew, maybe all of this was some fever dream that I’d wake up from.
My wolf snorted at my delusional thoughts, which I pointedly ignored. I was out the door, walking toward the pack house before I considered how fast I was going. I didn’t want to seem too eager or draw attention, so I slowed my pace until I was walking a step above slow motion.
It took me ten extra minutes to get to the grounds, and it looked like everyone else was there already. I hung back in the trees, hoping to just view the meeting from a distance.
Ledger appeared on the porch with a smirk on his face that everyone thought was sexy. Not me. It was creepy as fuck, so I stayed away from that guy. He nodded to a couple of his goons, who then dispersed into the crowd.
Arden once overheard Ledger explaining why he did this to another alpha-apparent. It was so he could be apprised of any unhappy, traitorous whispers from the pack. He was basically spying on his own subjects, which was what any paranoid alpha would do.
The door behind Ledger opened, and three figures appeared. The alpha, Ledger’s father, accurately named Bear, the alpha-female, Tamra, and a third figure. It took me a moment to understand who I saw.
Rylan?
He looked eerily similar to his cousin, but there was a soft, almost-kindness in his eyes. I thought it would be beaten out of him by now.
Bear stepped forward and started speaking to the gathered pack, but my gaze was transfixed on Rylan. God, he looked good. Raven colored hair swept away from his face in a tousled way that made my mouth water. He was taller now and wider in the shoulders and thighs. I bit my lip, imagining his caressing mine, his hands touching my naked flesh.
Rylan jerked, like he’d been hit upside the head. I saw his eyes searching the crowd frantically. I took a step back, but the movement caught his attention. Green-gray irises the color of grass after it rained looked right at me, making my heart gallop in my chest.
We stared at each other for several heartbeats when I felt a part of me reaching for him. Longing hit my chest like a jackhammer, followed swiftly by lust, and then…
No!
I tore my gaze away, putting my back against the tree trunk I was standing next to. My heart hurt enough to make my knees weak. A sob caught in my throat, and I had to slap a hand over my mouth to keep the sound in.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, my left arm started to tingle.
Chapter Four
Rylan
I was only half-listening to my uncle as he made the announcement that I was the new beta. I could feel the packs’ acceptance through our link, but the one I really cared about was absent.
Gritting my teeth, I tried to ignore the pang of longing and guilt I felt, until someone reached out to me. I jerked, unable to physically stop my reaction when I realized who it was.
Pearl?
I searched the crowd, frantically hoping to find her in the sea of faces. I wasn’t sure what I’d do but begging for forgiveness on my knees seemed like the right course of action.
Movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention. I swung my gaze to the trees and clashed with smoldering hazel eyes.
I stared, unable to tear my eyes away from the vision that was Pearl. She wore a black beanie, blue jeans, and a zipped-up hooded sweatshirt. She’d never looked so beautiful. A tingle ran down my spine that somehow ended at my crotch.
Before I could sprint to her and grovel, she tore her gaze away then stepped behind a tree trunk. My wolf growled possessively, urging me to hunt her down and make her ours, but I remained rooted to the spot.
