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“I’m leaving! I can’t believe he did that to me! I can’t face him again, I can’t. I don’t ever want to see him again!” Adria yelled in between sobs. “I’m going as far away from him as I can;I’m going to Canmore. I’ll call you all when I get there.” Adria rushed past them with her suitcase in tow, running outside to her car.
She could hear them behind her, trying to calm her and reassure her, but she ignored them. She needed to go, to get as far away from him as she could. The pain she felt from his rejection was the worst pain she ever felt in her life. Jumping in the driver's seat, Adria sped off, thinking she would never look back.
***
Spencer woke up the next morning with a headache the size of a football field. He didn’t remember much after leaving the bar and heading to the oak tree in the middle of town. Vaguely, there was a thought of talking to Adria, and then he and the guys were at his place downing shots till they hit the floor.
Why did I drink so much?he thought to himself. He knew better than to get to the point where he was drunk beyond repair. He rolled out of bed and staggered to the bathroom, holding his head in his hands and grumbling. Flicking on the light caused a jolt of pain to sear through him and made him gasp. As he finished, he could hear movement in his room.Oh no, did I bring someone home last night? My dad is going to kill me!Spencer popped a couple of aspirins, as he slowly opened the bathroom door and peeked into his room.
“Dude, you look how I feel. It was a good night, for the most part, but I’m going to need a week to recover,” Madox grumbled as he got up from the floor on the other side of Spencer's bed.
“Oh, thank God it’s you.” Spencer let out a sigh of relief. “I thought I was going to catch hell again for bringing another girl home.” Spencer flopped down on his bed and closed his eyes.
“Well, with how steamed you were last night, I doubt any girl would have wanted to spend the night with you.” Madox laughed as he took his turn in the bathroom.
“What do you mean by that?” Spencer asked, sitting up and looking at his friend, confused.
“Well, after you went off on Adria, we all figured you were ready to punch a brick wall. Thankfully, we convinced you to just come home and get wasted,” Madox answered from the bathroom.
“Went off on Adria? Why? Oh no!” The memory of the conversation at the oak tree came flooding back, bringing not only another jolt of pain but a wave of nausea as well. Spencer remembered Adria stuttering and stumbling, trying to explain to him that she had feelings. At first, he thought it was adorable and sweet. But then, out of nowhere, he felt a flash of anger, almost rage.
“Yeah, dude, you verbally ripped her apart. It was terrible to see. We all felt bad for Adria, and I’ll tell you this right now; when we go downstairs, and you see Benet and Mitch, your first words to them need to be ‘I’ll apologize to her’. They were not happy with you.” Madox shook his head as he sat next to Spencer.
“I will, and I will say I’m sorry to her. She didn’t deserve that. I don’t know why I said those things to her. Why did I get so angry?” Spencer rubbed his face in his hands and grumbled again.
“It’s a common thing for guys who are so close to their Alpha ceremony. There is a huge spike in testosterone and aggression. It’s so bad that, if you’re attacked by anyone who is trying to take over your position, you’re ready to fight and keep your birthright secure. It dates back centuries. Way back when it used to be worse, future Alphas would have to be caged for theweek before their ceremony. Some killed the people they loved. They thought everyone was out to get them,” Madox finished, shrugging.
“This is why you’re going to be the best Beta of all time. You’re going to be the only one to keep my sorry butt in line and be able to understand why I act like a complete jerk sometimes.” Spencer cringed at the thought of hurting Adria, and he knew he had to see her and make things right. He had always felt such a strong bond with her, loved spending time with her, talking to her. He had always felt that he could be himself with her, that she accepted him and his faults.
Spencer followed his Beta downstairs to the living room, knowing that he had some explaining to do. Benet was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. Mitchell lay on the other, staring at the ceiling.
“I think I know what death feels like,” Mitchell said without looking at anyone. Benet burst out laughing.
“We all feel crappy,” Spencer declared, as he flopped on the couch beside Benet.
“Hopefully, others feel worse than me.” Mitchell turned to look at him. Spencer could see the anger in his eyes. Spencer again cringed with what he had said to Adria. He knew the guys all saw her as a little sister.
“You guys don’t have to say anything. I feel worse than all of you. I think I now know why I was such a huge jerk, but still, it’s no excuse. I will apologize to her. As soon as I get rid of this headache, I’m going to go see Adria and convince her that I was taken over by an evil imposter and that the real me is back. And that I am sorry.”
“Good to hear, and I hope last night is the only time we ever see you like that with a friend. I mean, dealing with an enemy, you would have been perfect, no mercy, bare knuckles,figuratively speaking. I just mean, man, you were brutal!” Benet exclaimed as he headed for the kitchen. Everyone could hear his stomach rumbling.
“Okay, okay. I get it; you don’t have to rub it in. I feel bad enough already, okay? I will make things right. Right after you cook us all breakfast, Benet,” Spencer said, knowing that Benet was looking for food. That guy was always hungry but stayed so lean.
Mitchell chuckled as he reached for his buzzing phone.
“Ben, forget about breakfast. We got to go! That was the Alpha. There's an emergency meeting at the hall, and you’re knee-deep in trouble for not having your phone on you, Spencer,” Mitchell announced.
“Oh great,” he groaned, hearing Benet cursing from the kitchen. They all got themselves looking at least half-alive, as they headed to the town hall. Spencer led the way, wondering what could be going on that the Alpha, his father, would call an emergency meeting. Thankfully, Rosewood was a relatively peaceful place with just misdemeanors, the occasional bar fight, or kids being kids and getting into mischief.
When he entered the hall, he was surprised to see the whole council and half the town were in attendance. His father, standing at the council table, motioned for him and the guys to sit in the front row. Spencer made his way to the saved seats, looking around for Adria.
Why isn’t she here? She would never miss an important meeting,he wondered to himself. While searching for her, he spotted Beth, Moira, and Everley and smiled. They, in turn, glared daggers at him.Not surprised they’re mad at me as well, I do deserve it,he told himself. When they sat down, his father called the meeting to start.
“Our pack has always been very lucky. We live in a beautiful town and have always had the privilege to lead our lives in peace from outside threats. The council and I have been truthful with everyone from the start, and that’s something that will never change. A threat lurks outside our little piece of paradise, and I need everyone to be aware of it. I have gotten word that there is a hunter loose who has been killing wolves.” Spencer's father stopped as gasps and whispered comments came from the crowd.
“We’ll be protected. We have the red oak tree. Nothing can harm us,” someone called from the back.
“I know the legend very well, as everyone else here does, but that’s the thing: it’s just a legend. We have no idea if it’s true or if we are just very lucky,” he replied sternly.
