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“I…” Abby whimpers then grimaces. “I shouldn’t have activated the site until we were ready. Charlie, I’m so sorry I got you into this mess.”
My friend is full of guilt, and I know how hard this must be for her, the rule follower that she is. But I played my part as well. “I’m sorry too,” I tell her. “I never should have initiated the match.”
Kevin stands. “Charlie and Ryan will get married tonight, and then they’ll bond.” He trains his gaze on me and speaks in a tone that sends a shiver down my spine. “Or you’ll be dealt with.”
I gulp down my fear, nodding, and Ryan gets up to leave. I join him. Once we’re out of the office, I turn to him. “That was harsh. What happens if I refuse? What did he mean, I’d be dealt with?”
Ryan’s face contorts with pain. “You’ll be killed.”
“Come on. For real?” I freeze. “He can’t do that. It’s called murder!”
“For you, yes. For us, it’s survival.”
Pure panic grips my heart like a vise. I can’t take a full breath.
“Charlie?” Ryan grips my arms. “Are you okay?”
I shake my head as tears fill my eyes. My world has just shifted into a nightmare, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be okay again.
Chapter Nine
The teakettle hisses on the stove, but I can’t seem to climb out of my place on the couch to do anything about it.
Ryan gets up, and not only does he remove the boiling water from the burner, but he splashes it into a mug he’s prepared to make tea for me. The pillow in my hands is soft as I squeeze it tightly to my chest.
My phone dings with a text, and I glance at the coffee table to see a notification from Val. She’s dying of curiosity about how things are going with Ryan, but because I can’t tell her about him being a werewolf, I’m afraid to answer.
The couch sinks as Ryan sits next to me and places my tea on the coffee table. “Talk to me, Charlie.” When I don’t respond, he places a hand on my arm so lightly that I can hardly feel it. “Scream, break something, hit me. Please. Whatever you need to do to get the frustration out, please do it.”
I turn to him. “Would it make a difference?”
“It might make you feel better. This quiet version of you is scaring me.”
I snort. “You want to know what’s scarier? Try to imagine fangs sinking into your neck, dangerously close to your jugular. Hell, even if you don’t hit the artery, how won’t I bleed out?”
“You won’t. My saliva will heal you quickly.”
“Great.” I huff. “And then I become a wolf. How does that actually happen? Does hair just grow? Because I hate to think of what shaving my legs will be like.”
“Ah.” Ryan frowns. “Your body goes through metamorphosis. And…” He pauses and sighs.
“Let me guess, it’s not a painless thing.”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s not.”
“All because I pushed a button I shouldn’t have.” I lean forward and grab my mug of tea. “And even worse, my bestie is probably begging and pleading her life away to try to get me out of it. But there’s no getting out of this, is there?” I take a sip of the scalding tea and gulp it down to avoid burning my tongue worse only to sear my throat as well, and I slam the mug down on the table.
Ryan looks away. “There isn’t.”
My anger has finally returned. I sit up and throw the pillow I’m holding across the room. It’s not the least bit satisfying when it lands with a soft whoosh, so I grab my teaspoon and chuck it hard enough that it hits the floor with a loud clatter.
“Here.” Ryan holds up my mug. “Right against the door.”
I glare at him. “Don’t tell me what to do.” But I grab the mug anyway and stand to pitch it like a Major League Baseball player, throwing with all my might. The mug breaks once it hits the door, the big ceramic pieces scattering on the floor.
It’s a satisfying sound, I have to admit, so I reach for Ryan’s water glass and throw that too. When it shatters, glass rains down in a horribly pleasing way. It helps my rage subside.
I turn back to Ryan. “Thanks. That did help.”
