“No one wants to think that someone else that shared those kinds of feelings would just walk away. We always want to believe we’ll fight for love.”
“Thank you…”
“Casey.”
“Thank you, Casey. I…I never thought about it like that. I just…can’t imagine my life without them. It’s hollow and grey. She is my world.”
I lean forward, putting my hand on my chin. “So, what are you doing here with me?”
He sniffs and smiles. “There’s a man looming in the corner of the shop who keeps staring at you as well. I could ask you the same thing.”
I blush. “It’s complicated.”
He lifts his coffee mug; I do the same.
“Here’s to complications.”
“May they lead us to happiness,” I murmur.
We clink our mugs together, and he drinks and then stands up. He gives me one cute, little nerdy wave and then turns with more bounce in his step and leaves.
I sigh and draw circles with my finger on the table.
Hazard slides into the seat opposite me.
“Didn’t work out?” I shake my head. “Good.”
I peer up at him, trying to see if he means that.
“Good,” he says clearly.
I sigh, looking down at the table while guilt sloshes back and forth like a pendulum inside me.
He reaches across the table and takes my hands. “Let’s all just stay like this-”
I don’t hear the rest of what Hazard’s about to say because he’s torn backwards out of his seat as Liam and Preston rip into him. Hazard rolls free of their kicks and gets to his own feet, his eyes glowing eerie gold.
“Stay away from our pack, mongrel.”
By insults, it’s not very creative, but for Preston, it’s almost brilliant. The two dumbasses forgot one crucial aspect of this ambush, though.
I grab Preston by the hair and yank his head back. “Kneel.”
He fights the command, so does Liam, but they don’t have the strength, the willpower I’ve forged with the blood, tears, and pain at their hands. And I’ve got something to fight for, something more precious than anything they have.
Their knees bend, and they drop to the ground and lower their eyes.
“I am not pack.” My rage is a thing of beauty, I shiver with it. “I deny all and any claim to the pack.”
“Then you give up your home!” Liam snarls, glaring up at me.
“Check your maps. I’m on the outside of pack land, always have been.”
“No, we claimed it.”
“No, you didn’t,” I say sweetly. “I claimed it.”
Liam blanches. Slowly, bit by bit, they are losing the leashes they used to control me. They will come after me in force soon. I’m going to have to be prepared for it.
