When Maddy and Abi came down the stairs, I did my best not to stare. Abi hadn’t come out of her room more than a handful of times since she’d gotten back. I’d begun to worry about her and thought she might need some kind of professional help. Abi was holding Maddy’s hand and had a tentative smile on her face. They headed straight for the kitchen without stopping to speak to anyone else.
Across the room from where he sat on the couch, Sebastian kept his eyes locked on Abi. A pensive, worried look was painted across his face. He wasn’t even trying to hide the worry. I gave an inward sigh and walked over to sit beside him. The rest of the house was bustling with activity. There was enough chaos that it was easy to miss the way he was staring at her. It was basically harmless, but we both knew he needed to quit before she noticed.
“Hey?” I said, gently nudging his knee with my hand.
“Hmm?” Sebastian said absently, not taking his eyes off Abi.
“Bro? Staring at her won’t help her feel less weird.”
Finally, he stopped staring at her and glanced over at me. “What are you talking about?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “You. You’re staring her down like she’s a mouse, and you’re a hungry owl.”
Sebastian winced and hung his head. “Sorry. I… I guess I want her to know I’m here for her. I’ve only had a few chances to talk to her since we got her home, and every time I do, she dismisses me or ignores me.”
Abi and Maddy were making something for lunch. Sandwiches, from what I could see. That was good. Abi had barely eaten anything since she’d been back. She’d lost at least five or six pounds, and she’d been fairly petite, to begin with. The weight loss made her look almost skeletal. Maddy’s father had told me the food they’d been forced to eat had been drugged, and if they refused to eat, they would be shocked through the collars on their necks. He’d also had some difficulty eating for pleasure once he was freed. Abi seemed to be having a much harder time with it, though. Maddy’s parents had gone through hell, and I had to wonder if it had been worse for Abi. I doubted she’d be acting the way she was if things hadn’t been so rough for her. It made me cringe inside to think of what those assholes might have done to her.
Sebastian flopped back, looking frustrated. “I only want her to get better. To be safe.”
“I get that, but being a stalker really isn’t the best way to make someone feel safe and sound. Plus,” I added, “if you remember, things weren’t super great between you two before she was kidnapped.”
Sebastian’s face crumpled. “I know.” He smacked himself on the forehead with the heel of his hand. “I was such a fucking idiot. What the hell was wrong with me?”
“You were thinking with your dick. That’s what was wrong with you. You treated her like another notch on your bedpost and started screwing around as soon as you got what you wanted.” The words came out harsher than I’d anticipated, butonce I started talking, it all came tumbling out. I wasn’t angry with him—I was disappointed.
Sebastian looked like I’d just told him his dog had died. The truth of the way he’d acted seemed to be like a slap in the face. All he could do was wince and nod.
“You’re going to have to earn Abi’s trust again,” I said, sighing heavily and shaking my head. “Why does this matter so much to you anyway? It didn’t seem like you cared too much for her to begin with. Not before she was kidnapped, anyway.”
Sebastian stiffened and clenched his jaw. He sat silent for a long moment, and when he opened his mouth to finally say something, his eyes darted over to the kitchen. A second later, Luis walked in through the back door. I followed Sebastian’s gaze. Luis walked over to Maddy and said something that made her laugh, then stepped over close to Abi and grabbed a bag of chips off the island next to her. She didn’t flinch away from Luis the way she did with Sebastian.
Sebastian tensed as he watched Luis help the girls make sandwiches. Eventually, Luis’s arm brushed against Abi. She didn’t pull away. I’d gotten the full play-by-play about the rescue. Sebastian had been the first one into the safe house and had taken on nearly half the guards singlehandedly. While he and Mateo had been fighting, Luis had gone down to the basement and found Abi, dispatching the guard down there before freeing her and carrying her to safety. Luis had been the one to actually rescue her. If I had to guess, she probably felt safe around him since she recognized him as her savior.
A quick glance at Sebastian let me know he didn’t like this dynamic. He looked ready to rip Luis’s throat out. We’d all been friends since we were four or five years old. I didn’t like this, but I had no idea how to fix it. After a few seconds, Sebastian let out a low growl, and Luis glanced up at us. Thankfully, Abi andMaddy were too involved in their conversation to have heard it. Luis locked his gaze on Sebastian and rolled his eyes.
Luis put a hand on Abi’s lower back and whispered something to her before walking toward us. If Sebastian had been in his wolf form, I was pretty sure his hackles would be raised. As the alpha, I should have done something to calm the situation, but I was honestly too surprised to do anything. I was rooted to the spot, watching one friend act like he wanted to kill the other.
After a quick look over his shoulder, Luis looked at Sebastian, one eyebrow raised. “Are you really sure this whole caveman deal is the best way to get her attention?”
The growl died in Sebastian’s throat.
Luis put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “You need to calm down, bro.”
“What are you talking about? I am calm,” Sebastian hissed. His clenched fists indicated that he was not, in fact, calm.
“Guys,” I said, still unsure of how to approach the situation. “Enough, all right?”
Ignoring me, Luis cocked a thumb over his shoulder toward Abi. “You want to act like she’s this prize you deserve to win? Tell me what you know about her. Like, what do youreallyknow? Birthday? Favorite color? Hopes? Dreams? What the hell do you know about her other than what she’s like in the sack?”
Sebastian went silent, and a dawning look of surprise and confusion washed over his face. Seeing the way his words hit his friend, Luis shook his head in exasperation. “I’ve got other things to do. I’ll see you all later.”
Sebastian looked like a lost little boy, staring at the ground, trying to process what Luis had said. He must not have thought this through properly. He’d made Abi into something to be won—a prize he needed to have rather than a person who needed comfort and protection, love and companionship. Still dazedby the entire interaction, I stood and left Sebastian to process everything and ponder his intentions with Abi. I needed to prepare for the meeting with the alphas the next day.
A couple of decades ago, a big meeting hall had been constructed at the far end of the pack’s neighborhood. My grandfather had initially taken up the idea of having a spot where big meetings could be held. Dad had used it a few times, but with how big and powerful our pack was, along with both my grandfather’s and my father’s leadership, big meetings had never actually been needed as much as they’d initially thought. The space had become more of a social gathering spot for big community Thanksgiving potlucks, birthday parties, and other similar things. This was the first time I could remember it being used for its intended purpose.
I found my father unstacking and setting out chairs in rows. We didn’t know what kind of entourage these alphas would have, and it looked like Dad wanted to make sure there was plenty of seating just in case. Without speaking, I walked over and started helping him. Dad gave me a wan smile and nodded.
Since the day Viola and her bigotry had been broadcasted on worldwide TV, I’d noticed a change in him. We’d never had the whole world against our kind before. There were, and always would be, bigots who hated us simply because of what we were. This was different. The world had been told we were dangerous and that we could turn into ravenous, unstoppable, and feral animals without provocation. Dad hadn’t been the same since that night. He’d been on edge and more anxious than I’d ever seen him. I couldn’t remember ever seeing him like that.
