“No,” I exhale. “I’m fine. I promise.”
“What happened?”
“I–” I pause for a moment. “I went for a run and fell over. It’s fine.”
Lucy flashes me a look of frustration. “If you say ‘it’s fine’ one more time.”
She drags me down to the infirmity where the pack doctors check me over. I’m told to take off my clothes, but I keep the material firmly over my forearms.
“This looks painful, Evan,” Lucy grimaces. “I wish I could heal you.”
Me, too.I think to myself.
Lucy is a natural healer and can heal almost every wolf, apart from me.
When the doctor cleans my wound with antiseptic wipes and places a dressing over the larger parts of my graze, I try not to wince at the pain. It doesn’t hurt nearly as much as it did, but the memory of Caleb lingers.
“Come on.” Lucy beckons with her head when I’m patched up. “Let’s get breakfast. I know you didn’t eat much yesterday.”
The second we step into Jaxon’s private kitchen, I wish I turned around instead. Almost everyone is here, sitting having breakfast together—babies and all.
I perch at the counter as a few conversations buzz around the kitchen, but the one I cling to is Phia and Grace. They’re close to Lucy and Ava, but they are total gossips. Right now is a prime example.
“Oh, Goddess.” Phia slams her hand down on the counter. “Have you fucking seen him?”
My eyes float to Grace, who is right beside her. Her eyes almost bulge out of her head as she nods aggressively. “That man could ruin my life any day.”
My wolf howls at the disrespect, but I couldn’t care less. They can have him.
Phia sighs. “Shame about his father. I wonder if the apple falls far from the tree. But still…I wouldn’t mind one night with him.”
My brows pinch together as I listen silently.
“His father?” Grace pitches in.
“Yeah…don’t you know who he is?”
Grace shakes her head.
“Ryker Vella. He’s notoriously known for being deadly and completely unforgiving. You don’t want to mess with that man. Apparently, he has superpowers. Not that I’ve seen them, but I’ve heard about them. I wonder if Caleb is the same.”
“Will you two stop gossiping for five minutes?” Lucy rolls her eyes.
Phia chuckles. “What? It’s something new to talk about, and it’s exciting. I feel like we found out nothing at the meeting. Why is he taking over Cole’s pack? It’s not adding up.”
Lucy purses her lips and glances over her shoulder as Jaxon occupies himself with Aurora. “I mean, the details aren’t meant to be shared,” she says as she turns back around to face the two girls. “But everyone is going to find out sooner or later.”
“Spill it,” Grace says, biting her lip.
“It seems Cole owed Ryker a favour. A big favour at that, and in exchange for whatever Ryker did—or even threatened to do—Caleb is now their Alpha.”
Phia shakes her head. “But what about his old pack?”
“Caleb and his pack are going to integrate into Cole’s pack, but I suppose it’s about power and territory.” Lucy shrugs. “I don’t really know. It seems complicated and a little unnecessary, but it’s done now.”
I almost snort to myself. So he’s a daddy’s boy. Figures.
“Jaxon said you knew him when you were kids?” Phia states.
