“Can I look at it?” he asks.
I pause, unsure, and look at Slater. He gives me a tight nod, and I hold out my hand. To his credit, Slater‘s father is very gentle with my wrist. “Solid silver.” He turns my wrist but is careful not to touch it. “How did they get it on?”
I think about my time in the bathroom. “I don’t really know,” I’m embarrassed to say. “Sam showed up, surprising me.” I try to remember exactly what happened, but the details are fuzzy. “She told me she had a present for me, and then she grabbed my wrist. By the time I looked down, she was gone, and this adorned my wrist.”
“Did it hurt when she did it?” Slater’s dad asks.
“No. There was nothing. I was convinced it was just a normal bracelet until,” I pause, but it’s too late.
“Until I touched her,” Slater adds.
Slater’s dad faces me. “What exactly happens when my son touches you?”
I glance up at Slater for a moment. I don’t really want to say because I don’t want him feel any worse. When he doesn’t say anything, I go ahead with the truth. “It sort of feels like I’m being electrocuted. I mean I’ve never been electrocuted before, but that’s the only way I can describe it.”
He continues to turn my wrist and then looks at his son. “Touch her. Let me see what happens.”
“No. Absolutely not. Have you lost your mind? I’m not going to hurt her,” Slater growls out the last few words.
His father’s face tightens, and I worry that things are going to get really bad. But he releases my wrist. “Are you going to try taking it off?” he asks Alpha Blackwood.
Alpha Blackwood looks at me and then back to Slater’s father. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
Slater’s dad crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t think you’ll know the answer unless you try.”
Alpha Blackwood turns to me, clearly leaving the choice up to me. “Well, I don’t want to wear it any longer than I have to, so...” I don’t look at Slater. “Let’s try.”
Alpha Blackwood nods. “Okay.”
Slater’s dad adds, “You’re the strongest among us, followed by that boy of yours. You should try to get it off first, but I’ll grab tools in case that doesn’t work.”
He leaves, and Alpha Blackwood looks at Slater. “Let’s prepare a spot in the garage.” Slater nods and turns to me and puts a hand out but drops it a second later. “I’ll be right back.”
I take a deep breath and watch them go. It's quiet, and I don’t know what to do with myself. Slater’s mom looks at me intensely. “Slater lets you touch him?”
I frown. “Yes.” I take in her face and ask cautiously. “Does he not allow you too?”
“Slater doesn’t like to be touched. Never has.”
I take in her words. “Oh.” I don’t really know what to say to that. I make a mental note to ask Slater about it. Thankfully, I don’t have to make small talk because Slater’s dad comes back in.
“This boy was outside.”
He steps aside and a good-looking guy steps in behind him. “Peter!” Riley calls out and comes over to join us. Slater’s dadand mom leave us and walk over to the living room as Riley comes over and gives the guy a hug. “You made it.”
I glance over at Reid and watch as he steps away from the wall, his eyes locked on this Peter guy.No, no, no.This is not going to be good. He walks over to where Riley is talking animatedly to Peter. I can see this is going to be a trainwreck. I know he doesn’t want Riley to know, and he certainly doesn’t want her family to find out before she does. That’s exactly what will happen if he makes an issue. So, I step in front of him. “Hey, Reid.” My voice is breathless, and I try to think what in the world to say. He glances down at me, and I freeze at the look on his face. And then Evie is there.
“Reid, Zane needs your help.”
I don’t really know that he does, but that’s our story and we’re sticking with it. He looks between the two of us, looking like he’s going to disagree. “Reid,” Riley says behind us. “I have somebody for you to meet. This is my friend, Peter.” I squeeze my eyes shut but then force them open again a moment later. “Peter, this is Reid, my brother’s best friend. And these are my friends, Tessa and Evie. Well, Evie is also my brother’s girlfriend.”
I force a smile to my face and turn around. “Hi, Peter,” I say brightly.
He smiles. “Hi. Are you Tessa or Evie?”
“I’m Tessa.”
“And I’m Evie,” Evie says shaking his hand next.
