He swallows hard. “No.”
“You have control of your wolf?”
Slater gives a short nod. Alpha looks at Joe and Slater’s dad, and they come on either side of him again. When they try to take his arms, Slater jerks out of their hold. “I’ve got it.”
“Ready, Tessa?” Zane asks softly. There’s regret in his eyes, and I try not to think about what’s coming. “I’ll be fast.” He lines up what looks like pliers of some kind around the silver bracelet. Before I’m ready, he pushes down with all his force. Instantly, a jolt of fire sears me; and I fall backwards. Somebody catches me, and my body lights up again. I scream in pain, and then the hold is gone. It takes me a minute to come back to reality. When I do, it’s a mess. Alpha Blackwood has his hand outstretched towards Slater, who looks like he’s practically foaming at the mouth. Zane stands a few feet behind his dad with blood coming down the side of his face. The chair I was sitting on is now smashed to pieces.
“What happened?” I gasp out. “Zane, are you okay?” I ignore Slater’s growl.
“I’m fine, just knocked my head,” Zane says easily. “No worries.”
The garage door opens a moment later. “Zane? I felt your—what happened?” Evie cries out, coming into the garage.
“Don’t come any closer,” Zane says quickly, and she freezes.
“Slater, go for a run,” Alpha Blackwood says. “That’s not a suggestion.” His voice is hard, and even I can practically feel the command in his words.
Still, Slater turns to look at me. “I’m fine,” I tell him, meeting his gaze. He takes a small step forward, and Alpha Blackwood grunts.
“Go.”
I watch the two of them; it’s a will of battles. “Slater, please go,” I tell him. I don’t want him to get in trouble or hurt somehow. He looks over at me. “Please. Just cool off and then come back.” He stares at me a long moment and then finally turns and walks over to the side door that I’m assuming leads outside. He steps outside and slams the door behind him. The garage shudders, and silence falls.
Alpha Blackwood takes a breath and then turns to me. “Tessa, are you okay?”
Defeat washes through me. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t give up. We’ll figure something out.” He puts a hand on my shoulder, and I appreciate his kindness. Exhaustion suddenly slams into me, and I feel like I can’t even keep my head up anymore.
“Are you okay, Tess?” Evie asks softly. She meets my gaze with pain in her eyes. “I heard you scream.”
“I’m okay.” I don’t say anything else. What else is there to say? We tried everything and failed. I look up at the alpha. “Why?”
He doesn’t pretend not to know what I’m asking. “I think it’s to keep Slate away from you.”
“But why?”
He hesitates. “Has Slate told you anything about bonding or mating?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“He will soon,” he says confidently. “I believe it’s their way of keeping you from bonding.” Before I can ask any more questions, he turns to Zane. “Can you and Evie get Tess back to campus? She needs to sleep.”
I don’t bother to argue with his words because I’m exhausted. Evie puts an arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get you back.” Her voice is gentle, and it makes me want to cry. I manage to keep my emotions under control and even manage to thank Zane’s dad.
“No reason to thank me as we weren’t successful.” His voice is flat, and I don’t say anything in return.
Evie and I go out the same side door Slater left through. She leads me to Zane’s truck, and we wait for him to unlock it. He comes out a minute later and unlocks it for us. I climb in the back, and Evie sits up front. “How did it go with Slater’s parents?” Evie asks quietly as Zane backs out of the driveway.
“They hate me.”
“I’m sure they don’t.”
I don’t bother arguing; I’m too tired. “What about Slater?” I ask.
“He’ll make his way over to your dorm once he’s run off some aggression,” Zane tells me.
“Is your head okay, Zane?” Evie asks worriedly.
