“I need everyone to be okay.”
She doesn't argue again, but I can tell she wants to.
“Will you stay after the ceremony?”
I shake my head and take another bite of food. “I can't,” I say with my mouth full again.
She nods, but a somber expression takes her. “Parker, when you see him... I don't …“ She cuts off with a sigh of her own.
I put down the fork. “What?”
She glances at the door like she's afraid someone might be listening.
“Mom. What?”
“He's changed since you've been gone.”
“What do you mean?”
“He can't tolerate his rut. And he especially can't tolerate her... “
I don't want to talk about Cross's sex life with my mother. I really don't. “Her heats. Yeah. I know. That's why I had to go. But they'll be mated tonight and it will be over.”
“He hasn't seen her yet.”
My mouth drops open. “What do you mean? How? They're mating tonight. How has he not seen her?”
Mom shrugs. “He hasn't. He didn't want to. The only reason this is even happening is because Alpha Cross made so manyarrangements and promises. Drew is deteriorating, Parker. He isn't whole. He isn't well.”
“What do you mean?” My heart thuds painfully. This... I didn't expect this. I didn't think this would happen. It was supposed to be the opposite. He was supposed to get his shit together.
“They have to cage him, Parker,” she whispers.
“When he goes into rut?”
“And when she's in heat. It's dangerous not to.”
We thought about doing that before, but dangerous? To the pack? “How is he dangerous?”
She glances back at the door. “He nearly killed two enforcers. He ran in the direction of her pack and they had to drag him back. It was so bad. He cries when he's caged. He howls silently. It's the most horrible thing I've ever heard or seen. I tried to visit him, I thought I might be able to help. He isn't okay, Parker.”
That's not what was supposed to happen.
“He'll be alright now,” I assure her. “He'll mate with Eugenia and he'll be okay. Everything will be okay.”
“Will you go to him?”
“I hadn't planned on it.”
“You have to, Parker.”
I doubt that's a good idea.
The afternoon passes with visits from childhood friends and more food than I've eaten in forever. Alpha Cross even comes to my mother's house to see me. Everyone keeps asking if I'll go to Cross, but I still think that would be a terrible, irresponsible idea.
Cross knows I'm here. There's no way in the world he doesn't. And he hasn't come to me. So, I take that as a sign to stay away. I'll watch their ceremony from a distance and then I'll slip away back into the forest. I'll come back for the next Summit, and by then everything will be settled and okay. Maybe I'll even be ableto work back into my position as Second. Who knows? Anything is possible with enough effort.
The sun sets and everyone gathers again in the clearing. I hang back to the side of the clearing, not within the crowd. I don't want any attention tonight. If I could be invisible, I would be. I still haven't seen Cross, and I hope I don't. I haven't seen Eugenia either, and I don't want to. I am here as part of my pack, nothing more. I will witness, and then I’ll get the fuck out of here.
