I start to walk back, but he grabs my wrist. He drops it like it burned him as soon as I turn around. “What?”
“Do you know anybody here? Do you have any friends?”
“Not really.”
His mouth tightens for a moment. “Make at least one.”
“Yeah,” I laugh dryly. “I'll get right on top of that.”
“I'm serious. I can't watch over you. I have to watch over –“
“Cross,” I finish. “I know.”
He sighs and rakes through the hair on the back of his head. “No, that's not... Just try to find someone. And tell me if anything else like that happens.”
“Why?”
“Do you have to be so difficult all the fucking time? Just tell me if anything else happens. Fuck. And don't put anything into this. I have to look out for Cross.”
“Got it.” I say and march back to the courtyard to get my clothes.
Chapter Seventeen
Parker
I don't go to my room. I grab my clothes from the courtyard and head straight to the indoor gym in the basement of the main building.
Based on the amount of clothes still scattered around the courtyard, Genie and I are the first ones back. The betas who were supposed to be with us for the hunt didn't keep up. I don't know if they simply couldn't keep up, or if they decided mid-run to join their friends' groups. I don't care. They don't matter.Even if they had been with us when the other wolves attacked, I doubt they would have been an asset, especially without the loyalty of a pack bond.
I need to run.
I need to think.
That was more than strange. It was weird. I'll find those wolves tomorrow and have a few conversations. The older male has to be one of the counselors or maybe admin.
Why? What was the point of that? There were more than enough deer in that clearing for all of us.
And Genie was useless. I think she was completely checked out. She was all wolf and satisfied with letting me lead her – which is shocking. Genie's wolf is a completely different creature than her human half. Goddess, and I protected her. I couldn't help myself. It's infuriating. I didn't even fight against the urge to do it. It felt like the right thing to do, so I did it.
I pull on my boxers and then my shorts, tightening the drawstring. The hum of the treadmill is way too loud when I turn it on, but my ears will get used to it soon. I need to run. So I can think.
I should have made sure she got back to her room. My hand reaches to turn off the machine, but I stop myself. She's fine. If anyone was going to attack her, they wouldn't do it inside the building.And why do I fucking care in the first place?That's what's bothering me more than almost anything else.
Why do I give a fuck about who attacks her or where they do it? By all accounts, I shouldn't be bothered. We wouldn't even be here if she'd just marched her ass across that clearing and let Cross claim her. He didn't turn her away this time. I've replayed it a thousand times. He didn't reject her, she chose to refuse him. We should be at home right now.
Well,theyshould be at home. I should be back in my forest. Or at least staying with my mom until I figure out my place. Either way, we shouldn't be here.
And she just has to be beautiful. She's exactly the type of female Cross goes for. Hell, she's the type I go for. I don't even think she knows or cares about how gorgeous she is.
We should be home.
Maybe I can convince her to let Cross claim her here. Tonight even. We can go home and be away from this place. My teeth have been on edge since we got here and what happened tonight justifies my unease. We need to go. I need to get Cross out of here, and I absolutely fuckinghatethat that extends to Genie.
I need to talk to him. I wasn't going to tell him because I didn't want to add anymore stress to what he's already dealing with. I also, admittedly selfishly, didn't want to talk to him about Genie. I don't want to tell him that I led her or that she willingly followed me or that I put myself in front of her. But if I tell him, maybe it will push him to pull himself together and make her submit to his claim and then we can go the fuck home.
I turn the machine off and make my way to his room before I give myself time to change my mind.
He's stretched out on his bed when I barge in, eyes closed and hands clasped behind his head. I shove the door closed behind me and reach for the lock that isn't there. Automatic locks. No key pad on the inside. How easily we could be locked inside.
