“I—I’m sorry,” I repeat.
Calmly, Ryker puts his fork down and clears his throat. “Yes, it was Grey who tried to convince me to eat honey on my pancakes. It was how her mother liked to eat them when she was a child, and she passed it down to Grey. She used to have sleepovers with Remi, and in the morning, when my mother would make pancakes, Grey would always ask for some honey.” He smiles at the memory. “She convinced us to try it once, but we never liked it the way she did.”
“Sounds like she had good taste. I can see why you were friends with her.” To change the awkward atmosphere and subject, I reach across the table and swiftly swipe my bacon back from Ransom. “Keep your paws off my food,” I mumble around the large bite I take.
“Hey!” he whines in protest.
We are all laughing and joking when the girl I saw at the party yesterday walks in. Her raven-colored hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail, and her almond-shaped eyes are narrowed in my direction. Nothing about her is soft or friendly. Her face is all angles, and her mouth looks to be held in a permanent sneer.
She looks like she could be on the fashion runways in Europe with her tall, toned body and I’m suddenly self-conscious. I’m not short, but Ryker’s six foot five frame makes me appear smaller than I am. My head only comes to his shoulders when we’re standing.
“Ryker, we have a problem.” Her amber-colored eyes slide away from me and look at the man sitting across from me. Something about her makes me uneasy, but I’m sure it’s because I don’t know her.
“Can it wait?” Ryker gives her a pointed look. “We’re enjoying some breakfast. You’re welcome to join us.” He gestures to the empty seat to my right.
Oh, no, thank you.
“No, it can’t wait, it’s about our guest.” I note her jaw is clenched, and her hands are held into tight fists.
Ryker and Ranger immediately make a beeline for the back door, not giving their food or me a second look. I sense a feeling of dread in the air as they rush out. I look at Ransom, who nervously cracks his knuckles as he watches his siblings leave.
“What’s going on? Did someone stay the night?”
“We’ll tell you soon,” is all Ransom says, similar to what Ryker said earlier.
“I’m getting really tired of that answer,” I growl and angrily push around a piece of pancake on my plate.
Ransom shrugs sheepishly before reaching for another piece of bacon. This time I let it slide, having lost my appetite.
8
Ryker
“What do you mean he got away?” I demand as I pace the boat shed the rogue had been held in all night. “You were supposed to be guarding him to make sure something like this didn’t happen!”
“I don’t know how he did it,” Avery insists as she stands at the entrance with her tanned arms crossed. “I’ve been outside the whole time since I relieved your beta this morning.”
I angrily kick a lawn chair at full force, sending it smashing into the far wall, breaking it into pieces. The growl that escapes my chest is more animal than human, but I can’t help it.
“I knew I should have been watching him,” I snarl at her, pissed she would allow something like this to happen. Instead, I spent most of the night watching my mate sleep, keeping a watchful eye on her to make sure the doctor hadn’t missed anything when she examined Grey after we got back last night.
Avery scoffs. “Yeah, right. Like you would have been able to pull yourself away from her.” An irritated look flashes across Avery’s face.
“I’m sorry, Avery, does me spending time with my mate bother you for some reason?” I snap, annoyed with her for letting the rogue get away and her attitude toward Grey. I know my mate didn’t miss the way Avery looked at her in the kitchen. I certainly didn’t. She would have had to be blind to miss the bitter expression on Avery’s face.
“What bothers me is you ignoring your work for a girl. A human girl.” Avery’s voice has a bite to it I’m not used to hearing.
“She isn’t just some girl. She’s his mate,” Ranger adds. Ranger has always been the peacekeeper and most level-headed of us siblings. But right now, I feel the anger coming off him. “He spent fourteen years thinking she was dead to not only learn she’s been alive this whole time, but she doesn’t remember him,” Ranger barks at Avery. “He’s earned a night off, don’t you? And he trusted you to make sure it didn’t get away, and you couldn’t even do that?” He shakes his head at the she-wolf, obvious disbelief on his face.
Avery has never been one to resolve things with her words, so I’m not at all shocked when she shoots across the room and tries to attack my brother. I had hoped she wouldn’t try to maim any of my family members while she was here, but I guess that was wishful thinking. Since I’ve known her, Avery has always had anger issues.
I lunge in front of her and take the full impact of her rage. Her body slams into mine, and we go flying across the small shack. We land on the other lawn chair, and it quickly shatters into pieces like the one I destroyed minutes ago.
My mom is going to be pissed.
“Enough!” a stern voice yells, cutting through the sounds of our snarling and growling. We both whirl around to find my father standing in the doorway.
I push off of Avery, being sure to give her one last warning growl before walking to my alpha. “He got away.”
“I can
