Jessica smiled helplessly. “I suppose this is as good a time as any.”
If they hadn’t driven so far away from home, Rylie would have left at that instant. Forget milkshakes, forget buying real estate, and especially forget her mom’s stupid visit. She would have ripped off her boots and fled into the comfort of her wolf’s animal mind. And she wouldn’t have come back until Jessica was gone.
But now they were stuck in Northgate together, all three of them, and Rylie couldn’t leave.
How could she?
“I hoped you would be my maid of honor,” Jessica said.
Rylie wanted to die. “I need to use the bathroom.”
She didn’t wait for Jessica to stand. She climbed over the table to get out of the booth, ignored the “mister” and “missus” bathroom signs, and fled outside.
Even though she knew, rationally, that she shouldn’t leave Abel and Jessica alone—that her mom was likely to say something horrifyingly rude, maybe even something racist—she couldn’t bring herself to go back inside. Rylie paced up and down the sidewalk, gasping for air.
The wolf itched under her skin, threatening to break free.
The mountains were just a few short minutes away, if she sprinted with werewolf speed. She wouldn’t have to deal with her mom. She wouldn’t have to deal with anyone . She was wolf, she was Alpha; freedom was only a shift away.
A bell jingled.
“What’s your problem?” Abel asked.
Rylie shut her eyes, clenched her fists. Not right now…
His warm presence moved to her back, all but caressing her with his aura. Alpha energy crackled over her. “You’re acting real fucking weird, Rylie.”
She spun on him. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised that her vision was blurred by tears.
“My dad died, and my mom’s already moving on,” Rylie said. “Am I supposed to be okay with this?”
“Yeah. You are.”
Her mouth dropped open with shock. “ What ?”
“You were gonna marry Seth last year, and now you’re with me. Do you think you shouldn’t be happy just because of what you did in the past?” Abel dismissed the idea with a snort.
“Seth’s not dead.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “You’re going back in there, and you’re going to be respectful to the woman that made you.”
Considering that Abel’s mother had been an insane monster, it was awfully rich for him to be on a pro-mom rant.
“It’s none of your business,” Rylie said.
“Actually, yeah, it is, ‘cause we’re together and all now—not that you seem to remember that.” Abel glowered at her, arms folded over his chest, gold eyes sparking with anger. “Your mom might think I’m less, but that’s fine. I don’t give two fucks what some rich bitch thinks of me. But you’ve got no excuse for acting embarrassed.”
“I’m not embarrassed,” she protested.
“So why aren’t you sitting next to me? Talking to me? Shit, I’d take a few smiles from you right about now.”
“I’m kind of distracted, Abel.”
His thin smile stretched the scars on his face. They were slowly healing every time he changed into a werewolf, but the spidery imprint of old ridges still touched the side of his mouth. “You’re better than that.”
God, what had she been doing? Was she acting embarrassed? She loved Abel, giddy with the blush of obsession and proud to be with him in a partnership. But it was the same thing with Summer: Rylie didn’t want her mom to have anything to do with him, because she didn’t want Jessica judging their family.
Obviously, it hadn’t worked. Jessica was judging away. All Rylie had accomplished was hurting Abel’s feelings.
The apology wouldn’t mean anything to Abel, so she didn’t try to put her embarrassment into words. She stretched onto her toes to loop her arms around his neck.
“You’re right,” she said, and she kissed him.
He was stiff for a moment, refusing to respond. But then his hands went to her waist, and he stooped to deepen the kiss. Even with his
If they hadn’t driven so far away from home, Rylie would have left at that instant. Forget milkshakes, forget buying real estate, and especially forget her mom’s stupid visit. She would have ripped off her boots and fled into the comfort of her wolf’s animal mind. And she wouldn’t have come back until Jessica was gone.
But now they were stuck in Northgate together, all three of them, and Rylie couldn’t leave.
How could she?
“I hoped you would be my maid of honor,” Jessica said.
Rylie wanted to die. “I need to use the bathroom.”
She didn’t wait for Jessica to stand. She climbed over the table to get out of the booth, ignored the “mister” and “missus” bathroom signs, and fled outside.
Even though she knew, rationally, that she shouldn’t leave Abel and Jessica alone—that her mom was likely to say something horrifyingly rude, maybe even something racist—she couldn’t bring herself to go back inside. Rylie paced up and down the sidewalk, gasping for air.
The wolf itched under her skin, threatening to break free.
The mountains were just a few short minutes away, if she sprinted with werewolf speed. She wouldn’t have to deal with her mom. She wouldn’t have to deal with anyone . She was wolf, she was Alpha; freedom was only a shift away.
A bell jingled.
“What’s your problem?” Abel asked.
Rylie shut her eyes, clenched her fists. Not right now…
His warm presence moved to her back, all but caressing her with his aura. Alpha energy crackled over her. “You’re acting real fucking weird, Rylie.”
She spun on him. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised that her vision was blurred by tears.
“My dad died, and my mom’s already moving on,” Rylie said. “Am I supposed to be okay with this?”
“Yeah. You are.”
Her mouth dropped open with shock. “ What ?”
“You were gonna marry Seth last year, and now you’re with me. Do you think you shouldn’t be happy just because of what you did in the past?” Abel dismissed the idea with a snort.
“Seth’s not dead.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “You’re going back in there, and you’re going to be respectful to the woman that made you.”
Considering that Abel’s mother had been an insane monster, it was awfully rich for him to be on a pro-mom rant.
“It’s none of your business,” Rylie said.
“Actually, yeah, it is, ‘cause we’re together and all now—not that you seem to remember that.” Abel glowered at her, arms folded over his chest, gold eyes sparking with anger. “Your mom might think I’m less, but that’s fine. I don’t give two fucks what some rich bitch thinks of me. But you’ve got no excuse for acting embarrassed.”
“I’m not embarrassed,” she protested.
“So why aren’t you sitting next to me? Talking to me? Shit, I’d take a few smiles from you right about now.”
“I’m kind of distracted, Abel.”
His thin smile stretched the scars on his face. They were slowly healing every time he changed into a werewolf, but the spidery imprint of old ridges still touched the side of his mouth. “You’re better than that.”
God, what had she been doing? Was she acting embarrassed? She loved Abel, giddy with the blush of obsession and proud to be with him in a partnership. But it was the same thing with Summer: Rylie didn’t want her mom to have anything to do with him, because she didn’t want Jessica judging their family.
Obviously, it hadn’t worked. Jessica was judging away. All Rylie had accomplished was hurting Abel’s feelings.
The apology wouldn’t mean anything to Abel, so she didn’t try to put her embarrassment into words. She stretched onto her toes to loop her arms around his neck.
“You’re right,” she said, and she kissed him.
He was stiff for a moment, refusing to respond. But then his hands went to her waist, and he stooped to deepen the kiss. Even with his
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