Read Online Splintered by Dean Murray - Free Book Online Page B

might have taken that as evidence Alec really was
right about the whole Ja'tell bond thing. I knew I was just missing
him. A bad day with Alec beat a good day without him.
    Lunch seemed tenser even than the week before.
I thought about it for most of the next two classes, but couldn't
decide if things were really worse, or if I was just reading into
it more because of my lunch with Alison and Sam.
    The one bright spot all day was the
fact that Rachel and Jasmin were coming over for a strategy session
after school. Capture Ben indeed. It wasn't the kind of thing I'd
ever expected to get involved in, let alone look forward to, but I
actually was looking forward to it.
    Rachel waited around for me to finish up my
session at the tutoring lab.
    "I feel bad that you have to wait for me every
day."
    "Please. If I wasn't in the tutoring lab I'd
just be home doing some other homework assignment. This way not
only do I get the assignments done that I'd otherwise be tempted to
procrastinate, but I also get to hang out with you."
    "And drive your new car?"
    "It's true. If I didn't have the excuse of
needing to drop you off, then I'd probably have to carpool in with
everyone else."
    I shook my head as we turned down my
lane. The Jeep, and therefore Mom, was gone but Jasmin was waiting
for us. I unlocked the door and we all settled into the living
room.
    Jasmin absently handed me a small package.
"Alec sends his regards."
    "He's back?"
    "No, he's unavailable still, but he was asking
about the necklace he gave you last week. I told him you hadn't
been wearing it. He thought maybe the chain that came with it was
the problem."
    I pulled the paper off the small box and found
a small silver chain that was even more delicate than the one
that'd come with the glass pendant.
    I closed the box back up and sighed. "I wish
he'd get back here. I miss him."
    Jasmin pulled out a notebook and
shrugged. "He'll get back when he gets back, but for what it's
worth I wish he were back too. The terrible trio need their butts
kicked again."
    The comment was too reminiscent of what Sam had
told me on Saturday. "I don't understand why you guys are so hard
on them. I mean sure, Jack is a psychopath, but Alison and Sam
don't deserve what's happening to them."
    "Don't be so sure. Besides, it isn't
a matter of deserving it or not. They are throwing off the power
dynamic in the pack. They were small beans in Brandon's pack, but
not all the way at the bottom of the totem pole like they are now.
Until they accept that's their new place it's just going to cause
problems."
    "Why does it have to be like that though? Just
because they are smaller and weaker doesn't necessarily mean that
they deserve to run errands for James or serve as a punching bag
when he has a bad day."
    Jasmin frowned. "I don't make up the
rules, Adri, that's just how it is. Trying to turn the pack into
some kind of democratic knitting circle is just going to make
things worse in the long run."
    "Worse for everyone, or just worse for the
dominants?"
    "For everyone. Shape shifters aren't civilized.
Not really. In our world you have to be able to back things up with
violence and muscle. The pack could come under attack at any time.
If the best fighters aren't running the show then what incentive do
they have to defend the weaker pack members when everyone's lives
are on the line?"
    I looked to Rachel for help but she refused to
meet my eyes. "You stood up for me despite the fact that I'm not
any kind of asset to the pack."
    For a second it seemed Jasmin wasn't going to
respond. "No, Adri. I didn't stand up for you at all. I backed down
because Rachel stood up for you. More importantly, I backed down
because Alec was willing to die for you and I knew we couldn't
survive without him."
    "So it wasn't selflessness at all, it was just
more dominance in action?"
    "I'm afraid so. You're my friend now, but back
then it was simply the natural result of the strongest member of
the pack sticking up for