Chapter 7


    I didn''t stop running until my lungs felt like they would implode. I dropped to my knees, panting heavily


    and waiting for the ck spots to disappear. It couldn''t be true. It couldn''t. I repeated it over and over


    and over in my head. Mike was just trying to scare me in his usual cruel way. I stared up into the


    cloudless sky through the trees. Yet I had a nagging suspicion it wasn''t.


    What Mike had said was so unlike all the other horrible things he usually tells me that it had to be true.


    It was so unfair, damn it. I let Mike beat on me, let him humiliate me, and for what? To see me and my


    family cut down because the alpha has ego issues? Bitter rage filled me. I wanted to do something, but


    what? I''m just a stupid human. Mike spent thest three years making sure I knew I never had a


    chance against them.


    I stood, dusting off my dirty jeans, not sure what to do or where to go. I didn''t want to go home. If I went


    there, it''d all be real. Call me delusional, but I wasn''t ready for real yet. Of course, considering I''m


    lost somewhere in the woods, getting anywhere might be a challenge. I pulled out my phone and


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    sighed - no signal, great. I looked at the sky, trying to judge where I was on the location of the sun.


    It always rose in the west and set in the east right...or was it the other way around. Man, I couldn''t


    remember. I was so screwed! The moss! I thought with a re of hope. I heard moss only grows on the


    northeast side of the tree. I leaned over to examine the nearest tree -it had no moss on it, of course.


    After a quick but unsessful search for a mossy tree, any mossy tree would do, I gave up. I spun a


    slow circle, hoping for some kind of indication of where town was.


    Why couldn''t naturee proper signalization? How do people find their way around in here? I mean


    "Deep dark forest. Can''t be that hard. Welle on feet," I said, paraphrasing a line from one of my


    favorite movies and picked a direction with the hope it led anywhere but deeper into the woods. I mean


    what choice did I have anyway? It wasn''t like anyone woulde looking for me here.


    The sun had nearly set by the time I finally made it back to town. I would have jumped for joy if my legs


    didn''t hurt so much. My legs were doing all they could to keep me standing - jumping waspletely


    out of the question. Why would people walk for fun? I took out my phone again with the idea to tell


    Mom and Harry I was okay. Only, my phone was dead. I sighed and wondered if this day could get any


    worse. Fearing I was tempting my fate, I nced upwards once more. "I didn''t mean it. Seriously, no


    need to make it worse to prove me wrong."


    I shuffled to a small park, I sat on the swing set. My feet throbbing from the walking. Man, it felt so good


    to sit down. My shoulders slumped as my situation became real. The alpha wanted to kill my family and


    me. Would Harry believe me if I told him? Mike said he and the alpha used to be friends. What would I


    do if he didn''t? Would Mome with me if I told her everything? How mad would she be when she


    found out?


    I pushed off and started to swing, letting the back and forth motion rx me. Someone called my


    name, my real name. I nced up and saw Dean. He jogged over to me, and I slowed. "Hey, Dean."


    "Hey. What happened to your face? Are you alright?"


    I couldn''t help it Iughed. I was as far from alright as possible. "The same thing that always happens."


    "Brook, where have you been? Your parents are going crazy. No one had any idea where you were."


    My throat tightened, and the words refused toe out. "I''m not sure exactly where I''ve been. I have


    been around, though, and technically, Harry isn''t my parent."


    "What''s wrong ? You''re acting kind of strange."


    Irritation came from nowhere suddenly, and before I could stop myself, I snapped at him. "Where in our


    like thirty minutes of conversation did you get the idea you know me enough to judge my actions,


    Deano."


    "Deano? Only Mike calls me that. Is that what this is about Did he do something to you? You''ve been


    with him I can smell his scent all over you."


    "I can smell his scent all over you," I mimicked. "That''s kind of creepy. Why would I deny anything,


    anyway? Yeah, Mike and I had a chat. Nothing out of the ordinary." Except, Mike told me I''m a dead


    teen walking.


    "Did he hurt you?" Dean''s words slow and his voice dropped to a deep rumble.


    "You mean more than usual?" I shrugged. "No, not really." Did it even matter? I wasn''t so sure anything


    mattered anymore.


    "Brook, let me help you," Dean pleaded, actually giving me puppy dog eyes.


    "You can''t. Just leave me alone, okay." It was sweet, but there was nothing Dean could do to help me.


    In fact, it was best if he stayed away from me. The more he was around me, the easier Mike''s dad


    could pin my murder on him. God, my murder.


    "I can''t do that."


    "Dean, you''re sweet. I''m sure you''re alpha is very proud of you, but trust me. You can''t help."


    "You might be surprised."


    "Yeah, that''s what I''m afraid of. Surprises usually are bad for me. Leave okay. I''m beyond help, and no


    one can save me."


    "Is that what Mike told you?" Dean demanded and any reply I had died on my lips at the expression on


    his face. His features twisted with rage, making him look like some wild thing. His eyes turned an icy


    blue, and they seemed to be glowing. His nose red like an animal scenting the air. I took in a sharp


    breath, instinctive fear prickling the back of my neck in warning.


    He suddenly jerked back, covering his face with his hand. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to scare you." When


    his hand fell from his face, his eyes were normal. Must be a werewolf thing. Harry did the same after


    the first day of school.


    "It''s cool. I''m kind of jumpy."


    "No it''s not cool, and you shouldn''t be jumpy. Please, Brook. Let me help you."


    "Dean, you can''t. Really. You can''t go against or stop an alpha."


    "What? Why would I need to go against or stop an alpha?"


    Geez, this guy was harder to get rid of than a cold. "It doesn''t matter. My problems, not yours."


    Pure frustration crossed his face, and he sighed. "I could possibly take on an alpha if I needed too."


    Iughed a bitter, humorlessugh. I was ignorant, but not that ignorant. "Please, even I know only


    another alpha can stand up to an alpha. Remember, you can''t go against Mike. It would cause you too


    much trouble. Imagine the trouble you''d be in going head to head with his dad."


    "For the right reason, I would go against Mike or his dad."


    "Will you stop. You''re going to get yourself hurt."


    Dean''s eyes started to do that glow thing again. "There are things you don''t know about me."


    "Yeah, you''re right, I don''t. Give it up this silly idea of being a hero to the sad little human, Dean."


    "I''m not Dean," he snapped.


    Okay. I wasn''t expecting that answer. "What?"


    "I am not Dean. Dean is my brother. My name is Ryder Williams, future alpha of the Blue Crescent


    pack."


    My jaw dropped as I stared at him in horror. A future alpha? Oh God, this was bad. Man, I should''ve


    never wondered if this day could get worse. I tempted Fate, and she answered. Maybe I deserved to be


    called Missy Mistake after all.