Chapter 18


    I knew Ryder heard Mom so I followed her downstairs. Harry stopped us in the hallway. He ushered us


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    both into an empty room, a worried expression on his face. "What''s wrong Harry?" Mom asked, worry


    on her face too.


    "Alpha Ryan knows everything. He knows we''re here and worse, he knows Brook is Ryder''s mate. I''ve


    been ordered to bring you back to ck Mountain territory by six in the morning tomorrow."


    "What? But I can''t go back. Harry, you can''t take me back," I said. My voice in a high shriek as panic


    mmed into me.


    "Of course, he''s not taking you back," Mom said with determined in her eyes.


    However, Harry looked like he was ready to toss his cookies. "If I don''t, it''ll be an open act of


    aggression and he''ll make sure it leads to war."


    I grabbed mom''s sleeve and stared at Harry. He couldn''t really be considering it, could he? Mom patted


    my hand and asked Harry just that.


    "Nancy, I would never give Brook back to him, but I need you both to understand the situation we are


    now facing."


    I let go of Mom, but my stomach still twisted with dread."Can''t I just say I don''t want to go back? Who


    told him anyway?"


    "I don''t know who told him, and I''m afraid your word doesn''t count. You''re still a minor. As Nancy is


    mated with me, we all belong to ck Mountain."


    "Why does Ryan want Brook back home so badly he''d risk war?" Mom asked.


    "Power, Nancy," Harry said with a defeated air about him. "He hates Brent and his nonviolent ideals


    more than anything in this world. As Ryder''s mate, Brook allows Ryan to have power over him and


    through him, his father."


    "What if Ryder got a new mate?" I suggested, though something twisted inside me as I said it.


    Harry chuckled. "It doesn''t quite work like that, Brook."


    "So what are you suggesting we do?" Mom asked. "Besides hand over my daughter to her abusers."


    Harry gave Mom a pleading, sad nce. "Never, Nancey. I swear. Alpha Brent has suggested we stay


    under the pretenses as P.O.W.s while he tries to work something out with Ryan."


    "So why do you look like that?" I asked. There had to be more for him seem so downtrodden.


    "We have to run," Harry told us.


    "What?" Mom said, her eyes wide with shock. "Why would we have to run?"


    "Because this has now all be a power y with Brook in the center. Alpha Brent is a good man,


    but he is an alpha. Alphas must always put the good of their pack before anything and Ryder is an


    alpha. It''s obvious, he cares for Brook, but I can''t promise he wouldn''t sacrifice her to save his pack if it


    came down to that." The downfallen expression on his face was short of tragic. "I''m so sorry, Brook.


    You deserved to have something good in your life."


    My throat tightened, and my eyes burned with the promise of tears, but I wouldn''t cry. "It''s how it is.


    How are we going to run?"


    "Wait a minute," Mom said, holding up her hand. "How can we be so sure Brent or his son would do


    something like this. I understand a mate is something special, right? Why would they even consider


    giving their son''s mate to their enemy? Should I be worried?" She gave Harry a challenging re.


    "No, I''d die first, but I''m not an alpha. You two are the only pack I care about."


    "So how do we get out of here?" I insisted.


    "We have to y it cool," Harry replied. "Brent will never allow Brook out of his territory. He can''t risk


    someone using her to get to his pack. They''re going to expect something from us, so we have to try


    hard not to raise any suspicions. We have to let them believe we agree staying here is our best option."


    Mom pressed her lips together. "They can''t keep us here against our will. That''s kidnapping and illegal."


    "Werewolves, Mom. They can do whatever they want. It''s only illegal if they get caught."


    When Harry gave her a grimace, she shook her head. "Good lord, what did I bring you to?" She pulled


    me to her and kissed the top of her head. "I''m so sorry Brook."


    "It''s not your fault or Harry''s. It''s just the way it is," I told her. I wanted to make sure she didn''t get mad


    at Harry either. Without him, we''d be lost for sure. "Okay, first things first. No way am I letting you stay


    in that boy''s room. Harry do what you need to do to get us out of here. Brook, let''s go talk to Emily and


    find you somewhere more appropriate to stay." Harry and I looked at each other in surprise. Wow, Mom


    in charge. If she was a werewolf, she''d obviously be an alpha.


    We found Emily in the main living room or parlor or whatever the rich and fancy call those rooms. She


    greeted us warmly, and Mom returned it just as warm. It was they were best friends. "Since it seems we


    are going to be staying a while. I figured it best we settle rooming arrangements. I''m aware Brook has


    been staying in Ryder''s room, and I''m assuming with thetest, he won''t be going back to ck


    Mountain. It''s best she stay somewhere else. She is still underage."


    The Luna gave her a brief, odd look then smiled. "I can promise you, Ryder would never hurt Brook,


    but of course, I can understand the need for another room. I know just the one. Follow me." She led us


    back upstairs, and I wasn''t at all surprised when the room she showed us was next to Ryder''s. Not


    subtle at all.


    Mom pursed her lips but nodded. "Alright, this will do for now."


    "Great, well I''m going to get settled in."


    "Wonderful. Nancy, I''d like to discuss this situation some more with you, if you don''t mind?" Emily


    asked.


    "Of course, I will see youter, Brook."


    The next morning I yawned as I sat at the kitchen ind as the Rose set down my breakfast. She had


    offered to take my te to the dining room, but I asked if I could eat in here instead. She seemed as if


    she wanted to argue but didn''t say anything. I didn''t care how she looked at me as long as she


    respected I wanted to be alone. That was the n, of course.


    "Here she is," Andy called out, and I looked up to see him and all the otherse into the kitchen. "I


    told you she''d be in here."


    My throat tightened. I wasn''t so sure I could do this, act all cool and everything. I looked back down at


    my te, tugging my hood lower, and continued eating.


    "Good morning Brookie," Dean said in a sing-song voice. He pulled the hood off my head andughing


    when I red at him.


    "Dean, leave her be," Ryder said, standing behind me. He was so close his body heat seeped into


    mine. It made my pulse race, and my stomach went all fluttery again. Apparently, that wasn''t close


    enough because he slipped his arms around my waist and hugged me too him. He set his chin on my


    shoulder, making my heart go even faster. My body obviously didn''t get the memo he wasn''t on my


    side.


    "Why are you here instead of the dining room?" Andy asked, sitting across from me. Beth sat at his


    side, shooting me an ugly re before gazing at Andy with a dreamy expression. Dean sat next to me,


    stealing some bacon off my te and earning another re from me.


    "Why not?" Beth jumped in. "She''s free to do what she wants. You all don''t have to babysit her."


    "It''s not babysitting, it''s calling including her. She''s our friend," Andy said.


    "It''s cool, I''m fine. I''m thinking of staying in today, catching up on my reading. You guys go do your


    thing."


    Dean snorted. "Come on, Brookie. Reading? You''re not avoiding us, are you?"


    "I''m not," I said, but as soon as I said it, everyone frowned at me. "I like reading. I don''t follow the same


    circles as you guys."


    "Same circles? You realize that sounds some," Dean said.


    "As much as I hate to agree with my brother he has a point," Ryder said.


    "Okay, fine. I agreed to help Mom with some stuff okay. I figured it would earn me some brownie points


    because she''s kind of still super pissed at me. It''s going to keep me busy all day." I pushed my te


    towards Dean, knowing that''d appease him. Andy tilted his head to the side, looking at me strangely.


    Starting to get ufortable, I pushed Ryder''s arm off me and left the kitchen before any of them


    could ask me any more questions.


    In another life, a life where I wasn''t Missy Mistake or someone''s pawn, I might have been friends with


    them. I ran my fingers along the wall as I walked. I really didn''t want to stay in my room, and that would


    be the first ce anyone would look for me. I stopped at arge window, now on the third floor, and


    admired the view. The sun streamed through trees. Birds dashed here and there, and I even saw deer


    with her baby.


    I was so caught up in watching the deer I didn''t notice someone was behind me until it was toote.


    Ryder''s arm slipped around me, and just like this morning, his heat swallowed me. My heart and


    stomach went all crazy. "So this is what your mom asked you to do, huh?" There was no heat in his


    words, but the usation was clear.


    "Uhm, yeah, something like that," I said, trying my best not to lean into him. His whole body stiffened


    against mine. His grip around my waist tightened, making me cringe with a slight sting of pain from the


    bruises.


    "Why are you lying to us, to me?"


    "I''m not..."


    Ryder turned me around to face him, his expression was angry. My breath caught in my throat, and I


    took a step back. "One thing, Brook," he said. "Werewolves can sense lies. We all know you lied to us


    earlier. You''re lying to me now. What gives? I thought we were good?"


    "We''re good enough," I said, not so sure what else to say. I tried to move around him, but Ryder


    blocked me with his arm.


    "Good enough? Brook, what''s wrong. I can''t make it better if you don''t talk to me."


    "Nothing is wrong. I''m fine. You''re fine," I told him. Man, I was really starting to feel awful. Harry


    could''ve warned me this was going to be so hard.


    Ryder sighed, shaking head. "Another lie. Did Dean make you ufortable is that it? Come on, he''s


    an ass, but he''s really harmless." Ryder took my hand and started to pull me down the hall. "Gives us a


    chance, Brook. Seriously."


    "Stop. Let me go. You can''t just drag me where you want. I''m a person damn it."


    Ryder turned, his expression angry. " I really don''t know what I have to do to get you to understand


    that. I don''t think of you any less than myself or any other werewolf. Seriously, Brook, you''re not giving


    me a chance to prove myself. Not that I did anything wrong in the first ce."


    He threw his hands up in the air and suddenly I saw Mike swinging at me. I gasped, ducking, and


    raising my hands to protect myself. Ryder stared at me, shock and disgust on his face. What just


    happened? Shame fluttered through me as for the first time in my life the feeling of being a victim


    bombarded me. "You''re right. Go waste your time on someone else and leave me alone," I told him and


    ran back to my room.