I just stare at him, knowing it’s best to keep my mouth shut, but I quickly lose the smile.

  “Clearly someone helped the human to escape. I trust my son has nothing to do with this?” he looks at me questioningly.

  “Obviously, I—”

  “Attitude!” my father growls. I grit my teeth so hard my jaw pops. I take a steadying breath.

  “No, sir. I do not know where the human is. As I said, I was with Jade, trying to solidify our relationship. You both may be okay with your partners hating you, but I prefer mine to at least like me. It’ll only make my life easier.” I lean back in my chair, trying to get even the slightest bit comfortable.

  Donevan doesn’t comment, only sits in his chair emotionless and unmoving. I can get away with talking back to my father at times, only because I am his son. And only sometimes. But anyone else? Noone gets away with back talking to Samuel Blackridge, the alpha of Blackridge pack, and lives to tell the tale.

  After a short silence, my father’s eyes settle on Donevan. “Perhaps you should go help the others search for this human then. You’re not needed here. Get out of my sight.” He shoos him with a shake of his wrist.

  Donevan shakes his head with annoyance and gets to his feet, giving me one last disgusted look before walking out the door.

  The guy is a royal pain in my ass.

  “You,” my father starts, pausing for a long moment, trying to find his words. “Continue with what you’re doing. Work on building that relationship with those in that pack. The more information we have, the better.”

  “Yes, sir.” I nod.

  “You may be excused.”

  I get to my feet and leave. I’ll get that information all right, but little does my father know, I won’t be sharing it with him.

  Chapter 24

  Jade

  I come up on the base of the tree trunk to Ranger zipping up his pants.

  I’d gotten over feeling embarrassed after he went through a phase as a kid where he’d literally show it to anyone within a five mile radius.

  The pack mothers thought it was hilarious, but the sons not so much.

  “Where’s Dustin?” He turned to me.

  “He… had to stop home.”

  Ranger wrinkles his nose.

  “Well, that’s interesting…” His eyebrows lift as he looks me over.

  “Wearing some new cologne?” His lips turn up in a smile as he cocks his head to the side, studying me.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” I shove the food boxes at him.

  “What’s this?”

  “Breakfast. Dustin’s idea.”

  I leave out the part where I ordered all the food on purpose just so I could piss him off by not eating it.

  Because I was mad he kissed me.

  Was I really mad though? I still don’t know.

  “Reverie! Come on down. Jade’s back and she brought snacks!” Ranger hollers.

  “What the hell, Ranger?” I shoot him a concerned look. Rev should be resting, why is Ranger yelling at him like that? But when Rev climbs down looking brand new, I ease up.

  “Where’s Dustin?” The way Rev asks is less out of fear, and more with genuine curiosity.

  “He said he’d meet back up with us later.”

  Ranger walks a few feet before setting the takeout boxes on a massive stone not too far from the clubhouse. It’s the one we’ve been using as a table for years. He pops the containers open one by one.

  Rev finds a seat on the ground next to him, and I can totally see it.

  The two of them, just hanging out at Casey’s Bar like a couple of college kids.

  My heart skips a beat.

  “What happened, eyes bigger than your stomach?” Ranger passes a container to Rev before settling on one himself. I find myself a place to sit and pop open another container full of plastic silverware and hand it out.

  I shift uncomfortably in my spot on the ground

  “We kind of got into an argument. He tried to make nice by taking me out for breakfast. But I was still kind of pissed, so I ordered everything on the menu, and purposefully didn’t eat it…” I twirl my hair nervously. Rev lets out a chuckle.

  “Remind me never to piss you off,” he says through a bite full of cheese danish.

  Ranger shakes his head with a smirk.

  “What did he do to piss you off this time?” I watch him stab a stiff waffle.

  “Oh nothing. You know… just the usual.” I shrugged.

  I was not about to tell him the details. Not because I didn’t trust him, or because I thought he’d judge me, but….

  I didn’t want to worry Rev. We’d had such a nice moment this morning, just… existing. Cuddled together under the blanket, that perfect kiss…

  I didn’t want to sour something so perfect with the mention of Dustin doing something stupid.

  “Does this have anything to do with what happened earlier? I hope you guys didn’t get into a fight because of me…” Rev looks at me with worried eyes and Ranger smirks, knocking into his shoulder playfully.

  “Fucking bullshit man. You know you love the drama.” Ranger chuckles.

  I let out a little laugh.

  What the hell.

  “Kind of, yeah. I mean… hell, if I’d have walked in on that I’d be jealous too.” I say as I wink at Rev, and his cheeks redden with heat.

  Ranger lets out a deep laugh.

  “Thanks for staying to make sure I’m okay, but I think I’m good. I should probably head home soon…” Rev speaks nervously.

  “Absolutely not.” Ranger speaks before I can.

  “I’m fine,” Rev protests.

  “Maybe, but one more night would ease all our minds. Besides, you haven’t seen the good stuff yet.” Ranger finishes his food.

  Rev sighs at his answer.

  “One night?” Rev looks like he is having a very serious internal debate. His eyes flash to me, his gaze holding longer than I think he means to.

  I decide to jump on the bandwagon with Ranger.

  “I’d feel a lot better, you know, just to be safe.”

  Ranger’s smile is wide.

  “Okay. But tomorrow morning, it’s homeward bound.”

  “In the morning.” Ranger winks at me.

  “In the morning.” I smile in return.

  Ranger stretches, and Rev yawns.

  “I was thinking, we haven’t really… had a chance to stretch our legs very much. How do you feel about a trip to the lake?” Ranger nods in my direction.

  My eyes widen at the suggestion.

  I haven't been to the lake in forever.

  “Oh my gosh, that’s a wonderful idea!” I grab Rev’s hand and pull him close, whispering in his ear.

  “You showed me your world, give me a chance to show you mine?” I cast my gaze at him, and his eyes glow with excitement.

  “Okay,” he whispers back.

  “Come on, kids, we’re wasting precious daylight.” Ranger heads off in the direction of the lake, removing his shirt as he goes.

  I don't miss the look of worry that falls over Rev’s features.

  “You okay?” I ask.

  Rev swallows. “Yeah, just… uh… he’s not going to like, race us there is he?”

  “Ranger isn’t really the competitive type, Rev. He’s flashy, but I promise he’s a better sport than most. He’d never put you through the ringer after everything you’ve been through in these last few days. You’re not a threat to him. You’re an equal. Like me.” I smile.

  Rev nods, and together we take off for the lake, right behind Ranger.

  Chapter 25

  Reverie

  If Jade wasn’t so compelling, I’d be home by now. Scratch or no scratch, Ranger’s agreement or not. There is just something about her that I can’t seem let go of, and honestly? I don’t want to.

  Ever.

  The lake is only a short walk away. I’m surprised at how much better I feel. The walk from the car to the treehouse yesterday was torture, but this? Easy peasy. When we finally reach it, I’m stunned by the sheer magnitude of it. It’s not just a lake… it’s a giant waterfall in the middle of the woods. Surrounded by emerald trees, and an array of rocks and shrubbery, it sits tucked in the woods like the best kept secret. Starfall Creek is such an interesting place. Full of forests that hide things like giant lakes and treehouses, but also civilized enough to have elegant houses like Hollow’s House.

  Ranger walks ahead of us, but not too far. By the time we reach the lakeside, he’s down to his briefs and jumping into the water, his clothes thrown all over the place. I shake my head, walking over to them and picking them up. I fold his clothes and place them in a neat pile on a nearby rock. I turn to find Jade staring at me with a curious look.

  “So they won’t get wrinkled.” I shrug. Her smile slowly turns into a giant grin, which causes me to smile in return, my cheeks warming with a hint of embarrassment. She walks over to me, pulling her red T-shirt over her head as she goes. She folds it neatly and places it beside Ranger’s pile. I swallow hard at the sight in front of me. The round swell of her breasts popping out of her white bra has me hard instantly and I do my best to ignore it, hoping she will too.

  This was not a good idea at all. She shimmies out of her jeans, keeping her eyes on me the entire time, her bottom lip between her teeth.

  Yeah, this really was not a good idea.

  She folds her jeans and places them on top of her shirt, tossing her long, wavy hair away from her face before turning around and walking towards the lake. My eyes travel down her curves and rest on her perfectly round ass. She stops midway to the lake, looking at me over her shoulder, eyes sparkling with mischief. “You coming?”

  In my pants? Yeah, fucking probably.

  I suck in a sharp breath and put on my metaphorical big boy pants before tearing my shirt off over my head. Yeah, Ranger is in much better shape than me, but not everyone loves six packs and chiseled pecs, right? Jade bites her lip again and her eyes rake over me. My cock throbs in my pants and I know she has to see the bulge there. She lets out a sweet giggle, looks away, and keeps walking, easing her way into the water. I let out the breath I was holding and quickly remove my pants, folding them messily and dropping them with the rest of the clothes. I rush to the water, hoping it’ll be cold enough to help out with the issue I have going on here. I’m also hoping to get at least waist deep before anyone else notices said issue...

  The water is cool against my skin and feels amazing, relaxing. We swim out deep enough where we can’t touch the ground anymore and we just float there, enjoying the company of one another and the great weather.

  “Tell me about yourself, Rev,” Jade says. “I want to know everything.”

  “Yeah, Rev. Let’s hear it,” Ranger teases. Jade responds by splashing him. He looks offended, but I know he’s joking around.

  “Not much to know about me. I live on my own, have for a while. I work at my parents’ store. I have the occasional beer at Casey’s. Mostly, I enjoy the quiet life, sitting at home, reading, watching TV, that sort of thing.”

  “Come on, there’s more to you than just that. How old are you? What’s your favorite color? When is your birthday? What food do you hate?” Jade shoots questions at me with enthusiasm and it makes me smile.

  I look at her for a moment before opening my mouth to answer. Her eyes sparkle, waiting for me to continue. I can’t help how happy her smile makes me feel. “Twenty-six. Favorite color is green. My birthday is October ninth, and I hate pizza.”

  Jade gasps, and Ranger laughs. He already knows this about me, as we’ve had this conversation on many nights. The bar we go to doesn’t have an extensive menu. Wings, pizza, and nachos. That’s about it.

  “That’s insane!”

  “I know, I know. I’ve heard it more than once,” I say.

  “But… but how do you not love pizza? What’s not to love? The crunchy crust, sweet sauce, savory cheese?” She shakes her head. “I think there may actually be something wrong with you.”

  Now it’s my turn to gasp, which causes her to giggle, her eyes lighting up.

  “Tell me how you guys met,” she says, looking from me to Ranger.

  “He comes into the store. You know Ranger, everyone he talks to he has to befriend. How could I not like the guy? Especially after he basically dragged me to the bar. I mean, totally not creepy or anything.”

  “Hey, you love me,” Ranger says playfully.

  “Eh…” I shake my head from side to side. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  He splashes me with water, and I splash back, Jade giggling the entire time. She’s different when Dustin isn’t around and I suddenly worry about him coming back. I like her like this. Fun, carefree. She’s on edge when he’s near and I don’t like it. Almost like she’s walking on eggshells around him.

  “Did Dustin say when he’d be back?” I ask. I don’t want to ruin the mood, but I want to be prepared. I want to know how much more time I have with her like this.

  She just shakes her head.

  “I’m going for a swim,” Ranger says after a long stretch of silence, taking off deeper into the water.

  Jade looks to me. “Wanna come?”

  “I’m good here.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  She takes off after Ranger. I lay back, bringing my feet up to poke out of the water, relaxing as I float, my hands skimming the top of the water. This feels so good. Being in the middle of the woods, out in the lake with friends, just hanging out. I’ve never had this before. I’ve never been a social person. In high school, while all the other kids were sneaking out and going to parties, I was home in bed, reading or studying, playing video games.

  The comforting sound of Jade’s and Ranger’s voices keep a smile on my face, while I stare up at the fluffy white clouds in the sky. I can’t hear what they’re saying but I can tell they’re having fun. I wish he would have told me about her. I wish I would have met her sooner. Sure, I’m only twenty-six, I’m young, but something about this girl makes me want to spend every waking moment with her.

  How I’m going to go home… I have no idea.

  But I need to.

  I can’t stay here. I don’t belong here.

  I take in a deep breath and my lungs ache. A sharp sting hits right through my chest. When it doesn’t go away, I slowly make my way closer to the shore, the fear of drowning taking over.

  A burning sensation starts in my throat and the need to vomit is intense. My feet finally sink into the soft earth below the lake and I fight the urge to spill the contents of my stomach. Maybe the food was bad? Did Dustin do something to it?

  When I can no longer control the urge, I’ve just made it to shore, landing on my hands and knees. I begin to cough violently, that burning sensation growing as fluid crawls up my throat. Droplets of blood drip from my mouth and I start to scream, the pain almost too much to bear. The itching on the back of my neck turns into a full on stabbing and my back arches.

  “Reverie!” Ranger shouts. The water splashes behind me, but I can just barely hear it. My screams are loud and the pain is making it hard to focus on anything else.

  My hands dig into the sand and rocks as I try to push away the aches that cover every inch of my body.

  “Reverie!” This time it’s Jade, her tone full of worry. “What do we do, Ranger? Is this the—”

  Her words cut out as my vision goes black. I drop to the wet earth with a smack, my body giving out on me. I barely feel it when someone turns me over, but I can tell I’m being moved.

  “You have to do it, Jade. It has to be you.”

  It’s the last thing I remember before all that pain moves to a centralized location on my neck, turning into a sharp pinch.

  I think she just... bit me.

  Chapter 26

  Jade

  “It has to be you.” Ranger looks at me and I know he wishes he could do this instead. Not because it’s usually a male wolf who historically has turned humans, but because he would do anything to spare me the pain he knows I’m in.

  I know in my blood biting Rev will save his life. But it isn’t that simple of a thing.

  Humans and shifters have been separated for centuries. The divide between our species goes deeper than the Earth’s crust. Wolves have a lot of rules, but the big one, the one everyone upholds, is that you don’t mix with humans. And you especially don’t bite them. Because the act of biting a human, turning them—will forever bind them to you. What I am about to do breaks a sacred rule our packs have upheld for years. But it isn’t even a concern in my mind. I can’t let him die.

  I look at Rev, who was just splashing around with us only moments ago, his skin paler than the tumbled white rocks that scatter the shore of the lake. His mouth is cracked, and I can see the blood pooling inside.

  I look at Ranger, and he holds my gaze.

  “I got your back, Jade. It’s okay.” He looks as scared shitless as I feel.

  I pull Rev to me, his cold skin like ice against mine.

  I open my mouth, and my wolf just… knows.

  It knows what to do, and I am thankful to have her at this moment. Thankful to let her take over.

  My fangs push forward, and I'm surprised that despite the shifting power running through me, I don’t want to fully shift.

  I just want to bite.

  His flesh crunches through muscle between my jaws, and the feeling of peace, of absolute serenity washes over me.

  I am starving. Hungry for something I could never truly understand when I was in my human form, until this moment.

  Rev’s blood is warm and sour in my mouth, but it's what I crave.