Page 53 of Outnumbered

My brows furrowed. “I needed to be alone, Caleb.”

He shifted into his fully human form and backed up another step. “You needed to be away from us.”

Technically, yes, but …

“Why are you so upset?” I asked softly.

“We thought you’d been kidnapped or something,” Branson explained. “You disappeared and it felt like you were really far away.”

“Nico couldn’t trace your teleportation, though,” Riddick said, scowling. “Did you block it or something?”

Of course he couldn’t trace my teleportation, since I had used a portal instead.

“I’m sorry to have worried you all,” I said. “Next time I’ll make sure to say something.”

Caleb turned and left the room without another word.

“Are you okay now?” Triston asked and took a step forward, his hand out, but quickly dropped it and stepped back.

Why were they acting like this?

“Yes, I’m fine. Like I said, I just needed to be alone for a bit to collect my thoughts. The sounds of the forest help me calm down and relax.” And to come to a decision about giving them time and space to decide on their own how they wanted to move forward. Changing quickly, I turned and said, “I’m starving. I’m going to get some food.”

They stepped to the side, letting me pass, and for the first time no one offered to make me food.

Scowling, I looked at their faces and realized they all looked sad.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Branson turned and left, slamming his door behind him as he went into his room.

“Nothing, go on and get some food,” Triston said and smiled weakly before heading to his own room.

I looked at Riddick, but he clenched his jaw, turned away, and headed to his room as well.

“Why are they so upset?” I whispered. Was it because I had worried them needlessly? I apologized, though.

Uncertainty spread within me and I gnawed on my lower lip. Should I go talk to them? I didn’t want to explain what I’d been thinking about, that would negate my decision.

My stomach grumbled and clenched in pain. Decision made, food first.

As I made a sandwich, Jolie walked in and stared at me. “What happened?”

“Uh, I used a portal successfully.”

She frowned. “Why were the guys freaking out earlier? It sounded like Caleb broke something and they dragged Nico upstairs to your room looking frantic.”

“I needed some space, so I went to my cabin to think for a bit. They thought I’d been kidnapped.” I flinched. “I should have told them I was leaving.”

Her eyes widened. “Ember, there is an organization bent on killing you and you left your pack, teleporting hundreds of miles away? Of course they were upset! I’m upset now!”

Setting down the butter knife, I frowned. “I’m an adult, a woman who needs the occasional solitary moment. Are you saying I can’t have that?”

“You aren’t a solitary woman anymore. You are part of a pack, a pack that cares deeply about you. If you need to be alone, you tell them and go out in the forest behind the house. What if they had someone watching your place? What if they’d attacked you while you were alone? You could have been killed or captured and executed!”

My initial urge was to yell at her, but after taking a breath and thinking about what she said, I realized she was right.

I was an asshole.

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