Page 56 of Pack Nightmare

And just as with Jared, in the wake of our intimacy, the real, emotional kind of intimacy, the feeling I have when touching Milo has changed to a deep reverberation instead of electric tingles. Funny enough, he seems to be in a different tune than Jared’s, as if they were two distinct notes. I test it out, holding both of their hands, and I can feel the difference.

We finally finish classes for the day, and Jared has to run off to prepare for the homecoming game, so Landon is walking me to meet Maxwell.

“Layla?” Landon’s voice is concerned.

I glance up in surprise to see the worry in his gaze. “Yeah?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I just… was thinking. Milo really surprised me last night, you know? Like, it’s not that he’s rich—clearly I don’t care about that—it’s that he tries so hard to hide it.”

“Yeah, he’s been that way ever since we were kids. Jared and I—we’re definitely not poor by any means, but we’re not quite as well off as Milo’s family. And I think he’s really sensitive to it because he doesn’t want to be associated with negative opinions, the way some other families are.” He doesn’t have to tell me he means Amber.

“She can’t help that her parents have money,” I reply in a low voice.

“No, and how they behave is not her fault, either. But I think Milo knows that part of Amber’s persona is built up around the expectation people have for her family. Now we know her better, but Milo has always kind of just wanted to fly under the radar. He’d prefer if no one knew who he was.”

“Yeah, I can see that. It’s funny, I thought of the three of you, he was the one who always spoke his mind. And I guess, to a degree, he does. But also not exactly. He just… he really surprised me, that’s all,” I finish lamely, flushing again. I realize gushing about Milo is probably not high on the list of things Landon wants to hear from me.

Landon just smiles. “I’m glad you got to see the real Milo, just like you got to see the real Jared. And you know my secret, too. So I guess we’re all gelling pretty well.”

I nod, but don’t say the thought that’s floating in my head: it’s still not the same with Landon. I know his secret, but all I’ve gotten are some audio recordings of him singing. And they’re great, and I love them… but I’m desperate to see him play in person. To really see him open himself up to me.

I know it’s only a matter of time before our connection deepens, too. I imagine the next step is claiming them at my alpha ceremony in mere weeks from now, and then… well, I guess that’s it. A throb of emotion hits me in the chest like a hammer—I don’t want any of these guys to end up cursed like me. To only leave pack lands for a day at a time? It’s no way to live.

Indignation rises in my chest once again. There has to be a way out of it. There has to be.

Milo said he loves me, and he believes in me. That their apprehension was more about their jealousy of Derrek than the three of them believing I was wrong. Maybe it’s not crazy to think I could find an antidote to this curse—or whatever the right word is. A cure? A solution? An anti-hex?

I have no idea where Derrek went after he left our lands. I only know he’s gone. But I mull over the possibility of unblocking him and asking him to to introduce me to someone at Pack Montrose. Maybe there’s someone there who wants to end this feud as badly as I do. I can’t believe they just keep hating our pack for generations for no real reason.

Of course, I think about how much my pack continues to nurse their own resentments, and realize it’s entirely possible they hate us just as much as the people in Smoky Falls seem to think.

Besides, I can’t handle contacting Derrek. Not yet. It’s such a raw wound, and I just want to ignore it until it heals itself and fades to an ugly scar on my heart like so many others.

So no, I won’t be reaching out to Derrek, which leaves me just one option.

Shuya invited me to come back. She even promised to make lemon bars.

I know it’s a risk—it’s possible Azalea’s spell will notify her of my arrival and I’ll have very little time to ask my questions before I have to leave. It’s also possible she set that warning system specifically for Derrek and has disabled it now. Or Shuya could have made her cancel it, too.

But I know that this time, I’m going alone. There’s no way I’ll endanger anyone else. And I know when I’ll go—Sunday, in the morning after homecoming. Everyone will take a slow, lazy morning, and with any luck I can go and come back before they even notice I’m gone.

Perhaps Azalea likes to sleep in on Sundays, too.

A girl can dream.

Landon

I see Layla off with Maxwell—she’ll meet us at the field for the game later—and head over to the quad to meet Milo.

He’s sprawled out in the grass with his sunglasses on, soaking up the unseasonable warmth like a lot of other students. It’s probably the last warm, sunny day we’ll have this year. The leaves are turning rapidly in town, and up at Harridan House they’re already more on the ground than still on the trees.

I plop on the grass beside him, and he greets me without looking my way.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” I reply. “You made quite the impression on Layla last night. Well done.”

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