Page 23 of Break The Ice

“What happened?” Callan calls in distress and chases after Raider, only to stop, turning towards Wren, and then Kit.

“Ask him!” Raider shouts and waves a hand in both Kit and Wren’s direction.

I watch as Callan glances back at the hallway as Kit disappears into his workplace, slamming the door behind him.

Callan turns towards Wren, who is climbing the stairs and about to disappear.

“Stop and tell me what happened?” Callan barks.

I feel the weight of that bark punch into me, forcing me still, demanding knowledge I don’t have. How powerful is this alpha? I’ve never felt anything like it.

From the corner of my eye, I can see Raider stuck, unable to ignore his alphas bark. Wren, likewise, is frozen on the stairs. He fights and fights hard, his expression turning black with fury.

“Tell me why Kit is upset!” Callan says in a quiet voice that holds a hint of thunder.

This is an alpha who will do anything to protect his pack mate. I stand in awe, watching the transformation roll over him. He would kill for Kit, there is no doubt in my mind. The nerdy-looking alpha is hiding a vicious side of himself.

“We went into a store,” Raider says, cracking first, “and Kit was fine, he was fine, and then he saw Wren talking to someone-”

“Who?” Callan asks. “Who was it?”

Wren looks at Callan, but we’re all looking at him. “He said his name was Freddy. He said they were friends.”

Callan spits out a curse with such violence that it makes my eyebrows rise.

“For future reference. Kit has two friends. They are me and Raider.”

I see the exact moment that barb hits, and Wren disengages from the conversation, but Callan doesn’t. No, he’s already turning and is at Kit’s door, tapping softly.

Wren escapes upstairs, and with a glance around, showing that Raider has vanished, I climb the stairs, too, following the enigmatic alpha.

I find him sitting on a bed in the room beside mine. His has a deep burgundy theme going on. I like it better.

“He didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes, he did. I’m not one of them,” Wren says softly and puts his bag down.

“You could be. Easy enough to see you fit here like a missing jigsaw piece,” I point out.

I’m not sure why I’m helping him. I only know it feels so wrong to leave him like this. He’s miserable and alone, and I know that feeling. Oh, boy, do I know that feeling.

Wren scratches his chin. “Maybe I don’t want to fit in.”

“Sure, that’s your choice. Pack life isn’t for everyone.”

I wander into the room, noting that he keeps it the same as I do whenever I stay anywhere. I bet there’s a still-packed suitcase in the wardrobe, and he’s ready to go in just a couple of minutes.

“How was I supposed to know?” Wren mutters.

“You weren’t. If you don’t share, and they don’t. How can you?”

Wren shifts in agitation. “I hurt him. I didn’t mean to, but I did. He looked at me like I was someone he needed to be scared of.”

He stands up and swings his arm at the wall. I watch him and wonder if I should try to stop him. The hole is impressive.

“Did that make you feel better?” I ask.

“No!”

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