Page 53 of Defiant
I'm about two seconds away from punching through the window next to me so that Black comes stomping in here, furious at me for fucking up his house, and I can get a good swing in before he bans me for life. Maybe even exiles me. Because then I'd never have to see her…
But even that thought, never seeing her again, isn't a relief. It cuts even worse. There's no escape. So I remain seated as conversation drones on around me and time passes. I just sit, locked inside my head like a prisoner.
Who’d have thought hell would look like a sunrise? Full of pink clouds and torment.
Finally, I shift my gaze from outside to the window pane. Wouldn't it be ironic if I fucked this house up, let my wolf out to rampage through the kitchen, and then this wedding was for Alpha Maddox's second? The chances of that are like point one percent but still. I need to see her. I have to be absolutely, one hundred percent sure that Elena's chosen him. I can't give up without knowing that.
I stand up and walk my uneaten plate over to the trash, dumping the eggs in and then putting the plate in the sink with the others.
I wander back down the hall we came from, sniffing gently at every tall white door I pass. If I get stopped, I'll say that I'm looking for a restroom. That sounds realistic enough. I make it back to the front entry without spotting or smelling Elena. But a short hallway that's almost more of an alcove, with only one door at the end, catches my eye. I move toward it and catch a very faint whiff of Elena.
She's been there. Maybe not recently, but definitely there.
"Hey! What are you doing?" A loud male voice echoes through the entryway.
I jerk my gaze from the door and over to him. Dammit. It's Pluto. One of those elite assholes, the same one I talked to at the howl. His brow is down and he's eyeing me suspiciously. I hate the fact that he's an inch or two taller than me. It just makes the gap between alpha and beta that much more glaring.
He takes a step forward, getting into my space and I drop my eyes automatically, reflexively, even though I don't back away like I would if I was shifted.
"I…" My excuse dies in my throat as nerves warn me that he'll know if I lie. I was planning on lying to that human butler, not an elite. My pulse will race and my scent might change. I've never been as good at controlling my scent as other betas. My brother lies to our father all the time. But me? I've never been able to get away with things like that.
Mom's always said it's because I've got a sweet heart. Right now, I wish my heart was made of steel. I wish I wasn't a damned beta. I shove my fist into my pants so that he can't see me clench it, doesn't see it as a challenge to him, but what I'd really like to do is shove my fist into his face and make a run for that door that carries a trace of Elena's scent.
"You're supposed to be in the kitchen with Matthew." Pluto's tone is flat. But his eyes are narrowed, not nearly as emotionless as his voice. He doesn’t like me, never has. But now, I think he might not trust me.
I shrug. "He left." I stick with the truth.
"And why'd you leave?" Pluto crosses his bulky arms.
"Looking for someone."
"Well, you found me."
"Yup."
"I was about to come in there anyway and give you all a run down for today. So what did you need to tell me before I address the troops?"
"Troops?" I can't help looking back up.
"Guard dog duty." Pluto gives me a cold smile full of mean teeth. "But you came out here for a reason, right, Fido?Tell me." His tone changes to an alpha command on those last two words.
My body automatically reacts. The hairs in my ears tickle and my knees feel like marshmallows. A dull fog enters my mind and the answer drips off my tongue thickly, like syrup. "I have a phone I need to give back."
"A phone?"
I pull Elena's phone out of my pocket and hold it up. "She left it in class yesterday."
The phone is out of my hands before I realize I forgot to say Elena's name. I don't have to, because Pluto holds it to his nose for half a second and then quickly away.
He glares down at me. "I saw you last night. Why didn't you give it to me then?"
My wolf whines in my ear, urging me to yield my neck, to step back and tuck my tail. But I don't.
I'm not an alpha, but I'm not as cowed as my wolf is. Most of the time anyway. I even fought one of my uncles who's an alpha once. He gave me a lot of tips afterward, for standing up to entitled assholes like himself. Tip one: stay calm.
I sigh, trying to relax my pulse as I try to explain what happened last night without handing over my shredded heart on a platter like it's some appetizer. "I went to give it to Alpha Maddox so he could find her because she was missing. Then I realized he already had."
Pluto gets a twitch in his cheek, like he doesn't like my answer. But he doesn't ream me about it. He just stares down at me like he can't believe he has to deal with such an idiot.
