Page 14 of Winning the Wolf

Caleb returned, nodding his head at his friend. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?”

Killick spotted the members of the pack, nodding to them in greeting as they called out. Instead of going over to gossip, he went to the till without my permission and started to serve the customers.

Did Killick not trust his friend enough to keep an eye on me?

“Oi, bitch.”

The voice gave me a comfort I hadn’t felt in days. Shaking myself out of my gaze, I moved out from behind the counter and came face to face with Dinky, our best friend from school. She opened her arms, inviting me to step into them.

I did, hugging her as tightly as she hugged me, despite her multi-coloured dreadlocks almost choking me. When I pulled away, I looked into her dark brown eyes and almost burst out crying. Her perfect milk chocolate skin was covered in tribal swirls, drawn on by her own hand.

“What the fuck is going on?” she hissed, clamping her mouth shut when she spotted Killick at the till. “And why is hot alpha guy selling someone a warthog bollock aphrodisiac powder?”

A snort of laughter burst from me as I ushered her into the kitchen area. Caleb was busy making coffee, barely acknowledging my friend until she poked him in the rib.

“Sorry,” he murmured, “nice to see you, Dinky.”

The flick of her eyebrows as she crossed her arms over her chest told him that she wasn’t best pleased at being ignored.

“So?” she said when he’d moved away to serve the drinks, “why are you under house arrest? You didn’t do anything.”

Holding my hands up, I widened my eyes. “I know, right? Apparently, being Nyla’s twin has always made me guilty by association. Pisses me off.”

“Is there any news? There’s so many rumours flying around, I can’t tell who is lying out of their arse-cheeks or who knows the T. R. U. T. H.”

Fiddling with the tap as I glanced over at Killick, I shook my head. He looked over at me, his eyes narrowing when our gaze met. A spark ignited, flustering me enough to spin and busy myself tidying up Caleb’s mess.

“They’re searching for all three of them,” I told Dinky, doing my best to keep my voice low. “But I’m worried that something has happened to Melinda.”

“Melinda Huntington?” Dinky’s harsh whisper made me clamp my hand on her wrist.

“Shut the fuck up, or hot alpha man, as you call him, will kill me.”

Looking over her shoulder, Dinky raised her eyebrows. “He wouldn’t dare, not with me around.”

I’d known Dinky since I was a toddler, tottering around in the playground near our home. Our mothers had been best friends until ours fell in love with another werewolf in our pack. They’d run off together, never to be seen or heard from again. Not that I’d cared, she’d bought shame on our family. Apparently, it was becoming a thing with my relatives.

“Why would Nyla hurt the alpha’s wife?” Dinky glanced over at the group of werewolves, smirking when one of them quickly looked away.

Rubbing the corner of my eye, I sighed. “She’s clearly gone off the rails with this Jeremy guy. He’s used her to get to our pack.”

“I agree.” Caleb made us jump as he returned and dumped several used cups in the sink. “The quicker they’re all found, the better.”

“What if they’ve done something to hurt Melinda?” Dinky asked him. “What would they do to Larissa?”

“Me?” I squeaked. “I’m more worried about what they’d do to Nyla.”

Clutching my elbow, Dinky moved closer, staring at me. “Nyla is lost to us. You need to come up with a plan to save yourself.”

Caleb cleared his throat and flicked his eyes towards Killick, who was making his way over. “She’s not wrong,” he said quietly, “it’s probably best to put yourself first for once.”

Sadness enveloped me and tears sprung into my eyes. Before Killick could see them, I spun away and blinked rapidly as I left the kitchen by a small back door. The fresh air of Cheddar Gorge smacked me in the face, jolting me to a stop. The tiny area behind the shop had trash bins and a small bench where we’d often take our breaks. The rocky edge of the cliff was just behind us, rising high into the sky. It was nice to have just a few moments of quiet to myself, without the pack elders watching my every move.

“Dinky has taken over on the till,” Killick announced as he came out of the back door. “My father has asked me to escort you home to pack a bag.”

His hair fluttered gently, brushing the top of his ears. His broad shoulders were back, always confident and ready to bear the weight of the world. He was an alpha in training, and he was watching me, his gaze hooded and weary.

My stomach sank as I realised that the others were right. If I wanted to survive, I had to look out for myself and if that meant being completely compliant, I had to do it. And if my sister did survive this, I would reunite with her as soon as I could.

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