Page 72 of Step Alpha

“You were pissed off,” he repeats in a condemning tone. “About what?”

“About having to come back here to babysit Rayne.”

Wait. Fuck. Very big mistake.

My dad's eyes flash gold, and his upper lip curls in a snarl. “I've had it with you.Get your shit and leave this house.”

* * *

Rayne

No.

Fates, no. What have I done? My cowardice could cost Wilde everything.

I bolt out of the bedroom at the same time my mom emerges from the master suite. Score two points for shifter hearing.

“Logan,” my mom says.

“No.” Logan throws his hands in the air. His eyes glow amber. “If Wilde can't show some basic respect for his new family, he does not deserve to live under my roof.”

“This is so stupid!” I cry, forgetting my fear of the man. Forgetting to be respectful.

Wilde shakes his head at me in warning. “Rayne.”

“No.Iwrecked the Jeep. Okay?”

“I'm handling it,” Wilde cuts in, voice firm.

“Shut up!” I’m close to tears. I whirl on Logan, my hands closed into fists. “Wilde is just taking the bullet for me. Same as he did for whoever was buying and selling drugs on his team.”

Shock visibly ripples through Wilde at my words. “How did you–”

I throw my hands out in exasperation. “Because I know you!” Turning back to Logan, I say, “And you should know him, too. If you’re so blind you can’t see the hero your son is, or the fact that he was suffering living halfway across the country completely apart from all wolf culture, you don’t deserve to ride his success.”

“Enough, Rayne,” my mom cuts in sharply.

“No, it’s true. That’s what he’s doing. He doesn’t care about what Wilde wants. Or his happiness.”

“Is that true?” Logan’s voice has calmed. His eyes have returned to normal.

“Of course it’s true!” I exclaim.

“Rayne.” My mom makes a move toward me, but Wilde steps in front of her, blocking her path.

Her brows shoot up, but not in an angry way. More surprise. “Huh,” she says thoughtfully then looks at me.

I’m still desperate to fix my screw-up. “Idrove Wilde’s Jeep. I was pissed at him for being bossy, and I started too fast. I hit the mailbox. Wilde came running out to rescue me. He was” –I flap a hand in the air– “more worried about my safety than he was about me wrecking the Jeep.” Tears spill down my cheeks.

Wilde makes a tiny growling sound in his throat, his nostrils flaring like he’s picking up their scent. He reaches an arm out to me. I guess we’re not going to pretend there’s distance between us. I step under it and let him pull me against his side protectively.

My mom and Logan both stare at us like they’re seeing us for the first time. Rewriting in their brains whatever they thought our relationship was before.

“Can we forget about the Jeep?” Weariness threads Wilde’s voice. “It was an accident, and I’m going to take care of it.”

Logan rubs a hand across his face. “Yeah.” His gaze slides to me, and I show my throat in wolf submission. “Obviously I would’ve preferred that you both be honest with me, but I guess I have a clear picture of what happened.” He pauses, then adds, “Thank you, Wilde, for taking responsibility for it.”

Wilde swallows and nods.

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