My Personal Hell, D. Richardson [ebook reader browser txt] 📗

ace. If you go out there and they lay a hand on you, and you beat the hell out of them, there goes any real advantage we have.”

“Then back me up,” I answered, leaning forward to emphasize my words. “Watch my back, if they start to get physically violent someone can step forward. I’ll back away.”

“Can you?” Sadler asked, I turned on him.

“I didn’t get training to prove a point. I didn’t work as hard as I have been just to have an excuse to fight. I got the training so I could fight if I had too. And if someone is there then I won’t have too. This isn‘t about pride for me, it‘s about survival.” He locked gazes with me for a few moments, before finally nodding.

“Okay, Dalton, Alex, and I can have her back while she’s getting information, Asher, Bastion, and Macon can sit in on the meeting.” And that was that. After they were done going over the details I went upstairs to Jen’s room.

She had gotten home while they were ironing out the details. I knocked and she answered almost immediately. Then I did something I had never done before. I asked to borrow an outfit. Not just any outfit, but one that was so far from my own personal taste it was ridiculous.

The next day, after some serious struggling I managed to get my hair into a French braid. I put on one of my black spaghetti strapped shirts and then the white girly miniskirt I had borrowed from Jen. After that came the black loose fitting knitted over shirt that covered the waistband of the skirt, and to finish the look a pair of knee high flat boots.

It wasn’t necessarily my style but it had an innocent look that I was going for. I figured if I was going to look as non threatening as possible this would be the way to do it. When I added the leather choker and a pair of silver hoop earrings that matched my ring I was ready to face my former captors.

I was halfway down the stairs when I realized how far I had come. When I first got to Drake’s house I was terrified of being sent back to the Others. Now I was about to face my worst torturers and I just wanted to get it over with. No fear, no worries, I knew that the guys would have my back. So when I walked into the kitchen it was with a smile.

“Morning,” I said when I walked through. Everyone was already there. I grabbed a cup of coffee and when I turned around everyone was staring. Aaron had his mouth open with food falling out of it. Asher’s eyes looked like they were ready to pop out. Dalton let out a low whistle, Bastion was nodding at his own thoughts, and Sadler was just staring. His eyes traveling from my feet to the top of my head over and over again with his eyebrow raised. “What?” I asked, feeling paranoid.

Jen got up and made her way around the table. It took a minute for me to figure out what she was doing. By the time I realized it was too late to stop it, and I heard the click of her camera go off.

“I just had to get to proof,” she mumbled, sounding dumbfounded.

“Oh ha ha,” was my response.

“Damn Babe, you do look good,” Dalton muttered.

“You sure as hell don’t look like the chick that kicked my ass yesterday,” Macon followed. I just rolled my eyes and took a drink of my coffee.

“You’ll dress for your enemies but not your boyfriend,” Asher grumbled. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“My enemies won’t give a damn if I’m not comfortable in what I’m wearing. Much like my ex-boyfriend,” I replied, putting an extra emphasis on ex. Several of the less mature guys gave a round of ‘oohs’ and Asher just rolled his eyes. We still didn’t get along very well. It was a shame, I had counted him as a good friend before our dating disaster.

About an hour later they arrived. Me, Sadler, and Dalton moved to the garage to wait. The plan was that we would sit, hidden, until we knew the meeting was well underway. We all knew that there was nothing Drake could offer that would stop the challenge, so instead he was going to try to buy us a half hour.

When Sadler was sure we could move I stepped out of the garage. Just like I had anticipated, Luscious was leaning against one of the cars. His head was on a swivel as he watched his surroundings. He hadn’t changed a damn bit, the same posture, the same hair cut, even the same sneer. I couldn’t count the number of ways that I hated him.

But standing next to him was a man that, when I thought about it, made perfect sense. The one person that would know how run down the school was. That would know all of Drake’s tactics, and even some secrets that had been kept by his father. Van’s ace in the hole. Doctor Thomas Ryther, the traitorous bastard himself.

He wasn’t looking so hot. His arrogance had vanished, his clothes were worn, and his hair was disheveled. It looked like being a lone wolf wasn’t suiting him very well. He was pacing behind the car, obviously uncomfortable with being on his past territory. He walked with a limp, and probably would for the rest of his life, however long that may be.

I felt Sadler, Dalton, and Alex pause when I did. The two men still hadn’t seen me, as I was scrutinizing them. But then the wind changed and Luke spun, his eyes narrowing until he finally recognized me. Then his scowl turned to a look of pure delight. I wanted to vomit, as he and the good doctor made their way closer to me.

“Well, I’d heard, but I didn’t believe it,” Luke said with a fake drawl.

“Believe it now?” I asked, taking the last few steps while the guys hung back. The point was for me to goad them, not provide a united front. I felt my lip curl in disgust when he did a once over and licked his lips.

“Oh, I believe it. If I had known you were an alpha I would have used you for more than a whipping post.” At his words my back started to tingle and I felt my wolf start to rise. It took a lot but I didn’t let any of it show. Instead I gestured back to the house.

“I was wondering, why are you out here? Isn’t Mark inside?” I leaned in slightly allowing myself a small smirk as his smile started to fade. “Are you just not a high enough rank to be allowed into the meeting?”

“Watch it little girl,” he growled, I stood up straighter allowing a bigger smile.

“I should have known, I mean, he had no problem selling your property. Without so much as a glance in your direction.” The thing about Luke is that he’s always had a short fuse. Which was demonstrated by the half step he took towards me and the snarl that ripped from his throat.

“You’ll be mine again.” I glanced around, as though the conversation was boring me.

“Only if you win the challenge,” I never thought I’d be happy to see that smirk return to his face. But with it I knew I had him. He thought he had the upper hand.

“Oh, we’ll win, what happens on the battle field won’t matter, this pack will be ours. And then your pretty little face will be mine to do with as I please,” his voice softened as he lifted a hand as though he would caress my face.

“Touch me, and one of my good friends over there will rip your arm off.” He paused long enough to look over my shoulder. I didn’t need to look to know that all three of the guys were posturing, adding credence to my words.

“Luke!” Tom snapped, suddenly at our side. “Back off you heard what Van said.” Luke snarled at him, but backed away. I heard all I needed too from him anyway, now it was time to have a little fun at the doctor’s expense.

“Hey Doc, how’s the rogue life treating you?” I asked, his face turned an odd shade of red as his lip curled in disgust.

“Mock me if you want, but Van promised that as soon as he has this pack he’ll reinstate me into his pack, and I’ll have the run of the place again. With all the little girls I could want.” I felt my eyebrows raise. For the life of me I could not believe he just said that out loud.

“How’s the leg? I noticed your limp.” Okay now I was just rubbing it in. But it looked like the right button to push. He lunged at me, stopping just in time to keep from doing something stupid. His snarl was impressive, but I smiled when I saw the silver in his eyes. “Oh, look at that silver. It must be real depressing for you to look in the mirror when you’re angry. Assuming you can look at yourself in the mirror at all.”

“You can have your fun, but you making me a rogue is going to backfire. You know the lone wolves don’t much like their lifestyle, anymore than I do. You’d be surprised how little it takes to get them to take sides. I think I might just offer them you,” his voice was so low only I could hear him. And god how I wanted to laugh. Luke came back to stand at his side. As though seeing them side by side would be anymore intimidating than seeing them one at a time.

“Luke! Tom! We’re leaving!” Van barked from the front door. Tom spun on his heel to go to the car. Luke however, waited a second longer, leaning in to so I could hear his next words.

“One day, it’s just going to be you and me, no one to protect you.” Then he walked away.

“I’m counting on it,” I mumbled as he climbed into the car. Van gave me a respectful bow as he passed, his smirk more ironic than angry.

“Ailith,” he mumbled as both a greeting and farewell. I returned his bow, and walked back into the house.

I plopped into a kitchen chair, and crossed my legs when I remembered what I was wearing. Everyone followed me in, looking at me like I was supposed to just start spouting out everything that I had learned. I planned on it, but first I needed to think, think and get my school bag.

So after telling them I’d be right back I ran up the stairs. By the time I got back everyone already looked exhausted. It had been a trying hour, too bad I was about to put them through another trial, and it wasn’t even lunch time yet.

“So,” I started, digging a book out of my bag. “How many of you know about the old territory wars?” Drake gave me a look like I had just completely derailed him.

“Everyone knows about them,” he answered with a sigh. “They were terrible, pack tearing apart pack, territories were drowned in blood until the humans started to notice. Then the alphas all got together and came up with battles we have now. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, that’s a good summary I suppose. But what I’ve noticed is that even though all of these new rules were developed all of the old alphas forgot to null and void the old ones. That’s how Van’s been playing this this whole time. Following a different set of rules than everyone else has been following. And getting away with it because of those alpha’s oversight,” I started, only for Asher to interrupt me.

“We’re not here for a history lesson, Ailith,” he snapped, I raised a brow at