9. Briony

It's her, or it's me.

Will's words echo through me. I'm running back to my house, leaving my car at Evander's, because I need to go.

I need to get out of there.

Why can't Will just… stop? What does he want?

Evander isn't going to choose me over his friend. Not when the bonds of the Frat Pack run as deep as they do. Not when he's been friends with Will for years.

And he's just now started…

I don't even know what he's started. There's nothing, I guess. Nothing between us.

Why was Will even there this morning? Did Evander call him to brag? To use me in some kind of twisted revenge thing, born out of machismo and rage?

We're a bunch of male wolves. This is how we have to do things.

Screw that.

I make it to my house, then shift in my yard. Naked, I grab my key and head inside, pulling on sweatpants and a shirt as quickly as I can.

As a human, I can feel the tears bristling in the corners of my eyes.

I shake my head and screw my eyes shut, trying to keep them from spilling over.

Last night was…

When I woke up and Evander wasn't there, I stretched out over his bed. My body was so sore, but in all the best ways.

Evander and I had… it just had felt…

Like more.

More than just sex. More than a connection. More than anything I've ever felt before.

I've waited for so long.

Why would he say that? Why would he say that and then call Will? What was he waiting for?

I'm just standing in the middle of my bedroom, my mind racing, when I hear a knock on my door.

There's a shape outside. Man-shaped.

I shut my eyes and open it. "Evander, I don't…"

"Why is his fucking name on your lips?"

My eyes pop open.

That's not Evander.

Instead, for reasons that I absolutely cannot fathom, Will is standing on my doorstep. "Will?"

"Yeah. It's me," he grunts.

He looks… wild.

Just a few days ago, I saw him at the café, and he looked like himself. Now, though, he looks like he hasn't slept. His eyes have dark circles under them, and his skin looks gaunt. Drawn. Like he's a shell of himself. He's got more than a few days of stubble on his chin, and his hair looks shaggy and unkempt.

I frown. "What are you doing here?"

Will's eyes lock with mine, and a shiver of unease skates down my spine. "I came for you."

"What?"

"I fucked up, Briony. I should have never left you. You're the love of my life, and I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry. Will you take me back?"

I'm absolutely floored.

I'm still standing in shock, staring at him, when a truck rumbles up to my house. At the end of the long driveway, I see Evander get out.

When he sees Will, he runs straight up the driveway.

Will turns, growling. "Get out of here, traitor," he snaps at Evander.

Traitor?

Evander doesn't flinch. "Get the fuck away from her, Will."

"Why? Because you fucked her, so she's yours now?"

Evander's eyes flash dangerously. "Get away. Briony, are you okay?"

I nod.

Will snarls. "So. This is it, huh? This is your revenge? You decided to screw my friend because I screwed yours? You awful…"

Evander roars. "You don't get to fucking talk about her like that!"

He shoots forward, moving so that he's in between Will and me. "Go home, Will! I already told you once!"

"Briony is mine!" Will snaps. "You don't get to have her!"

"She's not! You lost her!"

What the hell is going on? "Ev…"

"Stay there, Briony," he gestures back at me.

I hover on the porch.

Will snarls at him. "You want her? Then fucking fight me for her!"

"Is that a challenge?" Evander snarls back.

Instead of an answer, Will shifts.

Evander, however, does not.

My heart sinks. Why isn't he shifting? He can't fight Will as a wolf if he's a human. "Evander!" I shout. "Shift!"

"No. This asshole isn't going to bite me," he grunts. "And if he does, I'm going to lay him out."

My breath catches in my throat.

Our wolves are big—bigger than the average non-shifter wolf. Evander is a big guy, and yeah, he's strong, but he's not strong enough to knock a shifted wolf unconscious.

Will knows this.

He circles Evander, snarling. Evander looks at him calmly. "You're making a mistake, asshole," he snaps.

Will snarls.

"Calm down. Go home. Get some rest, drink some fucking water, and you can challenge me in front of the pack like a man."

Will snarls again, this time louder.

Shit.

Shit.

I go to grab my phone, but I can't find it. I shut my eyes, frowning.

I left it at Evander's house.

Somehow, I need to call the alpha. He can stop this. Maybe if I just start yelling…

I don't have the chance.

Will leaps on Evander. Evander turns, blocking him with his shoulder, but Will's teeth rip into Evander's arm.

Shredding the muscle there.

"No!" I shout. Shit, I need to call someone. "Help!" I start to yell. "Alpha! Iris! Someone!"

"I'm fine," Evander grits. "But this motherfucker's about to get arrested."

There's blood.

Everywhere.

There's so much of it, and Will is still holding onto Evander's arm like a chew toy. I need to get help…

Evander's phone.

I dash over to his truck, looking inside. I grab it, turning to look back at where Evander is hitting Will on the snout. My hands shake as I tap on the contact for Thorne.

"Ev?" Thorne's voice is sleepy. "What?"

"Thorne. It's Briony. You have to come to my house right now. Evander is in trouble!" I gasp.

I hang up and run back to my porch.

Evander's forearm is shredded. My stomach roils as I see bone. I have to…

Then Evander reels back. With his free arm, he punches Will in the head.

Hard.

Will gives a little yelp of surprise and lets go. He stumbles back, and that's all the chance Evander needs.

He kicks Will in the head.

Will collapses like a sack of flour. Evander, nudging him with a toe, stumbles onto my porch.

Oh god.

The blood.

"Evander!" I shout. "Hold on…"

I run inside and grab a clean pillowcase. I dash back out and sit next to him.

I can't look at his arm. It's too bloody. There are ribbons of flesh everywhere. I hope that the alpha is going to bring medical supplies, because this is…

"Briony," Evander whispers.

I look up at him.

His face is pale.

It's too pale.

He's going to pass out.

"I'm tired," he whispers.

"No. No, you have to stay awake," I murmur. "Ev, you have to…" an idea pops into my mind.

"What did you mean when you said you were waiting?"

He blinks at me, swaying slightly. "What?"

"Earlier. When you said you waited for so long. What were you waiting for?"

I can hear a siren getting louder as Evander processes my question.

Finally, he smiles.

"You."