29. Belle

Itend to my little garden, a smile curving the corners of my lips as I tip my head back toward the sun. I wear a wide-brimmed hat, flower-patterned gloves, and my favorite red summer dress.

It"s in these rare moments that I can truly forget who I am, and what I"ve done, and just be.

The guys aren"t going to kick me out after all, and I am safe. For now.

I just wonder how long it will last. Sooner or later, they will find out what I did.

Leo vanished into the woods half an hour ago, informing me that he wouldn"t be too long as he needed to investigate something, so it"s just me for the time being.

Rian still hasn"t surfaced. The moment he fell ill, Troy came rushing to his side and scooped him up in his arms, and the Beta hasn"t left his room since.

The Alpha didn"t even look twice at me, but that"s nothing new. I"m used to Troy"s hostility right now. And the sad part is that I am convinced that I deserve it.

Troy left the house some time ago, and I can"t help but be concerned for Rian.

Is there something the matter with him?

I have my suspicions, but I"m too afraid to pry. I"m already on thin ice, but if Troy is gone, then Rian may need someone to take care of him.

Leo is around somewhere, and Jeremy is at work as usual.

So, that means that Rian will need someone until they"ve all returned.

I"ve seen the signs. They"re similar to my own symptoms, and I wonder…

I"ve read far too many filthy books by now, several books that were gifted to me by Rian. They"ve taught me so much about my own body, and maybe they helped Rian with his own self-discovery, too.

No. I shouldn"t pry. I should stay put and tend to my garden.

But I can"t help but worry about Rian. He has been so good to me.

And I can"t get the scent of his sweet baby powder out of my mind.

Rian"s scent temps me, and now my legs rise of their own accord as I walk toward the house in my dirty gardening gloves and wide-brimmed hat.

Soon, I find myself standing outside his bedroom door, losing myself in the sweet scent of baby powder.

Troy"s coffee wraps around Rian"s scent, merging and twining until it"s hard to tell one male from the other, and now my hand reaches for the door handle.

Just one peek to ensure that he is all right.

I don"t know what I hope to find. I think a small part of me hopes that Rian will let me join him and Troy on the bed.

Maybe this time, Troy won"t be so cruel, and he may even let me join.

Well, a girl can dream.

My fingers graze the handle as I draw a breath. As I twist, pushing the door ever so slightly, I pause, closing my eyes.

I shouldn"t do this.

Betray Rian"s trust.

But I can"t help but be curious…

The door clicks open, and now the blood roars through my head as I hold my breath. Nothing happens, and then I let the air escape my lungs, pushing the door ajar.

I spy him curled up asleep on the bed, bundled up in warm blankets and pillows, and the sight leaves me breathless.

I have never seen anything more precious than Rian right now. His long eyelashes flicker back and forth as he dreams peacefully, soft breaths escaping his slightly parted lips.

I wonder what he is dreaming about…

A part of me hopes that it is me.

No, scratch that. All of me wishes that he was dreaming about me.

This is as far as I will go. I will not betray Rian"s trust any further.

Just as I go to shut the door, I become aware of an ominous presence behind me. The hair pricks on the back of my neck, and then a low growl rents the air, making my heart clench.

I freeze automatically, a rabbit caught in the headlights.

The sharp scent of bitter coffee floods the hallway, and I don"t have to turn around to see who stands behind me.

His electric blue eyes burn into my spine, and sweat gathers at my hairline next, dripping down my temples. My heart thumps wetly in my chest, and I"m simply too afraid to move.

Still, I angle my head just slightly.

And that was my first mistake.

The moment my head moved, he lunged, pushing me to the wall.

He"s fast, and now I have no choice but to stare up into those raging storms as he towers over me, pressing his muscled forearm across my neck.

A growl vibrates in his chest as his pupils shrink, zeroing in on their prey.

If I needed more proof that Troy hated my guts, then I"ve just found it.

Troy not only hates me, but he thinks I"m a threat too.

A threat to his sleeping mate in the other room. The one that looks so vulnerable bundled up in those fluffy blankets.

I was an idiot if I believed they"d ever let me join.

I will never be welcome.

Troy"s nostrils flare as he takes in my scent and the look of pure disgust that reigns across his face breaks my heart next.

I still don"t look away from his eyes. There"s lightning inside those dangerous electric blue eyes, making the hair rise up and down my arms and legs whenever he touches me.

I"m too afraid to look at anything else. Especially the light brown bag inside his right hand.

Medicine for Rian perhaps?

"What are you doing here?" he growls.

I swallow, mouth too dry to speak.

"Answer me…" He presses his forearm into my neck, forcing the words out of me.

"I… I was w-worried…"

I can"t even finish my sentence, too afraid to speak.

But Troy doesn"t need any further explanation.

A harsh laugh escapes him. "Yeah, right. You were sneaking around my mate, hoping to get a look in on him, weren"t you?"

I don"t reply, stunned by his words.

"Stay away. You may have the others fooled, but I know what you are deep down…"

Tears prick at my eyes as his cruel words circle around my head.

But he doesn"t stop there. He grabs my arm, tugging the gardening gloves from my fingers to inspect the tattoo.

His thumb presses down hard on the number twenty-three, but I don"t flinch.

I merely stand frozen, refusing to give him what he wants.

I won"t be intimidated. I may be a brute, but he is far worse.

He"s a jerk, but I can"t help but be attracted to his coffee scent.

It"s mouth-watering, just like he is.

The beautiful ones are always the assholes—a common theme in all my books.

Finally, I open my eyes, meeting his glare, and a smirk grows across his face when he spies the challenge. Then he leans closer until we"re inches from a kiss.

Something hard jabs at my stomach, and the shock registers on my face.

He is getting off to my suffering.

The prick.

"You will never have him. He is mine…"

The tears pool in my eyes, but I still don"t look away from him.

He won"t get the better of me.

"You are not welcome here. If I see you prowling again, I will kill you…"

His eyes flash bright in warning, and when he lets go, I scurry down the hall, rushing to my room to lock myself inside.

Then I roll beneath my bed and never come out again.

My poor garden will need tending to, but I refuse to leave this room again.

Troy"s threat echoes back to me.

He meant it, too. He"s an Alpha, and Alphas are protective of their mates.

Troy is close to a rut and there"s no telling what he would do now.

So, I will stay away.

Unless I want to die.