14. Mai

Ihopped on my crutches into the Bottley Bar and Coffeeshop, instantly feeling the warmth and welcoming atmosphere of the place. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and homemade pastries filled the air, as soft jazz music played in the background. The walls were decorated with eclectic artwork, and the mismatched furniture gave the place a cozy, lived-in feel.

Sofia was behind the counter, her vibrant red hair falling in loose curls around her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she caught sight of me, her full lips curling into a wide grin. She had always been the life of the party, her infectious energy and caring nature making her the best friend a girl could ask for. She jumped the counter and bounded up to me, arms open. I sucked in a breath as she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed.

"It is so good to see you, Mai. You're looking much better than yesterday!"

"Need… need to breathe…"

"Oh, shit!" she exclaimed, letting me go. "Sorry!"

"No problem. I missed your hugs!" I did, too. My ribs? Not so much.

I slid onto a stool at the counter, my heart swelling as Sofia poured me a cup of coffee.

"So, tell me everything. What did Ryan say to you? Did you see Jem? What do you think about the Alpha's compound?"

I grinned. "You haven't changed, you know. Always wanting the gossip."

"Duh!" Sofia grinned back. "Why do you think I work here? The day lot gossip like old men, and at night, one sip of alcohol and they blab everything! This is gossip central! I get to know everything that happens in the human and wolf world. So don't let me down, Mai. Spill."

So, I did. I told her about the compound, about Hayley and Jem. About the Shaw brothers. About what Ryan had said to me, and what happened this morning.

"Holy fuck!" she whispered.

"I know! Can you believe that guy?"

Sofia looked at me for a moment, then leaned in closer. "You should know that Ryan hasn't touched anyone since you left. He hasn't even looked at another person—werewolf or human—in that way. That night, when he, you know… and then you left, he went mental. When he found out you'd gone, his wolf took over, and he lost it. It took all of his brothers and Jem to subdue him. When he Shifted back, he didn't say a word. Just walked right into the Alpha compound and attacked Oliver. Luckily, his brothers, Jem and Hayley followed him. But they'd spent months plotting how to take down Oliver, and Ryan blew it all in one night. Thank the Goddess, they came out on top."

He did what?!

"I… I don't know what to do with that information," I confessed. It was too overwhelming right now. What I'd thought to be right all these years, that Ryan was an asshole who rejected his true mate, that I wasn't worthy of being loved, that maybe there was something wrong with me, something that made Ryan not want anything to do with me, was bullshit. I had to rethink everything about that night, about what I thought about Ryan and what I thought about myself for the last four years.

"I know, chickee. It's a lot. But your leaving changed everything for us. Jem and Ryan wanted to change the Pack so you could come home and feel safe. They both felt that they'd failed you. I know they hoped you would hear that they were in charge and would come home," she continued. "Day by day, though, the rest of the Pack watched as they lost hope, and it was heart-wrenching. It drove Hayley nuts."

I snorted. "That I can imagine."

"I know, right? She was happy at first; she was finally the Alpha, and we all knew how much she wanted that. But they never gave up looking for you, Mai. They started to change the Pack so it was the kind of Pack that you should have grown up in. That wasn't what Hayley wanted. She wanted more of the same, just with her in charge, living it large in the big house, and finally being the one telling everyone else what to do."

"Yeah, that sounds like Hayley."

Sofia nodded. "She doesn't care about us, Mai. Not like Jem does. And she hated that Jem was doing things for you. In her mind, it should have been just her and Jem ruling everything. Not Jem trying to make things better for the rest of the Pack. Not Ryan constantly out there searching for you. She's a bitter woman, Mai. You need to watch your back."

"She's bitter, but she's harmless, Sofia. I'm not a kid anymore, and she's not my guardian. She doesn't have that kind of power over me."

"Just be careful, okay? You're going to have to watch your back with Hayley and watch that your panties stay on when Ryan is around."

I knew she was trying to cheer me up, but I was just so overwhelmed by it all. "I don't know what to do with any of this," I whispered.

Sofia reached out and touched my arm, knowing exactly what I was talking about. "You don't need to do anything with it. Take time. Think about it. I won't tell you to give Ryan a chance; what he did was unforgivable, but know that he has tried to make amends, even if you weren't here."

I looked down at my hands and tried to steady my breathing. Everything was so complicated. I didn't know what to do or who to trust.

As I lifted my head, I saw Ryan outside the bar, leaning against his car and staring right at me. His eyes were filled with a dark intensity that sent a shiver straight to my core.

Sofia followed my gaze. "I can tell him to fuck off, if you want?"

"No," I shook my head. My wolf was pining for him, and I knew she felt safer knowing he was near. "It's alright. I'm sure he's got better things to do than hang around outside a bar all day. He'll get lost soon enough."