Chapter Fifty-One

Sullen

Liam watched TV from the corner of the room while Sullen’s mind raced. She wanted to put the pieces together so badly, but she couldn’t place them.

Something was missing.

Rolling over, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. Liam’s occasional attempt at a conversation was weighing her down.

She didn’t want to talk. She wanted to sulk, and potentially figure something out. Sullen smelled Roan’s scent growing near, Liam did, too, apparently because he stood up and stretched his arms above his head.

Roan opened the door.

“Everyone is here this time,” Liam said. “She was a good girl, she didn’t try to run.”

Sullen flipped him the bird as he left with a smile on his face.

Roan locked the door and pulled his t-shirt over his head. “How did it go with my dad?”

“Fine,” he said, kicking off his jeans, and climbing into bed with her. “I could be completely wrong but I think that he is genuine, Sullen.”

Sullen looped her arm around Roan’s stomach, and he pulled her into the crook of his arm. “I hope so,” she whispered.

“You should rest now. We’ve had an emotional night.”

“I’ll say,” she said softly, her eyes shut without a second thought.

***

The next morning pounding on their door woke them up. Roan jolted upright, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. “This better be something important.”

Roan opened the door to Jacob standing in the hallway. “What do you need?" he asked, hostility in his voice.

He grinned. “You’re needed in the conference room. A few alphas showed up a few minutes ago needing to speak with you about something."

Roan groaned, but let Jacob inside the room. “Okay. Let me get dressed. Can you stay with Sullen while I’m gone?”

Liam plopped down in the spot next to the window and kicked up his feet.

“You got it, Boss. There will be no escapes either."

Sullen grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom with Roan to get dressed. He watched her in the mirror as she tugged on her clothes. “I have some emails to get to, but afterward, maybe we can get some breakfast? I’m starving.”

Roan zipped his jeans. “Sure thing. I have no idea what this meeting is about, but I will make sure it doesn’t take too long."

He kissed the top of her head and left her to finish getting ready. Jacob was still in the same spot when Sullen walked out. Grabbing her laptop, she powered it on and waited for it to load.

Jacob’s gaze settled on hers from across the room, and he grinned. There was something she didn’t like about it. Something that turned her stomach into knots. Jacob was always friendly, but this didn't seem friendly.

“I wonder what those alphas want to talk about?" Sullen asked.

Jacob shrugged while whistling under his breath. Sullen wasn’t sure if her senses were off because she’d just woke up, or they were spot on.

Something was wrong with Jacob.

She stared at her computer screen, unable to work, and finally shut the top. “Why don’t you go downstairs and grab us some breakfast?”

Jacob swung his feet to the floor. “Nah, you can wait until Roan gets back for that. You won't waste away in the meantime."

He stood up slowly, walking around Roan’s room as if he’d never been there before. Sullen tried to keep herself calm as he neared her and only smiled when he glanced at the crest of their pack above Roan’s bed.

Sullen watched his face morph into something wicked. Was there a longing there? Jacob did a lot for Roan. Maybe he resented him for it?

This wasn’t right. Something was really wrong.

Just as she stood up, the window opened, and there he was. Duke. Her entire body froze at the sight of him. He stepped down into the room causing chills to run up her back.

She knew when Jacob didn’t launch himself at Duke that he was the mole. He was in on this. He betrayed Roan, and it made her sick to her stomach.

“Little Fox,” Duke said softly.

He looked just like she remembered, but this time his eyes flickered a different color, and his wolf was present.

No more hiding.

“What in the hell are you doing here?”

Duke glanced at Jacob who looked pleased with himself. “So you can’t be alpha so you swerve toward the cowardly side of this, huh? I didn’t expect much more from you. I could tell you were a yellowbelly when I first saw you.”

The corner of Jacob’s mouth twitched. “Says the Luna that was forced to come and stay here. Look at her mark, Ridge. Isn’t it pretty?”

Ridge? Who was Ridge?

“So you kept your wolf hidden from me, and your real name. Fitting.”

Duke stared at her mark for a long time, so many emotions twisted over his face. “You let him mark you,” he chuckled. “There are ways of correcting that, and I’m gonna be the one that removes it.

Duke stepped closer to Sullen causing her to step back into the wall. “You thought I was just going to let you go on without me? You seriously had me completely wrong, Sullen. Your observation skills are lacking."

He touched her cheek, and she swatted it away. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”

Sullen attempted to reach Roan with a mind link, but as soon as Jacob realized it, he shoved Sullen into Duke’s chest. “Take her. She’s trying to mind-link him.”

Sullen’s fight or flight kicked in. She shoved, kicked, and bit his skin as he dragged her toward the window.

Sullen watched Jacob begin to stage the room, and even slam his head into the wall to cause bruising. He was setting the scene.

Fear built in her stomach. She tried to reach out, but she became dizzy when he jumped from the window with her. It was broad daylight. Surely someone would see them.

Sullen’s claws came out, and she dug them into Duke’s back.

He howled in pain, slammed her on the ground, and stepped over her.

The corner of his lip raised into a nasty snarl.

He lifted his leg, and she knew what was coming. He was a coward, of course, he would kick her while she was down.

“He’s here. Jacob bad,” she sent to Roan before everything went black.