Chapter 2

We spent more time running around since they were suspicious. There was an entire story happening in my head of what could’ve happened, like the amount of power that was in my hands knowing what I knew now.

I headed for Anthony’s pack. I lost Jax and Alizac for a second and I took that moment to look around the familiar place. This was the life I loved the most because it was simple, and I had only the most basic problems. Like clockwork, my senses were heightened. He was around, but he was closer than I wanted him to be. I ran frantically until I crashed into another wolf.

We hit each other hard, and we both shifted back.

“Damn Ryleigh, you’re running like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Jax rubbed his side where we collided. He stood up and reached for my hand to lift me up.

“Sorry, I just had to get out of there quickly.”

I was hoping he wouldn’t ask me why because it was already awkward. Now wouldn’t be the time.

“Alpha Alizac,” a whisper came.

Jax went to speak, but I quickly covered his mouth with my hands. He looked at me in shock and tried to speak.

“If I am covering your mouth that means be quiet,” I tried to whisper.

He finally relaxed, but still didn’t trust me. I pulled him behind a large tree for us to hide. When I peeked around, I could see Anthony speaking with Alizac. They looked like they were just having a casual conversation.

“Why are we hiding?” Jax spoke up just a little too loud, surprising me and making me throw my head against his. We both moaned in pain.

“You guys don’t need to hide. It’s casual.”

But like everything, things were never so simple. I looked at Jax and tried to talk to him without speaking but mind-linking doesn’t work like that. I pointed towards him, then to where they were, and signaled not to mention I was here. He tried to ask questions, but it didn’t work very well.

“Jax, this is Alpha Anthony. He saw us running by their borders and just wanted to say hi,” Alizac said.

He felt like he was sucked into having a conversation on my behalf. But the attention needed to be drawn away from me. I took this opportunity to slowly back away and find my escape route. I just came to creep, not to start some weird dating show where my choices were the Alpha King, my mate, and my second mate, and we were stuck until I decided who I wanted to be with. But destiny had other plans. If we made eye contact, it would all be over. And, of course, a twig snapped under my foot, drawing the attention of three pairs of eyes.

“Ryleigh, why are you hiding?” Alizac asked.

It was too late. The conflicted look on Anthony’s face told me everything I needed to know, and the guilt rose in me. This is what I get for being so damn naïve. I killed the cat with my curiosity. I had no words to say.

“Do I know you? I feel like we’ve met.” His voice made me feel like a million soft pillows blessed my very soul.

“Nope. Never. I’m not from around here. I’m from a faraway land of nobodies. I gotta go, so bye.”

Well, that was awkward.

“This Ryleigh…She is, umm, clearly mad at me…”

He was clearly confused, but if the future visions were correct that meant that meeting me was just the beginning of his end. If I was being honest, in the vision where I chose him, I had trouble not thinking about Alizac and Jax. They held a part of me, and it seemed like they always would.

“I have to go.”

Yet again, I was stopped from leaving.

“It’s been a while since anyone has been over. Alpha, why don’t you and your pack join us tonight.”

Was this guy serious?

“I am sure he is a busy man. Let him be. Now let’s go,” I rushed.

Alizac and Jax continued to stare at me in disbelief like and it was altogether awkward.

“Why are you in such a hurry? All you’re going to do is sit in your room and mope as you have been for days,” Alizac said.

I was stunned. Jax was holding his laugh in and the only thing I could do was give him a dirty look. But when the attention wasn’t on me, I elbowed his stomach forcing a loud, pained grunt from him.

“I insist. Just come on over,” Alizac said.

We couldn’t say no to the Alpha King, which is why Anthony agreed and shook Alizac’s hand, but his eyes were fixated on me. He knows. I know that he knows. It’s something I didn’t want, but the vision I had really did. We walked back to the palace and Jax shoved me to my room.

“Ryleigh, what the hell is going on? You’re acting really strange now.”

Jax’s concern was almost comforting. Maybe it would be nice to tell someone who might understand. He was level-headed compared to his brother. I mean, Alizac. There was just so much to explain, and he might end up locking me up in the crazy house. But technically as werewolves, we were fantasies. Mothers told their kids we were monsters who killed everything in sight. But we were two separate breeds that were not that different from each other.