Avoiding Alpha (Alpha Girl) (17 page)

“What?”

“I really liked having you here.”

On any other day, when I wasn’t about to go beg for my friend’s life, I would’ve wanted to linger in bed and enjoy being there. But I couldn’t afford the time. “I liked being here.”

I headed to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. I looked like hell and could really use a shower, but there wasn’t time. This would have to do. I pulled on my jeans and T-shirt and knotted my hair in a messy top-bun.

When I stepped out, Dastien was dressed. Old faded jeans and a nondescript gray T-shirt. A pair of cheap foam flip-flops. Fighting clothes. All stuff that could be easily discarded.

I wondered what he was planning on doing today.

“I’ll go with you. The rest of Meredith’s family should be here.”

God. It probably was a crappy idea to go see her if they were there.

“They don’t blame you. They can’t. You didn’t do this to her, and accepting responsibility for something that happened years ago, before you even knew Meredith, is
silly.” He paused to let that sink in, and it did. I don’t know why I felt like it was my fault, but it really, truly felt like it was. “If you want to see her, then let’s go.”

I nodded. He held my hand as we walked back across campus. This was one of those times when I appreciated that we could not talk and be fine. His support meant a lot.

The infirmary was quiet when we got there. Outside Meredith’s door, Shannon stood talking softly to three tall blonde guys—Meredith’s other brothers. I weaved my way through the crowd with Dastien a step behind me.

When Shannon spotted us, her face reddened. “What’re you doing here?”

“I want to see her.”

“You shouldn’t be here. This is your fault.”

Dastien’s anger hit me through our bond. “It’s not her fault.”

“Yes, it is. It’s both your fault.”

“How do you figure that?” I said. Sure, I messed up last night, but the rest of it… Dastien was right. I couldn’t accept responsibility for something I didn’t do.

“If you hadn’t bit her, none of this would’ve happened.”

“How can you—” Dastien said, but Shannon cut him off.

“No. You don’t get it. You weren’t there at the party.
I
was. Luciana had been getting visions for years—
years
—about losing a key coven member to the wolves, but she didn’t know who it’d be. So when she got to the party and saw Daniel making out with Meredith, she flipped. But it wasn’t Daniel who was going to get bit. It was
you
.”

Shit. Oh, holy shit. “But I didn’t know—”

“You will stop right there,” Dastien said. “If that’s what happened, then clearly Luciana saw things and she acted irrationally. There’s nothing in this world that could’ve stopped me from biting my own mate. We all know that fighting destiny—fighting fate—never turns out well. The only one to blame is Luciana. She’s the one who did this.”

He stepped toward Shannon. “You’ve lashed out at my mate for the last time. Blaming her for stealing me, her own mate. For hurting Meredith. For any little thing you don’t like. I won’t have it anymore.”

“She wasted time! She could’ve spent time trying to free Meredith’s wolf, but she didn’t. She could’ve agreed to stay with the coven, but she didn’t. That’s twice she could’ve saved Meredith and she didn’t do it. Twice!”

The hallway was beyond quiet, everyone else would’ve had to leave the building to not hear this fight.

I wanted to crawl in a hole, but I couldn’t. “She’s right.”

Dastien spun to face me. “No. She’s not.”

“No. I could do something, and I haven’t.” I let out a breath. “I’m so sorry,” I said to her brothers. The door to Meredith’s room opened and her parents and Max stepped out.

“This isn’t your doing,” her father said.

“No. But I can put it right. I can get Luciana to let go of her curse, and that will let Meredith’s wolf free.” Dastien’s fear and rage took my breath away. He’d never let me, but I had to. “I’ll go back and talk to the coven. Make a trade, myself for Meredith, and she’ll fix it. I—”

“
Non
.”

“
Oui
,” I said in my best French accent.

“Non, cherie! Non.”
He started rattling off in French. Meredith’s family and Shannon started arguing, too. I closed my eyes as I tried to figure out what I was doing. For the first time in twenty-four hours, the weight lifted. This was the right thing. I needed to go back to
La Aquelarre
. But this time, I wanted back-up.

“Aaaand,” I said talking over everyone, “I’d like you to come with me, Dastien.”

His eyes turned from amber to golden. “That’s a terrible idea. You think things can’t get worse but they will if we show up on the coven’s land together.”

Manipulating him was wrong, but my options were limited. “Then I’ll go alone.”

“The hell you will.” His voice was nearly full-growl as he shook my shoulders.

“Just hear me out.”

“You have about thirty seconds before I lock you in the feral cages.”

What? The guy had lost his mind if he was threatening me with the cages. They were below the gym, and made of concrete and steel. It was a place where they put wolves when they were out of control.

But he was seriously threatening to lock me up? “I don’t think I can live with myself if I don’t go and try to work something out, but I’m in a little over my head.” I took a calming breath, and hoped Dastien would listen to reason. “You’re right. I shouldn’t trust Luciana. She’s not a good person, but maybe we can reach a compromise. I’d be happy to go there a couple of days a week to learn their ways or whatever, if they agree to undo the curse on Meredith. It’d be good stuff to learn anyway. And maybe I can find someone to take over the coven in my place. Help me make a fair bargain with her.”

“It’s dangerous. Luciana’s already proven she’s willing to curse you, too,” Dastien said.

Meredith’s mother gasped. Her curls bounced as she turned to me. “If they did it once, they could do it again.”

“They only cursed me to make me go back.” I sighed. “I get everyone’s concern, but I can do this. I did my best using what I know about witchcraft and I failed. This is the only other option. Meredith’s dying.”

My voice cracked and I paused. They had to agree with me. Losing my cool wasn’t going to help me argue my point. “They’re not going to hurt me when I’m what they want in
the end. If I bring anyone, Luciana might try something, but she can’t do much to Dastien. He’s too powerful and too high up in the pack. And he’s my mate. They know they can’t touch Dastien if they have any chance of keeping me around.” I gripped his hand. “If I can get them to agree to one or two days a week on coven land, then that’s a small price to pay for Meredith’s life.”

Meredith’s shortest brother cleared his throat. He didn’t look much older than us. “I think she’s got a point. They’re not going to hurt her. And if she’s willing to take the risk to save our sister, we shouldn’t turn her down.” He met my gaze. “We all want Meredith alive and healthy.”

I nodded. “I’m willing to give it a try, but I need Dastien.”

When I looked at him, Dastien closed his eyes and when they opened again, they were still glowing gold. “Okay. We can go, but at the first sign of trouble, we’re getting the hell out of there. And I get to say what you agree to. If I don’t like it, we leave.”

I usually wouldn’t let him be the boss, but I was too afraid of agreeing to something I shouldn’t. I was desperate, and they’d know that. It was really easy to take advantage of the hopeless. “Deal.”

He rested his forehead against mine. “For the record, I think this is a bad idea. Luciana could’ve done the right thing and fixed this yesterday morning, but she didn’t.”

“I know. Believe me, I’m aware. I’m not letting my guard down.” I leaned away from him.

“Let’s go, before I change my mind,” Dastien said.

Max stepped toward me. “Thank you.”

“No more thank yous from you. Let’s see if I can actually do this first.”

“No, he’s right,” Shannon said. “Thank you for finally doing the right thing.”

That was a backhanded comment if I ever heard one, but now that I knew both reasons why Shannon hated me, she’d be easier to handle. Dastien had crushed a lot of girl’s hearts when he bit me, but we were mates. It was fate. Now she wanted to hold me responsible for Meredith’s curse, too?

It was easier to hate me instead of dealing with what was going on, but that wasn’t exactly fair. I didn’t curse Meredith—Luciana did. Once Meredith was better, maybe she’d know how to smooth things over between me and Shannon, but not right now.

I gave her a small nod, and then started back the way we came.

“Should we call someone? Tell them that we’re coming?” I asked Dastien.

He shook his head. “Usually, I’d arrange a neutral ground to meet them on, but that would give them a chance to prepare. So, we’re just going to show up.”

“And hope for the best.”

He smiled but his dimples didn’t show. “
Oui
. And hope for the best.”

***

The second time passing through the gate was easier. I was prepared for that slimy feeling as Dastien drove his car over the cattle guard.

“Did you feel it?” I asked.

Dastien glanced at me briefly before turning back to the road. “Not like you did, but I could feel your disgust.”

Right. “I’m not sure which house is Luciana’s. Just park wherever.”

He found an empty spot between a beat-up looking truck and a Prius. I stepped out of the car, not sure what my plan was. Hell, who was I kidding? There was no real plan.

Three people came out of a house down the road. Two guys and one girl. One of the guys was Daniel.

I blocked the sun with my hand as they walked toward us. I wasn’t sure if I should walk up to him or what, but he took the choice away from me.

He said something so softly to the others that I couldn’t hear, and then started toward me. The other two headed for the house across the road.

Here we go.

Daniel wore a pair of khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt with something printed on it. A band name? Not my kind of music, so I wasn’t sure. His hair was wet, like he’d just showered, and smelled of tea tree oil shampoo.

“Hi, Daniel,” I said when he got close.

“Teresa.”

I ground my teeth at the use of my name.

“What are you doing back here?” His eyebrows were drawn down. He wasn’t scowling, per se, but he didn’t look sure about me either. Daniel glanced over my shoulder at Dastien for a second before meeting my gaze again.

“I wanted to talk to Luciana about Meredith. I was hoping to come to an arrangement.”

“And you brought
him
with you?”

I didn’t like how he said that. Dastien stood a few feet behind me and a little to the left. His arms were loose at his sides, knees slightly bent. It was a protective posture. He was watching Daniel’s movements, ready to pounce if he needed to, and he was far enough to the side not to have to bump into me to do it.

“Yes,” I said. “We’re a package deal these days.”

Daniel crossed his arms. He was scowling now. “You weren’t supposed to be.”

Dastien growled and I shot him a look. “Cool it.”

He huffed, cutting off the growl, but his eyes stayed glowing gold and I had a feeling he wouldn’t be covering them with sunglasses.

This wasn’t going well and we’d only been here a couple minutes.

Daniel glanced at me. “You know, I always felt bad about what happened to Meredith. She didn’t deserve that. My mom threw the potion and said the incantation so fast I didn’t even know what she’d done. One second we were making out, the next Meredith was on the ground screaming like someone had died. I’ll never forget that sound. It was horrible.” He shuddered. “I hear your visions are much stronger than what my mom sees, but you get past and present stuff, while she gets impressions of the future. Only it’s never specific enough to do any real good. Basically all she got was that someone in the coven was going to be getting hot and heavy with a wolf, and would get turned. That’s why she freaked.”

Which had been me. Not Daniel.

Still, why keep Meredith under the curse? Why continue to punish her for something she didn’t do? “But Meredith didn’t bite you, so why didn’t she reverse it?”

“Because she’s gone anti-wolf. She’s always been anti-anything we’re not, but since she had that vision, she’s been a little out of control. Even more so since you were bitten. It’s kind of an obsession. So why would she reverse it?”

A door slammed up the road, and a woman screamed. “Stay away from my son!”

Luciana came running from a house down the road. She waved her hands, saying something that I couldn’t hear, but apparently Daniel knew what she was doing.

“No. Mom!” He stepped in front of me. He stumbled back a few steps, as if something punched him. “Stay behind me. Both of you.”

“I don’t need your protection.” Dastien bit the words out. “But your mother might if she tries that again.”

My skin itched to go wolf. This was so beyond dangerous it wasn’t even funny. It’d be a miracle if we got out of here without starting a war.

“I came to bargain,” I said.

She slowed her run to a fast walk. “Seeing things my way?”

I shook my head. “No, but I want to save a good friend. An innocent girl.”

Luciana scoffed. “She’s not innocent. None of the wolves are.”

Dastien started to growl and I elbowed him. I instantly regretted it. It was like hitting granite. I rubbed my elbow, trying to gain the feeling back.

“If you release Meredith from whatever was done to her, I’ll come here one day a week to study.”

Luciana shook her head. “No. You stay here. For good. I suppress your wolf, and I’ll put Meredith’s back to sleep so she can live.”

I tried to maintain my cool, but I could feel Dastien’s bubbling anger bleeding through our bond. “That’s not a compromise.”

“Did I say I wanted to compromise?”

I had to calm down. I took a moment to look around the compound. A few people gathered on the street to watch us talk. More people were staring through windows.

I raised my voice as I spoke, hoping that if Luciana wasn’t going to listen to what I was saying, maybe someone else here would. “You can’t expect to lead if you’re not willing to compromise.”