Spiral of Need

“We both know that’s not true. I want a transfer.”

His jaw hardened. “No.”

“Why the hell not?”

Again he seemed to struggle. “Like I said, it’s not necessary.”

“It is to me. I want out of here.”

“That won’t be easy.” He almost sounded pleased. “Any pack is going to be hesitant to take a wolf who was accused of attempting to kill their Beta female.”

He was right, which meant she was stuck here unless she was prepared to choose the lone-wolf lifestyle—making her an easy target for the human anti-shifter extremists, not to mention other shifters. And Zeke didn’t appear willing to help her.

She understood that Rachelle was his mate, and therefore his loyalty would be primarily to her; Ally wouldn’t expect anything less. But he was also the pack Beta and had taken an oath to protect his Alphas and each wolf within the pack. It was an oath he was now violating.

“You’ve just lost what respect I had left for you.” And now she had to get out of there.

“Ally, don’t storm out.”

As she reached the door, she glanced back at him over her shoulder. “If you truly believe I attacked your mate, you’d have your hand around my throat, shaking me like a goddamn rag doll. But you don’t, because deep down you know, and your wolf knows, that it didn’t happen.” Ally swung the door open. “Anyway, there’s no need for me to be envious of her claim on you—I always give my used stuff to the needy and disadvantaged.”

With that, Ally waltzed out and slammed the door shut behind her. Then, cursing a blue streak, she stormed out of the pack house into the humid night. This was seriously turning out to be the shittiest day ever. On the upside, it couldn’t get any worse, could it?

When she walked into her wrecked cabin, she realized that, yes, actually, it could. Sitting on her slashed leather sofa, draining one of Ally’s Coke bottles, was the cause of all her problems. Everything in her wanted to lash out, to put this heifer through a world of never-ending pain . . . which was exactly what Rachelle wanted her to do. Then the bitch would have something else to complain to the pack about, wouldn’t she?

“Well, hello there,” greeted Rachelle, wearing a superior, ugly smile. As usual, her hatred gave Ally the sensation of having sharp shards of frost lodged in her chest. “I was just helping myself to what was left in your fridge. Hope you don’t mind.”

Now if she could just choke on the liquid, that would be great. Or maybe if she just went back to whatever asylum she crawled out of. “Ugly bruise you have there. Who gave you all the injuries?”

Rachelle delicately swept her finger over her swollen jaw. “One of the youths who did this lovely handiwork to your cabin. So, how did your meeting with Zeke go?” Rachelle’s smile told Ally that she knew exactly how it had gone.

“Do you mean before or after we got down and dirty?”

Her smile faltered as her cheeks turned almost as red as the streaks in her bleach-blonde hair. “Must be hard losing your position in the pack. Embarrassing too. And to know that your own pack mates no longer trust you . . . Wow. Now that’s gotta hurt.”

It did, it burned like a motherfucker. But Ally wouldn’t let her see that. Nor would she let her see just how defeated she felt right now. Why couldn’t the woman just leave her the fuck alone? She had Zeke, she had the pack eating out of her hands, and she’d taken Ally’s status away from her. There was nothing left for her to take. Except for her pulse, of course. But Ally strongly doubted that Rachelle wanted her dead. Not just yet.

“Would you like to see what I have?” Rachelle rose to her feet and approached her.

“Is it infectious?” Ally asked dryly. When the skank reached into the neck of her T-shirt and dug out a gold chain with a wolf pendant, Ally’s stomach knotted.

“I still can’t believe he gave it to me.”

Neither could Ally. She had bought that for Zeke last Christmas, had done a lot of searching before she’d found the perfect present. And now she had it. “Why would you want to wear something that I gave him? If there’s logic in that, it’s escaping me.”

“Giving it to me proves that you no longer matter to him. That this chain no longer means anything to him. It’s proof of his devotion to me.”

Nope, Ally still didn’t see the logic there. It was clear that this woman’s antenna didn’t pick up all the channels. “I have to wonder if things could have been different if you hadn’t been deprived of oxygen at birth. Just a thought.”

Rachelle planted her hands on her hips. “You’re just jealous. Admit it.”

Oh, this was getting old. “Careful. You’re confusing sheer loathing with jealousy.”

“You are, you’re jealous!”

“Of what exactly? Your manipulative streak? Your distance from reality? The voices in your head that tell you you’re pretty?” She shook her head, done with this bitch. “I don’t have the patience to deal with you right now.” Ally opened her front door and swept out a hand.

“You can’t throw me out! I’m Beta female of this pack! I’m of superior rank!”

“You’re also neurotic and have cancer of the soul. And I have better things to do with my time than listen to your shit.”

“Fine.” She literally marched to the door, pouting. “I have to go meet Zeke anyway.”