Chapter 21: Aiden

 

 

 

The rest of the Black Paws arrived a few minutes after Erick woke up. I retreated to a corner as Erick recounted his vision about someone called "the Lady of the Wood." The Black Paws sat in rapt attention, listening. Meanwhile, I almost chewed a hole through my bottom lip as I wondered if the lightning was my fault.

The guilt ate at me so much that I had to take Rowan outside. "Did you do it on purpose because of me?" I asked.

"Huh?" Rowan said, crossing her arms against the chill.

"The lightning," I said, lowering my voice.

Rowan's eyes widened. "Of course not! The lightning wasn't part of the plan. It was only supposed to be a little rain. But Aiden, you should know that Erick really wanted to leave."

My heart slowly sank. "He did? What did he say exactly?"

"That there was nothing left for him here," Rowan said stiffly.

"He said that?" I said in disbelief.

I thought back to our last conversation at the apartment. We'd agreed to be friends, yet there was nothing left for him here? To my surprise, it hurt me. I thought that we had a special connection, even as friends.

"Why did he want to leave so soon?" I wondered aloud.

Rowan shook her head helplessly.

It was almost time for the Graybacks to arrive, so we went back inside. Rowan splintered off to join the betas, who were discussing the upcoming meeting in low voices. Erick was sitting on a bale of hay, his hair tied back in an elastic that was borrowed from Rowan's wrist. He still had the faint burnt smell on him when I sat down next to him.

He gave me a small smile, which I returned without saying a word, even though I had about a million questions I wanted to ask him. They were all running through my head at the same time, like crisscrossing train lines.

Was it something I said?

Why were you going to leave without saying goodbye?

Do you still want to leave just as badly as you did before you got struck by lightning?

Dozens more swarmed crowded my head up until the moment Logan announced that Garland and his betas were walking up the path.

The atmosphere inside the barn completely changed the moment Garland Grayback strolled in, flanked by five betas, four male and one female. The distinguished, middle-aged alpha glanced around the barn with a sneer and a small wrinkle in his nose.

"Nice place," he said. "I hope it won't offend you that I prefer to stand."

Behind his back, Sam rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

"Do whatever you want. We're just here to discuss the Eliza Vreeland problem," Caleb said.

For a moment, I caught a flash of fear in Garland's eyes. He was scared.

Of course he's afraid of her, I thought. He hadn't become the millionaire owner of a thriving business by being stupid.

Garland's fear disappeared just as quickly, and he resumed wearing his usual self-satisfied expression. With a single flick of his wrist, his betas moved into guard formation around him.

"What about her?" he said.

Garland crossed his arms, so Caleb did, too.

"You knew about what she was doing with shifters," Caleb said with an accusatory glare.

Garland tossed his head back and released a single, deep laugh. "So what? What good would it have done for you to know?"

"Why is she harvesting shifters?" Kaden said. He took one step closer to Garland.

Now, the three alphas formed the three points of a triangle in the center of the barn, with their betas spread out behind them. Erick and I were still on the far side of the barn, slightly to Caleb and Kaden's right, while Rowan faced us from the opposite side.

"Why do you want to know?" Garland asked.

Caleb raised his chin. "Because we're going to stop her. You can either help us or stay out of the way, but what you can't do is act like Eliza doesn't have some sort of hold over you. We all know she does."

A strange expression crossed Garland's face. It was the same fear I'd seen earlier, but there was also a note of hysteria, as if he were a split second away from screaming. This time, it didn't disappear.

He was absolutely spooked.

"I can only tell the two of you alone. Everybody else must leave the barn," he said.

"What about your betas?" Kaden said.

"They'll leave too," Garland said without hesitation.

The betas behind him shared confused glances.

"Sir?" the female beta said uncertainly.

Garland turned his head. "You heard me. Leave. Wait for me in the clearing."

A short while later, all but Kaden, Caleb, and Garland were outside. The Grayback betas went to the shaded side of the barn so they wouldn't have to look at us, while we took refuge near the treeline so we wouldn't have to look at them.

The sun was setting, and the day's warmth faded more with each passing second. Rowan and I shared the flannel blanket, spread over the soft, damp grass. Erick paced with his hands behind his back.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Mickey said. He bounced a pebble off of the trunk of a nearby oak tree. We all listened until it skittered off into the shadows.

"Hopefully Garland's telling them the secret to killing the Wicked Witch of the Northwest," Logan said. He was on his back with his legs crossed, one arm folded under his head.

Sam made a face. "If he knew, she'd be dead already. I bet—"

"I can't take it anymore!"

Everybody stopped and glanced up.

The outburst had come from Jimmy, who had been leaned up against a tree just a few seconds ago. Now, he was swinging his fists at his sides, marching towards me.

No, wait—

He was marching towards Rowan.

"You," he said, pointing to her. "When are you going to finally text me back?"

I turned my head sideways to catch Rowan's reaction. She sat with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around them. Her head was leaned nearly all the way back, returning Jimmy's demanding stare with a look of sheer outrage.

All she said was a shrill, "Jimmy!"

"What's going on?" Sam asked. Mickey was frozen behind him, his arm still crooked over his head in mid-throw. Logan sat up and watched curiously. A few feet away, Erick stopped pacing.

"I want to stop messing around, Rowan. I want to see you before midnight for once. How many times do I have to ask?" Jimmy continued.

I was confused, just like everybody else in the clearing, until I saw the blush creeping across Rowan's cheeks.

Apparently, Sam realized it at the exact same time I did, because he broke out into a huge smile.

"Wait. Is something going on between you guys?" he asked.

Logan's face lit up with realization, and his eyes bounced between Jimmy and Rowan. "You two been fucking?" he asked crudely.

Mickey dropped his pebble and cursed. "I had a feeling something was going on!" he said, which made Rowan blush even deeper.

I'd never seen her speechless before. I didn't know it was even possible. I caught Erick's eye, and we both shared a private, amused grin.

Jimmy knelt down in the wet grass. "I know you want to keep things casual, but I'm going crazy here. I just want you more and more every time we get together. I can't stand it, Rowan—"

"Seriously?" Rowan hissed. "Right now?"

"I'm ready for more," Jimmy rambled on. "Just one dinner. That's all I ask."

"Put him out of his misery and let him take you out on a date," Sam said, clearly fighting back laughter.

"He's on his knees, for fuck's sake," Logan added.

"Fine. One dinner," Rowan snapped.

Jimmy lunged for her and tackled her onto the blanket amidst whoops and laughter from his packmates. In the distance, a curious Grayback beta poked his head out from behind the barn.

"I said fine, now get off," Rowan muttered.

Jimmy planted a kiss on her cheek before he rolled off of her. Rowan sat up and pretended to wipe off her cheek where Jimmy had kissed her, but there was no hiding the smile dancing on her lips.

They're so cute, I thought. It was bittersweet to see. Somehow, I found myself searching for Erick's gaze again. When we met eyes over Rowan's shoulder, I felt a pinch in my gut.

"I think I'll go for a walk," I said, holding Erick's steady gaze as I stood up.

Just as I predicted, Erick replied almost immediately, "May I join you?"

"Sure," I said.

The short exchange sounded wooden and awkward to my ears, but the others were too busy poking fun at the newly outed couple to pay any attention to us.

Erick joined me at my side as I walked across the clearing. "Let's go that way," I said, pointing to an opening in the trees.

Together, we left Rowan and the betas behind us. The moment we stepped under the shadow of the trees, it was like we'd left the world entirely.

I closed my eyes and breathed. It was just the two of us. Now or never, I thought, and I opened my mouth to speak.

But Erick beat me to it.

"Aiden," he began, "there's something I have to tell you."